Large & Small Inkosi Full Back Spacers

BOOMER52

BOOMER52

Gold Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2013
Messages
1,056
I reluctantly took on the challenge of designing and machining a full back spacer for the Inkosi given that this model knife did not employ a lanyard pin to fix the rotation moment of said spacer. Lacking a lanyard pin it was necessary to design the back spacer to utilize the blade stop pin and capture a sufficient degree of the stop pin diameter for the required fixation of the potential rotating moment. That said... the tolerances are so exacting with CRK knives I doubted my ability to make it work.

Surprisingly the first machined prototype function perfectly...! With this success I went back to the original design and made some slight dimension adjustments to make a more robust forward capture cusp.

I've drawn up two profiles in CAD... a smooth spine and heel and a cogged spine and heel. Both are low profile and have chamfered edges.

I machined both the cogged and smooth versions out orange G10 and here are a few shots of the cogged and smooth back spacers installed in the knife.
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Hoping for a black micarta version (I suspect an orange g10 backspacer on my black micarta inlaid inkosi would make me twitch), and that they work with the insingo blade.
 
hhmoore said:
Hoping for a black micarta version (I suspect an orange g10 backspacer on my black micarta inlaid inkosi would make me twitch), and that they work with the insingo blade.
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Unfortunately with the design of the front capture cusp Micarta is not sufficiently strong/stiff enough. I can only offer G10 OR carbon fiber for the Inkosi.
 
I've just ordered some UltreX™ Linen Bleached Melamine which is a bone or ivory color Micarta. I've not machined linen Micarta previously so I do not have a handle on it's qualities... BUT if it works out I will be machining four (4) of the cogged back spacers
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AND four (4) of the smooth Inkosi back spacers when it arrives...
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Received the white linen Micarta and gave it a try to see if it was sufficiently strong enough. The linen appears to have a higher resin content VS the cotton canvas Micarta and I'm convinced the cotton canvas Micarta is NOT strong/stiff enough for this capture cusp design.

I machined some red linen Micarta a few days ago and now after machining this white linen... I'm not at all enamored with this Micarta. I was hoping for a more bone or ivory look and I suppose when they advertise it as BLEACHED Micarta... the stark whiteness should not be a surprise. After seeing the finished product I've decided I will NOT be offering linen Micarta back spacers.

I have some IVORY G10 on order and in transit. Maybe this G10 will have the look I'm after...

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Great work. I sent an Instagram message to ya.
 
blackend said:
Great work. I sent an Instagram message to ya.
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If it was a DM (direct message) I have no ability to receive those. I do not own a cell phone. To allow my Mac Pro desktop the limited ability of just posting photos I use a Safari workaround where Instagram is tricked and sees my computer as an iOS 11.0 cell phone. No app for sending or receiving direct messages though...
 
The Inkosi spacer was designed around the DP blade style and unfortunately when I offer some prototype back spacer in the Marketplace I did not post the caveat that the spacers may not work with the Insingo and Tanto styles.

I've had two reports from Forum members that purchased prototype Inkosi back spacers informing of a slight blade contact issue at the spacers heel. The very tip of the blade strikes the inner contour of the spacer. Both installations were with knives having the INSIGNO style blade.

The feedback I received was extremely helpful to me and I've already modified my machining code to eliminate this contact issue with the Insingo blade.

Both members self corrected the problem with a slight clearancing of their spacers and alls well.

The fit for the Tanto style blade is still questionable.
 
"Any chance of machining a back spacer for the small inkosi?"

Yea I second that.... I would really like a back spacer for my small Inkosi.
 
Nightg said:
Any chance of machining a back spacer for the small inkosi?
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Sure... however I do not own nor plan to own a small Inkosi to be able to do the needed development.

I would require a loner knife from someone that would not have a concern with regards to the amount of time it might take to do the scanning, CAD/CAM creation, and proof machining with any needed tweaks. New product development takes place in my free time. I do not use shop hours to do this. Free time is awfully difficult to come by especially at this time of the year. Stringing together sufficient free time to apply to developing a back spacer for the small Inkosi could take weeks or even months.

Steve
 
BOOMER52 said:
Sure... however I do not own nor plan to own a small Inkosi to be able to do the needed development.

I would require a loner knife from someone that would not have a concern with regards to the amount of time it might take to do the scanning, CAD/CAM creation, and proof machining with any needed tweaks. New product development takes place in my free time. I do not use shop hours to do this. Free time is awfully difficult to come by especially at this time of the year. Stringing together sufficient free time to apply to developing a back spacer for the small Inkosi could take weeks or even months.

Steve
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I'm guessing people would wait even longer if it meant getting some of your work! My money says you'll get the small from someone.
 
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