Micarta Scales with Gun Checkering

A

Axel Yup

Joined
Nov 8, 1998
Messages
458
This Sunday I was at the Chesapeake Knife Show (Maryland). I had the great experience of meeting Pat Crawford and seeing his many knives. One of his Kasper Fighting Folders (KFF) had gun checkering on the red micarta scales. It felt great and really improved the grip on the micarta.

Pat sends the knives to a woman who does the checkering. He estimates the cost at $50/knife. The checkering was a bit large. Pat is looking to have a finer checkering performed with a sharper feel.

Does anyone have experience with knives with gun checkered micarta scales? Does anyone know anyone who can do this modification?

Axel
 
Axel,

I asked about checkering G-10 and Micarta on an earlier thread:
http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum32/HTML/001065.html

Lynn Griffith and Allen Blade are two knifemakers that had an opinion and may be able to do the mod. They mentioned the added expense and particularly the tendency for knives to accumulate more grime than guns and hence the checkering would be more prone to getting dirtier than a non-checkered scale.

I have two of the Buck Master Series knives with checkerd dymondwood scales and have been really impressed with their grippiness ... but then maybe I don't get my hands into the same amount of grease, grime and guts as the rest of you
smile.gif



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Longden Loo - Ventura, CA
Technology's the answer, what's the question?

 
I have checkered some of my stabilized wood handles. For me, it's a great way to ruin nice wood that is on a finished knife!! The results are nice and the grip is enhanced. I find it hard to checker on a rounded handle. I found that leaving a flat portion at the back of the handle and checkering it, was the best way. Some makers use the double row tool to put lines on there handles without crossing them to form the diamonds.
I would hate to attempt it on someone elses finished knife! If I mess up on one of my own, I can fix it or replace the material.
Neil

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Update in process! New knives, pictures, Sheaths!!
http://www.geocities.com/Eureka/Meeting/5520/index.html


 
Here is my first attempt at checkering on beadblasted canvas micarta. The handle is highly contoured in about 8 different directions. It was very difficult to try an keep straight. It woudl probably come out way better if the micarta was flat on the top. It should be noted that the sides are much grippier but it does not seem to make the knife any easier to hold on to.
checkering.jpg


Below is what the handle looked liked before checkering. The Canvas micarta is very grippy, and comfortable with just the beadblasted finish.
notcheckered.jpg


I am lookingg froward to your comments. If enought think they would like the checkering I may work on improving it, and offer it as an option. Personally though, I like the knives very well with out, and really like there grip with the way I am shape them as standard.


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Lynn Griffith-Knifemaker

My website
GriffithKN@aol.com


 
I've heard a lot about difficulties with feathering in checkering micarta -- did you have any trouble with that, Lynn?

That handle is shaped for grip; naturally adding checkering didn't help much. IMHO the best application for checkering is a handle that doesn't have finger grooves and such, and people who prefer that kind of handle, who like to use a variety of different grips, will find checkering helps them get a hold without limiting how they can grip it. In other words, make handles with finger grooves or with checkering but not both.

The only time checkering hurts a handle, though, is when a user likes to chop with a loose grip, letting the knife move in his hand with each chop. Then the checkering will abrade your hand.

-Cougar Allen :{)
 
I've been interested in this topic for a long time-I think every hand tool should have the maximum grip available. At the NY show in November, Bob Dozier had an Arkansas Toothpick with a checkered handle. One of his assistants told me that they can arrange to have it done through a third party. I had the info, but can't find it now-If you call his shop, I'm sure they would be glad to help. The work was done very well, but I think I would be nervous sending a valuable knife out to have this done.

Back when I was young and foolish, I sent a MT Halo II to have a stronger spring installed- it was returned with a scratch on the handle. I'm sure that anyone who has a working relationship with a respected maker would be both capable and trustworthy, but it's a good idea to make sure you know a little about the person doing the work.

Tears are forming now as I relive the sight of a scratch on my Kimber slide, the victim of a night sight installation...
 
Thanks for all the replies. I was thinking about having the checkering done on my KFFs to enhance my grip when doing fast openings.

When the knife is open in my hand, I don't have any problem with my grip slipping. However, sometimes when I have the KFF in a pinch grip, when I'm thumbing the blade open, my grip feels a bit insecure. I think that the checkering would give my finger tips better purchase.

Lynn, the scales on my KFFs are essentially flat except for the thumb scallops. It probably wouldn't be too hard to keep the lines straight. If you would be interested in doing the checkering, how much would you charge? I have three KFFs that I would want modified.

Cappy, thanks for the lead. Do you have Bob Dozier's e-mail address?

Axel

 
I was looking through my Jantz Supply catalog today and noticed they sell checkering files in several degrees of fineness( which they denote as lines per inch) for only $22.95. I'm grabbin one as soon as I can!! Take care! Michael

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"Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!"
 
Nakano was more than likely the source of the checkered Dozier at the NYC show. He has the name & # of the woman who did the checkering on a couple of his knives- very good work & reasonably priced- I looked for the info & can't find it... bummer

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Runs With Scissors
AKTI# A000107
 
Triple post- First time on the new iMac- It's got a hair trigger

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Runs With Scissors
AKTI# A000107


[This message has been edited by Rugger (edited 15 December 1999).]
 
sorry folks, @#$%&*%$ technology!


[This message has been edited by Rugger (edited 15 December 1999).]
 
Thanks for all the great info.

Marion, thanks for the contact info. Julie has gotten back to me about the checkering work. I am requesting some samples of various checkering.

Axel
 
A final observation on this topic ... I mentioned earlier about the nice checkering on the dymondwood scales of my Buck 501/532MS knives, but those scales are flat and it appears likely they were pre-checkered before assembly.

Most of you are talking about adding checkering to a finished knife, and I agree that's a risky thing to do.

Maybe the designs which lend themselves to checkering the best (in terms of cost and risk) are the ones where the scales can be checkered before assembly (like guns?). Just a thought.

The other thing is that checkering on most guns are probably done on a CNC (this is a guess). My Buck checkering has designs that would seem difficult to do with a file.

So maybe checkering is only cost-effective for a limited scope of designs (as Cougar already pointed out) and for people with access to (or willing to use) CNC on a large run of knives.

While most of the people on this thread are talking about custom knives, my interest is in production folders, many of which have flat scales and fit the design/CNC criteria, yet few of them (except my Buck) have checkering. I wonder how much it adds to the cost of producing a production knife with checkering?
 
Hello 4th,
The iMac is the new Macintosh computer- comes in about 5 candy-like colors. Sort of toyish-looking, but pretty fast. My girlfriend was able to get a really good deal on a new one- needed to replace the old coal-fired, steam-driven version that wasn't doing much other than taking up space...

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Runs With Scissors
AKTI# A000107
 
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