A business idea: Slipjoint handle upgrades

mnblade

mnblade

Joined
Feb 7, 2000
Messages
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I'm surprised there aren't more knife maker types who specialize in re-handling slipjoints. Seems like there would be a big market for upgraded versions of Buck's 300 line, U.S.-made Old Timers, Case's delrin-handled knives, and so forth. I'm not talking about a knife maker who'll quietly do a one-off job for someone. I mean creating a website and offering, for instance, various knives with a choice of stag or bone or colored micarta handles. I know I would really go for a Buck 309 with nice bone handles.

Or is there someone doing this that I don't know about? :confused:

[Fair warning: If someone does have a site offering this service, it's probably not kosher to paste their url here, as per forum guidelines.]

-- Mark
 
I've got a Case CV Copperlock that I would love to have some green micarta scales put on.




edit- read post again, and don't think there is anyone doing what your talking of(at least not with bone, stag, etc...). I was thinking you meant someone just doing handle swaps, instead of buying knives to sell after putting new sclaes on them.
 
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I'd be interested in a source for someone that can replace scales. I've got a few that need the scales repaired or replaced.
 
I've had scales replaced on slipjoints. There are folks on Bladeforums that will do that. People just need to be prepared to spend money to have it done right. It's not uncommon to spend $100 putting new scales on a $50 knife. (I speak from experience) :)
 
I know of two. You can PM me if you are interested. Both do good work.
 
The business idea has been executed by many on this forum and others. There are instructions on some forums. Most take the easy way out and just glue the new scales on and do not repin.

Trouble is that when it comes to resale, "lipstick on a pig doesn't change the fact it's still a pig." If the buyer is happy, that's great, but some collect knives to sell in the future and its hard to put a price on a customized production knife. Replacing the scales also voids the original warranty.
 
Moving this over to "Maintenance, Tinkering & Embellishment" for a couple of reasons...

I know some of the folks that actually do this work hang around the forum (so they may chime in as appropriate or you may hear from others that have used their services).

A link has been retained in "Traditional" so folks can scoot on over to this thread to participate as desired.
 
I do quite a bit of scale work. Slipjoints are work-intensive to rescale. They have to be disassembled, and reassembled properly. Most people don't have the skills or materials to do this properly. The ones that do are expensive. It's generally not cost erffective to rescale.
 
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