Is Customizing a New Folder Sacrilege?

S

SterlingHammer

Joined
Jul 19, 2007
Messages
49
I recently purchased an SOG Tomcat 3. Great knife, but I was surprised to find that it did not have a great precision finish to the internals of the locking mechanism. It doesn't even come close to my Benchmade.
So I took the thing apart the second day I had it and "finished" what SOG didn't.
Does anyone else do that kind of thing, or am I just OCD & nuts?
 
Nope. A lot of times I do things to make knives fit me better. Ground a choil in my Endura, altered the handle of my Native quite a bit, always take off clips and reprofile the blades to much thinner edges and lately I've been mirror polishing my bead blasted knives. Maks them work better for you, so why not? Stock can work well, but a company can't produce such a volume of knives and still cater to every individual who buys one like a custom maker can.
 
It's called "making the knife your own", just like using it for what you need, and sharpening it to suit your liking. Modifications are part of the enjoyment. If nothing else, I find myself buffing the back edges of blades and handles with a ceramic rod to smooth them, since the laser cut metal is often too sharp.
 
I did that to my CS AK-47 for a smoother action but every time i buy a new knife it gets the custom treatment
 
A lot of new knives benefit from disassembly and cleaning, for smoother action, and it certainly won't hurt them. it's also a good way to get to know the mechanism, before something needs work.
 
I've 'customised' every knife I've ever bought, even if that means just sharpening to my standards. This applies to cheapies and to my favourite gentleman's knife--an $850 Koji Hara.
I agree with Esav--it's about making my knife "mine".
Greg
 
I was actually able to increase the grip that the mechanism has, and I managed to reduce blade play noticably.
I admitt I have a bit of a compulsion to straighten things... I can walk by a crooked painting, but if it's the one and only thing I always have on me, I just can't help myself.
But what struck me with this particular example was the sheer lack of precision finishing for the internals of such a complex mechanism (SOG's Arc Lock).
-I usually expect to have to make much more asthetic/ergonomic changes.
 
This is my first time on this forum and I was wondering the same thing ... modifying a new folder that is. I've been contemplating taking an Emerson CQC-15 and shortening the blade about an inch, but still keep the basic blade shape. I like the blade shape of the CQC-15, but for EDC, 3.9 inches is a bit much. I had emailed Emerson to see what it would cost to have them make the modification, but they said that is not a service that they provide. So ... that leaves me and my trusty files and stones.:D Now that I see that a lot of people modify their knives to suit themselves, I don't feel quite so reluctant to bob the front of this blade.
 
I do it as well. I recently bought a BM 710 and didn't like the rough spine finish so i took it apart and ground it smooth and then some more:D

Also the crappy coating on the screws for the pocket clip comes off on your fingers so out they came and replaced with some nice shiny stainless 2-56 Torx.
 
I dont have many knives that I did not , in some manner , modify.

It's one of my hobbies. :thumbup: :D
 
Hell, I've bought some knives new with the express purpose of customizing it, or having a friend customize it for me.

viz:

6from7akb6.jpg


6from7bhv3.jpg
 
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