Screw on pommel help.

[Sir Nate]

I have a warspike from strongblade.com that I got for 75 bucks and really love it but I've been having problems with the pommel... It's a screw on, and as of right now won't even stay on the tang of the blade.
How can I fix and make it better for the future.(like if I want to use it for tinker.)

[Sir Brian]

The pictures aren’t real clear but looking at the second picture there looks like a standard nut holding the grip on. Is that original or did you add that later? If it is original, then is the pommel nut too shallow to tighten all the way onto the tang? Or is the threads on the tang and/or in the pommel partially stripped out and not able to tighten?

Possible solutions:
If the standard nut is not original yet needed because the pommel isn’t deep enough to fully tighten onto the tang then you can remove the standard nut and fill the gap with leather washers. Find some thick leather and cut the amount of washers you need.

Another solution:
If the pommel and/or tang threads are damaged or stripped out and you don’t need to ever change the blade out (and at $75.00 it would be cheaper to buy another sword entirely if your blade was broken) then you could simply get some fast setting epoxy and semi-permanently epoxy the pommel onto the tang.
 

[Sir Wolf]

will it screw on? if so buy some lock tight

[Sir Brian]

or use 'poor boy' lock tight and melt some candle wax into the pommel.

[Sir James A]

Take a picture of the top of the pommel. I'm wondering if the nut is supposed to be on the end of the pommel, rather than inside.

[Sir Nate]

1. The thread is loose.
2. The nut came that way.
3 my dad mentioned using epoxy, would that be better Han getting it re threaded?
4. Nut isn't supposed to be on top of pommel.
5. I'll go with sealing it on solution because if I get it re threaded ill eventually have to get it threaded again.
6. I should probably get it re threaded then poxy it. That way it's in stronger when I do.

[Sir James A]

Did you get it new or used? I'm thoroughly confused on that nut. It shouldn't be there. The pommel being screwed down tightly should be more than sufficient to keep the grip from any slight wobble.

Getting it re-threaded won't do anything if it is physically too short to screw into the pommel. Same thing for epoxy; if there isn't enough to keep the pommel secure on the tang, it's pointless. Unless you just want to use it for decoration and not handle it.

[Lord Dane]

Hell with threading!! Peen that bastard (sword that is). 

[Sir Nate]

It was new and used. Last one on shelve so it was kinda used.
The pommel I can get to stay on there.
There is an open area in the pommel that is able to fit the nut in it. Without the nut I can get the pommel to stay on better but It doesnt seem to hold the grip or guard in well.
and I would like to handle it. My father says it should be enough if the pommel is able to stay there.
what does peen mean?

[Chuck G.]

It was new and used. Last one on shelve so it was kinda used.
The pommel I can get to stay on there.
There is an open area in the pommel that is able to fit the nut in it. Without the nut I can get the pommel to stay on better but It doesnt seem to hold the grip or guard in well.
and I would like to handle it. My father says it should be enough if the pommel is able to stay there.
what does peen mean?

Hi - new here and I still need to introduce myself, but I thought I would jump in on this discussion as I have considerable experience rehilting swords of various makes, including Windlass, Del Tin, and Arms & Armor, and can give you a few pointers.

To answer the last question first, peening refers to the proper historical method of hilting a Mediaeval era sword, which was to run the tang all the way through the cross, grip, and pommel, and then carefully hammer or "peen" the end of the tang over the top of the pommel, much like a rivet. I do not think that possible with this particular sword, at least not without significant modification. I'll look at the specs on this particular piece and give a recommendation a bit later.

A fairly straightforward fix to this problem, assuming I understand it correctly, would actually be to slightly shorten the grip so that the nut that secures it can be screwed on just a bit further. Possibly as little as 1/16" might be enough, though maybe 1/8" would be better. That should allow the pommel to screw on tightly enough. Shortening the grip could be done with a wood rasp or a course file even, whilst mounting the grip in a bench vise.

Again, hard to say without having it in my hands in my shop, but that is my take on it.

[Chuck G.]

Actually, there might be an even easier solution. If my guess is right, the real problem is that the nut used to secure the grip in place is fractionally too tall, and sticks out of the pommel recess ever so slightly, preventing the pommel from screwing on all the way. To fix you could either go to a decent hardware store with the nut and see if you can find one that is the same thread size and hole but dimensionally shorter, or simply take the nut, clamp it in a vise leaving it protruding out and use a file to file it down however much is needed. One way or the other this should be a pretty easy fix.

[Sir Nate]

Actually, there might be an even easier solution. If my guess is right, the real problem is that the nut used to secure the grip in place is fractionally too tall, and sticks out of the pommel recess ever so slightly, preventing the pommel from screwing on all the way. To fix you could either go to a decent hardware store with the nut and see if you can find one that is the same thread size and hole but dimensionally shorter, or simply take the nut, clamp it in a vise leaving it protruding out and use a file to file it down however much is needed. One way or the other this should be a pretty easy fix.

Well it's not the nut, It seems to be the pommel because even with the grip and nut removed, I can get it on so it won't fall off but I can't tighten it to a point were it stops. It can keep turning and turning, I think it just needs to be resewn by epoxy seems like a good idea

[Sir Brian]

Well there are more refined ways of rethreading the pommel nut. Everything from running the appropriately sized thread tap to using a helicoil, but I neglected to mention them previously because those are specialty materials. Still it seems the threads of your pommel nut are stripped out and without at least running the correct sized thread tap into it, then those last threads will never hold as they were most likely damaged and stripped out from someone attempting to over tighten the pommel nut.

One big question is when you do have the pommel nut on and even though it keeps spinning, is the hilt and grip snug and not able to rattle around?
If they are then I would go with the epoxy since you lack the other specialty materials.   

[Sir Patrick]

I would recommend J&B LiquiWeld over epoxy. Easily found at any hardware store. It's tough enough to repair a cracked engine block, so it should hold that pommel on.

[Chuck G.]

Well it's not the nut, It seems to be the pommel because even with the grip and nut removed, I can get it on so it won't fall off but I can't tighten it to a point were it stops. It can keep turning and turning, I think it just needs to be resewn by epoxy seems like a good idea

That, then, is a rather different problem, and Sir Brian's and Sir Patrick's suggestions should then be followed.

However, before doing so, have you considered contacting the seller and see if they will swap out your defective pommel with a new one that might work properly? They might not, given it was a sale price, but it doesn't hurt to ask. They may just send you a new one for free.