¿Jimping On BK-5?

The Zieg

The Zieg

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Jan 31, 2002
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Love my 15 but hankering for a 5. Have read of folks adding jimping to their Beckers that lack it, but has anyone done it to their 5? I don't need it, but the choil for choking up on the blade just begs for it, in my opinion. Perhaps I should ask whether 5 users here without it think it's missing and whether 5 users with it find it unnecessary or with they hadn't done it?

Yeah, I know I need to get one and just give it some dirt time before too much time passes. I probably will, but in the meantime . . .

Zieg
 
I have been thinking about that myself... I used to use it cutting meat regularly for a commercial meat plant and it lacked something to bite on the spine in.

I have added jimping to my bk2 and I will be doing my 5 soon.
there is a possibility that I will do it tonight, but I would say by next weekend is more likely.

Edit: seems like I was able to get it done as I had hoped...
 
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I've found it very useful on the 15 for close work. On the 5 I can't say that I've needed it yet. But now that you bring it up the wheels in my head are turning. Next time I use it I'm going to do some close work and see if I feel a need. This might be my first modded blade. (Besides stripping and scales) Would a diamond file be the way to go or perhaps a dremel? I wouldn't want to heat it to much and power tools have a way of doing that if you get aggressive.
 
I use a dremel with a cutoff wheel and go slow. Have a wet rag near by to cool it down then take some material out. With its proximity to the ricasso, there will be stresses there due to going from full thickness of the tang to the thickness of the blade and I don't think any added stress would be good thing.

Once I score the blade with a scribe, spaced out with a ruler, I will go to my dremel with one cutoff wheel. You can use two stacked, but I find it to be cumbersome and I would rather file out the remaining stock manually then go for speed. While the blade is held in the jaws of a vice and while holding the dremel between your thumb and pointer finger with your finger resting on the tang, rock the dremel down, using your pointer as a pivot, to see where it will make contact, adjust if necessary, then kick it on and make your first notch. Power down then move to the next line.
Wash, rinse, repeat.

Regarding files, I use a bastard, various Diamond, and sometimes the dremel on its slowest setting to just brush out areas lightly. I will also round out the corners I make while cutting my jimping with my files, then smooth it all out with 400-600 grit SiC sandpaper.

Some of them are a little wonky, I will straighten them out next weekend, but for now she is functional... I also gave my scales a once over with 60 grit. To say that I was Surprised at the amount of grip it added is More than an understatement. I washed my knife down, scales and all, and even while soap covered I felt I had a Fantastic grip, possibly more so than on my micarta scales on my 4...
I think I am going to redo Every Becker I have with 60 grit for the scale treatment.
 
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My first attempt at jimping was on my BK5. Turned out 'okay' but I think they're too narrow. Very grippy though and gives me a lot more control when I use the choil. I used a mini-dremel to mark the location of each but used diamond files for the rest of the work.

20150207_194617_zpsid9omzzu.jpg



But I prefer the jimping I added to my de-ramped BK10 later. Used diamond files and chainsaw sharpening files. Damn near perfect, even if I do say so myself. ;)

20150307_123031_zpsgw7gqblp.jpg


Used a spindle sander with 320 grit to finish the spines.
 
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Looks good! I might try the sandpaper trick on my 15 since it comes with two sets of scales. I've got hockey stick tape on my nine and it gives it just the added grip I like. Roughing it up may just do the trick. Thanks for the ideas.
 
After hearing complaints about the gimping on the Griptilian, I thought...it's not that bad but it could be better. I know it's not the knife in discussion but functionally this is the best jimping I've every had.

Both the dremel and knife were hand held, and hazy safety glasses didn't help. It actually looks better IRL.

20005147541_198572dedd.jpg
[/url]20150725_112924[1] by Nine4t4, on Flickr[/IMG]

Had I been patient and done it properly on a bench it would have looked factory made. The points dig into the thumb really well but aren't so sharp that they tear into the flesh. All it took was a dremel cut-off wheel run into the center of the factory jimping. Next time I'll use clamps and a better setup.
 
TravisH said:
But I prefer the jimping I added to my de-ramped BK10 later. Used diamond files and chainsaw sharpening files. Damn near perfect, even if I do say so myself. ;)

20150307_123031_zpsgw7gqblp.jpg


Used a spindle sander with 320 grit to finish the spines.
Click to expand...

A Posse of Waynes.
 
Nice job guys. I do like subtle jimping; it should be like colonge ... just enough to let you know it's there, but not a drop more.
 
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