RD9 handle mod

Bill Siegle

Bill Siegle

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Oct 3, 2000
Messages
6,955
Just got a Ranger RD9 in trade recently and just couldn't live with the handle. Nothing uber wrong with it as shipped but hey I just like things MY WAY :) I reshaped the scales a bit with a half round rasp then cleaned up the lines with a finer chainsaw file. The chainsaw file was used to add the shallow grooves too. After the shaping I removed the scales and sanded then with 80grit paper then into the sandblast cabinet for some texture. I reattached the scales after clean up and used some Loctite to keep the screws from loosening. This RD9 came with some sweet edge geometry so no mods were needed on the blade itself. Here are the before and after pics.
 
Yep definitely fits my paw a lot better now. Like I said before it wasn't aweful at 1st. Just had room for improvement :)
 
good job on that...i like my scales more rounded too when i can have it.
 
Bill Siegle said:
......but hey I just like things MY WAY :)...../QUOTE]

Nothing wrong with that either. I have reshaped a lot of handles and always feel a little "guilty" that the maker may think that I think I "know better," which I don't, but, they have to "fit."

Nice work, Bill.
Click to expand...
 
How do you like that size? I'm thinking of moving up in size from my BK7. I'll have to sell my beloved BK7 though, so I want to make sure I'd like a 9" blade.
 
I like the size of the RD9. With the full flat ground blade it balances out nicely and gives you a little more reach. Course I have always been a fan of the larger blades :)
 
It's amazing how much hidden value sits latently just under the surface with tools like that, just begging to be teased out. That's a mod that really appeals to me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top