Modified my old childhood Vic gardner

Hickory n steel

Hickory n steel

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The back end of the scales on one side got messed up on me somehow, and I had just cut that part off and turned the exposed piece of backspring into a Flathead screwdriver which it turned out not to be hard enough for.
It didn't look good to just grind that off, so I decided to see if I could remove the scales and reassemble it without them.

I did and now it's extremely thin, maybe too thin, but only some use and handling will tell.



Even though I had a shim in there it still ended up a little tight because I was trying to get the pins nice and rounded. It's still got some good snap opening, it's just a bit slower on the closing.

I plan to EDC it this weekend and see how it works out, I always loved this knife but just couldn't bring myself to carry it the past few years because of how ugly the damage made it in my eyes.
It's not perfect looking now, but I think it has a bit of rustic charm.
 
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Very cool.

I often wish I had any my childhood SAKs now. I remember thinking I was MacGuyver with my thick as a brick SAKs, having no idea what some of the tools were, but I sure liked the capability. I bet I hardly used anything other than the blades, so they'd be in perfect condition. I hope to come across them in a box someday; maybe they are being stored with a valuable baseball card!
 
fivesense said:
Very cool.

I often wish I had any my childhood SAKs now. I remember thinking I was MacGuyver with my thick as a brick SAKs, having no idea what some of the tools were, but I sure liked the capability. I bet I hardly used anything other than the blades, so they'd be in perfect condition. I hope to come across them in a box someday; maybe they are being stored with a valuable baseball card!
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Other than the Swiss card light, I've got every Vic I got as a kid. Of course that was only this, a couple classics, and the card light which broke in my wallet.
 
Like fivescence, I wish I had my old SAK! I used the heck out of the blade and saw but nothing else:)

Nice job just getting it back together and operating! I had to trash a couple of experiments before I figured out better ways to peen. If you do another, use a couple of the really thin feeler gauges as shims and then you can get the pins domed without making the pivot too tight:thumbsup:
 
Ernie1980 said:
Like fivescence, I wish I had my old SAK! I used the heck out of the blade and saw but nothing else:)

Nice job just getting it back together and operating! I had to trash a couple of experiments before I figured out better ways to peen. If you do another, use a couple of the really thin feeler gauges as shims and then you can get the pins domed without making the pivot too tight:thumbsup:
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I only had one feeler gauge to sacrifice, and didn't think to put a piece of it on each side.

What I did with this was cut the scales off leaving the pins in, then I just clipped one end of the pins off and took the 12oz ball peen hammer to it.
 
........ But wait there's more :D

I was digging through my bucket-o-stuff where I happened to find some kind of shackle that looked a lot like a knife bail, this got me thinking about how I've never had a knife with a bail and about this being a missed opportunity to try one out.
So I took the thing and the knife and started contemplating removing the last pin and attaching some kind of bail.
I was messing with it when I discovered that it could snap right onto the end of the knife and securely over the peened heads of the pin.
Well that little shackle was a bit too rough to use and it's plating was coming off, so I went ahead and made one out of a scrap of aluminum real quick.

Here's how it turned out.
So far I like the idea, and while it may not be as secure as something pinned on, this knife is so light that I don't think it'll ever come off.
I could have shaped it or made it narrower, but I think the aluminum could use the strength.
 
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You're having fun. And making improvements.
I still have my first SAK. It was 30 years old when I sent it back to Switzerland for repairs 20 years ago.
 
scrteened porch said:
You're having fun. And making improvements.
I still have my first SAK. It was 30 years old when I sent it back to Switzerland for repairs 20 years ago.
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That's cool, especially since that's when they were first gaining popularity here in the US I believe.
in the late 60's to early 70's my dad was given a red Vic by a family friend who owned a local sporting goods store, but like all of his knives they disappeared while he was in the army. As a kid he gave me basically anything good from his childhood that young boy would've wanted to have, but I sure would've loved it if his pocket knives were still around for me to end up with.
Who knows, my uncles got a bunch of stuff from my grandparents house in storage and maybe they'll be found somewhere in a box.
 
Ernie1980 said:
Adding to and improving your knives really makes them yours!
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Well there's more again.

I wasn't super happy about the bare aluminum, so I hit it with some black spray paint and a scotchbrite pad to give it a bit of a different look.
I actually like the way it looks, though it may not be for everyone.

 
Bugdoc said:
Hickory, I admire your talents. It's looking more like a Douk Douk at every turn. Convergent evolution?
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Thanks.
Never knew they made a sheep's foot douk douk, pretty cool.
I've always liked the idea of the douk douk, but wished the blade could be a long clip without that hump.
Not sure how easy the knife would be to open if you ground that off though.
 
Hickory n steel said:
........ But wait there's more :D

I was digging through my bucket-o-stuff where I happened to find some kind of shackle that looked a lot like a knife bail, this got me thinking about how I've never had a knife with a bail and about this being a missed opportunity to try one out.
So I took the thing and the knife and started contemplating removing the last pin and attaching some kind of bail.
I was messing with it when I discovered that it could snap right onto the end of the knife and securely over the peened heads of the pin.
Well that little shackle was a bit too rough to use and it's plating was coming off, so I went ahead and made one out of a scrap of aluminum real quick.

Here's how it turned out.
So far I like the idea, and while it may not be as secure as something pinned on, this knife is so light that I don't think it'll ever come off.
I could have shaped it or made it narrower, but I think the aluminum could use the strength.
Click to expand...

Nice custom texturing on the brass pivot pin dawg!

I think it looks sick.
 
Lapedog said:
I'm talking about the dimpling on the brass pin going through the pivot that must have been caused by peening.
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Oh that, yeah that was definitely from peening.
Not custom in the sense that it was on purpose, but I guess custom could describe it.

Anyways thanks for the compliment, for some reason I find peening pins and stuff to be very enjoyable.
 
Hickory n steel said:
Thanks.
Never knew they made a sheep's foot douk douk, pretty cool.
I've always liked the idea of the douk douk, but wished the blade could be a long clip without that hump.
Not sure how easy the knife would be to open if you ground that off though.
Click to expand...
Agreed, it's all about practicality. That hump adds to its 'gripability', necessary in such a thin handle.
 
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