R&D G-10 scales and Safe-Queenitis. Do you have an old style 3.5?

JustinFournier

JustinFournier

Joined
May 7, 2012
Messages
4,971
Ok, so here is the deal..

I was looking to purchase a set of old style 3.5 scales, G-10 in black. Ellie didn't have any available, but she was able to take a pair, and apply a R&D finish Guy is working on that may end up in the custom line and send them to me.

Here is the problem:

My only 3.5 at this moment has Safe-Queenitis. Now before you start, I know what everyone is going to say. Guy made his knives to be users. These are not meant to be safe queens. Yeah, yeah. I know. I really know. But I can't help it.

So here is what I propose.

I have given these handles a brief test, but nothing that is really hardcore.

I've found them to be exponentially grippier than the standard G-10. In particular where blood and nitrile gloves are involved. This is a killer for me in standard G-10.

So if you have an old style 3.5 and would be interested in testing out these grips, and then forwarding them along to the next person so we can give Ellie & Guy as much quality feedback as possible, I would be willing to get them started along the line.

I have made an offer to one person already, and should he decline, I will get them going to whoever is next.

*********The purpose of this is to get QUALITY feedback to Guy & Ellie to improve the product offerings available to everyone in the future.*********

I'm going to set a few conditions here to help ensure we meet the goal stated above.

Conditions:

1.) You must have an old style 3.5 user. Maybe post a pic here with something written by it, how about S!K. This is so I know you can actually use them.

2.) You must be willing to take the time to use them, and write up something meaningful to provide feedback to Guy & Ellie.

3.) You must be willing to send me your address, and be willing to pay to ship them to the next person. They don't need to go FedEx Overnight, but something reasonable and well packaged so they won't get lost.

4.) Preference to known members here so they don't go missing and end up on Ebay.

Thanks for your time, and post below.
 
Ok

Grip:

The R&D texture (I have no better name for it) provides a ton of rounded peaks and valleys which work well as setting the knife into the surface they encounter. For me this is skin and nitrile gloves. They are much grippier than I expected from G-10. They do not have the typical once you start slipping you can keep slipping thing going on. This is helping me with not over-gripping the handle to try and prevent slipping. Part of the reason I over-grip is lack of confidence in the grip.

Naturally I tend to over-grip as I apply force in an effort to prevent slip. From years of motorcycle racing I have issues with the muscle in particular in my right forearm. This leads to what is commonly referred to as arm pump. This is made worse by the small grip size of the old style 3.5. It's quite thin, and my fingertips wrap completely around the grip and push into my palm right around the base of the thumb or the Thenar. So basically blood backs up in the muscle and they then become very hard, like a rock. Also, every painful. So it becomes literally a pain to use the knife.

So what happens, when I try to get a solid grip is my fingertips are being pushed into the base of my thumb, and that prevents me from getting a really hard grip without putting uncomfortable pressure on the knuckles of my fingers. So the whole thing goes south fast if I am doing anything past a light grip.

How this texture helps is it prevents slippage not just along the horizontal axis of the blade, but right in the palm swell. It feels like its much hard to get moving. I prefer this to knives like the Nyala that have groves designed to prevent slippage. If I squeeze hard with bare hands, the texture is enough to just leave small imprints in the skin. Nothing uncomfortable about them however. With gloves that feeling is removed. I noticed with this gloves, the handle is just too thin to grip well, so I am going to pass on that testing as well.

the texture is fairly simple to clean. A little more than a wipe down helps due to the valleys. I found a soft bristle tooth brush moved in gentle circles cleaned up fat and connective tissue from everything really well. It was also quick. I cloth with some loop in it would have worked just as well, but my wife has gone to all sponges now, and I don't use those due to my fear of her wrath.

I prefer G-10 as there is nothing to absorb blood, grow bacteria, they can be wiped with harsh chemical cleaners like isopropyl, they maintain the colour and don't need to be oiled etc. This is definitely giving the G-10 the benefit of increased grip when it is the preferred material for other reasons.

In summary of the grip, if I was looking at a small G-10 grip and I had the choice between the standard finish, and this R&D finish, I would take the R&D all day long.

Looks:

So this is a part of the handle that is important not to overlook but massively subjective. The texture leaves quite a matte finish. Some will like this, I among them. I am not too into bright colours and blingy stuff. So the matte looks great in my mind. The peaks and valleys are not random, but not all in line either. I would prefer either or for my OCD. But I realize these are not a finished product and accept that they will end up random most likely, which will look fine. Random is better than poorly alligned which these are not.

So, one question I would have is, can this texture be applied to other colours, and will that make them matte? I can see this being a deal killer for some.

I'm waiting for word from Ellie that I can publish pics of them, as that will say much more than my poor attempt at a description.

%2381.JPG
 
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I have a old school 3.5. I use it daily. Mostly making spoons, opening boxes, marshmallow sticks, and feather sticks. I would love to be apart of this.
 
notajerryskid said:
I have a old school 3.5. I use it daily. Mostly making spoons, opening boxes, marshmallow sticks, and feather sticks. I would love to be apart of this.
Click to expand...

Ok awesome. Let me give the first person a day to reply, and if they do not you are first. Otherwise, second. :)
 
JustinFournier said:
R&D finish Guy is working on that may end up in the custom line
Click to expand...

Before this goes down a road I just wanted to highlight this sentence, especially the word in bold. We are in the very early stages of R&D for this one and do not have the capability to offer this on any sort of a production level. In fact, Guy recently told me to stop offering samples to people until we can get the equipment necessary to produce this result in larger numbers. IF it becomes an option, it will not be until after all of the preorders have been fulfilled, at the very soonest.

With that said, carry on.
 
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