Mcusta improvements

[hiromix]

Hi Steve, my fellow Oklahoman.

I have a question. The main blade in my EDC rotation is a Mcusta MC-12. I absolutely love the blade, and its the sharpest out of the box knife I've ever handled. There are a few things, though, that I was wondering if you could help with:

1. The ball detent is very weak. I mean, a strong, circular shake will flip the blade out almost as fast as an auto. Also, the thumb stud sometimes gets caught when I'm clipping it to my pocket, so several pairs of pants/shorts now have tiny holes in them. I've tightened the pivot screw, but it's just not enough.

2. It's tip-down only. I have always preferred tip up, and am aware of your low-rider clips, and am interested. This may be related to #1, as when the blade's tip down, there is way less of a chance of cutting yourself on a tip-up blade that's opened in your pocket.

3. I'd really like some jimping on the back edge of the handle, in the slabs as well as the liners.

4. The slabs are black micarta, and look fantastic, but they are the polished (lacquered?) kind, so they're slick, and I was wondering about doing maybe some G10, possibly the green ghost color.

Like I said, I love the size, bladeshape, and fit of the handle, but I'm wondering as to the possibilities listed above, and what they may cost.

Thanks for your consideration.

Labor Conquers All!

 

[STR]

Looking that one up all the models coming up have holes in the blades not studs so I'm not seeing what your model looks like. An actual set of some pics of your or to have it in hand could help there.

The clip, jimping, detent adjustment and thumb stud sound like things I can do but each model is different. I've done that successfully on others. I really need to see it to know though. If the detent is installed in some weird proprietary way I may not be able to just simply replace it. The stud in the blade all depends on the size of the hole once the old one is removed. Stuff like that.

The only thing you asked about that I don't do is the scale work jobs. I've been referring those out and would not want to go there. I could bead blast the originals though to maybe add some grip to them. Then if you didn't like them still you could talk to Curt the friend of mine I have been referring those jobs to.

Providing the detent works we can certainly do the clip flip with a low rider or standard style clip I make which ever you prefer. Technically we could do that regardless because god knows there are enough out there in pockets with non functioning detent balls being carried tip up. I see them all the time. I think if you carry it with the blade tip up and the blade is snug back against the corner of your pocket it will be fine. If back pocket carry maybe not or back pack or something like that.

Anyway the routine for getting work to me can all be found in one of two threads which are sticky posts all the time top the page here on page one of my forum. "Read this if you need to mail me work" is one, or "Low Rider Clips and mailing instructions" is the other. Here is a link to the one on low riders since you asked about that. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=525771

Thanks for asking

STR

 

[hiromix]

Here you go:

here's where I was wanting the jimping, maybe an inch of it just below the blade.

Sorry for the terrible iphone pics.

Also, I was wanting to grind down the liner lock so that it sits flush with the scale.

I'll check those other threads for info. Thanks!

Also, I was looking on your blog, and saw those BUSSTRs. Are you still selling those? If so, how much for one?

 

[STR]

No they help some and bring up some things I see immediately. The problem I see with the stud replacement is that it is apparently also doubling as the stop pin for the blade on that knife. I doubt anything I have is going to replace that and I'm not even sure its something I could find. I wouldn't hold my breath on that part. Not from me anyway. My thoughts after seeing that are that it is so contingent on the proper lock adjustment that if it were mine I'd leave it alone. The easiest way to prevent the thumb studs catching would be to send that off to Curt to have some scales made and do that first and have him make the scales just a bit thicker than stock so they cover the stud making it recessed back in further on the body. In other words the knife would be slightly fatter but it would be less likely that the stud would overhang off the sides to catch on things that way.

Second reason Curt should see it first would be this. On the clip. If the clip is held in place by the pivot screw and the proper tension of the pivot adjustment for the blade is contingent on the clip being in place then you are also looking at the cost of replacing that missing clip with an equal thickness piece of titanium or breaking or cutting off the clip itself to stick just the part the pivot needs back in there. Hope that makes sense. In other words if the blade pivot won't properly tighten down because the screw bottoms out once you remove the clip it could lead to another separate issue. If the clip is removable and you can still use the knife clipless it should not be a problem. I can't tell looking at it. Curt could just do away with all of that by replacing the scale and making it thicker to begin with so there was no longer a need to have that clip mounted and kill two birds with one stone so to speak.

Only other thing I see as a possible temporary road block with the existing scales and possibly a third reason to get it Curt first would be the grooving on the handles and trying to find a flat spot to mount a clip in tip up carry mode. May have to make a flat spot to make it sit flat in that case but I won't really know without seeing the knife on that. It could mean taking the scale off and milling out a small flat area that the clip can rest which would not be needed if the clip could be mounted on a scale that was already set up or made from the get go with the expectation that a clip was going to mount tip up carry right hand. Hope you follow all that.

STR

 

[hiromix]

What's Curt's contact info? Does he have a website?

Are you still selling the BUSSTRs?

 

[STR]

Not currently taking orders on the BUSSTR folders no. Not sure when I'll have any of those coming back up just now. No plans immediate though.

Curt's info is here. I will only leave this up until you let me know you got it. Once you have it I'm going to edit it out. Thanks


STR

 

[hiromix]

Got it, thanks!

 

[hiromix]

Curt said he needed to notify you that he's no longer taking commissions at this time, so no luck for me. Would it be possible to have you fix the ball detent problem, add some jimping, and maybe bead blast the micarta to make it grippy? If so, what would that run me?

Thanks!

 

[STR]

The ball detent can be tricky. I may or may not be able to make it work better. I'll just have to look it over. It may be catching the blade just fine but the lock may not be sprung enough to even really hold it that well. So sometimes it has to do with how wide the lock is and how much spring is on it. I may just need to spring it a bit more to make it hold the blade better and the trade off could be that the lock may stick and move in further than ever after that. The jimping should not be too hard depending on where and how many per row as well as the number of spots you want it. That takes quite a bit of time mapping it out so it all depends on what you are wanting there and how elaborate.

Bead blasting the scales is not that big a deal unless I struggle getting them off or something like that. One row of like 7 jimp marks on the spine of the blade, bead blasting and the detent would be about an hours labor which equates to my minimum shop fee of $30 plus shipping. If its more rows than that it may hover more like $45 it all depends as I said on how elaborate those are going to be. I'll need one of my work order forms and after you've done that and printed it stick that with the knife and mail at your convenience. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=550184

Thanks for asking.

STR