Turning a spey blade into a wharncliffe? UPDATE: I started it!

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Flint Hills

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Feb 25, 2013
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I read somewhere that Tony Bose used to grind the spey blade on trappers into a wharncliffe. Does anyone have pictures of his? Or one that you've done?

I've really grown to love the Mini Trapper. I have the sawcut bone wharncliffe model, but I prefer the CV blades and jigged bone on the standard spey bladed model. If the spey were a wharncliffe, it would be perfect.
 
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It all depends on the placement of the nail nick on the spey blade (or any other blade you want to mod). Here is a before and after of an English Jack that master smith Don Hanson III did for me. Notice how much room was at the distal end of the spear blade's nail nick.

HansonBefore.jpg~original


IMG_0626.jpg~original
 
black mamba said:
It all depends on the placement of the nail nick
Click to expand...

excellent detail to be aware of. On the case MiniTrapper Spey blade, the nail nick is right at the tip, and would be lost to grinding into a wharncliffe.. from which I infer Tony must have added a nail nick
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Black mamba, great looking knife there! I see what you mean about nail nick placement. Jon, I'm sure you're right about having to move the nail nick... That's why I was hoping someone had a picture of one that had been done on the Case models.

I wish the new Case/Bose model wasn't so dang expensive! I'm sure it's worth what they're asking, I just can't spend that much on a knife right now.
 
I didn't grind them into a wharncliffe blade, I ground them into a rat blade. It completely removed the pull so I ground a new pull in it. I then had Case's regular trapper blade and a muskrat blade behind it. Very useful for me.
 
Tony Bose said:
I didn't grind them into a wharncliffe blade, I ground them into a rat blade. It completely removed the pull so I ground a new pull in it. I then had Case's regular trapper blade and a muskrat blade behind it. Very useful for me.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your response! Did you put the pull on the opposite side? Do you have any pics of one that you did? Thanks again!
 
You have to put the pull on the opposite side, the rat blade sets below the master blade. When I was doing that I didn't even have a camera. It was in the 70s. I started carrying something I made about 1984 or so when I started making the wharncliffe trapper. You should belly up and get one. Best everyday knife out there I think.
 
By all means get the Case/Bose if you want to spend the money, but another alternative is the Northfield stag version of their #48 Wharncliffe Trapper for under $140, while the bone and wood hafted models are around $100 or even less.

NatStagMark_zps7d1b1a2b.jpg~original


NatStagOpen_zps105889d3.jpg~original
 
That custom English Jack looks great! I really like a wharncliffe blade and am going to have to look into one of those Northfield #48s as a possible addition to my Christmas list.
 
Tony Bose said:
You have to put the pull on the opposite side, the rat blade sets below the master blade. When I was doing that I didn't even have a camera. It was in the 70s. I started carrying something I made about 1984 or so when I started making the wharncliffe trapper. You should belly up and get one. Best everyday knife out there I think.
Click to expand...

I'll tell my wife that part about bellying up. :) I would love to have one of them in Ebony, they look great! I have the Case Sawcut bone Wharncliffe Trapper, but the fit and finish on it isn't great and I'd rather have something other than their Tru-Sharp steel. I agree with you that this pattern is the best everyday knife.

black mamba, that GEC looks great too, but it's a little bigger than I like.
 
I have made a new nailnick on my usertrapper (normal size 54 ss case) with dremmel and even if its not as beautiful as most nailnicks its deep and gives a exelent frip for the nail. I havent ground the spay to a warncliffe though but more of a very pointy drop/spearpoint. very good point for fishcleaning and small game.

I very much prefer when a trapper (or jack) has the nailnicks on different sides facing out.
This allowes the secound blade to ride lower position in the handle making it better to hold the knife.

I have thought about doing the treatment to my minitrapper but what stops me is:
1. The spay on it is pinchable. Exelent feature not common on knifes with more than one blade.
2. Its a holowgrind blade making the point to thin an fragile for my tastes.

Bosse
 
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For a couple of years now I have been thinking that regrinding the spey on a trapper would be a great use of a Rough Rider knife. Certainly the knife would be usable no matter what I did to it even if it wound up as a tool box knife. If I like the results I could move onto one of my CASE trappers with a lot more confidence.

Mine would never look like Mr. Bose's, though. That regrind is some pretty work.

Robert
 
Well, it's ugly but I did it. I still plan to clean it up some more and maybe work on the blade profile a bit more. I'm not happy with my nail nick...I didn't have it clamped tight enough and it moved while I was trying to cut the nail nick. Oh well, lesson learned. I may be able to clean it up a tad as well.

I'll definitely be trying more mods in the future and I'll post up more pics of this Mini Trapper after I get it where I want it.

Anyone want to trade me for a Case/Bose? :D :p





 
I think it looks darn good.

Very Cool.
 
Nice work! I have my hands full sharpening my blades half the time! Can't imagine taking on this project.
I am impressed. :thumbup:
 
Thanks for the comments! It's pretty rough but not terrible for my first time ever trying anything like this, I guess. Didn't have a clue, just kinda went for it. It was fun and I learned a lot from doing it. When I get some time and finish it up, I'll post some more pics.
 
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