Working on a SS Cricket

u812

u812

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Mar 15, 2002
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Just won an ebay auction for a PE.I plan on haveing Vess file work it.I got some buffalo horn and have started working it down.How do you think it will look on the scale?I plan on useing the plastic cover that comes on the Cricket as a template to make the horn scale so it will not completely cover the scale.
 
Yeees, the stainless Cricket is quite something once you get to play with one, isn't it? :D

About putting on the scale: I found it really hard to use a template to make and finish the scale fist, and then attach it to the handle later. I tried it on the Delica, one of my first ones, and it just didn't work for me, especially getting that bevel on the edges of the scales just right... So since then I cut out a rectangle of right thickness, glue it on, and go from there, cutting off the excess, and then sanding it down to shape. The downside is that the metal spine gets scratched and needs to be polished later, but otherwise works great.

Let me know if working it separately and gluing it later works. Always looking for a way to facilitate my work... :)

P.S. Got me a bandsaw yesterday, will try to use it cutting out scales. Hopefully it'll be much easier than doing it all by hand like before... :)
 
I looked at a scroll saw saterday,it would make thigs easier.It took me about 3 hours yesterday just to get the horn worked down the the right thickness and smoothed out.
 
That's precisely the problem. And for bigger knives the scale is longer and it gets progressively harder to get it to be of uniform thickness everywhere... :)

Ah, well. I'll try the bandsaw on some spare wood in the next few days and see if it'll help matters... :)
 
I also looked a a small disk-belt sander that you could set angles and all.It looks like it may cut sanding time way down.
 
Vess, just curious if you've tried the liner side yet on a Cricket?
The mother of pearl job I'm doing for Boxer is in the final stages and I've found a way to do the liner lock side you may be intrested in, It involves using the FRN Cricket liner lock side as a template and is a severe headache to do with all the screw holes having to be relieved to seat in the exact same place, BUT! it makes for a beautiful knife, just a tad thicker.
My next investment is going to be a better digital camera for pics.
BTW the scroll saw has certian advantages Jeff you would find most useful in knife making on a small scale.
PLEASE overlook my sad web cam pics :( Ron
 

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I only had the one Cricket so far, and I only did one scale, and sold the knife less than a week later, so I can't even try it now... :)

Question: does everyone cut out and finish the scale *before* attaching it? The reason I ask is because I was never able to do that with satisfactory results. What I do is cut out a wooden rectange, glue it on and work it down from there. Certainly it prohibits hidden screws and such, but the result is a scale matched flawlessly to the handle. Do you guys actually make the scale separately and then attach it? Just curious... :)

Now that I think about it, if I tried to make a scale separately with any of my burl type woods, I'd probably break the scale real fast. My scales are typically thicker than usual for precisely that same reason too... :D
 
I guess I will find out.I figure by useing the plastic cover as a guide it would not have to match perfectly.The plastic cover does not cover the whole scale.
 
And here it is.
8980-7-cricketpic.JPG
 
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