Hi Everyone,
So, I did it... and, I am really happy with the outcome. I am sure that not everyone will like what I have done, but that is okay it is my knife
(Sorry CM). I took a bunch of pics along the way, hopefully they can help someone out in the future. I know before I de-waved my ZT620 I looked for around online for threads of other people that had done the same and found nothing.
Step 1:
Tape off the edge, remove the thumb disc, and mark out where I want the final cut.
Step 2:
Remove the blade. I put Teflon plumbers tape on the bolt so that my socket wouldn't mar the black finish.
Step 3:
I took some silicone tubing I had and sliced it down the center, then slid it up the spice of the blade and taped in in place. I did this so that if I slipped with a tool there was more than just some tape between my blade and a big scratch.
Step 4:
Thoroughly tape up everywhere I don't want to scratch. I also taped a piece of 3mm acrylic in place to act as a guide for the side of the cutting disc, and to prevent accidentally cutting too far back.
Step 5:
Cut... with lots of lube going about 1.5mm at a time allowing the blade to completely cool so as not to affect the heat treatment of the steel.
Step 6:
Shape the newly cut surface to where I ultimately want it. To do this I used an Atoma 140 grit diamond stone, and the diamond file on my Leatherman. During this step I slid a piece of old bike inner tube up the taped up blade and then taped it in place, I did this to further protect the spine of the blade I wasn't working on from any inadvertent tool marks.
Step 7:
Unwrap the blade and check where I was at with my shaping. I did this many times throughout the process, but I would rather be out a bit of time and some electrical tape than remove more metal than I indented.
Step 8:
Once I had removed all the metal I wanted to, I set about matching the finish. I did this with Dremel abrasive wheels of varying grits (pictured below).
Step 9:
Clean and reassemble my knife.
Overall I am happy with the outcome. I tried to capture the finish about, but didn't do a great job... in person, the cut surface looks nearly identical to the rest of the spine. Sorry for the lengthy post, but I am always interested in more info than less. I hope that this can help some people in the future.
Thanks!
Original post below:
I recently bought a ZT0620CF and I find myself really disliking the Wave feature. I like everything else about the knife and am thinking that I might remove the Wave. Now, if I had a complete shop I would know exactly how to do this, but I don't. What I do have is: a Milwaukee rotary tool, with a pretty comprehensive bit assortment, an Atoma 140 grit diamond stone, and some small diamond files.
Here is what I was thinking I would do:
1. Remove the blade
2. Remove the thumb disk
3. Tape up everywhere I do not want to cut or file
4. Clamp the blade to the edge of my workbench
5. Cut off the Wave about 2mm from where I ultimately want the final surface (I would use a cutting wheel and plenty of lube)
6. Take the cut surface to where I want it with the Atoma stone
7. Draw file the surface with the diamond files to its final shape
8. Take a wire wheel to the surface to attempt to mimic the 'stonewashed' look
Now, how does all of that sound? I have never worked on hardened steel before, are my about plans a pipe dream? Any suggestions? Think I shouldn't do it? And better yet, have any of you successfully removed a Wave before?
Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.
So, I did it... and, I am really happy with the outcome. I am sure that not everyone will like what I have done, but that is okay it is my knife
(Sorry CM). I took a bunch of pics along the way, hopefully they can help someone out in the future. I know before I de-waved my ZT620 I looked for around online for threads of other people that had done the same and found nothing. Step 1:
Tape off the edge, remove the thumb disc, and mark out where I want the final cut.
Step 2:
Remove the blade. I put Teflon plumbers tape on the bolt so that my socket wouldn't mar the black finish.
Step 3:
I took some silicone tubing I had and sliced it down the center, then slid it up the spice of the blade and taped in in place. I did this so that if I slipped with a tool there was more than just some tape between my blade and a big scratch.
Step 4:
Thoroughly tape up everywhere I don't want to scratch. I also taped a piece of 3mm acrylic in place to act as a guide for the side of the cutting disc, and to prevent accidentally cutting too far back.
Step 5:
Cut... with lots of lube going about 1.5mm at a time allowing the blade to completely cool so as not to affect the heat treatment of the steel.
Step 6:
Shape the newly cut surface to where I ultimately want it. To do this I used an Atoma 140 grit diamond stone, and the diamond file on my Leatherman. During this step I slid a piece of old bike inner tube up the taped up blade and then taped it in place, I did this to further protect the spine of the blade I wasn't working on from any inadvertent tool marks.
Step 7:
Unwrap the blade and check where I was at with my shaping. I did this many times throughout the process, but I would rather be out a bit of time and some electrical tape than remove more metal than I indented.
Step 8:
Once I had removed all the metal I wanted to, I set about matching the finish. I did this with Dremel abrasive wheels of varying grits (pictured below).
Step 9:
Clean and reassemble my knife.
Overall I am happy with the outcome. I tried to capture the finish about, but didn't do a great job... in person, the cut surface looks nearly identical to the rest of the spine. Sorry for the lengthy post, but I am always interested in more info than less. I hope that this can help some people in the future.
Thanks!
Original post below:
I recently bought a ZT0620CF and I find myself really disliking the Wave feature. I like everything else about the knife and am thinking that I might remove the Wave. Now, if I had a complete shop I would know exactly how to do this, but I don't. What I do have is: a Milwaukee rotary tool, with a pretty comprehensive bit assortment, an Atoma 140 grit diamond stone, and some small diamond files.
Here is what I was thinking I would do:
1. Remove the blade
2. Remove the thumb disk
3. Tape up everywhere I do not want to cut or file
4. Clamp the blade to the edge of my workbench
5. Cut off the Wave about 2mm from where I ultimately want the final surface (I would use a cutting wheel and plenty of lube)
6. Take the cut surface to where I want it with the Atoma stone
7. Draw file the surface with the diamond files to its final shape
8. Take a wire wheel to the surface to attempt to mimic the 'stonewashed' look
Now, how does all of that sound? I have never worked on hardened steel before, are my about plans a pipe dream? Any suggestions? Think I shouldn't do it? And better yet, have any of you successfully removed a Wave before?
Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.
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