Titanium Southard replacement scale?

[buendia518]

Has anyone modified a Southard to be symmetrical with a thin replacement scale made of titanium?

I'll come back and check this thread later, thanks.

 

[DR212]

Here you go, looks awesome!
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1103481-Full-titanium-southard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[buendia518]

Here you go, looks awesome!
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1103481-Full-titanium-southard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks, that's about what I was looking for. If only it were thinner. Making it thin enough to match the other slab would require shorter screws and seems difficult to pull off.

 

[evilgreg]

Thanks, that's about what I was looking for. If only it were thinner. Making it thin enough to match the other slab would require shorter screws and seems difficult to pull off.

I don't think that's the case. Barry H. did a thinned down LSCF scale for me on the original screws that is pretty close to symmetrical:

That said, the screws aren't countersunk on that one (presumably both because the screws would be too long and because the scales is pretty damn thin).

 

[spketch]

Trimming the screws is simple enough, the issue is the thickness of the screw heads. A scale that thin would be close to the thickness of the screw heads, making proper countersinking just about impossible. Maybe there are some different screws available that would make it more feasible.

One way around this is to replace the liner entirely with a single piece of titanium, called a liner delete. This requires much more precision work to pull off properly. Kevin at bowersbladeworks did one with timascus and auctioned it off. Looked fantastic, but he said he about broke even when it sold for $600.

 

[bld522]

One way around this is to replace the liner entirely with a single piece of titanium, called a liner delete. This requires much more precision work to pull off properly. Kevin at bowersbladeworks did one with timascus and auctioned it off. Looked fantastic, but he said he about broke even when it sold for $600.

Damn!!!

To be honest with you, I'm really not sure what the big deal is with the asymmetrical scale. It doesn't affect the knife's performance at all as far as I can tell. And the onlay provides a universe of "dress up" options. You can easily turn a stock Southard into a myriad of fabulous-looking knives. Check out evilgreg's collection and you'll see what I'm talking about.

 

[evilgreg]

To be honest with you, I'm really not sure what the big deal is with the asymmetrical scale. It doesn't affect the knife's performance at all as far as I can tell. And the onlay provides a universe of "dress up" options. You can easily turn a stock Southard into a myriad of fabulous-looking knives. Check out evilgreg's collection and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Speaking as someone who carries a random Southard most days, most of them asymmetrical I do have to admit that when I carry the skinny one (my first Southard) it does carry a little bit better. The relatively small difference in thickness is actually pretty noticeable. That side, the asymmetrical setup makes zero difference for feel in the hand, at least for me.

Today I carried a WH E10 to work, but when I got home and changed after my two hundred mile drive back, I switched to this one:

And as an unrelated aside, I'm really impressed with the fine mesh black C-Tek scale spketch made for me. That one is still stuck to my black Southard, and I love that combination. I don't know if he's accepting work these days, but I couldn't recommend him more highly.

 

[steelhead seeker]

thats one beautiful knife!!!!

 

[Molle Ninja]

thats one beautiful knife!!!!

Indeed. Wow.

 

[Kurniadion]

Yeah, this was the reason it took me a while to want to get one.
If only it was symmetrical or 3D machined.
Real perfection!

 

[Kurniadion]

Yeah, this was the reason it took me a while to want to get one.
If only it was symmetrical or 3D machined.
Real perfection!