- Joined
- Jan 27, 2006
- Messages
- 497
Well folks, I just picked up this used (but looked new save for the sheath 
) Anza Boddington off of Feebay at a very reasonable price,.... $47.55 plus $9.64 shipping. This is about half of the usual "new" pricing I've seen on this model.
This one was a bit usual also, having a very nice (and comfy) drop down spine thumb rest.
Mine is the raw file steel version, without the cold blue added like others I've seen. Save for another example by this seller the only Boddington I've seen with the thumb rest drop feature. The thumb rest appears to be original Anza, and unlike the straight spine to handle configuration usually seen.
Anyway, this puppy arrived RAZOR sharp,....it literally it WANT's to cut even when you don't want it to! The previous owner found that out also, as the blade must have been slightly twisted when he slid the knife in once, and caused this
:
A replacement sheath is pretty cheap if I want one,....maybe $18-20, but I may just make a high ride sheath anyway for better concealment.
It arrived with a central hollow grind combined with another straight bevel to the cutting edge,.....this thing is no chopper,.........but slice and dice it will.
I suppose starting from solid 1/4 inch thick steel made this necessary, but I don't think I'll be doing much chopping with this blade unlike some youtube video's I've seen. The edge would be prone to chipping out I'd think, if used on heavy chopping chores. I have no problem chopping thru many of the small to medium "Kudzu" vines at home, however. (up to an inch thick or so,.....short work to get thru)
It really is a fine slicing edge, however, and I wouldn't hesitate to shave off fire starting kindling and smaller branches where needed. The fat and rounding point, with it's heavy 1/4 inch thick stock base, makes this less a piercing blade. Slicing seems to be it's most useful call to duty, although cracking walnuts (with the now pinned butt area) won't be ruled out in it's future.
In New York State where I live, there is a bit unrealistic assumption that having a knife with you "for self defense" is presumptive evidence of your carrying a knife as a weapon. (Lawmakers "Gone Wild") We all effectively carry "tools", or working knives, which IS pretty much what I use a knife for anyway. (Opening boxes and prepping packages on almost a daily basis). Several knives are usually with me everyday (EDC), as having the right tool for the job is very important!
All that considered, the rather unsightly "Skull Crusher" thong hole portion HAD TO GO! Why make it any easier to ever have a bogus charge facing you, because you were carrying a knife looking to be a weapon of war? (Plus I hated the lines of it sticking out, as well as the sharp edges of the 90% scales drop off) The original design might also have been looked at as an emergency "glass breaker", but the 90% squared off scale edges were the deciding factor for me to want to remove it.
.......besides, there is still PLENTY of heft and solidity in the handle butt, if ever needed for other uses
I tripled up the coverage of electricians tape on the edge while I worked. Not pretty, but works pretty well to protect the flesh. Also, using a 1/2 inch drum sander (1/4" in the hilt area) you have to work S L O W L Y in order to keep the heat down. Epoxied on scales make this necessary. I kept a small bown of water handy at all times,......Grind a few seconds, and DIP, Repeat. Light pressure on the sanding also.
Be mindful that file steel can rust, so if you work on one and plan on storing it over night or other extended time periods,...make sure it is totally DRY when you store it. I even removed the protective edge tape and dried it really well during one night, as water gets under the tape and can cause rust in short order.
One other area this knife could use some improvement on, considering it's slicing abilities, is a more pronounced hilt or finger guard. I realize starting with a file as your medium does limit you in getting a built in hilt depth, but felt this could be improved upon also.
Here is the way the handle looked when I received it. Notice how easy it might be to slip up onto the blade, especially under wet conditions:
The plan was to reshape to a more 90% angle the "hilt" area, and also deepen the index finger access. Considering the 1/4" stock thickness, removing what I did means nothing in strength,.... but make me feel a bit safer using this.
The new position on the thong hole, besides looking less "aggressive" as part of a skull crusher, (er, I mean glass breaking tool
, is also more esthetically pleasing to the eye and hand.
One added benefit is a lot of the handle-heavy feel with this knife is now gone. It balances a lot closer to the hilt, and if I wanted to taper a bit more of the back of handle to butt position to remove more weight, could probably get it balanced right at the hilt. It's plenty fine as is now, however.
Now, I will say that i DID "Pin" this knife, but must state for the record I only got ONE functional pin in! The thong hole cut out without a problem, working in smaller drill sizes on up to finished size. The scale pin next to the thong hole also went in OK......
