Modding knives

[Gary W. Graley]

Just wondered how many of you guys/gals will take a knife you've gotten and
worked it a little to make it suit you?

Not just putting on a keener edge, but shaping the blade a little or
working the scales down a tad or doing something radical like
grinding in on the handle all together to make it 'just' a tad nicer?

Examples from me, had a Wright & Son folder, nice knife but ground down the
handle to make it more comfy, to me at least and also ground down the blade
so it was more wharncliffish than lambsfootish, here are a couple of shots taken
after the fact, I tried to make the spine of the handle a little bit of a sway back
and also ground in an area near the end of the handle that the fingers naturally
latch onto
the handle was mainly straight sided, so you can see the curve introduced here;

Other things like reshaping the spine of a blade, on a whittler I had there was a
coping blade, they have an abrupt point above the tip, I lightly grind that down
to a radius so it doesn't hit your hand when you grip the handle while that is
closed.

Recently I just got in a Lonewolf City knife, with snake wood scales, beautiful knife
classy lines, BUT the outer edges of the wood was sharp edged, so, I took and
rounded them off all the way around the knife, it is now a pleasure to hold
you wouldn't think it was the same knife!

And lastly I recently picked up a Kissing Crane Cigar whittler BIG knife and the
stag scales were sharp edged around the outer areas, no big deal, just need to
grind down and radius the stag so there wasn't any sharp edges remaining, a
much more comfortable knife to handle now.

SO, what kind of things do you guys/gals do with your knives if they don't meet up
to what you like in it's finish?

G2

 

[jackknife]

One of the penalties of being a machinist, is that I very often could not leave well enough alone. With a whole machine shop available to me, I modded my share of knives.

One job I did, was one Christmas I took a bunch of Victorinox alox solo's, and made easy openers out of them and gave them to family members.

I changed my share of blades, making drop points, wharnies, and long clips out of blades that were not that way when I got them.

Now I'm retired, I sometimes miss having a Bridgeport mill around. And a Bader, and a drill press, and a ...

I'm not even going to talk about what we did with some firearms.

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Sounds like a fellow after my own heart! I forgot of one that I changed
it's not in the traditional lineup, but it's the blade that I worked on, it had
a very swoopy curved bowie blade, I made it a more straight forward bowie
and love it a LOT more in this shape;

If I had the tools you had, I'd probably be in the hospital
G2

 

[Blues]

Let's continue this in a more appropriate venue... :thumbup:

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Elliott, it wasn't intended as a how to kind of thread, which was why I didn't
post it in the tinkering area, as those that browse that section are usually tinkerererers..
or someone with a question regarding how to tinkerererer, so I was posting to
see if the folks in the traditional area find they make changes to suit them and also
to possibly promote that thought to others that might never even consider doing something like that.
Some people get things and figure, that's how it is, so this was a prod to get them to
open their thinking that they don't have to live with that, they can change to suit.

this forum section is very handy with some clever fellows that do some amazing things!
but this was intended for the less handy amongst us me certainly included!
G2

 

[shecky]

I've ground easy-open notches in several folder handles.

Took a 3/8" drill bit to a Gerber EAB, made a divot near the blade screw, and now it's an effortless one hand opener. This is probably the ugliest mod of all. Quick and dirty, but turned out very practical.

Ground the upper guard off a Buck 119. Came out really nice and enhances usability.

My 14" Tramontina machete was bobbed to 10". Suits me much better.

Damn near every edge I come across gets thinned out and made more acute.

 

[cj65]

I try to keep my knives stock for the most part. However, I am planning on having a wood handled Buck and a waterfall celluloid Bulldog Whittler to be re scaled by Bill DeShiv, just because I want to make them more special. I like the concept, but I am irrationally afraid of ruining one of "my precious'es" (quoting Gollum from Lord of the Rings). Which is funny because I am a hopeless tinkerer, fixer, shady tree mechanic with just about anything else.

 

[nate3993]

i mod the blade- flat or convex the grind-maybe give it a swedge-that kind of stuff-bout' it-mostly edges

 

[orca8589]

I work some of my users over in various ways:

- work down the kicks, so the blades sit lower;
- sometimes grind spays into spear-points, if needed;
- grind a "swedge" (if that's the proper term) into the nested blades, so the nail slot is still accessible;
- ease the handle edges with fine emery cloth; I also reprofile handles sometimes;
- like you, I occasionally turn sheepfoot blades into wharncliffe types;

thx - cpr

 

[Charlie Mike]

I cut a wave into everything

 

[Elarski]

To me knives are like cars; I just have to personalize them. It might be a change in the blade shape, or tweak the handle somewhat. My most current projects, when I get time to work on them, are adding G10 Scales to my Kershaw Needs Work, and refinishng the surface of the scales on my Kershaw Junk Yard Dog (I don't dig on the whole rivet look.).

Actually I do this to almost all of my guns as well...

 

[Haze]

I do back spacers, new scales, convexing and/or reprofiling of blades on allot of the knives I use.

My latest mod was this ZT300

 

[firebert]

I intentionally look for knives I can tinker with. New scales, different grinds, finishes, etc.

My current edc:

 

[peterinct]

I've done scale replacements, inlays and some engraving. I like tinkering and sometimes buy things in need of fixing at the flea markets to tinker with.

Peter

 

[rmfnla]

I have a thing for smooth transitions and comfortable edges.

I can't sleep at night if my latest acquisition has a proud area or a sharp edge.

I've done some reshaping of blades and handles as well, but the tactile experience is my obsession.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

I often mod my knives and gear. Anything to make it more functional for me!

 

[stitchawl]

I often have to drill and tap folders to change the pocket clip to the position I prefer. The world just doesn't favor lefties...

Stitchawl

 

[kirko]

I do 2 things to every single knife I recieve. I do a regrind at either 40 or 50 incl. depending on intended use and steel type, and I also loctite and adjust pocket clip and pivot screws.