New tool in my shop

orvet

orvet

Joined
Oct 11, 2005
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If you repair knives you probably have, or want, a stiddy to work on the knives.
The problem is that a stiddy is expensive, (my first one cost me $250 + $30 shipping), heavy, & expensive to ship.

I think I have solved that problem with my compact stiddy. Made from railroad track it weights about 7 lbs. I made one for a friend and was able to ship it in a Priority Mail flat rate box for about $11.


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I have included a strip of canvas micarta so I have a softer surface that does not mar the bolsters. I lay the stiddy on it's back and have a soft surfact face up.

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It makes it much easier to repair an Old Timer.

What do you think?
Comments welcome.
Dale
 
Dale,
I have no clue how you use that thing, but it looks interesting, to say the least! You said you made it from railroad track. What the heck did you use to cut it with?!
 
orvet said:
If you repair knives you probably have, or want, a stiddy to work on the knives.




It makes it much easier to repair an Old Timer.

What do you think?
Comments welcome.
Dale
Click to expand...

Dale, please tell more of what you use this "Stiddy" for and how you use it if you don't mind?

Thanks Shawn
 
Hummm....Maybe I should do a tutorial.

But briefly.......
The name "stiddy" I am told, comes from the Welsh pronunciation of the word "steady." Apparently many Welshmen worked in the old Sheffield cutleries.

The stiddy is the cutler's anvil.
When repairing a knife I use the hole in the top to drive a pin out of the knife (usually a bolster pin) with a pin punch.

The micarta is a soft place to pound (usually more like tapping) on a knife without marring the bolsters.

The thin lip (peening horn) is used to flatten out (peen) the inside end of a pin that holds on the scales (handles). It is used so a cutler can pin the scales on the knife without taking the knife completely apart.

The top of the stiddy is used like an anvil when peening pins, especially the pivot pins. This is the one time where you really hit a knife hard....if it is an LB-7 you really need to smack it to peen the pivot pin, (there is technique involved, not just brute force).

The elevated top of the peening horn is used to bend blades to crink them.
Look down on the closed blades of a 3 blade,2 backspring knife. Note that the blades are bent so that they fit in the knife? That is crinking.
Crinking is done by hitting the blade while it is resting between that raised edge & the top of the stiddy. Needless to say, crinking is a bit tricky. :eek:

Hope this helps.
Let me know if you have more questions.

Dale
 
Thanks for sharing. Do you plan to do a video or a book on pocket knife repair? Peening the inside seems the haderst thing to do without breaking something. Is the peening horn tapered? Doc
 
Next question: where do we get a section of railroad track? I have a very thin (1/8") section here as a souvenir, but I don't know where i'd get a section of track. Everything I see is long.

thx - cpr
 
Nice stiddy.

I think that a chunk of forklift fork would work attached to a heavy piece of metal if you could not find a railroad track.
 
That's a clever use of available materials to make a tool, Dale!!
A chunk of track, a piece of angle iron (steel), screws and micarta.
Then a whole bunch of Yankee ingenuity!!
 
orca8589 said:
Next question: where do we get a section of railroad track? I have a very thin (1/8") section here as a souvenir, but I don't know where i'd get a section of track. Everything I see is long.

thx - cpr
Click to expand...

I might could come up with some short lengths of track; it looks like I'll be cutting one for myself so I can try to do a few more. I'll be home Monday, drop me a PM and remind me.
 
coffeecup said:
I might could come up with some short lengths of track; it looks like I'll be cutting one for myself so I can try to do a few more. I'll be home Monday, drop me a PM and remind me.
Click to expand...

Will do. I'm happy to cover shipping, labor, etc. We'll cover it in the pm's.

Now that I've got a shop, and a bench big enough to work on, this'll be a good way to fix & mod some of mine, and others' knives too.

thx - cpr
 
If you guys need some help, my email is at the bottom of this post.

Dale
 
orca8589 said:
Will do. I'm happy to cover shipping, labor, etc. We'll cover it in the pm's.

Now that I've got a shop, and a bench big enough to work on, this'll be a good way to fix & mod some of mine, and others' knives too.

thx - cpr
Click to expand...

Guys, Orvet was kind enough to provide the pics and inspiration: I figure I can pony up the track and labor. If I can get them cut you can have them for postage.
 
:thumbup: Wow coffeecup that is a very nice gesture on your part. Here folks is a prime example of what makes this such a great place to be a part of, I know I am preaching to the quire:thumbup: BUT had to express myself! ;)





PS: I am not asking for one as I have the Material and abilty to do one myself:) this is just way cool to see good ole camraderie at it's best!!!!

Thanks again, Shawn
 
coffeecup said:
Guys, Orvet was kind enough to provide the pics and inspiration: I figure I can pony up the track and labor. If I can get them cut you can have them for postage.
Click to expand...

Thanks - very nice of you to offer that. I'll wait for your post here, that they're cut. If the cost gets too much, let me/us know.

as was said - things like this make this place a great forum. :thumbup:

thx - cpr
 
In about 1976, I was at a prairie reservoir with my two little boys, in a British Land Rover. While they were playing, I spotted a six foot section of railroad rail sticking out of the sand. "This I must have!" I thunk. It was a little long to carry inside my short vehicle. But I had a front bumper homemade out of heavy steel square tubing, and it just fit! So... SHINK!!! In it went.... about two feet, and stuck tight! Picture a truck, a very redfaced man, and a railroad rail sticking straight out to one side about four feet. Forty miles from home. Not good. Well, I did manage, after much worry and sweat, and still have some anvils and things made out of that damnable piece of steel.
 
OK folks, I think there's enough track here for about 6 blanks. I've got a new blade on order, and will start cutting as soon as it gets here. Orca8589, Copdoc2008, and DaveT63 are on the list. Anyone else?
 
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