Kershaw Scales

[haliwa04]

I just purchased a Kershaw Thermite and Kuro and was wondering if anyone made custom scales for either and where I could find them? Also looking for any other parts I could pimp these knives with.
By the way, I'm new here from NC. I also own a Boker Jermer EDC, S&W field Skinner, and a Mora. Not big into knives yet, but I'm working my way into it. Thanks and let me know if this is in the wrong section.

 

[CelticCross74]

I have already seen one or two pimped Thermites while trolling the internetz. The Thermite is still pretty new but being a Hinderer design it will be just another month or two before you can buy custom scales for it from a few reputable places like Blade HQ and quite possibly from Hinderer itself. Keep an eye on the Hinderer site and Blade HQ to start when it comes to who will most likely have Thermite scales probly by summer. Buy as quickly as you can when you do come across some legit Thermite scales as they could all go in a single business day or two just like the ZT 0550 custom scales on Blade HQ always do.

As for further pimping youre talking custom titanium pocket clips and taking them apart to at least polish the pivots with a dremel. If the Thermite has bronze bushings then polishing the side of the bushings that face into the blade is always a reliable way to speed things up a touch as well as smooth out deployment at the same time. The pivot and brass bushing polishing tricks can be applied to any folder for the pivot and should whatever knife it is your pimping have bronze bushings then you can do that as well. If you have Teflon or plastic bushings then sorry there is nothing you can do other than clean them and put fresh lube on them when you put the knife back together after polishing the pivot.

I think the Thermite is an assisted folder. A lot of people de assist their folders in order to have a smoother and more controllable opening action. It is easy to de assist kershaws speedsafe torsion bar by just simply taking it out once the knife is apart but unless you have some real skill assembling folding knives in just the right way with just the right patterns of tightening the screws back in then you will be left with a knife that has a blade that is permanently off center to either side and easily falls out of the knife from just gravity sometimes as the torsion bar tension is what keeps Kershaw speedsafe blades closed. If your Thermite has a detent at all it is likely very small and barely effective at all without the speedsafe system holding the blade closed.

What I am trying to stress here is that you NOT de assist any Kershaw speedsafe knife as all you are really doing is screwing it up royally by doing so. Sure you may get really lucky and torque all the screws correctly in just the right patterns putting it back together without screwing up your lock up but it is a lock that the blade will be permanently off center and have a knife where just holding it upside down while closed causes the blade to fall open.

Now, aesthetics. Replacing stand offs with custom stainless steel or titanium stand offs of differing colors etc. The stand offs you have are likely plastic. I do believe I have briefly seen custom titanium standoffs for the Thermite online and they are cheap and greatly strengthen the overall knife.

You could also cerakote or duracoat (paint) the locking side of the knife and even the blade itself a huge variety of finishes.

Lastly the best and most basic "pimp" you can do to any knife is to come out of pocket a few bucks and have the knives professionally sharpened. Factory edges suck. A professionally sharpened and polished edge can turn a new knife that cuts "okay I guess..gotta press really hard and it wont cut paper" into a freaking folding light saber. I did this with a few of my knives. I had my ZT0301 and ZT0350 professionally sharpened by Albert Edmunds out at Seattle Edge first as neither of them would even cut paper and any semi difficult cutting tasks required way to much effort. It took about a month to get them back but damn was it worth the wait! The two knives are finally worth the few hundred dollars I put invested buying them and then some. They are SO sharp I am almost afraid to use them. Either cuts through things like 3/4" rope so easily it almost feels supernatural. Not to mention how damn GOOD a polished edge that is symmetrical on both sides looks. Far and away the best and most functional improvement you could make to your knives! I strongly suggest that this be the first thing you do to either knife and leave the bling for after.

Good luck, were all counting on you

 

[haliwa04]

My Kershaw's, believe it or not, are the sharpest out of the box I've owned so far. In fact, the Thermite is sharper than my Boker, which was reground and sharpened a while back. My bald forearm can attest for that. I'm not doubting it could be made sharper.
I'd just like to change it up a bit, if its possible. The assisted open was the entire reason for purchasing the Kershaws, so de-assisting isn't an option. I'll buy a manual folder for that.
Now I'm looking for a knife for my gf and another for me to pimp. Any suggestions on a cheap($20-$40) manual folder with good aftermarket support?

 

[CelticCross74]

cuscadi.com will custom make you any scale for any knife you want. They are located in Germany and most of the site is in German but you can email them (in English) about what you want done and they will get back to you in a day or two. They have plenty of galleries of examples of their work which is all top rate and very professional. Youre gonna pay for it though. Expect your Thermite scale to run 70-100 bucks and double that for your Kuro. If they do not actually have the knifes scale design in their CNC software they may ask you to send them your knives so they can scan and match them. Just make sure they mill out the underside of the scale for the speed assist torsion bar. Glad you like the speed assist....

 

[drdmsmith]

I sent a you Visitor Message, check it out in your Profile.
Thanks,
Don Smith