Should you strip beckers under the handle?

T

timbo813

Joined
Jun 24, 2014
Messages
231
I am planning to strip my bk15 (and maybe my 14). I'm trying to decide whether to strip the area under the scales. For those of you who have stripped the whole knife, do you have any problems with rust under the handle?

If I don't strip under the scales I still want to strip all visible metal. What is the best way to do this? Tape it up?
 
Yeah, just tape it up with some painter's (blue) tape if you don't want to remove the paint under the scales.
Otherwise, you can just spray/seal the area under the scales with some clear polyurethane, and you're good to go. I've done both.
 
does this thread title sound dirty, or do I have a filthy mind?
 
I don't think masking is going to prevent the stripper from damaging the paint edge immediately under the tape. Take a piece of sharp brass and scrape the paint off for 1/4" around the handles, then mask into that scraped area to keep all chemicals away from the paint you want to keep. The brass won't scratch the steel.
 
timbo813 said:
I am planning to strip my bk15 (and maybe my 14). I'm trying to decide whether to strip the area under the scales. For those of you who have stripped the whole knife, do you have any problems with rust under the handle?

If I don't strip under the scales I still want to strip all visible metal. What is the best way to do this? Tape it up?
Click to expand...

You want the paint to be under the scales to prevent rust. Don't strip under the scales.
 
To strip or not to strip depends what you want to do with the handle. If you want to keep the original scales then I should leave the coating. If the handle gets a makeover then I would strip it completely for the glue/epoxy to grip the metal.

I striped mine but left the coating under the handles for easier maintenance. I put tape on the metal, screwed back the scales and then cut round the handle scales. But the pommel and both spines are sanded/scratched. This way the knife looks completely stripped.
 
Last edited:
The last time I stripped a knife, I used a stripper that was more like a thick, gooey paste that brushed on, rather than a spray. It was easier to control where it went.

I have a Bk16 en route, which is going to get stripped immediately. Not a fan of truck bed liner on my knife blades...
 
I just put blue painters tape on, put the scales back on over the tape, cut around the scales, and apply stripper. The pressure from the scales helps the tape keep the stripper out.
 
I stripped my 16 completely including the handles
I stripped my 4, just the blade, as I wanted the coating on the handle for when it will get wet
 
Stripped my BK2 handle back, no issues so far, but in saying that I have not had it come in contact with water, although we do get some very humid weather here in Sydney. I am considering taping the spine and pummel and hitting it with a rust kill primer for added protection. In hindsight I wish I would have left it.

 
Don't worry about it. Just check it periodically and wipe it down with oil. Done.

Even EB says people worry too much about rust.

Your BK2 is .25" steel! It'd take 20 years of no care before it'd rust through. My 30yo BBQ smoker back in Texas is .25" steel pipe and is still solid with minimal care. ;)
 
I've only stripped one of my 14s, and only because I've beat the poor thing half to death and a lot of the coating was coming off. I left the coating under the scales, but off the spine of the handle. I think, as others have said, that this is a good idea.

I think you could also coat the same area with poly or paint, and get good results.
 
I stripped my entire 16, blade and under the handle. When I added stainless steel hardware, I dipped the threads in some oil in case moisture gets under the scales through the bolt holes. I took my 16 out while I was sledding with the extended family in the New Mexico mountains in December just to see how it carried in some non typical situations (diving off a speeding sled, rolling down a snowy hill, catching people at the bottom of the hill before they ramp off into the parking lot...). Of course, everyone gave me "what for" about taking a knife sledding (none of them even know what a Becker is, despite the fact that I have made many attempts to educate them. None of them, uncles and older male cousins included, don't even own a fixed blade knife of any size.) Wore it on my belt the entire time. After a couple of hours, we got back to the cabin and the knife and sheath (stock) were soaked, and probably had been since I left the cabin. All I did was take the handles apart, dry everything off real good, and oiled the blade and the screw threads again. There was no rust on any part of the knife. I did leave the knife out of the sheath until I was absolutely positive that the sheath was 100% dry. Still haven't had any rust issues at all.

The moral of this story is that you probably won't have any problems with rust under the handles as long as you don't outright neglect it, or swim with it in salt water...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top