334dave's Alpha-scaled 110 Workman

chickentrax

chickentrax

Joined
Aug 5, 2005
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Dave wrote me that he tried a set of Alpha rubber grips on a 110. He whipped up a set of Alpha scales and carved them to fit the 110. That's pretty much the only mod, and the idea seems to be what Dave described as "gripability".

Dave seemed more interested in the rubber scales and their ability to "stick" when in use, but I was more impressed in the idea of interchangeable scales... :p

To me, it seems to work OK as for gripability. I don't really have any problem with carrying a 110 loose in my pocket; it sort of moves around and finds its own comfort zone...but with these grips, it doesn't move around...it seems to stick in one place...I found I had to poke it around to keep my jeans from "bunching" around it...

For actual cutting, it felt natural. I cut up some reinforced cardboard with it, and a couple pieces of old rug. No slipping or twisting. I like the dull black color.

I tried to buff out some of the scratches in the bolsters from the rough life this Workman has led, but the rubber scales don't take well to buffing, so I just polished them lightly. I didn't want to buff too aggressively on someone else's knife. Dave glued the scales in place, and LocTited the screws. When I received it, one of the screw holes was stripped, so there's no screw in it. :(

Here's how Dave's Alpha-scaled 110 Workman mod looks -



I like the idea of removable scales on the 110; I think if Buck were to offer different materials it would be a neat item. Rubber, wood, Micarta, horn, whatever. Maybe make them optional, or sell them separately. Buck might want to use a stud for the screws, instead of tapping a .060" liner...

Pros - The rubber makes for a nice firm grip, and I like the idea of them being removable. The molded rubber would take a logo easily, too. Or some faux checkering. It would be easy to cast in custom scenes or even lettering. A cheap way to offer a customized 110 for volume sales (like for employee safety awards, etc).

Cons - Heh, well, since Dave managed to strip one of the holes, I imagine others can, too...and I didn't try it in a leather sheath, but I don't think it would slide in & out too well...Buck might want to offer it with a Nylon sheath, like the old 426's...

334dave wrote me that Joe H would like to hear opinions on this idea...

I'd be interested in hearing what feature it was that Joe H liked about Dave's idea...

(I'll be sending this out to the next tester on Dave's list) :)
 
Thanks for the review and pics Trax. Be careful when poking a 110 around in your pocket... might look like pocket pool to the casual observer :p

I'm not crazy about rubber grips but I love the idea of removable grips that you would be able to change on a whim. :thumbup:

What about going one more step and replacing the bolster pins with torx fasteners so the whole knife could be taken apart, cleaned, switch in a custom blade, etc?
 
Messersmith said:
What about going one more step and replacing the bolster pins with torx fasteners so the whole knife could be taken apart, cleaned, switch in a custom blade, etc?
Click to expand...

Excellent!!! :D With the Nickel-silver bolsters!!! :cool:

I guess it would depend on whether Buck is looking for a low-end entry level knife, or a high-end custom ensemble...
 
wow inter -hangable scales !!!
what an idear !
you is smarter then that avator showes you to be!!!
the screw striped because i let the drill wobble and thus it did not take too much to strip it.. a drill press would have not dont it... the others were tight
sorry ... i am a wood worker not a machenist

my father in law hunts a LOT, 5 deer a year most the time
he liked that it was good to hold with the rubber sides
were the wood would be slipery when wet.
the alpha grips replaced the wood that was beat up...
it was a user any way...
i had not carryed it in my pocket so had no idear it would bunch up like that
defently not a plus i guess
as to total disamiblity
a non machincaly person like me would be sending a box of stuff to idaho like many did with the 186...
inter change able sides ...yea! i can go for that
change looks when you change moods!
wow a sales slogen! a knife that changes moods as you do !
 
trax as soon as i read your interchangeable scales i liked the idea :thumbup:

dave good idea with the mod and like trax says the rubber would be easy to work with and mold , color , contour , etc
the only drawbacks i see are heat and wear (burns,cuts,chips,cracks,etc.)

Buck needs to redo the 186 titanium so it has a new skeletonized frame with interchangeable blades and handle inserts , now that would be the perfect 110 :thumbup: any blade and handle combination to suit any occasion :D

i lke my chevys because of all of the aftermarket optional parts available for them so i can tweak it just the way i want , same with colt pistols any custom part you could want for them are available
thats the way the 186 should be any handle you could think of and all of the various blade steels
then the person could buy the various ones they want and change whenever they wanted
 
Three things came to my mind when I read about a take apart 110.
First thing was "How cool!!!"

Secondly I remembered the take apart 186 and the trouble most folks had with that. The spring really caused all the stripped out holes, theres a trick to getting the tension on the spring without stripping things out.

The last thing that came to mind was all the zip lock baggies I have, sent in by frustrated customers. These baggies contain most of the pieces required to assemble one of the following: 290, 291, 295, 296, 297, 298. By the way, if you ever get the urge to take one of them apart...do yourself a favor anddont.

