Need to get the point back on my Cricket, best way? + Ideas on how to begin restoration and removal of a scale on this first gen alum Espada L?

Hashishiin

Hashishiin

Joined
Dec 29, 2021
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Hello, this is a two part question. The first is simpler, second is the first step in what may be a multi step process.

So, I need my Spyderco Cricket, favored work knife. Somewhere along the way, the very very end of the tip was lost, likely hitting glass cutting open bags of recycling. It can still peirce, but I would like the full tip back.

I hope the following pictures show the issue well. I notice that last, not serrated point part, straight like a pointy Wharncliffe. I have a sharpmaker with CBN and brown/white rods, a file, strop, and a 500 grit stone. I do not want to screw it up. This is why I want advice, sharpening it did not help but much, I thought about running it down the spine, taking it down? How would ya do it? It is not a knife ending issue but I'd like to correct it.20230102_125752.jpg
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I have aquired an AUS-8 Espada, with the original deeper hollow grind, and deeper clip than the XHP models. Love it. It has great action. It has an edge. It.. is missing a bolster, may have been stonewashed at the bolsters, and cannot unscrew the right scale because it is as though it got blown out and concrete-d back in. There is a hard, scratchy, concrete like substance in there. I don't know man, I got it for a quick 99 bucks in a lot deal, including gems like my first Ozark Trail, a Dollica and a combat... tomahawk thing.

I wonder if I can save this, or whether I need to get a modern one and switch blades, if this even fits still. But, I'd like to try to salvage it, and the concrete stuff prevents unscrewing. Any idea what it is, or do I just have to try to knock it out?
Then, I gotta make a bolster.

20221128_123002.jpg20221128_123039.jpg20221128_123104.jpg20221128_123443.jpg
 
tinfoil hat timmy said:
the cricket I'd leave the spine alone and sharpen the blade edge

looks like jb weld in the bolster area. idk about the scale.
Click to expand...
Okay, thank you! I just didn't wanna oversharpen unless I knew it could get me that tip back. So sharpen the very tip of the edge there is what I am getting.

Oh, jeez... yep, that's what it is in there. Seems I'll have to file it out or something, or add some black epoxy to the gaps... hmm. Thanks for the heads up, that's what it is.
 
Re-pointing the Cricket could actually be very easy and quick. I do this from the spine side, using a coarse-grit aluminum oxide 3" x 21" grinding belt cut at the seam and laid flat (glued, ideally) to a board.

To get the sense of it for practice's sake, just lay the spine against a flat, smooth surface, some distance behind the tip, and just pivot the butt end of the knife upward, 'rolling' the arced spine toward the tip and STOPPING the roll when the spine at the very tip is flush to the surface. Then practice the same motion while drawing the spine along the hard surface and simultaneously pivoting the butt end up again, for flush contact at the tip. STOP the stroke there and lift & repeat. Inspect the tip under brightly-lit magnification after each pass. On a coarse grinding belt of some length, such as the 21" belt at 120-grit or so, it'll work very fast to put a sharp point on a tip like that - could be done in just a few minutes' time. It's much, much easier than might be assumed if you haven't tried it before, and you won't risk altering the cutting edge in ways you might later regret. The arced 'hawk's beak' profile of the spine on that blade is a natural fit for the technique, as are other downward-arcing spines on blades like drop points, spearpoint, pen blades, etc.
 
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Obsessed with Edges said:
Re-pointing the Cricket could actually be very easy and quick. I do this from the spine side, using a coarse-grit aluminum oxide 3" x 21" grinding belt cut at the seam and laid flat (glued, ideally) to a board.

To get the sense of it for practice's sake, just lay the spine against a flat, smooth surface, some distance behind the tip, and just pivot the butt end of the knife upward, 'rolling' the arced spine toward the tip and STOPPING the roll when the spine at the very tip is flush to the surface. Then practice the same motion while drawing the spine along the hard surface and simultaneously pivoting the butt end up again, for flush contact at the tip. STOP the stroke there and lift & repeat. Inspect the tip under brightly-lit magnification after each pass. On a coarse grinding belt of some length, such as the 21" belt at 120-grit or so, it'll work very fast to put a sharp point on a tip like that - could be done in just a few minutes' time. It's much, much easier than might be assumed if you haven't tried it before, and you won't risk altering the cutting edge in ways you might later regret. The arced 'hawk's beak' profile of the spine on that blade is a natural fit for the technique, as are other downward-arcing spines on blades like drop points, spearpoint, pen blades, etc.
Click to expand...
I have some on a board for just this reason (I think it was you who told me to do this for reshaping that Old Timer folding hunter I found with the snapped tip?) but I have some 120 grit, and some wood leftover. Yes, this sounds like the way I wanna go, sounds ideal! I use this blade shape a lot so this may come in handy with the fragile tips on some other models. Thanks!
 
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