Thinking about a major BK-9 mod

[beanbag]

Hey guys, after using my one and only Becker for a while now I'm considering a mod.

I want to remove the thumb ramp and cut out a choil.

I don't have a grinder or dremel tool, but I do have a hack saw and belt sander.

Any suggestions on how to proceed, or should I just send it to someone who knows what the hell they are doing?

Bean

 

[whereismyclock]

buying a Dremel will likely cost as much as sending it away. Although a bk9 with a choil? Do you got a bk7. I did that to my 7 and that extra length and girth seems near impossible to control. If you do send it away get them to convex grind it.

 

[maethor]

Cut a choil instead of the ramp, or at the edge side? Neither really makes sense to me. The 9 is a chopper, a choil won't change that.

 

[extremesurvival]

I used a 1" sanding drum in my drill press to make the choil in my Crewman. Works like a charm.

 

[beanbag]

buying a Dremel will likely cost as much as sending it away. Although a bk9 with a choil? Do you got a bk7. I did that to my 7 and that extra length and girth seems near impossible to control. If you do send it away get them to convex grind it.

I've already convexed it.

But the reason I started thinking about the choil is because I was recently using my RAT-7 for some wood carving, fuzz sticks and notching type tasks, and I found the choil gave my great control despite the large size of that blade.

Cut a choil instead of the ramp, or at the edge side? Neither really makes sense to me. The 9 is a chopper, a choil won't change that.

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "choil instead of ramp, or at the edge side," but your right, the 9 is a chopper, but I think that maybe adding a choil in conjunction with the ramp removal would make it a bit more versatile without affecting it chopping ability. Who knows, with more forward weight, it's chopping ability could even be enhanced.

 

[DerekH]

I suggest investing in a dremel, just because it is a great tool that you will definitely find other uses for. And, as an avid DIY'er, I suggest taking the plunge and doing it yourself. If you choose to do so, couple of tips: handle the knife by hand, and when it starts to get too hot, dunk it in water, or dunk it every so many seconds, just to keep the temper good. If you are cutting a choil in it, mark out very clearly where you want it, do the majority of the work with a power tool like a dremel, but then stop with a little bit left to spare and do it with a file for the finishing work. It will come out much better that way. Removing the thumb ramp and adding a choil will both be much, much easier with a dremel like tool at your disposal, although the belt sander will help clean up the back edge when you get the ramp off of there. Take your time, go slow, and have fun with it. Knife modding is one heck of an addiction.

 

[whereismyclock]

I've already convexed it.

But the reason I started thinking about the choil is because I was recently using my RAT-7 for some wood carving, fuzz sticks and notching type tasks, and I found the choil gave my great control despite the large size of that blade.

Imagine your rat 7 with a 2 inch longer blade is what I'm saying. That's why I did it with my 7. It's what I'm recommending you do, if you have a 7.
Although, I truly have no idea if it will help or not, just an assumption that it wont. I'd love to hear how it turns out.

 

[tradewater]

You can use the belt sander to remove most of the ramp. Like Derek said, don't let it get hot to the touch to preserve the temper. Use a good fresh file and drawfile the last 16th of an inch or so and blend it into the spine of the knife. If you've got a corded drill, pick up a sanding drum the size of the choil you want, a few sanding sleeves, and again, keep it cool. Above all, show us the pics of your progress.

 

[beanbag]

I suggest investing in a dremel, just because it is a great tool that you will definitely find other uses for.

I've been meaning to get one.

If you've got a corded drill, pick up a sanding drum the size of the choil you want, a few sanding sleeves, and again, keep it cool.

I like the sound of this idea- no free handing with the dremel. I have a cordless drill though. Is that not powerful enough, or is there another issue?

 

[tradewater]

I like the sound of this idea- no free handing with the dremel. I have a cordless drill though. Is that not powerful enough, or is there another issue?

A corded drill will have higher RPMs (usually) and won't slow down as the battery drains. You can pick up a cheapie 1/4 inch drill for ten bucks if you look around.

 

[slapper]

Instead of a choil, another option is to remove the extra metal from the upper grip like on the BK2. With the BK2 you can choke up and do finer work. I've considered doing this myself.