3D printed Umnumzaan backspacer prototype

Ante Vukorepa

Ante Vukorepa

Joined
Aug 28, 2020
Messages
152
Was inspired by Boomer52's Umnumzaan backspacer prototypes, and decided to try and prototype my own:

PwZUqwn.jpg


A few caveats...

Boomer52 had a good reason to give up on the G10 and CF backspacers - since there's no way to anchor the front side of the backspacer, there's quite a bit of flex at the front. Mine's much deeper (and has a deeper kerf - which was the ultimate hangup on Boomer52's version - cutting that deep with a mill was impractical), but that's still not enough.

Granted, this is when printed out of methacrylate resin meant for quick prototyping, not functional use. I plan on giving a glass-filled rigid resin a try in hopes that might be just stiff enough.

Ideally, i'd like to have these machined at some point, but that's way way way off in the future. For now, i'm just making prototypes for my own use. The one in the photo, in fact, is the first one that i've left inside the 'zaan for longer than minutes - so far, i've only been doing fitment tests. There's still some fit issues to resolve (previous version was just a tad too thick, this one's just a tad too loose).

Thoughts? Opinions? Suggestions?
 
I don’t see much practical use for a full length backspacer. And even less if it wobbles because there’s not enough support. You could design various ways around that, but I’m not the target audience either way.
 
Completely understand ya, and i don't see the point either, but a half-length one looks just plain weird (tried it).
And having one at the back only is pointless to me (completely subjective), as my aim is to improve the grip at the ball of the hand, not just the very edge of the palm.
 
Ante Vukorepa said:
Completely understand ya, and i don't see the point either, but a half-length one looks just plain weird (tried it).
And having one at the back only is pointless to me (completely subjective), as my aim is to improve the grip at the ball of the hand, not just the very edge of the palm.
Click to expand...

Jekyll to Hyde’s backspacer setup has a great lanyard loop and doesn’t intrude on the grip. The flush version is a different rear standoff and looks great; in my opinion.

I’ve never felt the Sebenza or Umnumzaan needed more grip in the hand either. I guess what I’m trying to say nicely is a full length backspacer looks to me like a solution lacking a problem.
 
To each his own.
I understand where you're coming from.

And this is where i'm coming from - to me, a backspacer whose sole function is to replace the stock standoff and provide a lanyard hole because it used up the existing one, is not a very functionally appealing proposition (as nice as it looks). And, more importantly, in my hand, there's a gap between the ball of my hand and the spine, especially past the half-way point of the spine. So for my palm, and my Umnumzaan, this was very much not a solution lacking a problem, but the very opposite.

Different strokes... ;)
 
Could you make the end of the spacer stretch over the stop pin slightly enough to not interfere with the action but enough to add rigidity? Just a thought
 
Goose 7279 said:
Could you make the end of the spacer stretch over the stop pin slightly enough to not interfere with the action but enough to add rigidity? Just a thought
Click to expand...

On the Umnumzaan the thumb lugs serve as the stop pin. There are only two holes in the handles, pivot and rear standoff.
 
That also happens to be one of the reasons i prefer it over the Sebenza and the Inkosi (although, honestly, i've grown to like all three).
Such a neat, deceptively simple construction.
 
I respect your skill and the time you put in to making that back spacer. In my opinion it ruins the lines of the knife and doesn’t look very comfortable in hand. I’d try something more subtle. Will be interesting to see what you eventually settle on.
 
Not as active of a thread that I hoped. Didn’t get any feedback on the above so I gave it a shot. 1st try printed from PLA, pretty happy with the outcome.

Might scan the original gimping of the Umnumzaan tomorrow to fine tune the ribs on the spine. Next try on the mill 🤞
 
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