Drop-point 112

chickentrax

chickentrax

Joined
Aug 5, 2005
Messages
5,527
Yep, it works...this is a 442 Bucklite [Idaho tang stamp] blade in a 112 chassis... :eek:



Temp pins holding it together now, this is going in a dual-blade knife [clip + drop] this weekend... ;)

I'm not a big fan of the 112, but I may buy another and another 442 just to have a *single* blade drop-point 112...it looks pretty neat...except for the hook to the front bolster...than might get smoothed out a little... :)
 
Thats a real nice looking job you did. If only buck would make a drop point in a 110 or 112 I think it sell to the masses......Bigfish
 
bigfish44 said:
Thats a real nice looking job you did...
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Uh...I haven't done anything yet...except pin it together to see how it looked... :)

If only buck would make a drop point in a 110 or 112 I think it sell to the masses......Bigfish
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Well, the BCCI fund raiser from Dec was a 110 drop-point... ;)
 
Cool! I had not even thought of that!

Is it a "perfect" fit, or just barely?

Maybe we can send 112's in to have Buck do it?

And maybe they can put the clip point blade on the bucklite handle???
 
:thumbup: :thumbup: Trax...I really love the look of that drop point. It compliments the appearance of the 112 by offsetting all the curves and points of the handle ( the "busyness" ), with the soft gradual lines of the drop point.I definitely would grab one up if Buck put one out. I just sent in a couple of knives to Joe Houser for a blade replacement and refurbishing and I wish I had seen this before I sent it. I would have asked Joe if I could have gotten a 422 blade installed in a newer 112. It totally blows me away. It's awesome. You are doing good stuff my friend. Keep up the "hacking"...:thumbup: :thumbup:
 
DarrylS said:
I definitely would grap one up if Buck put one out.
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Me, too, but I don't think that's going to happen, for the same reason GM isn't listening to us car buyers about what we want in the new/next Corvette. GM sells every one they make, they don't care what the general public thinks. "I'd buy one if..." isn't even listened to; they don't care about the people who *would* buy one; they already have a customer base who *will* buy it *whatever* it is.

Buck doesn't have to change anything or offer any options; there's enough customers who'll buy the current production without offering any extra options. They could hire & train more people to cater to the "custom" requests, but that segment of the customer base is very, very small.

I'd like to see the Custom Shoppe grow and offer what I like, but I'm not optimistic about it. So, I'll just keep making my own creations, some good, some bad. (Not everything I hack is a Buck!)

My $.02... :rolleyes:
 
DarrylS said:
...and I wish I had seen this before I sent it. I would have asked Joe if I could have gotten a 422 blade installed in a newer 112...
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Let us know what Joe says. BTW, I haven't seen a 422 yet; this was a 442... ;)
 
Carl64 said:
Is it a "perfect" fit, or just barely?
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If it requires any modifications, I'll mention them (like the rockerbar adjustment on that dual-clip 110). So far, I've just dropped the 442 blade and rockerbar into the 112. I'm using the 112 spring and spacer. Works fine. The fit between the rockerbar and blade isn't as nice looking as the 112, which I'll scan for illustration when it's done.

And maybe they can put the clip point blade on the bucklite handle???
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I don't see why not...although I don't have any spare 112 blades to try it...but the Bucklite handle probably costs all of $.29 for Buck to produce; would it be cost-effective to put a good blade in it???
 
chickentrax said:
I don't see why not...although I don't have any spare 112 blades to try it...but the Bucklite handle probably costs all of $.29 for Buck to produce; would it be cost-effective to put a good blade in it???
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A 29-cent handle (well, assembly and all makes it more, but same point) with a $30 blade is almost every knife Spyderco sells. I don't see why Buck shouldn't also put the money into the most important part of the knife, at least in a few models. Too bad there isn't still a 426/110-like Bucklite in production. Then they would already have all the parts needed.