.......HOWEVER, using a sharp drill I cut the 2 remaining holes into the micarta, and stopped when I hit steel. When I went back to the middle hole to grill all the way thru,...NOTHING, NADA,.... LIKE GLASS!
I went thru my stock of drill bits and tried about 20 (I have hundreds as I buy them at a used tool shed locally), and no matter how well I sharpened the drills they all wouldn't even begin to go thru the steel at those points! :grumpy: (but they cut fine into the end piece of the skull crusher I cut off!) Possibly a carbide drill bit would have worked, but I didn't have one on hand in 3/32". (if they're even made that small?)
I can only surmise that either Anza Knives routinely anneals their files differently along the varying parts of the handle, or mine was an exception and the annealing process incomplete. Also, I suppose it's possible the blades are selectively re-hardened after shaping, with the skull crusher area made a bit softer for added "toughness"? In any case, the Rockwell hardness at the mid and front pin locations WAS equal or above drill bit hardness.
For cosmetic reasons, I drilled thru the micarta on the other side to match, and epoxied in non-functioning partial length pins to match the "look" of the single functioning pin near the thong hole. They were a bit fussy getting seated also, because the trapped air in the sealed hole kept wanting to push the pin OUT as it was pressed in place. Eventually the air pressure equalized and the pins stayed put, but I wrapped several times with electrical tape to be sure they stayed put.
If anyone else has noticed a hardness difference on Anza's depending on area of the handle , please let us know. I would have thought the overall annealing Anza does would have evened the hardness in the handle area,...but not in this case.
Now probably about the lightest Anza Boddington blade you're likely to see, at 189.9 grams ( 6.7 ounces) Still a beefy mid-sized knife, but that's the 1/4 inch thick steel stock contribution:
A few more pics of the completed knife,....looking kinda "sexy" with those sweet curves in the butt.
I'm actually right handed, but can't work the camera "lefty".........
As mentioned, just the pin near the thong hole is "real". However, this is how any serious use Anza handle "could" look if the factory ever chooses.
In the end,...about the only other change I'm likely to make on this knife is adding thumb notches to make for an even more secure grip.
"IF" I ever decide to remove the scales entirely, I'll be sure to selectively anneal just the handle area, and drill through the remaining two holes and add some new scales. (and probably use prime Sambar Stag).
) Anza Boddington off of Feebay at a very reasonable price,.... $47.55 plus $9.64 shipping. This is about half of the usual "new" pricing I've seen on this model.
This one was a bit usual also, having a very nice (and comfy) drop down spine thumb rest.
Mine is the raw file steel version, without the cold blue added like others I've seen. Save for another example by this seller the only Boddington I've seen with the thumb rest drop feature. The thumb rest appears to be original Anza, and unlike the straight spine to handle configuration usually seen.
Anyway, this puppy arrived RAZOR sharp,....it literally it WANT's to cut even when you don't want it to! The previous owner found that out also, as the blade must have been slightly twisted when he slid the knife in once, and caused this
:
A replacement sheath is pretty cheap if I want one,....maybe $18-20, but I may just make a high ride sheath anyway for better concealment.
It arrived with a central hollow grind combined with another straight bevel to the cutting edge,.....this thing is no chopper,.........but slice and dice it will.
I suppose starting from solid 1/4 inch thick steel made this necessary, but I don't think I'll be doing much chopping with this blade unlike some youtube video's I've seen. The edge would be prone to chipping out I'd think, if used on heavy chopping chores. I have no problem chopping thru many of the small to medium "Kudzu" vines at home, however. (up to an inch thick or so,.....short work to get thru)
It really is a fine slicing edge, however, and I wouldn't hesitate to shave off fire starting kindling and smaller branches where needed. The fat and rounding point, with it's heavy 1/4 inch thick stock base, makes this less a piercing blade. Slicing seems to be it's most useful call to duty, although cracking walnuts (with the now pinned butt area) won't be ruled out in it's future.
In New York State where I live, there is a bit unrealistic assumption that having a knife with you "for self defense" is presumptive evidence of your carrying a knife as a weapon. (Lawmakers "Gone Wild") We all effectively carry "tools", or working knives, which IS pretty much what I use a knife for anyway. (Opening boxes and prepping packages on almost a daily basis). Several knives are usually with me everyday (EDC), as having the right tool for the job is very important!
