Wanted: Handle Scales For the Nimravus.

J

Jackal

Joined
Oct 5, 1998
Messages
1,830
I want about 3 sets of carbon fiber handle scales and about 3 sets of Cocobolo handle scales. Where and who makes these? Anyone know how much? Thanks. -AR

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- AKTI Member ID# A000322

- Intelligent men, unfortunately, learn from fools, more often than fools learn from intelligent men.


 
I'm not offering at this point, just curious to see the response. To properly shape handle scales I feel they must be ground flush with the liners/tang, and that's impossible on a blade with a coated/bead-blasted slab tang or you will mar the finish. I've made a few such scales by eyeballing it (for NCT Bodyguards), but the fit is never what it could be if the scales were ground flush. So I'm curious to see who accepts this challenge and how they propose to do it. Could be some good techniques I'd like to know.

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-Drew Gleason
Little Bear Knives
 
I'm with you. Wouldn't do it without the knife in hand, and then I'd worry about "marring" the wretched finish.

I feel it is an impossible task given these limitations. Well, nearly impossible, I guess.

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Regards,
Desert Rat

 
That picture about sums up my dilemma, eh? It's either refinish the tang or get a "guess-timate" fit like that one. It's a nice job, but a flush fit would be so much nicer.

-Drew
 
I gotta question since I don't know anything about making handle slabs:

Why can't the old G10 scales be used as a template for the new ones? -AR

BTW, the seller of this knife says that BM did this in house. -AR

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- AKTI Member ID# A000322

- Intelligent men, unfortunately, learn from fools, more often than fools learn from intelligent men.


 
The old handle scales could be used as a template, though I hope that's not how the original G-10 ones "fit" (I've only seen one Nimravus, don't remember too well). The tang could be used as a template, too. The trouble is that grinding "to the lines" is never going to give the near-seemless fit that grinding scale and tang together does. So it's do-able, I'm just wondering if there's a better way...

If the fit in that picture is one that you'd be happy with, you can send me an email. I owe a couple folks emails and my schedule's pretty tight, but maybe we can work something out. Otherwise I'm sure there are others' who'd give it a go, right fellas???

-Drew
 
I love the fit of the original scales. That's the only way I'd go. I emailed BM to see if they could hook me up with some. If not...I'd like to get a hold of some, somewhere. Depending on price...I'll be needing about 6 pairs or so. Thanks. I'll find out for sure how many I want when I get a price. I'm in no hurry so whatever. I'll just hang out.
wink.gif
-AR

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- AKTI Member ID# A000322

- Intelligent men, unfortunately, learn from fools, more often than fools learn from intelligent men.


 
Hmmm . . . . Making a set of fancy wood scales for my own use is one of my "things to do," but I doubt if I could do it efficiently enough to sell a set and pay for my time.

I might try using the G10 scales as templates to drill and countersink the hardwood, and then bolt the two together and, with a 1x42 belt sander and sanding drums on the drill press, remove wood along the sides until it just barely meets the G10, doing the last bit of wood removal with 220 grit so I don't make big mistakes fast, and then do the finish sanding by hand.

Shaping the surface would be tricky if I wanted to use the factory kydex sheath. I'd probably end up going to my leather maven for a custom sheath when I got done.

If you want a flush fit, you'll be removeing metal around the entire edge of the tang, since that edge is slightly beveled. The screw holes and cut-out in the tang can be used to do a pins and epoxy assembly, discarding the bolts. Of course, epoxy doesn't stick well to tefflon, so you would also want to sand that away, and, while you're at it, give the knife a hand-rubbed finish.

That's a few hours' work.



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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001
 
Man...I didn't think about fitting it to the sheath. We'll see what BM says. -AR

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- AKTI Member ID# A000322

- Intelligent men, unfortunately, learn from fools, more often than fools learn from intelligent men.


 
Just got word from Travis Noteboom of the BMST, that BM didn't do the handle scales like the gentleman selling the knife told me. Damn!!! Oh well...I can wait. -AR

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- AKTI Member ID# A000322

- Intelligent men, unfortunately, learn from fools, more often than fools learn from intelligent men.


 
Why not just go all out and grind the scales to the tang, and polish up the entire knife. Make it look like it should have to start with (IMO)
redface.gif
.

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Work hard, play hard, live long.
Outlaw_Dogboy

 
Jackyl:

I'm just a bit confused here. The original G-10 is not flush with the tang. The UPS guy just delivered my Cub and I also have the full size. neither has flush scales. In my HO the exposed tang is kinda neat. Just ignore me and I'll go away
smile.gif
 
I WANT the tang to be exposed like the G10 one's. I like it too. What cordoroy is saying is that it would be hard to make handles for it unless they were flush with the rest of the tang. You'd have to "eyeball" it.

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- AKTI Member ID# A000322

- Intelligent men, unfortunately, learn from fools, more often than fools learn from intelligent men.


 
Sorry for all the confusion!

If ya don't want the flush fit, that's easy. I just figured flush handles were a good thing, unless the tang has filework or something that you're trying to leave exposed. Using the original G-10 handles for a guide, it would be pretty simple to make matching undersized handles, and once you're an 1/8" or more form the edge, the imprecision of the "eyeball" technique is much less noticeable than if you're trying for a flush fit without touching the tang. I think Mr. Mattis outlined a good procedure for doing this. He's right that CF requires special precautions, and it'll cost you a bit more than the wood, too.

To sum up: Making scales like those pictured would be easy. I could do it and so could many other folks on this forum (good first project for someone, actually... if they are aware of the risks of CF and Cocobolo!). I was merely curious if anyone had a technique to get a better fit than that on a knife with a finished exposed tang.

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-Drew Gleason
Little Bear Knives
 
Ahhhh...I see. Thanks. You know, some file work would be cool too...
wink.gif
-AR

Let me know if you decide to do this and how much. We may order a few sets. -AR

P.S. What materials would you be interested in making them out of? -AR

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- AKTI Member ID# A000322

- Intelligent men, unfortunately, learn from fools, more often than fools learn from intelligent men.


 
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