Sadly, the Bucklite is going the wrong way. The current 422 has bad alignment on the back, and is really due for Zytel instead of the old straight plastic which tends to bend inward over time. Right now just a 420HC blade in a better handle would be and improvement. BUT, I would also buy the current handle with better steel.

I don't understand what is wrong with the current one. The 2 sides of the handle and the lock bar are all misaligned the same way on every unit. You would think that could be fixed, but then again Academy Sports, which is also happy to sell Fiskars' junk, is the only place I see selling it. Asking them to pay even a penny for better quality is crazy.
 
DarrylS said:
...Trax...Look here to see the 422
http://www.mynewknife.com/ProductDetail.asp?ProductDetailID=1965
Not even sure if they still make it.
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DarrylS - I just got one in today off eBay...It is "well used"... :D

The blade is whole, and quite scratched, a clip-point; appears identical to the 112...maybe cheaper steel? I probably won't use it for anything...maybe practice grinding a longer chamfer on the clip-point?... :confused:
 
I know what ya mean Trax...It seems the 422, 442, have been made with both the classic 112 blade configuration and the drop point configuratin. Can't quite figure out what the rational was for making at least 2 pairs of virtually identical knives with different model numbers. It may have been the handle configuration was different from knife to knife or something to that effect. It's a bit strange that the same opportunity wasn't at least offered for the 112 itself. Still...the 112 is a seller like the 110 and trying to "fix" something that's not broken is always risky. Look at the "Classic" Coke fiasco.
 
OK...Moving right along... ;)

I made up some 1/8" brass pins and one 1/8" steel pin today; put the dual-blade [442 + 112] 112 together; pressed all the pins in; ground down some high points; sanded down some oops-marks; and gave it a rough buffing job -



Looks pretty good at this stage; a little stiff to open, the 442 blade really needs a nail nick (I have a dovetail cutter on my next Travers order list); and as I mentioned in one of the above posts, the 442 rockerbar-to-blade joint is a lot more rounded than the 112 joint [visible in the next pic]. The 442 blade was also buffed to a high luster, while the 112 blade was "as-ground" finish. I didn't try to change either one, so the mismatch in finishes will have to be just that...



I decided not to buy a brand-new Idaho 112, so the 112 blade has an igloo while the 442 has the Idaho... :rolleyes:

I'm sure a real knifesmith/maker could do a much better job, but for me, it's "good enough!"... :D

Next up will, I think, be a 112 with a 442 blade and the two sharp points on the bottom of the knife rounded off... :p
 
DarrylS said:
...It seems the 422, 442, have been made with both the classic 112 blade configuration and the drop point configuratin. Can't quite figure out what the rational was for making at least 2 pairs of virtually identical knives with different model numbers...
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The handles are quite different. The 422 is like a 3/4 scale 426 clip-point (that style handle); while the 442 has a rounded, semi-ergonomic style with three oval holes, and a pocket clip w/mounts on either side...

I'll see if I can scan a pic of both together...

Here we go...



422 on the top; 442 on bottom...There may be differences among the 422 models; this is the one that looks like a little Bucklite III...
 
The "as ground" surface can be buffed down very easily. I do it at least a little on all of them. The rest is mirror polished, so it won't be a perfect match to the 112 blade, but you can definitely smooth it over a little.
 
Carl64 said:
The "as ground" surface can be buffed down very easily. I do it at least a little on all of them.
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How do you keep from losing the transition/grind line (between the hollow and the flat)??? :confused:
 
chickentrax said:
How do you keep from losing the transition/grind line (between the hollow and the flat)??? :confused:
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It's not actually much of a problem. I don't usually polish it to a mirror finish, just enough to make it feel smooth. The boundary between the flat and hollow surfaces remains visible. I also use a 6" wheel to do it, which isn't small enough to match the grind curve but is still better than mashing it into a flat pad.

I make it smoother than a brushed blade usually looks and it still looks like a proper bevel. If you do it just barely enough to take the bite out of the grind I think it will be OK. You might want to experiment first on a $10 knife in case you don't like how it turns out and ruin your big conglomeration you put all that work into already.
 
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