Home Forums Gear Knives and Blades TLC for a Cattaraugus 225Q - need some help

I've always read about the stout Cattaraugus 225Q knife and found one at a gun show today.

The leather handle could use some care and I could use some advice on what to coat it with.

Also, if I ever need to replace the leather, how or who does that? typical cost? can I do it my self? (DIY information is where?)

Thanks in advance for the information.

H

Nice knife! Stacked leather handles are my favorite. FWIW, here's my method, for a working knife:

If the handle needs cleaning, scrub it with saddle soap and warm water. A toothbrush or fingernail brush may help. Scrub it, rinse it, then wipe it off, and allow it to air dry completely.

Next, warm up the handle a little (an electric hair blow-dryer will do), and apply pure beeswax, liberally. Rub it in good. Keep adding beeswax and working it in until the leather won't absorb any more. Wipe off the excess, let it set for a while, then buff with a soft cloth, and you're good to go.

I sometimes use "Sno-Seal" instead of the straight beeswax. It's easier to apply, and it works quite well. Pure beeswax seems to stay on longer, though.

As for handle overhauls, there may be a knifemaker here at the Campfire who can help you out, or maybe one of them could recommend someone for the job. If you should decide to try it yourself, here's a tutorial that may be of help: ....... British Blades

Will common soap work? Or will a common soap harm leather?

Another question - if some of the leather disks are worn, can a persom fill them in with a dark putty to fill up the handle and seal with wax later?

Please, use saddle soap. Not only will it clean better, it's better for the leather.

The putty is a bad idea. Just disassemble it, as necessary, and replace the leather washers.

Thanks on the soap. I have a fleet & farm store near me that may sell that soap.
The knife handle is in pretty fair shape so I will bypass the putty idea. If I disassemble it, I may bet more creative on what I repair it with anyways.

Thanks guys.

This is a nice old battle knife and I can't wait to go out this weekend and whittle on something!

Pre-fab donuts are now available on request. Talk about easy livin' ....





Oh, ... and here's a fellow who can rebuild that handle for you, if you decide to go that route, ..... Jay Maines



Good plan, cool knife ... have fun!

If you replace some of the leather washers, I would replace all of them.
Also you might consider pre treatment of the washers with a mix of lacquer thinner and shelac. Let them soak thru and them press them flat and string them up to dry. They are now going to last a lot longer, look and finish up nice and not soak up so much moisture such as oil or whatever.
jmho
Tim
ps: I believe the cattaraugus knives with the Q designation were issued to the quartermaster army personnel during earlier wars.

New washers - cool! nice to know you can buy this stuff for the novice. The handle is in servicable shape for many camping trips and woods so I will clean it up for now.

My interest in the knife was aroused after reading an article in "the backwoodsman".

The Q does stand for quartermaster and they we're issued to Navy guys to pry boxes open and the heavy pommel was used to hammer the nails back down. Apparently the army guys always tried to trade their Ka-bars with for Navy "cats" because it is a more stout knife.

I must admit I got my history wrong and Michiganroadkill knows his knives far better than me. I found a couple magazine articles and the Catt 225Q was an army knife first. I always heard it was issued to navy though so I must have bad intel.

I got my saddle soap and looked for beeswax and the craft store was out of it. At $18 a pound package, I may look at snow seal if I dodn't find a cheaper source of beeswax.

Thanks guys.

Lots of different claims/theories floating around about that, as well as other aspects of the 225Q. Bernard Levine, at BladeForums, had this to say:


"As a Q.D. tool it did not have to be either accounted for, or turned back in, the way Ordnance Dept weapons (such as the M3) had to be. They were purchased in vast quantities, dispensed as needed, carried or used or discarded or traded freely. They were expendable. The original 'sharp prybar' (not called that at the time; sharp prybar is more recent term, c1970s).

The "commando knife" line was originally from Cattaraugus magazine ads for these knives, just hype. Kind of like Case "green bone," which is not green, no matter what anybody claims by way of rationalization.

Anyone could and did use these knives. I have seen no evidence of any unit "issuing" them, but there was not rule against that, so it coulda happened -- but history is not made up of coulda shoulda woulda oughta or mighta. Only what actually did happen. Some folks, possibly a majority, simply cannot grasp this distinction.

The story about two knives with each pallet of C rations came through me, from two different veterans, and did not include anything about wire. Is there another source for that, N2S -- or is the wire business just a 'barnacle' the story picked up in its travels?

The marks on the handles most likely came from the fixture that secured the handle while the pommel was being staked on, in the factory. ALL 225Q knives have those marks, unless a 'restorer' has removed them."








Well, Sno-Seal is less hassle, anyway and it works pretty well. A little heat makes for better absorption, so I would still advise the judicious use of a blow-dryer, ... when the wife ain't home, of course.

Walker,
Those marks on the handle are the same as mine and now I know more history! Your blade is in better shape so mine isn't a collector and I won't be afraid to use it!

H

That's not my knife, H. I just borrowed those pics off the interwebz for illustration purposes. If it was my knife, I'd use it. In fact, I'd beat the hell out of it. I'm just here to have fun.

I agree that it was made to be used and used hard.
I would opt for refurbishing the leather as good as possible without tearing it apart.
Reassemble with new leather only as last resort.
Use it.
I had one for awhile from a trade, but moved it on to another home.
Tim