In my humble opinion, a take apart 110 would have to be designed in a way that eliminates the possibility for lost or ruined parts. It has to be made in a way that makes it FUN, not a chore.
I love rubber grips, and most all others for that matter. The slippery when wet thing for wood has never materialised for me. Once the handle gets gooey from field dressing, it does not seem to matter what it is made of. I can't always hang on to it regardless. I think that if i had a hunting knife with textured g-10 handles, it might be diferent.
 
ahhh another great idear for a 110 !:thumbup:
G-10 on a 110 wow !!!:D
you are smart also!:eek:
no wander your wife married you !;)
so the pass around is doing its job
in creating idears to revitlise the 110!

mr C'trax i likes yo new avatar...
 
Joe Houser said:
In my humble opinion, a take apart 110 would have to be designed in a way that eliminates the possibility for lost or ruined parts. It has to be made in a way that makes it FUN, not a chore.
Click to expand...

It probably wouldn't meet your specifications, but I'd use barrel nuts (maybe knurled to stay inside the bolsters) and button-head Torx screws (like Dave did). This wouldn't cure lost or stripped/cross-threaded screws, but it would eliminate the need to return it for liner replacement. Just order replacements and pop them in.

I did get some barrel nuts for one of my projects in 2-56 thread, 1/8" OD. Now all I need is a project... :rolleyes:
 
Some time ago molded hard rubber grips with a checkered finish were available for the 110 by someone who used to advertise the aftermarket rework in the sportsmen's magazines. You might try looking for one of these rather than reworking your own knife. I have one and they look pretty much like a factory job. The knife is very gripable and is very easy to hold on to.
 
Dave's "Opinion Knife" [coff, coff] :rolleyes: is on its way to its next tester!!! :D

Anyone interested in voicing their opinion, please email 334dave! ;)
 
Ok, I've had the knife for a few days and I've got to say I REALLY like the rubber scales.

If anyone hasn't carried a 110 before, its a fairly big, fairly heavy knife (at least as far as pocket knives go). I think a leather sheath might be okay for this knife (it worked fine for me), but I would think a nylon or cordura sheath would fit with the theme much better. I really like the way the rubber scales fit in the hand. I'm sure the Alpha has a great feel in the hand as well.

I've been tempted a few times to pick up an Alpha Hunter for my grandfather, but his generation just doesn't seem to GET the liner locks. I have no problem with them, but I see my dad, father-in-law, and grandfather all struggle with my liner lock knives. A 110 with rubber scales like this would definately be a hit with a large group of people. Just think of all the hunters that like the Alpha Hunter but don't like lock.

Now, since Chickentrax brought up the issue of interchangable scales... I REALLY like this idea a lot. As soon as I opened the knife I started picturing it with black micarta scales. I could see this taking off with Buck selling different materials like horn, flamewood, rubber, and letting people change themselves. It would be best to make the liners a bit thicker to take the threads, but that should still leave enough width for sufficient thickness in the scales.

I'm pretty sure Dave used the holes already in the scales and matched them up to the 110 the best way they would fit, but on a production knife they need to be moved to keep them from interfering with the lock spring. The fit of the scales is a little rough on this one, but thats not the point of this knife so its not such a big deal here.

This is a nice idea for a knife, and I think it would be very popular with hunters and outdoorsmen. Everyone knows the 110, and I think this would be a great addition the the 110 family.

Make one with rubber scales (removable) and a BG42 or CMP 154CM blade and you'll have a real hit on your hands!






schiesz
 
Its raining pretty good here tonight so i'll do some wet conditions cutting before I send it on to the next guy.

Nice job on this one 334dave!

schiesz
 
schiesz said:
Its raining pretty good here tonight so i'll do some wet conditions cutting before I send it on to the next guy.
Nice job on this one 334dave!
schiesz
Click to expand...

nice picts!
nice job>?
well the picts are so great that it shows i am not a metal worker!!!!
it was that i have a cut in half thumb that was sewed back togeather that wont bend any more in the middle at all and i was looking for a way to be able to use a 110 hard again with out it hurting the point were my thumb contacts it and be able to hold it as tight as before

so i tinkered with a beat up user and vola... i liked it and so did my deer hunting father in law... so i ... well the rest is known
and i thank you and trax for your kind comments!!!
 
I've been following this topic with interest because I have a Schrade LB7 prototype that was done by Schrade for Pachmayr and it has Pachmayr rubber grips. Of all of my LB7's, this is by far my favorite. The rubber grips give this knife a new level of practicality and the finger grooves molded into the handle actually aid in the control of the knife. This never went into production by Schrade, but if Buck 110's were available with this handle, I think they would have a big seller on their hands.

 
hummm ...
sniff .... sniff ....
hummmm ....
does any one else smell posable collabration?
sniff .... well some thing smells goooood anyway
 
redshanks said:
...and it has Pachmayr rubber grips...The rubber grips give this knife a new level of practicality and the finger grooves molded into the handle actually aid in the control of the knife...
Click to expand...

Interesting. When Pachmayr first came out with the wraparound rubber grips for the Colt Gov't Model, I bought a set...They were terrible for shooting...they grip *too* well...once you gripped the weapon, you were stuck with that grip...only way to change it was to let go and try again...

But that's comparing apples and orangutans... :D

We'll see what happens when Joe shows off the 110 rubber gripped prototype...
 
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