USAF Mod for WS (pic heavy)

I've got Renaissance Wax but I don't use it for that. I keep mineral oil on my kitchen counter for high carbon knives.
 
The reason I use mineral oil: it works, it's so cheap, it's practically free, it goes on quick and easy.

Renaissance Wax I use on wood and leather. Buffs up nicely.
 
Looks great, a huge improvement over the original. The only drawback would be that I don't like painted blades especially black ones. Don't really know why. If it has to be painted I prefer green, brown, tan or gray.

If your willing I would be interested in the braid tutorial.
 
orrey45 said:
Looks great, a huge improvement over the original. The only drawback would be that I don't like painted blades especially black ones. Don't really know why. If it has to be painted I prefer green, brown, tan or gray.

If your willing I would be interested in the braid tutorial.
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Yeah I thought about taking the rest of the coating off but it makes it almost idiot proof when it comes to sharpening, and the two tone look is starting to grow on me.

Can do on the braiding--just a warning might take me a couple of days I have some client meetings and shoots that will be taking me out of the office (also known as my house) for the next couple of days but I will get too it.

Esav
Good point on the cost of Mineral Oil maybe I'll give my wallet a break and try some of it instead.
 
BARE RIB -
"1. The bayonet attachment point on the back of the guard only gets in the way and reduces blade control IMO
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Nice modifications. Imagine it'll do quite well out in the field.

FWIW, however, there is no "bayonet attachement" on the USAF Survival Knife. Those two holes on the top of the guard were placed there to tie the knife to a stick. That way it would be used as a "spear" for fishing, etc. etc.

No way would that ever fit on an M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, M14, or Ruger GB Mini 14. (I'm not specifically familiar with the bayonet lug on a M16, but do know there are two points of attachment for the M16 bayonet.

It was made for, just as it states, "survival." :thumbup:

L.W.
 
Bare Rib said:
Also if anyone is interested in the process I used to do the braiding of the paracord just let me and I'll try and throw up a "how to" on braiding a single piece of cord and how I did the attachment making it into a loop.
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Okay--how DO you braid a single piece of cord?
 
Esav Benyamin said:
I've got Renaissance Wax but I don't use it for that. I keep mineral oil on my kitchen counter for high carbon knives.
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For what it's worth, I got a can of tea oil (a/k/a "camellia oil") a while back, and use that on my blades to preserve them. I gather it's a traditional Japanese way of keeping blades from rusting. For better or worse, it does tend to solidify after a number of weeks/months, which keeps it from running off, etc. The really good thing about it is that it is genuinely edible, so I don't have to worry about getting something toxic in my food that I cut with the knife.

Cheapest place I've found for tea oil is a company called Republic of Tea, or something to that effect. If you buy it as "camellia oil", you're usually paying a premium for what these guys sell in a large can. Same stuff. By the way, I've heard some people add aromatic oils (e.g., clove oil) to their tea oil before coating their blades with it. This strikes me as a mistake, since if you find yourself in bear country, it's advisable to have everything that a bear might think smells like food in a centralized location so you can put it in a bear bag and hoist it into a tree (or between trees) overnight. No sense making your knife smell like dessert to a bear, I figure.
 
Leanwolf said:
BARE RIB -
FWIW, however, there is no "bayonet attachement" on the USAF Survival Knife. Those two holes on the top of the guard were placed there to tie the knife to a stick. That way it would be used as a "spear" for fishing, etc. etc.
L.W.
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Huh I always just figured it was a bayonet lug; not doubting you in least (esp since I'm not a gun guy) I will say I find this to be a poor design for creating a spear lashing. I actually tried to make a spear with it once just for practice in case I ever needed to and the ways I tried that utilized the holes I found the blade to be less secure than when I didn't use them.

ROTJD
its actually pretty easy as said earlier give me a day or so and I'll try to get a little something together for it.
 
Very nice mod. I love my AFSK and often use it for batoning wood for the fire pit I've been working the edge on waterstones and it is really taking on a nice edge. I love the feel of this knife in hand.

I've thought about the handguard mod and after seeing may go for it.
 
I have always maintained that the Air Force Survival knife is one of the great ones out there. Just need a little TLC to get it going as does most military issue equipment. I have my original AFSK from close to thirty years ago. Still in great shape and I wouldn't dought it's abilities if I had to grab it and go right now.
 
Bill Siegle said:
I have always maintained that the Air Force Survival knife is one of the great ones out there. Just need a little TLC to get it going as does most military issue equipment. I have my original AFSK from close to thirty years ago. Still in great shape and I wouldn't dought it's abilities if I had to grab it and go right now.
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There is no doubt in my mind that the thing is built like a...tank(?) The ground work was there its fit and finish just needed tweaked a little IMO. I thin the only thing that could make me like it even more now is if it weren't a clip point maybe more of a drop point.
 
very good looking mod.

i have done that grind mod to a few hollow ground knives. i love the scandi grind, and it's a great way to make a thick grind perform better.
 
Not sure if I would want to pressure my thumb into the saw back while cutting. While I recognize that the PSK doesn't have a very sharp saw back, I would think that could be uncomfortable. Also, by cutting off the top guard, you reduced its potential versatility as a spear fishing implement. The holes were for lashing it to wood branch for use as a spear, NOT for use as a bayonet.

But, it's your knife, your choice. NIce job on the sharpening BTW.
 
I think I'd have to have a go on the front too:

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mp510 said:
Not sure if I would want to pressure my thumb into the saw back while cutting. While I recognize that the PSK doesn't have a very sharp saw back, I would think that could be uncomfortable. Also, by cutting off the top guard, you reduced its potential versatility as a spear fishing implement. The holes were for lashing it to wood branch for use as a spear, NOT for use as a bayonet.

But, it's your knife, your choice. NIce job on the sharpening BTW.
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with as ruff as my hands are the saw back doesn't bother me at all...heck I barely notice it.
As I said earlier I tried lashing it to a stick once to use it as a spear and had better luck with doing so without using the holes; when I used the holes there was too much give and flex compared to when I didn't use them. Also, I did acknowledge earlier the holes were NOT for a bayonet when Leanwolf 1st corrected me. As I said then I'm not a gun guy so when those who know about guns correct/educate me I will take their word for it.:)

baldtaco-II
Personally I don't think I would take off the front. I think that little bit of the guard coming off the front would just get uncomfortable for me and my big mitts, as it would sit partway on my finger. For me how it is now feels good; but if it would work for you go for it.:thumbup:
 
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