From cheap looking junk to eye popping awesome

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Knifemaker
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Bladite lit the Becker fire under me. So, I bought a couple, and immediately did some mods to this one. This type of knife is just not really my style. Tac blades have never been my bag. So anyway lemme know what YOU think of the difference here. I added the Becker mikarta scales, and detaked the blade. Now she's a beauty, IMO.

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Switched the scales and stripped the paint.

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Just a little sanding and here she is:

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Edited to add. It wasn't junk, just not my style. Didn't mean to offend anyone, especially you, Bladite. Thanks for the recommendation. Great knives.
 
Andy those utilitairian beckers could use a little dressing up . Nice work .
I actually like my becker necker and it is my E:D:C: . Its almost as if I don,t mind scratching that one up . It can take it and saves my prettys for when its stepping out time .
 
Its an interesting idea Frank. I may carve some up, just to see.
 
aproy1101 said:
Bladite lit the Becker fire under me. So, I bought a couple, and immediately did some mods to this one. This type of knife is just not really my style. Tac blades have never been my bag. So anyway lemme know what YOU think of the difference here. I added the Becker mikarta scales, and detaked the blade. Now she's a beauty, IMO.

attachment.php


Switched the scales and stripped the paint.

attachment.php


Just a little sanding and here she is:

attachment.php



Edited to add. It wasn't junk, just not my style. Didn't mean to offend anyone, especially you, Bladite. Thanks for the recommendation. Great knives.
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hey, good stuff!

the original beckers were silver colored - phosphate coating/wash - very nice, sweet in fact :) the gray power/epoxy coating that followed ... bit. the black stuff is okay, probably good for people who can't take care of a knife. it's is high carbon stuff... so, some protection good, i guess.

still got to order me some micarta slabs...

bladite
 
Looks much better, IMO. I like the micarta scales quite a bit. The black blade coating doesn't bother me all that much, but I think it looks better without it.
 
Thanks. Get you some of the mikarta scales now Bladite. I've heard Camillus is headed under. Although I asked the secretary there about that when I called them to order the scales, and she said it wasn't true. Whatever. I ordered an extra set for my future BK1. Any ideas where I can get a used one?
 
wait a minute, I thought Micarta was something that you could make from just about any fabric and some marine epoxy. Was I wrong in this assumption?

Jack
 
Thats correct. I recently made some myself. This is what the blanks look like.
 
Very cool Andy! I have all the Beckers, including the old BK&T Kukri with phosphate finish, but have left all the black coating on the rest to protect the steel. They are all sharp SOB's for sure and very strong. The BK11 Necker is the best neck knife for the $ out there.

How did you remove the coating? Just sanding? I think a wire wheel would do a good job, but then the whole blade would have to be buffed out. I should check the Camillus forum as I'm sure folks have done it there. Or do you know of a chemical that will strip it? I might do one of the little ones this way, but like the desert tan model I have as is, and the BK1 is just _meant_ to be black. :D

Norm
 
Svashtar said:
Very cool Andy! I have all the Beckers, including the old BK&T Kukri with phosphate finish, but have left all the black coating on the rest to protect the steel. They are all sharp SOB's for sure and very strong. The BK11 Necker is the best neck knife for the $ out there.

How did you remove the coating? Just sanding? I think a wire wheel would do a good job, but then the whole blade would have to be buffed out. I should check the Camillus forum as I'm sure folks have done it there. Or do you know of a chemical that will strip it? I might do one of the little ones this way, but like the desert tan model I have as is, and the BK1 is just _meant_ to be black.
Norm
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i seem to recall that acetone works fine. if you search, someone did that, told how, and put nice hardwood/burl handles on his necker too :)

bladite
 
Norm, I used Citristrip, and I don't plan to ever use any other stripper. It even smells pleasant. No problems what so ever. 20 minutes, then scraped the black off with a piece of plastic. Sweet.
 
aproy1101 said:
Norm, I used Citristrip, and I don't plan to ever use any other stripper. It even smells pleasant. No problems what so ever. 20 minutes, then scraped the black off with a piece of plastic. Sweet.
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Andy I wonder if the Citristrip would work on a lacquer such as Deft? Our old table I bought 30 some odd years ago and put on a several coat hand rubbed lacquer Deft finish that has been rubbed off on one side and one end from use so that it needs totally stripped and refinished. Gonna go with Polyurethane this time though.
 
I think it would Yvsa. They sell it in three forms too. Theres an aerasol can even. I got the gel you paint on. No fumes to choke you. Paint came right off in one gooey swipe of the scraper. One application was all it took. I used to hate working with strippers back in the sailboat days. This was a pleasure to use. Thats saying a lot of a stripper. (I mean the non pole dancing kind of course.)
 
aproy1101 said:
I think it would Yvsa. They sell it in three forms too. Theres an aerasol can even.
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I may try the cheapest form it comes in to see if it works because not everything will work on lacquer. I've put it off for one reason or another for a long time with the biggest reason is I hate using lacquer thinner to remove lacquer; definitely an outside job!!!!:barf:

Oh. forgot to tell you I like what you did with the knife. I've often wondered about the Beckers but the handles always appeared to large to suit me but the Micarta handles look a bit thinner?
 
i think formby's makes a orange scented remover now-made for lacquer and other sealers

btw -i took my bk10 with micarta-lol-out back and cut some weeds down- thing has some serious heft-
and is it feasable to tape off some of the blade and glass bead the other part-for a 2tone look?
 
Yvsa, yes the mikarta scales are a bit thinner. Its actually one reason I justified the purchase. Now I can fit a sheath to both. Of course, I ordered three sets. Thats not justifiable except that I'm a knife nut.;) Camillus is going under. Getem while you can. :eek:

Rosconey2, I'm not sure, but I don't see why not. Just can't answer you for sure.
 
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