Are you a "Pimp"? Post 'em!

fulloflead

fulloflead

Joined
May 3, 2002
Messages
6,192
Here's a pimp I did a long time ago. My first and only real TOTAL pimp job:

(An Emerson Blackbird. It has a microbevel on the edge too since I lowered that secondary bevel so low. Polished hardware and polished liner near the cutouts so it's mirrored where it shines through the holes.)













I sold it on the forums a while back.
 
I do a lot of modifying on knives. I always post them on the the forum I help moderate in my profile but it will be nice to have someplace else to post some from time to time.

Most of what I do is pocket clip flips from tip up to down and vice a versa, Wave mods (with Ernie Emerson's written permission of course) and I make custom pocket clips and upgrade many older folders for fun and to make them suit my personal needs better. Of course a lot of you guys know this and maybe even had visited my link in my profile. Sorry if this is repeat to some of you.

Here are just a few of the ones I've done for myself recently.

BenchMade 420 Wave mod. This is one of my personal carry knives and it is sweet with the Wave mod on it and oh so smooth.

bm420ResistorSnody-copy.jpg


Ravetwocloseup-copy.jpg



And this last one is my latest upgrade never before posted anywhere. My own personal folder I've had since new when I bought it in the 70s from the man that started me into my love affair with knives: Mr. Ernie Larson, God rest his soul.
I've always loved this knife and finally got around to updating it to the 21st century standards with a custom thumb stud install and a custom titanium pocket clip anodized as close as I could get it to match up to the brass handles.

oldgerber-copy.jpg


70sGerberupgrade.jpg


70sGerberUpgradewithcustomclip.jpg


I also make my own custom titanium and stainless pocket clips quite a bit because I like to curve them with the handles on certain knives. Stuff that usually looks like this or something like the knife I just put a thumb stud and custom made clip on in the thumbnails.

Picture012.jpg


And of course I do now and then make my own folders from scratch like in my signiture line. Just a love affair I've always had with the folding knife I guess.
 
Here is my totally redone Benchmade 806D2 AFCK:

afck-final1.jpg


http://www.2smrt4u.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=2

My friend Marshall Noble and I did the work. The blade started out with the black coating which I removed, was reground into a persian style, the handle profile was modified to change the grip, the hardware was all polished, and the snakewood scales were made. Finally, I hand drew the Benchmade logo (slightly hybridized from the old and new logos) and laser engraved it back onto the blade.
 
Fixer.

Generally I look at each one close up to determine if it is a candidate or not. I have not made a detailed list of what ones are and what ones are not candidates. I fear that would be a full time job looking up all the knives to see.

The Spyderco knives with the characteristic "hump" for the hole are good ones to do and ones like the BenchMade420 also due to the raised area in back that sits higher than the body of the folder when the knife is closed.

Other ones that are prime candidates for the Wave are the original CQC7 style BenchMade/Emerson knives like in the attatchments before and after.

One thing to know is that the Wave does not have to be a real large hook to work. In fact after experimenting I rather feel the smaller ones are better because you can take them out in a normal fashion without activating the feature to open the blade and with a slight more pronounced backward draw you can easily control when you want the Wave to work.
 
STR, does the "wave" work better than the Cold Steel Ti-lite?

I have owned both but the Ti-lite just isn't practical IMO. What is your
.02 cents on that?
 
I think it is a toss up. Both work well IMO. But the smoothness of the knife means a lot. The two sweetest knives I did up until that one I have posted above in the attatchments were the super smooth 420 Resistor and the Spyderco ATR. These both worked great and were very kind to the pockets compared to my Emerson factory Waved SARK.

It is funny you should mention the Ti Lite because Lynn T. sure walks a fine line at times. It is my belief that he knew full well what he was doing when he did that little wing deal or 'guard' on the blade of the Ti Lite, but because he has disquised it so well as a guard and doesn't promote it as a Wave or really even show pics of it closed to give it away he gets away with basically adding a Wave feature to his knife without bringing attention to it. Pretty fine line there but again just my opinion.

Only thing I didn't like about the Ti Lite I had was the way that the teeth on that 'guard' would get my knuckles on occassion when reaching into my pocket for change or my keys. I ended up unloading it for that reason actually. It made me bleed once and that was the last knuckle scraping I would stand for.
 
My zytel Ti-ite worked exactly as advertised, but Chuck "there just wasn't
any love connection" :p


More to the point, are there any Cold Steels that could be modded with a
"wave" feature?

And what about ditching the kraton on a CS handle in favor of a better
handle?
 
Ditching the FRN/Zytel, Krayton handles I have done. I upgraded my Salt 1 this way and it can certainly be done. It is tricky but it can be done.

Problem is by the time it is done you have a good bit of $ in the knife though compared to the original cost.

Here is my Salt 1 after the upgrade at this link. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=361133

Salt1Before2-copy.jpg


Salt2-copy.jpg


Then later I bought another Salt 1 plain edge and now I have the option of going with serrated or plain at my whim. I put a custom titanium pivot pin in mine that is adjustable making the blade removable. The liners are titanium as well. All the screws and hardware are titanium also including the pocket clip. I later anodized it using the technique in the link by putting 9Volt batteries in series. You can tell from these pics how the wood ages. Lignum vitae is one of the most durable marine use woods there is but it oxidizes and gets darker with age. Direct sunlight speeds this up. You can see the diff in the pics from new to current day.

DoubleDuty-copy.jpg


I'm pretty sure the Black Talon could be Waved. Maybe the Pro Lite also from the looks of it. I'd have to see it closed though to be sure.
 
jujigatame said:
That 806 looks fantastic. How many hours did it take you in total?
Click to expand...
We didn't keep track, but it was 7PM-Midnight a few nights a week for a month or more.

Spent more time fitting the scales than anything. Re-drawing the logo was second.
 
Here's a couple of typhoon balisong kit's that i've pimped, Terry guinn ground the utility for me.




 
Here's a pimp-
My customer wanted me to rebuild his old USMC Kabar. So, I replaced all the leather washers in the handle, ground about 30 years of rust off the blade, and made a new sheath.
AND THEN.... ~...shudder...~
...He wanted the blade buffed...
~ urp! ~
LtC Ray

 
a "dress" kabar sure i was planing on making one for my "i love me wall" right beside my blues ;)
im planing on gold Ti and spalted maple or some other light color handle this forum might spur me to get on that task
so i can be a pimp too gold fish in the heels of my boots and all ooo and that cool as hell hat
 
Here are some I have done. Fun stuff, interesting work.

A cricket with bubinga scales
1266841cricket2.JPG


A cricket with purple heart scales
1512861cricket2.JPG


A 705 with oak scales
1689750two.jpg
 
Well, I don't think this quite qualifies as a 'pimp' job, but here is an SAK that I rehandled some time ago. (Although the green dymondwood is rather 'pimp-ish', isn't it?)

DSCF0037.jpg


Now, Don Luis knows how to pimp a knife...hope he shows up and shares his work.

Nice stuff, all!

Glenn
 
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