Replace Your Victorinox Multitool Handles

My dad gave me this multitool when i was a kid and after 25 years of using it for outdoor activities the handles became loose and even broke on one side. Therefore i was thinking about replacing them for a long time and when i saw the "fix it" contest it was finally time to do it. Hope you like the result and the instructable, have fun!

Materials and tools needed:

• some nice wood for the handles
• some scrap wood for a template
• If you want to reproduce my handles you will need a sheet of 3mm ABS.
• superglue
• sandpaper
• clear spray paint
• some basic tools: screwdriver, clamps, a power drill

Step 1: Remove the Handles and the Victorinox Logo

Use a screwdriver to remove the original handles. Do this carefully since you will need the old handles for a template.

Use a sharp knife to carefully remove the logo. You can also push it gently throug a tiny hole on the back side of the handle.

Take of the little chain ring and put it with the logo in a safe place :-)

Step 2: Use the Old Handles to Create a Template on Paper

Use a thin pen to draw the outline of the handles on a piece of paper. It acutally is enough to create a single template. Then put on of the handles under the paper and use a pencil to scribble on the paper to get the positions of the needed holes for the multitool blots.

Step 3: Transfer the Paper Template to a Piece of Scrap Wood

Glue the paper on a piece of plain scrap wood. Then use a saw and a drill to cut out the template.

Step 4: Cut Out the Wood for the Handles

I took another piece of scrap wood that had a nice look to it to cut a thin plate from it. Then i used 100 grit sandpaper to roughly smoothen the surface. Then i noticed that this piece of wood was too thin for the handles. So i took a sheet of black ABS and saw of 3mm broad stripes. Then took some superglue to attach them to the left and right of the wood. Unfortunately i realised too late that i had no SD card in my camera therefore there are no picture of this.

Then you can use the template to mark the holes and use a drill to carefully drill the needed openings for the bolts. Check from time to time that it fits to your Victorinox.

Step 5: Finishing the Shape of the Handles

I did a lot of sanding to reduce the width of the handles since they came of way to broad at first.

Then i rounded the edges also with sanding.

Step 6: Quick Intermezzo: Bend Back the Corkscrew

The corkscrew did not flip back into the original position so i bend it carefully and it fits again.

Step 7: Clean Your Multitool

I simply cleaned it with rinding agent and a brush. Then i let it to dry completely.

Step 8: Glue the Handles to the Multitool

Before doing this: You might consider to spray paint the handles now before attaching them to the tool. I did that afterwards but regreted it since it would have been much easier to do this before.

Apply some superglue to the multitool and use clamps to press the new handles to the tool. (If you followed my previous suggestion you might have to use some soft tissue between the clamps and the handles to protect the surface)

Step 9: Glue the Logo

Use a toothpick to apply a tiny bit of superglue to the logo and press it to the handles.

I had some trouble to get it right and although i am ok with the results, it is not perfectly in the place i wanted it to be. I suggest you to use some glue that gives a little bit of time to correct the position. Mine was hardening way to fast for this.

Step 10: Spray Coat the Surface

Use some masking tape to seal of your tools and knives. Apply a few layers of tranparent spray paint. Let it dry completely before sanding it with very fine grit sandpaper (i used 1000 and 1200 grit paper) and applying the next layer of paint.

Step 11: Thats It!

Don't forget to re-attach the small chain ring to your mutlitool. I hope that with these handles it will serve me for another 25 years. If they do i will defintely replace them for something much more spectacular than scrap wood. :-)

I really hope you liked this instructable! If you did something similar or even used this instructable for your Victorinox Swiss Army knive I would be very happy and glad hearing from you!