CRKT Snap Lock Customization Project

[James Looker]

Hi, guys! I have an image in my head of a highly engraved knife, and I need input on how impossible it is. Alternative ideas are always welcome. Basically, I want to turn a Columbia River Snap-Lock and turn it into a pendant for a necklace. The idea is for the knife to not be quickly recognized as a blade yet not be actually concealed. To achieve this hidden in plain sight illusion, I imagine both the frame and the blade being heavily engraved.

1. A general idea of how this would be achieved and the big complications. Precise instructions of what I need to ask a knife maker for would be amazing.

2. General idea of how hard it is to find someone to do this.

3. Any referrals to custom knife makers would be much appreciated.

I'm not against laser etching on principle, but honestly this needs to be more than just a small image printed on from clip art. If I'm going the digital graphic design route, I need confidence the entire blade can be printed and the design needs to be impressive. I can buy extra knives, but I don't want it to be something you just shrug at in the end.

Overall budget for designers and engravers and others would be around $1500 although I would really have to say the ratio of impressiveness to price is the real calculation. Anyone that wants to through out visually impressive custom knife ideas is welcome.

If you are a custom knife worker and you have some ideas that may or may not work on the blade I can send you a Snap Lock off Amazon just to play with. I really just need your professional feedback on the project and analysis of the blade. No need to actually do the engraving job.

 

[WValtakis]

What's an actual Ed van Hoy custom Snap-lock go for? Seems crazy to budget $1450 to customize a $50 knife...but on the laser engraving subject check out @Uncovsky 's work, full coverage is kinda his thing.

~Chip

 

[James Looker]

Honestly, the core of this is to create a piece of jewelry like you've never seen anywhere else. Its quality as a knife is secondary to its quality as jewelry. The opening and closing mechanism is more important than anything. Laser Engraving like @Uncovsky does might be perfect, but he has rejected every solicitation for work from others recently. I asked for a referral, but I don't like to nag. Any other referrals to engraving practitioners would be much appreciated.

 

[l1ranger]

I can't help with the engraving part - sorry, but I do have any idea.
not sure if it would be a coating, plating or anodizing type of thing, but if you changed at least some of the color to a gold, copper, brass, etc. - i think that would help set it apart as jewelry and not knife

 

[James Looker]

I like the anodizing idea. I've somewhat settled on laser engraving for the blade, if I can find a guy. For the frame I think anodizing with a conventional relief engraving might look the best. Anodizing would also look great on the cam wheels. I kind of suspect the frame of the Snap Lock will be very hard to laser engrave.

 

[WValtakis]

I like the anodizing idea. I've somewhat settled on laser engraving for the blade, if I can find a guy. For the frame I think anodizing with a conventional relief engraving might look the best. Anodizing would also look great on the cam wheels. I kind of suspect the frame of the Snap Lock will be very hard to laser engrave.

You can only anodize titanium/aluminum/other reactive metals, nothing on the CRKT knife is able to be anodized.

 

[James Looker]

You can only anodize titanium/aluminum/other reactive metals, nothing on the CRKT knife is able to be anodized.

Funny you should mention that. I actually wiki'd anodizing this morning, and discovered the same information. Anodizing induces an oxidation reaction that inevitably creates rust.