A Broken Tip on a Grandfather's Hunting Knife: What to Do

The knife in question was given to its owner by his grandfather twelve years ago, and the grandfather died last December. The tip broke off. The question posted to r/knifeclub was simply how to get it repaired — and the answers matter because sentimental knives are the ones people are most afraid to touch.

The first decision is whether the tip actually needs replacing. A broken tip can usually be reprofiled: grind the spine down until the break disappears and a new point forms, which shortens the blade slightly and changes the profile. On a hunting knife with a drop point, losing a quarter inch of length is invisible in use. On a narrow clip point, it changes the character of the knife permanently.

The second decision is who does the work. For a reprofile, a competent local sharpener or a hobbyist with a belt grinder can do it in twenty minutes. For anything involving a broken blade — a snapped tang, a crack through the ricasso — the knife needs a knifemaker, not a sharpener, because the repair involves disassembly and possibly welding. Sending a family knife to a stranger is a real risk, so ask for photos of previous work before shipping.

The third decision is whether to repair at all. Some collectors argue that damage from use is part of a knife's history, and that a repaired tip erases a record of the day it broke. That is a legitimate position, and for a display piece it may be right. For a knife that will keep being used, a reprofile makes it a working tool again, which is usually what the person who gave it to you would have wanted.

The practical version: photograph it first, get two quotes, and keep the original profile sketch. If the quote exceeds the knife's replacement value, do it anyway if the story matters — that is what separates an heirloom from an object.