TKC G10 handles? (see what happens when you're missing parts?)

hhmoore

hhmoore

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Feb 7, 2014
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I finally got around to installing the TKC handles on my BK4. My initial impression was favorable; but I had some concerns about the roughness, since I tend not to wear gloves as often as I should.
I took the 4 outside to play today - thinning a stump that I left taller than I should have. (It's on a slope, and I was working comfortably; figuring I can always trim it with the chainsaw, or just chop it shorter.) This was a tree I took down a few months ago.
There was no batoning involved, and minimal chopping.


If you look closely, you can see the problem in the above image...but here's a more direct shot.



Anybody else experienced this?
Obviously, it wouldn't have happened with the stock handles - barring a hardware failure - because the handles are bolted through holes drilled in the tang. The TKC handles don't utillize those holes (as has been pointed out in other threads).

Oh - for the record - given the nature of the attachment, I did have them pretty darn tight....or so I thought.

Edited to add: The problem was that my kit lacked the metal dowels that would have stabilized the scales. The response from TKC was quick and professional; but I had already made my own replacements
 
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Wow that's interesting...never seen that before. Are those orange liners that you're using on them? Maybe the liners are too "slick" to properly grab onto the knife handle?
 
That's crazy! They don't bolt through the holes in the handle like the original grivory handles?
 
I'm sure that would piss me off....if they're not using stock bolt holes it seems to me there should be some filler material for the tang cutouts. I fill those spaces when I make custom wood handles even though they're epoxied on, just for more structural integrity. I guess I don't understand why they don't use stock bolt hole locations. It would certainly add to the stable of Beckers that one could put G10 on (12's and Camillus solid tang BK's) and eliminate problems such as yours.
 
Outside view of TKC and standard scales


Inside view


and how it looks with a knife in the way - showing where the fasteners actually sit (obviously, the BK4 doesn't have the brass plugs)
 
I could probably rig up small dowels to pass through the bolt holes in the tang, utilizing the blind holes in the handles to prevent shifting. Alternatively, I could put a piece of wood or metal in the skeletonized holes, and drill holes for the fasteners. I shouldn't HAVE to cob something together, though.
 
granitestateofmind said:
I'm sure that would piss me off....if they're not using stock bolt holes it seems to me there should be some filler material for the tang cutouts. I fill those spaces when I make custom wood handles even though they're epoxied on, just for more structural integrity. I guess I don't understand why they don't use stock bolt hole locations. It would certainly add to the stable of Beckers that one could put G10 on (12's and Camillus solid tang BK's) and eliminate problems such as yours.
Click to expand...

Agreed - they use the stock holes for the Esee handles (and those have 3 holes, too); so I'm not sure why they do it this way on the Becker handles.

The bolts are still tight, by the way - I tried to tap the handles back into place, so I could keep working. It didn't work as easily as I'd hoped.
 
hhmoore said:
I could probably rig up small dowels to pass through the bolt holes in the tang, utilizing the blind holes in the handles to prevent shifting. Alternatively, I could put a piece of wood or metal in the skeletonized holes, and drill holes for the fasteners. I shouldn't HAVE to cob something together, though.
Click to expand...
Agreed.
There should be housing for the screws so they don't shift with impact!
They are just floating...
 
hhmoore said:
Outside view of TKC and standard scales


Inside view


and how it looks with a knife in the way - showing where the fasteners actually sit (obviously, the BK4 doesn't have the brass plugs)
Click to expand...

I don't like the way those handles only use 2 bolts
 
spazcsmc said:
That's the bk12? I just ordered one I'll stick with original handles
Click to expand...

The one shown alongside stock Becker and TKC G10 handles is a BK12, yes. You can use any micarta, G10, wood, (or whatever) handles shaped to fit full sized Beckers...as long as they use the stock bolt holes. You would, of course, have to either remove the brass plugs, or drill the scales to accommodate them. I removed them on the one that I dressed in wood.
 
hhmoore said:
The one shown alongside stock Becker and TKC G10 handles is a BK12, yes. You can use any micarta, G10, wood, (or whatever) handles shaped to fit full sized Beckers...as long as they use the stock bolt holes. You would, of course, have to either remove the brass plugs, or drill the scales to accommodate them. I removed them on the one that I dressed in wood.
Click to expand...

Nice looking knife
 
I was looking for the picture of my BK12; but I could only find 3. One just showed the serial number (my Beckerhead number), one was a "family" photo...and then there was this one.
Taz thinks thinks the BK12 is just about perfect.
 
If you bought the scales new then you should have received two small ziplock bags with them. The scales come with two sets of screws, one set for the regular size Beckers and one set for the thicker ones like the BK-2 and BK-3. Included in the BK-2 ziplock are the steel dowel pins to use with the scales for either size.

The Dowel pins go into the two original holes from the stock hardware in the handle of the knife and then the ends go into the holes in the scales them self. That will keep the scales from sliding around on the tang.

Here are some pics showing the parts you should have received.

86f292c04e8960e9d18bcd388d329e8f_zpsr758zrak.jpg


03cb07e5578999c3d3fcb0f175df98ab_zpsmoozrb97.jpg


cab8f04a5edff26f631a1edaf96c7f08_zpsokj5nx7f.jpg


Hope that helps. And if you can't find the original pins, it would be a simple fix to make a set of your own.

-Dex
 
Anyway, I knocked them a little harder against the stump, and did get them closer to where they belonged...but they moved again about 10 minutes later. At this point, the handles move more readily than before; but not to the point where I can align them by hand. I brought the Allen's wrench, thinking I could tighten the fasteners a bit more - nope - they're still tight as I left them....in fact, they didn't move, despite the amount of flex I was getting on the wrench. My 4 will be rockin the stock handles by dinner time.
 
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