DowntownDM
BANNED
- Joined
- May 11, 2007
- Messages
- 2,563
I have a .320 ASH1 with big fat Black G10 slabs on it that I love more than I ever thought I'd love a knife of any sort - seriously, it's the finest fixed blade I've ever owned, the first Busse I ever bought, and literally everyone whose ever seen it is equally enamored by it's badassness.
So - I've already sanded it's factory DC finish into an almost shiny Satin, and I've already used the sandpaper/mousepad technique to convex the edge (though I don't have a strop yet so I've only gotten so far with the edge, it's usefully sharp but far from scary...).
Now I've decided to sand just enough off of the handles to smooth out the factory groove pattern, then I'm going to file my own "rope cut" grooves into it by hand instead (yep, rope cut Magnum Black G10) then I'll do any necessary final sanding by hand to smooth out any rough edges.
But wait, there's more...
I'm also going to hand file some shallow (like 1-2mm) scalloped (via a round file) thumb and finger grooves into certain places on the spine and on the pommel. I've handled this knife a ton (two tons maybe), used it a lot too, done plenty of chopping with it, and batoned bunches of firewood with it, so I'm sure of the locations I want them.
I've never done this before (gasp), and no - I'm not going to practice on something else first - I'm just that way... Granted, I'm plenty capable with hand and power tools in a variety of contexts, so I have no real doubt I can do it once I have the right tools.
My questions for you guys and gals are:
- What sort of round hand file would be necessary/ideal for the scalloped thumb grooves I'd be cutting into the INFI along the spine?
- What grit(s) sandpaper would be necessary/ideal for smoothing out the factory grooves in the G10 as well as a grit for finishing it?
- What sort of round hand file would be necessary/ideal for the G10 rope cuts?
- Any other tips for a first timer embarking on such a thing?
Thanks, and yes, I'll post photos once I get started.
So - I've already sanded it's factory DC finish into an almost shiny Satin, and I've already used the sandpaper/mousepad technique to convex the edge (though I don't have a strop yet so I've only gotten so far with the edge, it's usefully sharp but far from scary...).
Now I've decided to sand just enough off of the handles to smooth out the factory groove pattern, then I'm going to file my own "rope cut" grooves into it by hand instead (yep, rope cut Magnum Black G10) then I'll do any necessary final sanding by hand to smooth out any rough edges.
But wait, there's more...
I'm also going to hand file some shallow (like 1-2mm) scalloped (via a round file) thumb and finger grooves into certain places on the spine and on the pommel. I've handled this knife a ton (two tons maybe), used it a lot too, done plenty of chopping with it, and batoned bunches of firewood with it, so I'm sure of the locations I want them.
I've never done this before (gasp), and no - I'm not going to practice on something else first - I'm just that way... Granted, I'm plenty capable with hand and power tools in a variety of contexts, so I have no real doubt I can do it once I have the right tools.
My questions for you guys and gals are:
- What sort of round hand file would be necessary/ideal for the scalloped thumb grooves I'd be cutting into the INFI along the spine?
- What grit(s) sandpaper would be necessary/ideal for smoothing out the factory grooves in the G10 as well as a grit for finishing it?
- What sort of round hand file would be necessary/ideal for the G10 rope cuts?
- Any other tips for a first timer embarking on such a thing?
Thanks, and yes, I'll post photos once I get started.
