STR Sod Bustr ???

STR

STR

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:confused: Ok, well its supposed to be a Sod Buster with Scagel type pull. I call this the 'dog bone' pull since its kind of a dog bone shape. What can I say, I'm caught up with the exception of a job that just arrived so I thought I'd play some while the opportunity presented itself. Had just enough carbon fiber left over from the two Ouparators I did a while back for some customers and figured I'd put it to work. Used some .060 thick brass I've had laying around for years for liners and a thin left over piece of ATS34 I've had ground out for some time. I was never quite sure what I was going to do with this blade. I did it and a few other things a good while ago when I was offered a good deal by a gentleman among gentlemen in the knife industry. This was actually a blade Paul Bos heat treated for me with the spring back when they were still in California. He said he'd slip what I wanted to mail him in with some other things if I was not in a hurry and I took full advantage of that believe me. He is a nice man. I've never forgotten the favor.

Anyway, its only the third slippy I've ever done. Turned out ok I think. Has good snap, nice feel and looks good with the CF and brass mix. Don't get me wrong its not perfect and I'm not trying to pretend I'm a slippy maker. I am well aware its sure not up to the standards of most of you traditional guys but it should be a good worker for someone in my family.

My sister put in an order for three knives for Christmas from me. Of course I won't let her pay me so I had to come up with something. I figure this here will be one of em. Two more to go but not sure what those will be.

Let me know what you think. This one is 7/16" thick. Sits nice and flat in the pocket like I like, as opposed to rolling around all day like rounded ones do.

It has a 2 and 15/16th" blade and a 3 and 13/16th" closed length. Weighs in at 2.8 ounces. I gave it a 'gator belt finish' and stopped there. You can see it here in some shots. If they appear a bit washed out its because I used the scanner tools to enhance it some to see the CF pattern better. Sometimes it works sometimes not.

STR
 
Well, I have more blades like it and springs. I sent Paul like 20 various things to harden since that was the limit of what he offered me at the time back when I was just gettin' my feet wet in folders. I sent liners and locks for liner locks like the one you got also and still have like three sets of those hardened in 410 stainless that I've never used as well as some stainless pocket clips and other things.

It won't be many since I don't have but 5 more blades and springs like it. I stuck them all in a bin years ago. Man, it was still the 90s when I did this. I had to do a lot of cleaning up to get this thing even presentable tonight. I almost didn't post it but figured hey, I'm not proud, why not right? :eek:

STR
 
Well, looks like this one is gonna be mine folks!

This will make a great user.

Thanks Steve. I'll let you know when it arrives.

Brett
 
Nice work, STR. Something a little different. Really like the brass liners, and the contrast with the CF.
 
Thanks. I couldn't leave it all square like that. Brett is in for a surprise when he opens it!:eek: I feathered it out and finished it like its supposed to be. I posted that originally trying to get a rise out of folks but then...it sold! :D

Anyway, it looks a lot better now. But I'll leave any pics up to the new owner. :thumbup:

I'll give you a hint though. Here is my second one which I did yesterday. Well still working on today also actually. ;)

STR
 
OH MAN!!!!!!! That looks AMAZING STEVE!

You are just too good.

I'll be sure to post A BUNCH of pictures when I get it Steve.

Thank you my friend,
Brett
 
Steve, Are you putting your mark on these???? I hadn't seen any in the shots.

Brett
 
Under the CF scales on the brass on each liner I did use my STR punch and I signed your blade with my hand written STR.

Generally speaking, I rarely mark my blades and prefer them sterile for a couple reasons.
1)Too many times in the past I had final finishing and shaping to do after marking them and often times my stamp was partially wiped out or not centered when I got that done.
2) At other times due to the way I work shooting from the hip so to speak, if I had to repolish or satin finish one to cover up some flaws somewhere well, doing this wiped out my signiture some that way also or made it faint at the least so I just quit marking blades altogether some time ago since I do a lot of finish work after getting them back from H/T usuallly. Trying to use my punch stamp to mark a hard blade would ruin it so that was when I started marking them on the bodies only. When I sign a blade anymore its most always by hand and its only for special deals or family. ;)

I have looked at the etching type markers and often times thought to buy one. In fact I did buy one once on ebay which was a very cheap one that barely worked worth a hill of beans but honestly I just feel its a lot of money for a good one and then money for the supplies after that. All of which I can put someplace else. So I use my punch. It was high enough for price as it is but at least it was a one time deal you know?

