"Customizing'" SAK scales??

M

maury

Joined
Sep 24, 2000
Messages
606
Just curious: saw a reference in another section to a SAK with"custom handles." Idea sounds kind of interesting. Anyone ever pry the red plastic off one and replace it with something more interesting?

I am a fair - amature - woodworker, but a total newbie to doing anything like this to a knife. Any suggestions most appreciated! Thanks.
 
I think if you search the archives, probably shoptallk, you might find where someone explained how they did it once.
It shouldn't be too hard if you've done some woodworking. I think they said the easiest way to get the red scales off is to drop the knife in boiling water for a minute or two, 200 or so degrees shouldn't hurt the temper any.
Then its just a matter of cutting out your new scales, gluing them on and shaping them. I think you have to recess/counterbore to the pivot pin at each end, its a blind rivet underneath the red scales.
If you use natural wood instead of stabilized I would either give it an oil finish (I like watco's danish oil) or a super glue finish ( you can read about this in shoptalk if you do a seach, I never tried it) You'll want to use epoxy glue to put the scales on though, super glue won't do it.
 
I just got some micarta for a similar SAK project. I picked up some ivory paper micarta, along with some black and some red linen micarta. :D
 
But what does SAK stand for? I've seen it mentioned here and there on this board and I still haven't seen what it stands for.
Sorry for the stupid question.
 
Swiss Army Knife.

And the question is not stupid at all! I have occasionally ranted against the indescriminate use of jargon - sometimes, it seems, used just to let the world know that "we" know more than "them."

Then again, I do slip into it m'self......oh, well.

Anyway, feel free to ask when there's a term used that you don't understand. Overall, we're a pretty friendly bunch here, and I am always amazed at the willingness to share information.
 
Thanks!
And the worse thing is not 2" above my post is BuzzBait with his big SAK badge icon. Dohhh!
 
I don't have it bookmarked. Hell, it may not even be on the net any longer, but there's a guy out there with a webpage showing the various SAKs he's customized for friends. I found it about 4 years ago and found it again maybe 1 year ago.

Good luck.

Chris
 
I´ve done several, a simple scale replacement is not hard at all, the plastic scales can be pryed off very easily, don´t need to heat them or anything, if you are carefull and don´t break them you could epoxy them back on.

Use the scales as a pattern to cut and shape the new ones, make space on the back of the scales for the pins of Victorinox or the lifted parts of spacers in Wengers (a dremel is handy for this) you can make channels for the tweezers and pick if you want them, epoxy them in place.

On another thread I mentioned about someone who would dissasemble the knife and rebuilt it with nickel silver bolsters, new pins and scales, those really looked nice, but I lost the link and haven´t been able to find it again.
 
Originally posted by FK
Here is the web site with customized wood SAK's.

http://ark.ship.edu/~mbyoh/swiss.html
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for the url.

The custom SAKs look great - the only thing that people might want to note is that the new custom handles do NOT appear to be inletted for the typical in handle tools like toothpick, tweezers, ballpoint Pen and straight Pin when fitted.

I've had a number of Victorinox SAKs customized by K.J. Lewis of South Carolina (he no longer does this) - he was featured in Ken Warner's annual Knives 'XX books -

I persuaded K.J. to inlet the handles to fit the tools - and he did for my Victorinox Scientist - my first, and his first - this is my EDC

Customized Victorinox Scientist shown with Kershaw Leek (my at home EDC)
fc9eb106.jpg


Those "stag" handles are actually of ivory (paper) Micarta scorched/scored to look like stag. (note the inletted tools in the handle, shown partially extracted)

Other models I had customized are the SwissChamp, and Waiter.
 
Originally posted by mtnbkr
That's the one. I'm surprised it's still out there.

Chris
Click to expand...

Nice customs on that URL. I intend to give this a try, but mostly I'd rather have that red E type Jag on his main page ;-)
 
Anyone ever mount a pocket clip? I would sure like to have a clip on my SAK Centurion.

--SAK
 
A while back Marlboro was giving out SAK's as promotions.I got five of them and immeadiatly pryed the handles off and did them in an assortment of woods and horn.Sold all of them , the next day.Fun project.Dave:)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top