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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
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weekend project
- Thread starter zanussi01
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2015
- Messages
- 1,154
Hot dang! That's awesome dude! Love the handle, and it's subtle but it looks like you've straightened the clip yeah? Great work bud!
BKNC,I didnt do anything to the blade apart from remove the coating.(LOVE the high grind though!)Didnt like the coating,and since this one is a user piece it was going to get scratched up anyway.The other thing I didnt like much was the handle shape.The palm swell was too far forward on the grip and tapered to be too narrow near the pommel on the original leather handle.The plastic spacer near the pommel also looked cheap and felt unfinished.In redoing the handle on this one I tried to emulate the leather handle from my '91 kabar where the leather and plastic spacer mesh/flow into the lines of the pommel.Not sure why kabar cant do the handles the same as then.Doesnt matter though,gives me a great excuse to mod it!Thanks to all for the kind words and thumbs up.
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2015
- Messages
- 1,154
Yes, upon further inspection (zoomed in and used a straight edge) I can see the clip hasn't been straightened. Seems to be an optical illuuuuuusion. I think it's the grind marks coupled with the grain direction of the wood it's sitting on that does it. Either way brother, it looks fantastic and I'm super glad it's a user. Despite opinions to the contrary that I've heard before, I've always thought those F/Us would make a great bush knife. Hope you get lots of enjoyment out of it..
Orezona,yes it is deer atler,I was told it was Sambar stag.As for taking all weekend to do this,thats simlpy coz I had other projects to do.It usually only takes a day to do each rehandle.I pick up older Kabars when I can and rehandle them if need be.The one in the OP went to a young lady for her "One" knife.I like these because they are great to mod.Cheap to get,easy to find,simple to take apart,great steel,classic design,easy to modify,suits utility usage and make great users!Ive done about fifty or so to date,but I never do two the same.My next one will be a Dogs head Utility.
Zemapeli,to drill out the tang for the stag I just used my little eggbeater drill and quarter inch bit.Them slot it to fit the tang.I use plenty of two part epoxy during assembly so nothing moves.The hardest part is drilling out the pin in the pommel,I drill from the other side of the pin,then use a little pin punch to knock pin out backwards.The new pins will be all the way through like the mil-spec ones,peened over on each end.
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Zemapeli,to drill out the tang for the stag I just used my little eggbeater drill and quarter inch bit.Them slot it to fit the tang.I use plenty of two part epoxy during assembly so nothing moves.The hardest part is drilling out the pin in the pommel,I drill from the other side of the pin,then use a little pin punch to knock pin out backwards.The new pins will be all the way through like the mil-spec ones,peened over on each end.
This is the latest one ive done,again its Sambar stag but no leather washers in this one,notice the choil though! I did this to eliminate the offset of the handle and make everything more in line.It also makes it a bit easier to sharpen,plus you can really choke up on the blade when needed.I have left the top guard on this one but the next will be a Dogs head utility for sure.Still fits in the original leather sheath as well.
Such a versatile design,the only "abuse" would be to not use it!
Such a versatile design,the only "abuse" would be to not use it!
The Zieg
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2002
- Messages
- 4,880
+1 on eliminating the offset and adding a choil. Only thing I'd do (If I ordered one from you, and I can see myself doing just that) would be grinding off the top guard. Regardless, your work is great and you obviously have it down to a science, having done so many. Keep at it!
Zieg
Zieg
Zieg,
Grinding of the top guard does make for a better camp knife and I have done a lot like this,but used brass for the guard and made up a matching brass pommel.A few others didnt have pommels at all,but brass guards,black micarta and thin brass spacers(1/16th thick),then stag on the end.(I copied the look from my Randall 26)
52100,
Thanks for the kind words,much appreciated.This one is my user,for now.Not all of the ones I've rehandled have been stag,some were done with all Black Canvas Micarta,these were done at a customers request though.
DunkEm,
For the pins I use Stainless steel(marine grade 316)hard enough to hold everything together,but soft enough to peen over once the pommel is drilled right the way through.With the handles that have brass guards though,I use brass rod(1/8th inch)for the pins.
Hope to be doing a dogs head utility up as a camp knife soon.
Grinding of the top guard does make for a better camp knife and I have done a lot like this,but used brass for the guard and made up a matching brass pommel.A few others didnt have pommels at all,but brass guards,black micarta and thin brass spacers(1/16th thick),then stag on the end.(I copied the look from my Randall 26)
52100,
Thanks for the kind words,much appreciated.This one is my user,for now.Not all of the ones I've rehandled have been stag,some were done with all Black Canvas Micarta,these were done at a customers request though.
DunkEm,
For the pins I use Stainless steel(marine grade 316)hard enough to hold everything together,but soft enough to peen over once the pommel is drilled right the way through.With the handles that have brass guards though,I use brass rod(1/8th inch)for the pins.
Hope to be doing a dogs head utility up as a camp knife soon.