STR
 
That makes perfect sense. I just wanted to make sure MINE had your mark on it...;)

Take care Steve,
Brett
 
Nice looking slippies Steve! They are the perfect size for an EDC in my opinion. Are you going to make up the rest with some different handle materials you have laying around? I would definitely be interested in one if you were going to make up some more.
 
I really don't know. I could sell a couple of them I guess but I'm not so sure of myself with slippies. Actually I'd forgotten how difficult brass can be at times for holding so much heat. I mean these are very primitive I think. I must admit I also was a bit worried about maybe annealing the blade some and changing the Rockwell hardness due to how much cleaning up they needed and the brass heating up but I think I managed to keep that from happening.

Don't get me wrong they have good snap and work well enough but you may not be impressed when you get it. As I said, slippies are kind of rank amateur hour for STR. I'll be happy to take it back if you don't like it lets just put it that way. Also, some of these blades are 440C and apparently I mixed them up without remembering when or how I did that. I'm having some difficulty telling which is which so forgive me there as I just found my records from when I did these and just discovered it. Either way its a steel that seems to get what I've always called a utility edge that loses its bite pretty quick but always seems to keep cutting long after that somehow with what I've called the 'crappy edge' like I get all the time on any of my 440, ATS34 or 154CM blades. I've always thought it was something to do with all the chromium. You will be touching them up after working them just like all the rest out there but most knife nuts do that anyways I think.

I always used 440C and liked it for how inexpensive it is, how any joe blow local guy can heat treat it, how little trouble it gives me and how easy it is to work but at the time everyone was talking ATS34. Reeve was using it, Loveless was nuts about it, and so I figured I'd try it. To be honest with you I never understood all the praise after using it. I went back to 440C. All the ATS34 did in my opinion was add expense. They call it and 154CM its American cousin an enhanced version of 440C but personally I've never seen how that is possible. What they reduced the chormium a little bit, took out the manganese in the 154 and reduced it in the ATS34, bumped up the molydenum, and took out phosphorus, silicon and sulpher and called it enhanced 440C? Its still the same class of steel so when I didn't see any real reason to keep using it I quit buying it. Still, I know a lot of guys seem to like it. I'll stick with 1095 or 440C though personally. ;) One of the main reasons is that the ATS34 is supposed to be harder but I've had some blades Rockwell tested that I had in that steel by others and manufacturers and in my own results they are usually right about the same or close to the same hardness as 440C is at 58-59 Rc.

Email me and we'll talk some more on it if you want one. I figure eventually I'll make up the remaining blades I do have and I may trace one before letting it go or keep one to use as a pattern for more later. I'll work something out to get one to you if you like and you can decide if its worth keeping or not at that point. As I said I originally did these just to play some and see what I could come up with for my sister. And since they are all so old I have little $ invested in them compared to if I bought the same stuff today. If all else fails I'll take back what you guys bought and still do that "plan A" with my family.



Thanks. STRsbackyardknifeworksatgmail.com

STR
 
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I GOT IT!!!

Steve and co, I got the carbon fiber slippie today and it's abeauty. I'm going to take some pics right now so you all can drool over this one.

Thank you Steve! Throwing in the lanyard and tool were really nice of you.

Brett
 
Ok guys, here are some pics of this beauty. I love the carbon fiber handles and the scagel pull works like adream.

Snap is perfect, handle is comfy, blade is sharp, closes crisply. It's a great knife!

Seriously, this is one of my favorite slippies of all time.

Thank you Steve,

Brett

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Thanks for the pictures Brett. Looks like some major testing going on there with your new found pocket rocket!

Its always amazed me how much better my knives look when someone else does the picture taking. Why is that? :D

STR
 
not sure why that is, but I know this one is mighty photogenic!

Thanks again Steve!!!

Brett
STR said:
Thanks for the pictures Brett. Looks like some major testing going on there with your new found pocket rocket!

Its always amazed me how much better my knives look when someone else does the picture taking. Why is that? :D

STR
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Well Brett's pictures make me want one even more! I will drop you an email and we can talk. BTW I have plenty of ATS34 154CM etc. but I prefer to use and sharpen the 440C blades on my 110s. Just personal preference I guess.
 
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