Swapping rivets for Chicago screws?

Father & Son Traditional Sharpening

Father & Son Traditional Sharpening

Joined
Jun 11, 2012
Messages
6,973
I've read on other threads about how the tubes that attach the handles are susceptible to deforming with severe abuse.

Has anybody replaced the tubes on their Busse/Kin with Chicago screws? Does anybody have any photos of Busse/Kin knives with the screws installed?:cool:


Will this void the Busse/Kin warranty if I choose to add them?
 
I've thought about filling the tubes also with something like epoxy but I don't know if that would be hard enough to make a difference unless you suspended a harder material in it. I don't throw mine though and you aren't going to deform the tubes without a direct hit to a scale.
 
if you search google images for norcalblacktail you should find at least a couple pics. he is a member here and does beautiful work
 
I've done it on a Crash Rat and a Game Warden. It's easy enough to do. I ordered the screws and couplers from USAknifemaker.com (IIRC). The screws did have to be shortened a little bit though.
 
I am not sure chicago screws will out preform the stainless steel tubing used for rivets. I 've had various pieces of horse tack break under stress and a lot of times it was the chicago screw. I was fine with that because it broke before the leather was torn. It was the weak link and easily replaced. Stainless steel tubes are fairly ridgid and can still deform a lot before failing. Pot metal chicago screw will pop without warning when over stressed. Even higher quality screw might be stronger than standard ones but even a shifted slab held on with tubing rivots means you still have a slab attached. I was surprised how much work it was to remove them from a handle. When the rivot is set it expands and grabs onto the handle tang. No lock tight needed. Just my opinion.
 
Busse switched to the tubes man. If there were problems with them, Busse would have gone back to screws.
 
I don't know about Chicago screws... I use these.

IMG_0332-1.jpg


You will need the screws and the connectors. They are both available at usaknifemaker.com.

The connectors are: connector 1/4"x1/4" x 8-32 ss
The screws are: Screw 8-32x3/8" Flat Head Black Stainless 25pack Torx

Unfortunately, both seem out of stock at the moment. But I've ordered them there before.

As far as performance goes, I haven't had any issues with the screws. The obvious advantage of screws is that they can be removed to clean under the scales if your knife is ever submerged in salt water.

Interestingly enough though, I have bent the the factory tubes on my NMSFNO so the handle scales are slightly off and are no longer flush. Given the beatings the knife has received, It's not much of a surprise to me that they got bent. Screws might have done the same under the same conditions...

hope this helps.


Edit to add: The following link is the motherlode of info on replacing handle tubes, should you decide to go that way. Good luck.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/656170-New-slabs-for-SAR5/page2
.

.
 
As I understand it, the Busse warranty works like this: They may not warranty any modification. So if one changes the scales, then the scales are not covered, but the blade still would be. If you reprofile the blade, that may void the the warratny on the blade, but the handle woulds till be covered.
 
I've used this same method on a few sets of BJ scales I made. Mainly so I can swap out at will, but so far they're quite tough.

kdstrick said:
I don't know about Chicago screws... I use these.

IMG_0332-1.jpg


You will need the screws and the connectors. They are both available at usaknifemaker.com.

The connectors are: connector 1/4"x1/4" x 8-32 ss
The screws are: Screw 8-32x3/8" Flat Head Black Stainless 25pack Torx

Unfortunately, both seem out of stock at the moment. But I've ordered them there before.

As far as performance goes, I haven't had any issues with the screws. The obvious advantage of screws is that they can be removed to clean under the scales if your knife is ever submerged in salt water.

Interestingly enough though, I have bent the the factory tubes on my NMSFNO so the handle scales are slightly off and are no longer flush. Given the beatings the knife has received, It's not much of a surprise to me that they got bent. Screws might have done the same under the same conditions...

hope this helps.


Edit to add: The following link is the motherlode of info on replacing handle tubes, should you decide to go that way. Good luck.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/656170-New-slabs-for-SAR5/page2
.

.
Click to expand...
 
All fasteners will break if you abuse the knife with things like throwing them. That is why normally throwing knives have cord wrap, nothing at all, or leather strips with copper rivets. The tubes are usually swedged on at 2 tons of pressure (In my shop at least) and I haven't had too much of a problem with the stainless tubes. The bolts tend to have less holding area and I am not sure about impact resistance.
 
Here is a pic (taken a while ago, and I don't have it with me to take a better one, sorry) of my Game Warden that I put the Torx screws in
1381057F-51CB-407C-8367-39455E219B37-1152-0000015EA3C5689D.jpg


This one is actually kind of cool, because this isn't actually the knife I drilled out the rivets to swap in screws, I drilled out the rivets on another GW and stole the scales off of it to make myself a SLUT Warden of sorts.
273E57D9-79BE-43BD-BFD2-BE4AE42204A4-1152-0000015E85A199E0-1.jpg


The scales came off of an Urban Grey Warden that I got a smokin' deal on and bought as a scale donor because I didn't really (or should I say really didn't :p) like the color. It is here with some of my other Wardens.
A59AC4E6-DCB0-4A24-8BF6-A7D116B0E69A-1779-000001B74856D12B.jpg


Actually drilling the rivets was fairly easy, I just used a cordless drill with a 1/4" bit and took my time. Once the flare was off of the rivets, I carefully pried the scales off and had to use pliers to get the rest of the rivet out. Easy. The screws I had to shorten by a few threads, so the belt sharpener made quick work of that. If this affects the warranty, so be it, I'm not gonna do anything to a GW that will hurt it. That's what the Mistresses are for ;)
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top