First post, Cold Steel mod

[JeffP93]

Hey guys, I'm a first time poster so go easy! Although I have had knives since I was a kid, it wasn't until recently that I started taking notice to the actual quality differences in blades etc...

I've had a USMC Kabar for years which has always been my camp knife and never saw a reason to need another. However a couple months back the cold steel gi tanto caught my eye. It had good reviews and a low price, which to me made it the perfect candidate for a project. I'll try and post some photos below along with a list of the mods I've done. Basically I wanna hear what you guys think and if I totally buggered the blade.

Mods(in order):
Hacksaw off top guard and file
File serrations on tip of spine (did I ruin structural integrity?!?)
Strip and sand
Multi layered mustard patina
Cut out scale screws for flathead use (was tired of locating the correct Allen)

[/URL] [/IMG]

 

[G. Scott H.]

Looks great. One of the joys of softer, fine grained steels like this is that you can work them easily with simple hand tools (hacksaws, files, etc.). This is one of the fun aspects of Opinels and similar knives. I'm not a bladesmith, but I don't think the saw teeth would cause any significant structural issues. The one closest to the tip might be of concern, but the GI Tanto's tip is pretty acute and thin, so I wouldn't use it for prying, etc. anyway. I'm not a fan of striped blades, so I'd have done a simple even patina over the whole thing, but that's just personal pref. Overall, I dig it. :thumbup:

 

[JeffP93]

Thanks for the reply!
Yeah it really wasn't too pain staking I was surprised. Thanks for the tip about prying, will definitely keep it in mind. I also thought about doing a straight vinegar patina over the whole thing to try and get an even dark tone. Who knows, knowing my inability to let something sit, I'll probably end up trying it out at some point. Or maybe try that on my ka-bar if I ever strip the finish off.