New to Me MK1

[Zemapeli]

I dig the work you did on that MK1. Good stuff.

 

[gunsil]

Thanks.

The MkI Navy is a Great knife, but needs a little upgrade on account of the fact that the original had a smaller, lighter, aluminum pommel w/ a generous inner bevel... and KA-BAR buffs their leather handles swamp-log slick.

So...

The metal was citri-stripped and then White Vinegar etched for corrosion protection.

The Leather handle was wire-brushed until the washers grooved, and then I Sno-sealed'em over a low-flame kitchen range until it wouldn't take any more. The sheath was Sno-sealed the same way. The handle is now water-proof and very tactile.

As for the Pommel...?

It just takes One piece of high-tech equipment...

...and a little patience.

Note: Read these instructions through a few times, and do this work in your head, w/ the knife in hand, until you are sure you understand the procedure. That is really the hard part.

First, establish the bevel angle on the handle (in) side at the major (vertical) axis.

Once you get it set (I did it all free-hand from a rest) roll the knife both ways to reproduce (grind) that angle around to the minor (horizontal) axis along the inner plastic spacer. Do a little at a time and go slow (you can't put it back on ).

You will notice that the inner bevel now extends far out to the end of the pommel at the minor axis - That's OK (for now) because they will come back w/ the outer bevel grinding. When the inner bevel looks good and the lower edge follows the handle washer, move to the outside bevel.

The outer bevel grind starts out like the inner, on the major axis, except reversed. Instead of following the lower edge of the grind, like you did w/ the inner bevel along the washer, the outer bevel uses the top of the grind to re-establishment the pommel waist (equator) line, as the control. As you grind around to the minor axis, the waistline will begin to migrate back from the end of the pommel toward the center (equatorial) line.

When the waistline is straight around the pommel, centered between the Two grinds, the outside bevel is complete. Then just buff it a little w/ some emory-cloth a/o green scotch-brite pad.

Easy.





GR

NO original MK1 KA-BAR knives ever had aluminum pommels. Aluminum was a war restricted use metal, all KA-BAR MK1 knives had steel pommels.