Scale mod on a lw native 5

[jamess90v]

Hi all i’m new here but have a few knives under my belt i need some advice on changing the scales on a Spyderco native 5 lw. I’ve heard it cant be done but i wanted the maxamet version so i had no choice. Frn is cool but i do like me some micarta. thanks to those who answer

 

[Eversion]

Micarta is going to be difficult on a lockback with no liners like the Lightweight. I don't think there are any decent options out there for scale replacements on these, and some micarta scales probably won't hold up very well over time, due to it interacting with the lock directly. Sorry, I don't have a good idea on scale replacement other than finding a custom scale maker that can make you some out of something like G10. That's probably a lot more effort than it's worth.

You can, however, easily dye the scales because you got the Maxamet version.

Here's a knife with the grey Maxamet scales that I dyed myself. Perhaps you could do something like that with some Rit Dyemore Synthetic.

 

[jamess90v]

Micarta is going to be difficult on a lockback with no liners like the Lightweight. I don't think there are any decent options out there for scale replacements on these, and some micarta scales probably won't hold up very well over time, due to it interacting with the lock directly. Sorry, I don't have a good idea on scale replacement other than finding a custom scale maker that can make you some out of something like G10. That's probably a lot more effort than it's worth.

You can, however, easily dye the scales because you got the Maxamet version.

Here's a knife with the grey Maxamet scales that I dyed myself. Perhaps you could do something like that with some Rit Dyemore Synthetic. View attachment 1402864

Thanks for the answer i thought it may be more trouble than its worth can ritdye work with frn ? The g10 looks great on yours !

 

[Eversion]

Thanks for the answer i thought it may be more trouble than its worth can ritdye work with frn ? The g10 looks great on yours !

I believe it's actually easier on FRN than G10. I'd recommend getting the Dyemore Synthetic dye version specifically, though. It'll hold up better over time than the original stuff.

 

[jamess90v]

Thanks alot that’s really helpful i would have prefered g10 But i prefer the native 5 in size and blade shape ! Maybe one day i will find a liner native and mod it with the maxamet blade until then ritdye synthetic seems like a cool option.

 

[Hackenslash]

There are some really cool color formulas for Rit Dye at their website. You can even download the PDF. Of course, your starting color will have an impact on the end results but it works great on G10 or FRN. I've got a white handled GFN Mini Bugout that I can't wait to slap some color onto.

https://www.ritdye.com/color-formulas/

BladeHQ has a nice guide to dying knife handles...

 

[Hackenslash]

Oh, and just my opinion, but the G10 Native with full liners feels like a completely different knife than the lightweight version...try before you buy if you're a fan of the LWT. I think there's almost an ounce and half difference and that feels substantial in a small knife.