The Olden Military Question

V

Vess

Joined
Oct 2, 2001
Messages
583
Just got an old (circa 1993) SE Military, like the one on the logo of this forum. Comparing it to the newer PE I noticed it has non-slip grooves not only on the top of the blade for the thumb, but also on the bottom, where my index finger might be. Really neat... :) The blade was dull, and the tip was broken off somewhat, but after some tinkering the tip is like new, and the serrations can push-cut through cardboard with no problems. The scales were worn, but after a cleanup then knife looks great, even awesome considering it's 10-year veterancy status... :D

Now, to the real question at hand. The newer Millie is held together by three identical screws, thich look the same from both sides of the handle. The older Millie has similar-looking screws, but they are one-sided, with the heads on one side and nothing on the other. What's worse, two of the screws are too loose and won't tighten. Any idea if the newer screws can be used on the older Millie, and where these screws can be purchased?

Secondly, the clip on the knife is for two screws, not three, and again both screws don't hold the clip anymore. What's worse, the holes for the screws are spaced closer than on the newer three-hole clips, so I can't just drill the third hole and attach the new three-hole clip, unless I choose another spot for the clip. Any suggestions?

And finally, is there some way to order a three-hole Millie/Chinook type clip with screws so I can install it. Don't have a spare... :)

Still awfully impressed. That knife took a lot of wear and tear (and with my help it'll take even more) and it's still rock-solid, sharp, acceptably good looking and locks up perfectly after the cleaning and tightening. One great knife, hands down... :)
 
Vess,you can get the clip and screws from SFO for about 5.00.
 
You way want to give the Mike Hayes a call at Spyderco W&R. Let them know of it's history and your intentions and see if for a small fee they would "refurbish" it for you. They do a lot better work than I trust myself to do. 800-525-7770
 
I was thinking that I should probably call Mike at first, and just send it in to be resharpened, cleaned, etc. But then I managed to fix the chipped tip, and serrations weren't too messed up, so after some sharpening (it's 440V after all) I managed to get them sharp enough to push-cut through cardboard. Not scary sharp, but sharp enough. At this point I decided that sending it to be fixed is not necessary, since the only thing really missing is the clip, which I can attach myself.

But now that I think about it, maybe I won't even need a clip, I'll just make a nice leather pouch for it. Wanted to try a new design for a few weeks now, something with a flap on top, a metal clip on the back, and with a 24-snap to hold it closed. Maybe even some tooling. Mmmmm, I sense a new project coming up... :D
 
Vess,
I was sitting here wondering the exact same thing, my older ATS-34 SE has the 2 grooves cut in the bottom of the choil, and my newer models don't.
To me it adds extra security when you have to choke up on the blade, I wonder why they got away from cutting the bottom also?
If the screws are stripped out you can always make a nice SS spacer and drill and tap them yourself, which would also stiffen the hell outta the handle.
Ron
 
Finished the pouch-type sheath for the poor old clipless Military. So far, so good. Compared to the regular pouch this one is a bit heavier (extra layer of leather, clip, snaps), but wears surprisingly well. And people are not too freaked out to see it either, I guess because it's not obvious there's a knife there.

military_pouch_sheath.jpg


And about the back spacer on the Millie, I was thinking of adding an ornate fileworked chunk of nickel silver... :D But that is a project for another time, busy building a damascus bowie with a stag handle and a bunch of spacers. It'll be a beauty when finished, I hope... :)
 
Vess, that sheath is beautiful! Gotta love that curve!

If I make the career change I have been hoping for, I will definitely be contacting you about obtaining a sheath for my Military. It will look great on a black Sam Browne belt.


Dave
 
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