knife kits

[sunnyboy43]

im ordering a Darrel Ralph DDR 3 TC kit tomorrow and was wondering the best handle option for a beginner? The easier kind to make look nicer. Im also getting the typhoon trainer s with special washers. IF you have any experience with these knives let me know if they are good knives.
thanks
sunny

 

[gibbyx]

Perhaps posting this in the tinkering & Embelishment or the Makers section would draw better results.

Just trying to help. I have a "run of the mill kit that I recieved as a gift but It's currently packed away somewhere and I never got to attempt assembly.

If I were going to buy one, I think I would definitely start with the simplest I could find and work up from there. Out of all the "kit knives" I've seen though, Ralph blows 'em away.

Gibby

 

[Phillip Dobson]

I'm curious about what goes into making a kit folder. What is left unfinished?

Do you simply assemble the knife, or do you have to make the parts yourself? Is there drilling, tapping, milling, grinding, or shaping involved? What's the difference between a kit and a modified production knife?

I might be able to help you with handle logistics. I simply don't know what goes into a folder kit.

Phillip

 

[Lapp_Dance]

I'm curious about what goes into making a kit folder. What is left unfinished?

Do you simply assemble the knife, or do you have to make the parts yourself? Is there drilling, tapping, milling, grinding, or shaping involved? What's the difference between a kit and a modified production knife?

I might be able to help you with handle logistics. I simply don't know what goes into a folder kit.

Phillip

From what I've gathered, final fitting and assemply on most basic folding kits. There are lots of folks who take it one step further and do a bit of embellishing, but the kits can be made in their most basic form into a functional knife.

 

[Dekz]

I'm curious about what goes into making a kit folder. What is left unfinished?

Do you simply assemble the knife, or do you have to make the parts yourself? Is there drilling, tapping, milling, grinding, or shaping involved? What's the difference between a kit and a modified production knife?

I might be able to help you with handle logistics. I simply don't know what goes into a folder kit.

Phillip

Well thanks to this thread I just spent like 2 hours browsing www.knifekits.com. So many cool kits to choose from, looks like you could make yourself a really nice knife for $50-100.

The kits actually have a rated "difficulty level". From what I've seen, the level 1 kits you basically just assemble, level 2 you do the finishing of the handles, and they seem to go up from there. (having to drill and tap or bend the lockbar, etc.

Ugh, now I've got a LOT of research to do, I might have to give this a shot.

 

[gibbyx]

Well thanks to this thread I just spent like 2 hours browsing www.knifekits.com. So many cool kits to choose from, looks like you could make yourself a really nice knife for $50-100.

The kits actually have a rated "difficulty level". From what I've seen, the level 1 kits you basically just assemble, level 2 you do the finishing of the handles, and they seem to go up from there. (having to drill and tap or bend the lockbar, etc.

Ugh, now I've got a LOT of research to do, I might have to give this a shot.[/QUOTE]

You and me both Dekz. That would be a cure for boredom, for sure.

Gibby

 

[Tostig]

I'm curious about what goes into making a kit folder. What is left unfinished?

Do you simply assemble the knife, or do you have to make the parts yourself? Is there drilling, tapping, milling, grinding, or shaping involved? What's the difference between a kit and a modified production knife?

I might be able to help you with handle logistics. I simply don't know what goes into a folder kit.

Phillip

I've finished quite a few over the past few years.

Even the simple framelock kits can be embellished to great extent.

If you buy the kit as is with the scales predrilled it is incredibly easy to assemble , but it will look very ordinary , the whole knife is beadblasted a dull grey.

With a few hours , some tools and various grits of paper and some imagination you can make it look pretty darn decent.














Tostig

 

[CDHumiston]

I'm curious about what goes into making a kit folder. What is left unfinished?

Do you simply assemble the knife, or do you have to make the parts yourself? Is there drilling, tapping, milling, grinding, or shaping involved? What's the difference between a kit and a modified production knife?

I might be able to help you with handle logistics. I simply don't know what goes into a folder kit.

Phillip

I built one of the DDR-3 Kits a while back. I was on Shimya in the aleutian islands. I had only basic hand tools and I got the kit with pre cut and drilled wood scales.

I was able to assemble the kit in my dorm room and finished the scales with a dremel tool. It came out OK but looked very plain and needed polishing.

I gave it to my dad for xmas and I am going to try and get it back now that I have quality tools to work with. I want to do it over again and polish it up real nice and change the scales.

Over all I would say the kit can be anywhere from average to spectacular depending on what level of work and time you expend on it. It is a solid knife when done. If you want to embelish it make sure you get the optional back spine.

 

[Dekz]

You and me both Dekz. That would be a cure for boredom, for sure.

Gibby

:thumbup:

I've finished quite a few over the past few years.

Even the simple framelock kits can be embellished to great extent.

If you buy the kit as is with the scales predrilled it is incredibly easy to assemble , but it will look very ordinary , the whole knife is beadblasted a dull grey.

With a few hours , some tools and various grits of paper and some imagination you can make it look pretty darn decent.

Tostig

Any experience with the DDR2-MB kit?

I'm thinkin about picking one up and some CF scales, maybe a cool looking thumbstud, attempt some file work on the backspacer/spine and I could have an amazing knife that I built myself for under $100.

I've never done ANYTHING like this before, but I am fairly mechanically inclined. How difficult is it to do things like filework, polishing the blade/backspacer/CF scales?

Is it as simple as some fine sandpaper and then polishing compound + dremel?

 

[Phillip Dobson]

Seeing as they're already profiled and drilled, hand tools are all you need.

Laminates work easily with files and sandpaper. Be sure to use a quality respirator and/or work under a flood of water. CF dust is really bad for you.

A hand-rubbed finish on the metal parts wouldn't be too difficult. There is a lot of info about that type of finish in Shop Talk.