Is there home remedy to customize stainless steel scales?

wuyeah

wuyeah

Joined
Sep 29, 2005
Messages
1,665
Hello my friends, I’ll need your advice and expertise. Not sure if this topic been done in the past.

I made a mistake. I bought a Dragonfly not in G10 or FRN, I went for SS. Mainly due to price that is cheaper than G10 but tougher than FRN. Since it is small, I find the smooth SS scales can be slippery to tough and can be kinda plain. My question will be, instead buying another Dragonfly in different material, is there a home remedy to customize myself to add texture on SS scales? The material seems tough though… sure what can be used to carve patterns on.

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I was having simple patterns like Wilson Combat pattern or some grenade checker patterns in mind. Not sure if these can be done or these will need heavy machining that I should not attempt customization myself.

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Have anyone customize scales themselves or leave them to the professionals.

Thanks.
 
You're going to need some sort of mill or at the least a drill press to cut the pattern into the scale. If you don't have either then chances are it won't turn out well.

A non-permanent work around would be grip tape.
 
There is a thread here somewhere on how to use skateboard tape or the friction tape you put on stair risers on the crazy slick scales of the Cold Steel Code 4. It's reversible if you don't like it, unlike engraving. If you do want to try to DIY, practice on something first, there is a learning curve on dealing with the torque of an engraving tool or dremel. It's not a pencil, so you don't get to make back and forth strokes. Fresh bits cut cleaner and faster, and a new diamand ball engraving bit is cheaper than new scales. Don't get debris stuck in the pivot, either tape it up completely and jam the groove, or take the scales off to clamp them in place. The worst mistakes I have made came from not having a full design mapped out first, not taping off areas I want to protect from accidental contact, and working small with too much coffee or not enough rest.
 
1. Grip tape
2. Use a Dremel with a small round bit to create a golf ball or jigging pattern
3. Use a small square file to file in shallow grooves in a pattern you like. Glue one scale to a board to hold it in place while you file. Keep the blade open with tape on the edge, so it can't get filed accidentally. Use a marker to draw the pattern on the scale. And definitely practice on a scrap piece of SS first! I recommend a hand file because you can make a dreadful mistake with a power tool in an instant.
 
jfk1110 said:
WValtakis WValtakis any advice for him oh master!!!!😉
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fishface5 said:
1. Grip tape
2. Use a Dremel with a small round bit to create a golf ball or jigging pattern
3. Use a small square file to file in shallow grooves in a pattern you like. Glue one scale to a board to hold it in place while you file. Keep the blade open with tape on the edge, so it can't get filed accidentally. Use a marker to draw the pattern on the scale. And definitely practice on a scrap piece of SS first! I recommend a hand file because you can make a dreadful mistake with a power tool in an instant.
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This is solid advice, the frag pattern could be done "relatively" easily with a small round file that's good and sharp with careful technique.
 
How about a checkering file? You could file in lines in a single direction or do a diamond/frag pattern. 00 Cut/20 lines per inch is the largest pattern you'll easily find which might be a little finer than you'd ideally want, but I think it could look cool and definitely add some grip.
 
An electric engraving pencil costs about $15.
Carefully used, it can provide a very grippy stippled surface.
 
BitingSarcasm said:
skateboard tape or the friction tape you put on stair risers
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no , no NO !
This is like holding a knife with ground glass glued to the sides (I've done it).
Get :

Talon DIY Material Grip Sheet - 5"x7" Adhesive Grip - Rubber or Granulate - Made in The USA​

or some such.
available where the big river flows.
I have done a couple of knives now and this stuff is super good.
It is critical to follow the instructions to the letter :
Work in a warm room / not a cold shop
Use a heat gun
Warm the knife
Apply grip sheet
Heat the applied sheet fairly hot after applying.
= 👍
 
Danke42 said:
drill press
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Yeah that's going to chatter all to hell .
Trust me I have a really nice floor model Delta and . . . nah dude , nah.
Plus best to use a X, Y, drill press vise with good jibs but the drill press spindle bearings are going to move around some / chatter .
 
Wowbagger said:
and a couple of long weekends .
this is stainless dude not brass.
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I'm well aware, but it's soft stainless...these spyderco stainless handles do cut like brass compared to the 17-4ph Pro-Tech uses and those are nothing compared to the hardened stainless Marfione uses...it's all relative and I did say "relatively"😂 With sharp files and good technique I'd wager it could be done in a weekend🤷‍♂️
 
Wowbagger said:
Yeah that's going to chatter all to hell .
Trust me I have a really nice floor model Delta and . . . nah dude , nah.
Plus best to use a X, Y, drill press vise with good jibs but the drill press spindle bearings are going to move around some / chatter .
Click to expand...
With a drill press I'd just Tom Mayo it. No chatter needs to happen for adding traction like that.
 
Drill and tap two holes for 2-56 screws, and make a scale out of 1/8th" textured G10 (1/8th" is the thinnest textured G10 you can get).
 
Unless you really know what you are doing I think it would end up looking bad with a file, etc. The tape is probably the best approach.
 
WValtakis said:
I'm well aware, but it's soft stainless...these spyderco stainless handles do cut like brass compared to the 17-4ph Pro-Tech uses and those are nothing compared to the hardened stainless Marfione uses...it's all relative and I did say "relatively"😂 With sharp files and good technique I'd wager it could be done in a weekend🤷‍♂️
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OK if only doing the sun burst pattern and not the cross hatch
. . . and a pile of sharp files
throw in a life time of hand filing like you and I have (I still wouldn't want to attempt it ; I start out everytime hand filing serrations in a small knife blade with diamond files and end up with my hand held power grinder in hand because it is taking all night ).

after all it IS A SMALL KNIFE
( Wouldn't catch me trying it though.)
 
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