All that considered, the rather unsightly "Skull Crusher" thong hole portion HAD TO GO! Why make it any easier to ever have a bogus charge facing you, because you were carrying a knife looking to be a weapon of war? (Plus I hated the lines of it sticking out, as well as the sharp edges of the 90% scales drop off) The original design might also have been looked at as an emergency "glass breaker", but the 90% squared off scale edges were the deciding factor for me to want to remove it.
.......besides, there is still PLENTY of heft and solidity in the handle butt, if ever needed for other uses
I tripled up the coverage of electricians tape on the edge while I worked. Not pretty, but works pretty well to protect the flesh. Also, using a 1/2 inch drum sander (1/4" in the hilt area) you have to work S L O W L Y in order to keep the heat down. Epoxied on scales make this necessary. I kept a small bown of water handy at all times,......Grind a few seconds, and DIP, Repeat. Light pressure on the sanding also.
Be mindful that file steel can rust, so if you work on one and plan on storing it over night or other extended time periods,...make sure it is totally DRY when you store it. I even removed the protective edge tape and dried it really well during one night, as water gets under the tape and can cause rust in short order.
One other area this knife could use some improvement on, considering it's slicing abilities, is a more pronounced hilt or finger guard. I realize starting with a file as your medium does limit you in getting a built in hilt depth, but felt this could be improved upon also.
Here is the way the handle looked when I received it. Notice how easy it might be to slip up onto the blade, especially under wet conditions:
The plan was to reshape to a more 90% angle the "hilt" area, and also deepen the index finger access. Considering the 1/4" stock thickness, removing what I did means nothing in strength,.... but make me feel a bit safer using this.
The new position on the thong hole, besides looking less "aggressive" as part of a skull crusher, (er, I mean glass breaking tool
, is also more esthetically pleasing to the eye and hand. 
One added benefit is a lot of the handle-heavy feel with this knife is now gone. It balances a lot closer to the hilt, and if I wanted to taper a bit more of the back of handle to butt position to remove more weight, could probably get it balanced right at the hilt. It's plenty fine as is now, however.
Now, I will say that i DID "Pin" this knife, but must state for the record I only got ONE functional pin in! The thong hole cut out without a problem, working in smaller drill sizes on up to finished size. The scale pin next to the thong hole also went in OK......
.......HOWEVER, using a sharp drill I cut the 2 remaining holes into the micarta, and stopped when I hit steel. When I went back to the middle hole to grill all the way thru,...NOTHING, NADA,.... LIKE GLASS!
I went thru my stock of drill bits and tried about 20 (I have hundreds as I buy them at a used tool shed locally), and no matter how well I sharpened the drills they all wouldn't even begin to go thru the steel at those points! :grumpy: (but they cut fine into the end piece of the skull crusher I cut off!) Possibly a carbide drill bit would have worked, but I didn't have one on hand in 3/32". (if they're even made that small?)
I can only surmise that either Anza Knives routinely anneals their files differently along the varying parts of the handle, or mine was an exception and the annealing process incomplete. Also, I suppose it's possible the blades are selectively re-hardened after shaping, with the skull crusher area made a bit softer for added "toughness"? In any case, the Rockwell hardness at the mid and front pin locations WAS equal or above drill bit hardness.
For cosmetic reasons, I drilled thru the micarta on the other side to match, and epoxied in non-functioning partial length pins to match the "look" of the single functioning pin near the thong hole. They were a bit fussy getting seated also, because the trapped air in the sealed hole kept wanting to push the pin OUT as it was pressed in place. Eventually the air pressure equalized and the pins stayed put, but I wrapped several times with electrical tape to be sure they stayed put.
If anyone else has noticed a hardness difference on Anza's depending on area of the handle , please let us know. I would have thought the overall annealing Anza does would have evened the hardness in the handle area,...but not in this case.
Now probably about the lightest Anza Boddington blade you're likely to see, at 189.9 grams ( 6.7 ounces) Still a beefy mid-sized knife, but that's the 1/4 inch thick steel stock contribution:
A few more pics of the completed knife,....looking kinda "sexy" with those sweet curves in the butt.
I'm actually right handed, but can't work the camera "lefty".........
As mentioned, just the pin near the thong hole is "real". However, this is how any serious use Anza handle "could" look if the factory ever chooses.
In the end,...about the only other change I'm likely to make on this knife is adding thumb notches to make for an even more secure grip.
"IF" I ever decide to remove the scales entirely, I'll be sure to selectively anneal just the handle area, and drill through the remaining two holes and add some new scales. (and probably use prime Sambar Stag).
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