Phat Bob unboxing and mods

[daizee]

Hi Kabar Kidz,

The Phat Bob I ordered as a decent-but-replaceable shipboard knife just arrived.
Criteria were:

* non-threatening, not-too-pointy blade profile for shipboard use
* 3" blade so I can also carry it legally in my home state
* decent quality, but not so expensive that it can't be replaced (i.e. not gonna be US-made...)
* brand I like

First the pix, then some thoughts. I unboxed it with my own 3" EDC:

The knife arrived well-packed and in good condition.
Finish is appropriate for the price point.
It opens easily enough (notch in the micarta could be bigger), and locks up well.
The blade is a touch off-center when closed, but again is fine for the price point.
Grinds are even and well executed, and the bevels are well-finished for a machine finish. I'd put the finish in the neighborhood of 300grit, plus or minus. Appropriate for a moderately priced stainless blade.
The factory edge is excellent.
It would cost me $50 in parts and materials alone to reproduce this by hand, so it's a good deal for sure.

Now, thoughts and what I would change.

* The micarta scales are a touch sharper than I'd like at the corners. This is an easy fix.
* The thumb stud is smooth on top and needs a little texture (a common complaint with this knife)
* The thumb cutout in the micarta could be larger, which is exacerbated by the polished top of the thumb stud.
* Ack! the stud is right-hand only! Whose idea was that?? I'm a righty, but I carry folders at 7-o'clock IWB...
* The reversible pocket clip is nice, but recessing the clip mount is unnecessary, and leaves the unsightly empty area. I may fill this with a piece of hand-fit metal.
* It's heavy!
* Lots of handle, very nice.
* brass or bonze pivot bushings. Thanks!!
* The perimeter of the handle is finished the long ways, but the blade perimeter is finished cross-ways. It would be nice if all the sanding marks were the same direction, but at this price I have no real excuse to complain.
* Blade is HOLLOW GROUND, not flat as listed in some vendor's literature.
* Finally, and this is important, this is not a 3" knife!!! It's hard to tell exactly in the picture, but this blade is 3.15" all day long. This makes it illegal for carry in my 3" state. Ka-bar, PLEASE use tip-to-handle measurements for ALL blade lengths, and stick to them fanatically! Any blade right near an inch or half-inch boundary has the potential to put your customer on the wrong side of their local laws...

So this thing will require some modifications to keep this role, which I think it will.
I'm disappointed about the blade length thing. That's unnecessarily irritating, but it's fixable.

Mods i'll likely do:
* grind blade back to 3". This will also reshape the tip a bit to be more like a traditional rigging knife, so that's ok.
* texture the thumb stud
* cut out the thumb space in the micarta some more
* fill the empty pocket clip spot
* deep pocket clip - I think I have a compatible one downstairs already
* POSSIBLY (because this is more work) remove the heavy steel spine backer and replace with stand-offs to lighten things up considerably
* round the corners of the micarta slightly

 

[JustAFleshWound]

I'm excited to see what you do with it!

 

[daizee]

guess I decided to keep it.

home alone, impatient, and only minor chores waiting, so...

If you've never taken your PB apart, be aware that the blade stop pin is held captive by the scales and can fall out when they're off.
The threads on the opposite-side clip holes didn't work right - one was bungled or something, so I put the clip back on the original side. I didn't take the entire thing apart.

bobbed Bob with enlarged thumb notch. I just cut it out by hand with another sharp knife:

Some jimping on the spine micarta to get a better grip on the knife IWB when closed. Also, the inner edges of the frame were SHARP, so I dressed those with a jewelers file. (took care and blew the works out when done)

spot-on 3" now, and with a classic rigging knife profile. I like.

A little jimping on the underside too, to prevent slipping in-hand.

All around, good easy improvements. Maybe 40min of screwing around. 1000g brings the micarta back close to the factory buff. I went that high when dressing the sharp corners near the pivot, but only hit the jimping with 600g.


Ka-bar, this knife with the blade profile mod and bright yellow G10 scales would be a sweet rigging knife. Call it the "Wet Bob". Oh yeah, and get Bob's permission first. ;-)


-Daizee

 

[tr4022]

May I ask what that fixed blade is?

Tod

 

[daizee]

May I ask what that fixed blade is?

Tod

Tod, the fixie is a Daizee EDC special in 154CM and Ebony.

 

[Nsvens89]

Very nice Daizee, I have thought about doing many of the same mods before to my PB, I also never really cared for how the jimping stuck up past the handle. If I were to take mine under the knife so to speak I would have knocked that thumb ramp jimping down and add some that crosses the scales and the blade. I also thought about drilling out the liners a bit to lighten it up.

 

[daizee]

Very nice Daizee, I have thought about doing many of the same mods before to my PB, I also never really cared for how the jimping stuck up past the handle. If I were to take mine under the knife so to speak I would have knocked that thumb ramp jimping down and add some that crosses the scales and the blade. I also thought about drilling out the liners a bit to lighten it up.

Yeah, I'm on the fence about the hackles on the spine, but will probably leave them there.
The liners are really the frame - there's extra metal there, but the filler between them is a HUGE mass that's not doing a lot of work, and it's a separate part that can simply be removed, from what I can tell.
If I replace that with stand-off posts I'll chronicle the mod here too.