Becker Cleanup

Sad news guys, the brute will not be made by ka-bar. Mr. Becker thought that the bk9 was a better blade than the brute.
 
What did you guys use to strip those blades. I have a bunch of extra BK's that I am trying to sell. If they don't, no big deal. I was going to try my hand at customizing so any tricks you guys feel like sharing would be great!! Thanks is advance and I look forward to hearing what you guys have to say.
 
3M Paste paint stripper. Let it set on the blade for a half hour or longer and you can almost wipe the paint off with a paper towel... almost.
 
jforbush said:
What did you guys use to strip those blades. I have a bunch of extra BK's that I am trying to sell. If they don't, no big deal. I was going to try my hand at customizing so any tricks you guys feel like sharing would be great!! Thanks is advance and I look forward to hearing what you guys have to say.
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Which models are you selling and how much for each??
 
I love the crewman.

IMG_2163.jpg
 
I can't wait to get mine, thanks jforbush. Don't know if I'll be able to strip it right away, I might have to use it for a bit before I do. Hate to mess with it before I break it in.
 
Not for me. I have a BK9 stripped and TAK never had any trouble with it. I took a Nessmuk to peru and never had trouble with 01 either. Just keep it as dry as possible.
 
Hey, for the person looking for the scales. Their is a company in Merdein CT. I picked up some G 10 and some canvas in dark green. the price was only 18.00 for a 6"x12". I think it's apx 3/16 thick. I got the info out of a blade mag. Also the custom cut to your size. Hope this helps. I love Beckers, stripped or not.
 
jforbush said:
Would you mind sharing how you got it that way?
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Sorry. Didn't mean to make you wait. Had to run out for a bit.

The scales were getting a bit worn so I took 'em to work. I work for an automotive paint company and have some pretty cool stuff available. The coating is a semi gloss, very dark gray paint with whats called a texture additive. Its used to repair plastic bumpers and such but if applied thin, it gives a grippy finish but not so coarse as to take skin off.

As for the blade, I used patience and a lot of it.

I have a Craftsman benchtop belt/disk sander with the 4" X 32" belts and a 6" disk. I used the belt and a 320 grit to take the finish off. Being careful not to over heat the blade. It leaves a "satin" finish that is serviceable and allows for quick touch-up if it ever rusts.

For the polishing, thats where it got interesting. I converted the 6" disk to a 6" 3M Hook-It II system. Simplest terms - from glue on paper to velcro backed sandpaper ranging from 80 grit to 3000 grit. This also allowed me to put on what is called an interface pad. its a foam pad that goes between the disk and the sandpaper making the sanding disk soft. Usually used for sanding contours. It allowed me to Sand the blade with progressively finer paper while keeping the heat down too.

The whole project was an ongoing, little bit at a time, experiment.

It was fun. I'm debating on whether or not to give my Howling Rat the same treatment. What do you think?

Thanks for the compliment.

Chris
 
Thanks for the play by play. That really helps me get an idea of what I need to do. I could just ask my Dad(he makes his own knives) but I would rather do it on my own. You have a fine looking blade. I would love to see that done with a Swamp Rat!! You have got to post pictures if you do it.
 
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