Modifying Cold Steel XL Voyager

[HFinn]

I have decided to start a project with a XL clip point Voyager. I managed to order an older AUS 8 Voyager so the loss is manageable if I screw it.

The idea is to turn it into a drop point and modify the handle accordlingly. I got the idea of some old european knives and would like to make a modern version. I made a picture and the result would look something like this.

I liked the wharncliffe mods done to tanto voyagers, but I also like my knives to have a belly on the blade. Therefore I chose the clip point. This would also take some off the wide blade for easier carry.

I will work with the dremel, cutting little by little off the material with the disk, then use rotating stones and sander to round the angles. All the while keeping a wet rag awailable to cool the blade.

Thoughts about this?

 

[oxman198]

If you can make it look like that picture it will be a sweet blade. Keep us posted.


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[insta9ves]

can't wait to see the end result. Almost looks like a Spanish Navaja, just need to make the tail slimmer.

 

[HFinn]

This will take a lot of time. The knife will arrive in a couple of days and I want to go slow. I will post about how I progress.

 

[Mick_1KRR]

I did this to one of my voyagers a while ago to make it slimmer in pocket, just takes patience and make sure the blade doesn't get hot when grinding

 

[HFinn]

I did this to one of my voyagers a while ago to make it slimmer in pocket, just takes patience and make sure the blade doesn't get hot when grinding

Looks quite similar to what I have in mind. Very nice work, what tools did you use?

 

[Mick_1KRR]

Looks quite similar to what I have in mind. Very nice work, what tools did you use?

Thanks, i used a standard bench grinder, just gave it medium paced passes along the area i wanted to take down, i colored the part i wanted to take off in permanent marker also. Every pass i would dunk the blade in a container of water so it didn't get hot. Slowly slowly, but it turned out really well in the end to the point where it looks factory to someone who hasn't seen a voyager. Finished the whole spine in a 240 grit satin going length-ways and it blends nicely.

 

[HFinn]

So far.

 

[HFinn]

I might have overdone slimming the "guard" slightly, but I think it will not affect durablity. Anyway I am talking of couple of millimeters. The heat treated aluminium is harder than I thought, cutting the liners with dremel disk took a while. Exellent materials. Anyway I am getting where I wanted. I still need to thin the curving back end of the handle to get the "navaja" look.

The liners will of course show on the parts I reshaped, those could be painted black. Wonder if I should take the knife apart, clean everything and epoxy the liners to the handle, would it make a difference conserning strenght?

 

[Mick_1KRR]

Looks like it's coming along nicely. I didn't know you were actually going to reshape the handle as well as the nested liners....brave man

Not sure about epoxying liners to handles, is the part you are re-shaping going to unsettle the liner support that much? If it's just the hump of the guard you're shaping then maybe it won't be needed, but see how if feels in hand and with some flex and make a judgement call. Good luck with it all and post pics.

 

[Wowbagger]

HFinn,

I like your original photo / design.
I say : "Go Man Go".

PS: aluminum doesn't get very hard really. You can just saw it with wood working like saws. Let alone a metal saw. I think the problem you ran into with the abrasive disc is that the aluminum literally melted and smeared around the disc loading it up to where it would not cut. Probably just a hand saw is the way to go. Hacksaw or coping saw . . . jeweler's saw with the coarsest blade. Not sure how the Dremel little circular saw would do they tend to be kind of wimpy metal and might grab and damage the knife or you.

Recently I've come to appreciate that handle and could see myself doing some kind of mod like you are working on. Thanks for inspiring me.

 

[HFinn]

This will do. Taking much more off the back of the blade would thin it quite considerably since it is full flat grind. The tip is now quite thin and penetrating. I will touch up the blade and do some test cuts.

 

[HFinn]

If I really would slim down a megafolder, it might look like this sketch of a modified Voyager XL tanto.

 

[A.P.F.]

Looking good, gentlemen!

 

[ThePeacent]

Wouldn't mind one of those, actually. But the clip in the stock Voyager is very nice too

 

[Larry Turko]

I really like this modification. It's much more aesthetically pleasing than the original shape. I generally don't like clippoints but I especially hate the clippoint shape Cold Steel uses with the blade at it's widest just before the clip.