Yet another sucessful surgery Para-Military

STR

STR

Knifemaker/Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Aug 27, 2004
Messages
12,955
I really like the Calypso Jr. and the Para-Military that came just today in the mail. But all the ones I find that I like have the clip for tip down which I don't like as much as tip up. In fact I owe Spyderco and Cold Steel for spoiling me on the tip up configuration. It was after all the Delica that got me used to that in the first place with the old integral clip model from the early 90s.

Anyway, I thought at first to return the Para-Military to Newgraham because in their add for the knife on their web site it reads in the last sentence rather decievingly (I'm sure it is innocent) that the "black metal pocket clip carries tip or tip down." http://www.newgraham.com/paramilitary.htm Naturally I read this to be a type-o where they simply forgot the word 'up'. Not the case however. The knife is as I am sure all of you know not even an ambidextrous knife but for right handed tip down carry only.

Well, I liked the knife too much to send it back. So I made me another clip for tip up carry and mounted it on the G10 scales and I'm up and running again with another modified Spydie. After getting this knife I see no need for the Para Manix. This is basically it right here guys.
The lock is a little awkward at first but after playing with it for a few minutes I have figured out how to open and close it with one hand. Pretty cool design Sal.

ModifiedPara-Military-copy-copy.jpg
 
Did you use a "spring" type steel for the clip? If so, where did you get it?

Thanks!
 
I buy sheets of both 410 stainless steel in a .040 thickness and 6AL-4V titanium in the same thickness from either Jantz supply in Oklahoma or Texas knifemaker supply in Houson. I cut out the shape with my band saw after tracing it on the metal sheet with my carbide tipped scribe. Then bend them with duck bill vise grips and my small modified pliers that I took the teeth off of with a grinding wheel so it would not mar the metal up.

On the 410 I make a half dozen or more at a time because it costs just as much to have Paul Bos heat treat one as it does 24 or 25 of them. They have a minimum of $70 so it is not cost effective this way unless you are sending other things like blades and liners and locks in also and you have them all heat treated at the same time.

On the tianium it is just a matter of getting the sheet from the supplier because it is ready to use. You just have to mess with cutting out the shape, sanding it all off nice and then making the bends. If you try this yourself just use a clip you already have as a pattern and bend it just like that one is and you are good to go. Titanium is pretty unforgiving if you bend it back and forth though.

The one pictured is 410 stainless heat treated to 45 on the Rockwell scale for me by Paul Bos who does all of Bucks heat treatments. So when I say I made this clip for the Para-Military it is kind of not true I guess. I made the clip. I just make them all the same for tip up carry and have one left of the 410 stainless before I'm looking at having to send off more down the road. This is the third Spyderco I've converted like this.


I also did a Viele 2 and the Calypso Jr.

For what it is worth you can buy the 410 in a thicker sheet and make a pretty stout clip that is not heat treated. I've done it this way too and the only real difference is that if you were to get this one pictured caught in a seat belt good it would probably snap where as the untreated one would bend.

Hope that helps.

Steve
 
STR said:
The one pictured is ...
Click to expand...

"pictured"? What picture. You're just tempting us aren't you? :cool:

Can you post that pic somewhere?

Tnx,
Paul
 
Are you serious? Are all you guys not getting a picture? I see it on my screen just fine.

I just deleted all my cookies and checked again and I still see a pic when I check the site. If you don't I don't know why. Perhaps you have your settings prohibiting them or something.

Obviously one of the other posters could see it because he complimented the job.

I can email the pic if you are serious. If you are just pulling my leg though. HA HA.

EDIT: I emailed the pics of all three modified Spydercos I have done to you.
 
Very nice work STR. I see the picture just fine, by the way.

Were drilling the holes for the new clip a pain? What kind of equipment do you need? My drilling holes and screwing stuff into them knowledge is a bit limited. :)
 
No drilling G10, Zytel, or FRN materials is a piece of cake. On this one I contemplated taking the knife apart and installing a backing plate inlayed into the back of the G10 scale. But my own limited testing of the G10 indicates that it takes threads quite well and it is very strong. I elected to not do that on this one. If after time it strips on me I'll do it then. This gave me the chance to really see if it will hold up.

As you can probably tell from the pic these button head screws were originally hex head. They went in so tight that the heads stripped out and I ended up having to cut slots in them for a flat head screwdriver. Which doesn't bother me for my own knife. If I was doing the job for someone else Torx screws would be needed to make it cleaner looking.

First off the screws are 2-56 button head type that I buy in a half inch length and cut to the length I need after measuring. For when I am drilling say a lock and liner for the handle scales through titanium or steel I use a #51 drill bit. Some guys use a #48 which is a bit bigger so they don't break the taps for making the threads. That is a constant problem when you make your own threads. The taps are so very brittle. Even with gobs of lube they'll snap unexpectedly. It can be quite frustrating at times.

I have modified many Cold Steel, Spyderco and other numerous brands and drilled and tapped many materials for pocket clips. For FRN, Zytel, Micarta and G10 I use a 1/16th drill bit. This is smaller than the #51 by just barely enough to notice without looking very close. In metal it would be enough to most likely break the tap but in these materials it is easy to make this work and you end up with a deeper thread for a better grip because of the smaller hole. That is what I did here and as you can see it grabbed so good I had to cut slots to make the screws go in all the way. In truth if one screw or both were to strip I could easily drop a dab of superglue into the threads of the handle and screw them back in and it would most likely fix the problem. Many of the other back yard mechanics I know do this also.

Come see us sometime at our site on the 'other forum'. (see my profile) We like new guests over at Oupa and friends.
 
Yep. Very cool. I really like mine now that I've modified it. Best knife I have carried in a while and the blade is a real biter. Love that Spyderco edge geometry. Best in the business. These things cut man!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top