Victorinox wood-handled models?

[Goosey]

I'm wondering if anyone has tried the models with wood scales and how durable they are. I'm a bit leery of the wood since I haven't seen one in person.

 

[TKM]

I once owned a Huntsman with hardwood scales. Apparently the scales weren't actually wood but a synthetic composite, they feel nice in the hand and look classy, If i remember correctly you don't get the space for the safety pin.

Mine lasted well over two years, before I eventually replaced them for plastic ones. The hardwood ones get scuffed up faster and if you drop your knife they're more likely to crack or break. At least that's my experience with'em.

Rosewood ones on the other hand, must be real wood cause they're quite expensive.

 

[Knife Crazied]

Why not just try one out? I have a wenger evowood 18 and I love the darn thing. The handles feel so good and smooth in hand.

Sent from Ash forum mobile

 

[Humppa]

Why not just try one out? I have a wenger evowood 18 and I love the darn thing. The handles feel so good and smooth in hand.

Sent from Ash forum mobile

As Ash already wrote... :thumbup: +1 for that

The wood handles are made of walnut wood, as far as I know. I read this in a german knife magazine a couple of years ago.

Kind regards

 

[Knife Crazied]

Yes walnut wood is correct. I believe its also stabilized also.

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[willydigger]

I built my own. Here are a few pics. All are Sig Lites. All are completely functional.

Classic Red, Zebra wood, M3 Silver Base

Cocobolo

M3

Cocobolo and Zebra scales.

Zebra wood underneath.

Based on my experience, the wood scales need to be thicker than traditional plastic. The extra size will add strength. Boiled Linseed Oil or Tung Oil will be suitable for "drier" woods like zebra or koa. Cocobolo is pretty oily naturally so it is well suited for scales. I have no experience with factory wood so I can't help there. I would be extremely angry if I bought a wood SAK and it was a synthetic. There is a charm and beauty with natural wood. I would gladly trade a plastic SAK for a wood one and I wouldn't mind the extra work in maintaining the wood's character with occasional oiling. Well worth it IMO.

 

[Knife Crazied]

Holy cow that's cool!

Sent from Ash forum mobile

 

[Phydeaux]

Thanks for sharing the pics of the inside of the scales. However, there is one problem. I'm going to have to try making some scales for an SAK now.

Great looking scales!

Ric

 

[Humppa]

Holy cow that's cool!

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Nothing more to add

Very impressive work, Sir! You should go for a contract with Vic or Wenger (or better both) for making some kind of costum section...

Kind regards
Andi

 

[willydigger]

Thanks for sharing the pics of the inside of the scales. However, there is one problem. I'm going to have to try making some scales for an SAK now.

Great looking scales!

Ric

It is extremely difficult and time consuming. The tolerances for the Sig Lite specifically are extra tough. You have to find that perfect thickness for the pen release. You need to have the thickness just right for the button to be flush and to still operate the light. The holes for placement are also very tricky. I would say easily 3 hours of work. This is after several months of skull training.

I'm working on Classic scales, but to be honest the difficulty is still there. A lot of trial and error to have the toothpick and tweezers fit just right. And since I'm a touch anal about detail, carving the shield and cross are tricky too.

All that said, it's not impossible and it is very VERY rewarding.

Check out my carving thread on the edcforums for more SAK pics. I think they start around page 10.

http://edcforums.com/threads/wood-metal-acrylic-skull-beads-plus-other-carvings.95193/

 

[willydigger]

Here are a few pics of a Classic with acrylic scales. I plan to do wood and thought I'd post these here since the wood will have a similar design. All hand carved. The tweezer/toothpick tab area has an indent on the scale since it's thicker than a traditional SAK Classic. It allows for a slightly thicker scale (very important for the wood models), but still gives access to the scale accessories.

 

[Knife Crazied]

Those are some mighty sexy scales. :thumbup:

Sent from Ash forum mobile

 

[Phydeaux]

Thanks for the info on fitting the tweezers and tooth pick. I've made some scales for liner locks, but not an SAK yet. Definitely something I have to try some time.

Do you use any adhesive to attach the scales to the knife?

Ric

 

[willydigger]

Here is a quick pic of some Cocobolo scales for the Classic.

 

[willydigger]

Thanks for the info on fitting the tweezers and tooth pick. I've made some scales for liner locks, but not an SAK yet. Definitely something I have to try some time.

Do you use any adhesive to attach the scales to the knife?

Ric

I carve the mounting holes wide enough to be a tight fit. On final assembly I use some loctite. I have no long term data, but the tight fit gives it a mechanical adhesion. The loctite is just a backup.

 

[Doug Add]

Really nice grain in that cocobolo!

 

[willydigger]

Here are some near complete Cocobolo SAK Classic pics. I still need to do the final sanding.

 

[willydigger]

Really nice grain in that cocobolo!

It is probably the most beautiful scales I've made. Light brown with a few spots of gold and orange. Cocobolo is all over the place with color. I typically see rich dark brown, but every once in a while I get something really amazing.

 

[willydigger]

Working on some Koa scales now.

 

[Guillermozav]

Excellent work. Could you comment a little about the logo?