Questions about ordering a custom knife

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postoak

Joined
Dec 23, 2011
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I have a knife I like the look of but the RC 62 steel seems too hard to me. If I get a scratch on it it is about impossible to remove by hand. The blade wasn't really well made either. Although it looked good at a casual glance, when I started trying to clean up one side I realized that it actually goes in and out like hills. It also had a complicated architecture that made it impossible to get the belt sander on it. Long story short, I screwed up the blade trying to rectify this.

I'd like to replace one that looks just like this when new. Is that done? Build a knife around a grip? Second, what is a stainless steel that would be easier to remove any scratches from (although I think I've learned how not to put scratches on a blade now)?

Thanks for any direction.
 
postoak said:
I have a knife I like the look of but the RC 62 steel seems too hard to me. If I get a scratch on it it is about impossible to remove by hand. The blade wasn't really well made either. Although it looked good at a casual glance, when I started trying to clean up one side I realized that it actually goes in and out like hills. It also had a complicated architecture that made it impossible to get the belt sander on it. Long story short, I screwed up the blade trying to rectify this.

I'd like to replace one that looks just like this when new. Is that done? Build a knife around a grip? Second, what is a stainless steel that would be easier to remove any scratches from (although I think I've learned how not to put scratches on a blade now)?

Thanks for any direction.
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Grips have been reused before. So have blades. Can we see pics of the one you have now?
 
How do I do that? It seems to want a URL, but the photos are on my computer (and phone). It's a Gerber 475.
 
postoak said:
I have a knife I like the look of but the RC 62 steel seems too hard to me. If I get a scratch on it it is about impossible to remove by hand.
Click to expand...

What's the problem with getting a scratch on your knife?

postoak said:
The blade wasn't really well made either. Although it looked good at a casual glance, when I started trying to clean up one side I realized that it actually goes in and out like hills.
Click to expand...

Are you sure that's not because you've been sanding it every time it gets a scratch?

postoak said:
It also had a complicated architecture that made it impossible to get the belt sander on it. Long story short, I screwed up the blade trying to rectify this.

I'd like to replace one that looks just like this when new. Is that done? Build a knife around a grip? Second, what is a stainless steel that would be easier to remove any scratches from (although I think I've learned how not to put scratches on a blade now)?

Thanks for any direction.
Click to expand...

Knives get used. They develop scratches when you use them. This is normal. What is wrong with just accepting that and not trying to remove every scratch that happens to occur?
 
The issue is the big loss of material from the side of the spine. Ideally, someone could add material along the spine's right side by welding, then reshape and heat treat. But I'm not sure the metal color could be matched.
 
postoak said:
Ideally, someone could add material along the spine's right side by welding, then reshape and heat treat. But I'm not sure the metal color could be matched.
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I don't think I have ever actually heard of someone doing that, and I think it's a really bad idea. I think it would be better to just melt the whole thing down and reforge it, not that I would ever recommend going that far in the first place.

Is this knife valuable to you? If not then get a different knife and use the old one as a beater.
 
It's the knife that I used for my entire hunting "career". I field dressed and sometimes quartered 42 or so white tails with it. I know it doesn't make much sense to replace the blade at this point but it's an idea I would like to explore. Approximately what type of cost are we talking about to do this?
 
postoak said:
I know it doesn't make much sense to replace the blade at this point but it's an idea I would like to explore. Approximately what type of cost are we talking about to do this?
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Replace the blade? You mean buy a new knife?

Is it all one solid piece from the tip through to the back of the handle? Or does the blade only extend partially into the handle? How is it assembled? Can it be disassembled and re-assembled easily? It doesn't look like it to me.

I take it that you want somebody to do it for you? You would have to pay for a new knife and then you would have to pay for them to disassemble both knives and then swap the handle from the old one to the new one. It could probably be done but I have no idea what they would charge you for it.

It seems like a waste of time and money though, not that you asked for my opinion... but you would end up with a new knife with an old handle and an old knife which in reality would still be the actual one that you used for hunting.

You would have to replace it with the same exact knife too. You couldn't just swap any blade in there. It would need to have the same shape in the back to to be able to fit the old handle. You could maybe do some fiddling to make a different knife fit the old handle, but that's some serious custom work and there would be limitations on what you could and couldn't get away with.

Or you could have someone forge a knife for you that has the exact dimensions to fit the old handle. So you would have to send them your old knife, have them take it apart while preserving the handle, presumably do some kind of molding of the back part that fits into the handle, then forge a new knife to match it exactly so that the old handle fits onto it. I'm gonna say that's going to be pretty expensive.
 
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postoak said:
It's the knife that I used for my entire hunting "career". I field dressed and sometimes quartered 42 or so white tails with it. I know it doesn't make much sense to replace the blade at this point but it's an idea I would like to explore. Approximately what type of cost are we talking about to do this?
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I don’t see a problem. Those are your scratches on there, it is a history of your hunting experience. I would suggest leaving it alone or getting one of the makers to clean it up. The knife looks serviceable as is.

N2s
 
It's perfectly serviceable, but didn't you see the big area that I ground off with the belt sander?
 
Those earlier Gerbers had tool steel blades that were industrial hard chrome plated.
You aren't going to hand sand through that easily, and if you do, you have changed the integrity of the blade.
You need to leave the belt sander alone until you understand a little bit about knives.
 
I've used the belt sander a lot on edges, just never before on the side. I agree it was a mistake.
 
postoak said:
I've used the belt sander a lot on edges, just never before on the side. I agree it was a mistake.
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I am sure you are aware- but you can generate a lot if heat with a sander, and can ruin the heat treat.
There are a few of that model for sale on the Bay right now if you want another, or you could get one of the makers on these forums to make you one that will be awesome and last generations (as long as you stay away from the sander🤣).
 
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