Case XX Ratcliffe

L

Lansky1

Joined
Apr 12, 2016
Messages
466
So I've never been a fan of the muskrat pattern - 2 identical blades never made much sense to me (I guess I wouldn't know a trap line if I stumbled over one). But I'm a tinkerer and I've always been a fan of the wharncliffe blade. I'm always frustrated by how difficult it is to find a Case pattern that lends itself to reshaping into a wharnie (the trapper is a perfect example - the long spey blade would be perfect to reshape into a wharncliffe, but the nail nick is way too far forward).

So, recently I was perusing eBay, irritated at the sheer number of muskrats that are always on there & I noticed the nail nicks are on opposite sides - lightbulb goes off. I enlarged a picture of the blade & it looks like there just might be enough meat to reshape into a wharncliffe. So I figured I'd take a chance & give it a shot.

Took my time on the disk sander and low and behold it worked out great - I give you the ... Ratcliffe (note the 2nd picture where I roughed out the shape with a marker)

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c2_zpskzgoxrat.jpg

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sorry, that was the before picture ... trying to figure out how to load more pics of the finished product - won't let me
 
Looking forward to seeing the end result! I am not a fan of the muskrat but you might inspire me to get one and "improve" it!
 
Or you could just buy an "Improved Muskrat" with the Wharncliffe blade.
I know Rough Rider and a few others make one.
 
Looks great!! :thumbsup:

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I did this one just a couple weeks ago. I'd been looking for this blade arrangement, clip and sheepsfoot on opposite ends for a while, in a medium frame, to no avail. Muskrat is a little larger than I wanted (love to find a Case mini muskrat that I can afford!) But as you say, it's about as perfect as you can get for cropping the tip!

I was going for more of a shorter sheepsfoot than wharncliffe, and I need to go back and trim a bit more of the fine point off..

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:)
 
Ice Tigre said:
Looks great!! :thumbsup:

2017-03-21-23-11-43-jpg.jpeg


I did this one just a couple weeks ago. I'd been looking for this blade arrangement, clip and sheepsfoot on opposite ends for a while, in a medium frame, to no avail. Muskrat is a little larger than I wanted (love to find a Case mini muskrat that I can afford!) But as you say, it's about as perfect as you can get for cropping the tip!

I was going for more of a shorter sheepsfoot than wharncliffe, and I need to go back and trim a bit more of the fine point off..

2017-03-21-23-11-23-jpg1.jpeg


:)
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Great minds think alike - nice job ! I did a similar mod to a large frame Case Trapper - cropped the spey blade into a heavy duty sheepsfoot (cutting a new nail nick was the biggest challenge on that mod - I think that's why the muskrat lends itself so well to this mod - nail nick is in the right spot - it's ripe for modding).
 
Rough Rider improved muskrat. No mods necessary. One of my favorite knives to carry. I thought the blade was a Wharncliffe from the stock photo, but in person I think it is more a sheepsfoot. I think of the straight edge as my primary.

I know the cell photo is crap, but now at least I know how to upload photos here.image.jpg
 
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Glad I could be of some inspiration ! It really is a fairly easy mod - I just lopped the tip off with a dremel tool & used a disk sander and files to shape it. Then up through the grits with sandpaper to get rid of the tool marks. Be sure to tape up the blade and bolster so you don't nick them when shaping the blade.
 
A Muskrat with a long sheepfoot is sometimes called a " Hawbaker Muskrat". I should be getting a black box Winchester one in the mail soon that I bought here on the Exchange.--KV
 
kvaughn said:
A Muskrat with a long sheepfoot is sometimes called a " Hawbaker Muskrat". I should be getting a black box Winchester one in the mail soon that I bought here on the Exchange.--KV
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Nice ... I've always wanted a hawbaker - I think that may have been the subliminal inspiration !
 
I've been looking at my muskrat for weeks no, thinking how I could mod it. I love the serpentine frame and its size, the chestnut bone is great as well, yet I haven't been carrying as much lately as I used to. it's a well apreciated gift from a generous member here. I think he wouldn't mind me modifying the knife as long as it get's carried (and used!). I was thinking to just turn the second blade into a shorter clip, but I think I preffer this option. You don't have to sharpen a thick tip either. I might try it.
 
ISKRA said:
I've been looking at my muskrat for weeks no, thinking how I could mod it. I love the serpentine frame and its size, the chestnut bone is great as well, yet I haven't been carrying as much lately as I used to. it's a well apreciated gift from a generous member here. I think he wouldn't mind me modifying the knife as long as it get's carried (and used!). I was thinking to just turn the second blade into a shorter clip, but I think I preffer this option. You don't have to sharpen a thick tip either. I might try it.
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You are welcome to do anything you want with that knife, Zan. It's yours, no strings or conditions attached. Mod it, carry it, store it in a closet, sell it, trade it, whatever you wish. :)
 
I wondered if the Case medium sized moose would lend itself to this mod, but I'm not sure about nail nick placement of these are.
Thanks, Neal
 
neal70 said:
I wondered if the Case medium sized moose would lend itself to this mod, but I'm not sure about nail nick placement of these are.
Thanks, Neal
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Hard to find pics of the pile side of the Mini Moose, but I did find a couple. It looks like the nail nick on the spey is both rather close to the end. It looks like the best you could do while maintaining the existing nick would be a coping blade with a nearly straight drop from spine to edge, assuming you are wanting a straight edge. Alternately, you'd have to shorten the blade a fair amount and cut a new nick.

There's a pic from GPknives that shows the back of it here:
http://www.gpknives.com/caseknivesminimoosehuntergreenbarnboard.html
 
jc57 said:
You are welcome to do anything you want with that knife, Zan. It's yours, no strings or conditions attached. Mod it, carry it, store it in a closet, sell it, trade it, whatever you wish. :)
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I wouldn't sell a gift, plus it's a great knife! Time is the biggest problem. I guess I'll have to visit grandpa, I don't have the tools. Looking at the amazing grill the old man made all by himself for my dad recently, cutting and sanding 2 inches of steel shouldn't be a problem. :D
 
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