BK-16 Blade Profile Mods

G

Greebe

Joined
Aug 2, 2009
Messages
525
I finally decided to take a file to the old BK 16 and modify the profile to something that is more pleasing to my eye.

I have been using my 16 around the homestead since last Christmas and have really liked it. Overall it is a great knife, but I have never been really all that pleased with her looks. So tonight I finally took a file to her and changed the profile to something I think looks a lot nicer then the humpback look she came to me with.

Here is how the old girl looked before the makeover.

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After about half an hour of filing around 3/16" of the spine off I was left with this. Man now she is sexy. :-)

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I really like the way these mods make this BK-16 look and feel. It may just be my imagination but the balance seems a little further back and better to me.

I never quite feel like a tool is mine until I do some decent mods to it. Now this knife feels and looks uniquely mine. I had been debating how I wanted to mod this blade since I got it. I had thought about doing a straight clip, but then decided to go with a bushcrafty style blade shape. Glad I did.

I would love to hear what you guys think. Also I hope the pictures turned out OK as they were taken with a headlamp and cell phone.

Greebe
 
nicely done. I prefer that too.
Next time try a belt grinder. It will save you time. and your file. :-D
 
Thanks, glad you like it.

Yeah I would have used my homemade 2x72 belt grinder but it is in a bin and I don't have elcteicity to run it right now. I the process of building a house so it is mothballed. That and I live in a camper on my land with just a little solar panel for power. :rolleyes:
 
Greebe said:
Thanks, glad you like it.

Yeah I would have used my homemade 2x72 belt grinder but it is in a bin and I don't have elcteicity to run it right now. I the process of building a house so it is mothballed. That and I live in a camper on my land with just a little solar panel for power. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

in that case, your gumption is extra impressive!
 
Nicely done.
I've done something similar with a couple of mine, and it does sort of give the knife a different feel...even if it's just due to the way I feel about it.
 
Very nice work! She's a beauty alright.

That's really cool that you're in a camper on your land. One of my dreams when the kids are out of the house hehe
 
Beautiful work, totally solved the same aesthetics problem I've always had with the BK16 but didnt quite know what it was! LOL Now if you could just make the handle taller we'd have a winner!
 
That looks great Greebe, and very eye-pleasing. I did the same thing to an 11.....took a grinder to mine, tho, so not only took off the "hump" transition on the spine but also put a little more sweep on the edge:

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...plus re-profiled the handle a bit....but as Daizee said and I concur: that's a hell of a task to do by hand. Thanks for sharing the pics; I can't imagine that your camper has a lot of bandwidth for the internet ;).
 
Greebe, sweet mother that looks good! I'm pretty sure I was dead set on doing something similar before I even handled the 16 but since acquiring one I cant say that I ever felt the need. With that said, you might have changed my find. Or at least my need to gain another 16 and have it say hello to a belt grinder
 
Good work. The 16 is an easy blade to slightly modify or go all out. Sometimes all it takes is a tweek here or there to make the knife truly your own.
 
Thanks everyone for the comments. Sorry I didn't get on sooner, but I have been busy plugging away at my house.

Yes I started the taper back at the jimping. I just wanted to have a long gradual taper the whole length of the spine of the blade. I probably would have taken more off but I was getting tired of filing it by hand.:D

At some point I would also like to make some handle scales out of wood or bone and permanently attach them. Then there will be no need to remove the scales when you get water, food, or blood underneath them. Just need to figure out where to find a thick enough piece of bone to use.
 
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