- Joined
- Aug 25, 2009
- Messages
- 2,759
The good people over at Olean, NY, had these monstrous slabs of steel at a ridiculous price, so I grabbed 2 before they were gone. An awesome deal, for 20$ you get a 9" blade of high carbon SK5 steel, 2 sets of scales, and made by Ka-Bar, nuff said. I knew that a heavy mutilation was in order; the hollow grind is super shallow, and while not exactly terrible, the JAB handle can be cumbersome but easily modified. I forgot to take progress pics, so please forgive me.
First thing to go was a roughly 45 degree section of the tip that included the beak. Next, a lesson in grinding HT'd steel - make sure you have new rough belts before doing this! It was slow going until I found a belt with more bite (already ordered more) and then the grind was raised to mid blade. I also keep a jug of water next to the belt for quick cooling dunks. After checking for flatness on both sides it was convexed by belt and then by hand with sandpaper/mouse pad.
Then the handle got de-horned and slimmed. A coat strip was next, but I dropped acid on the ZK logo/Ka-Bar stamp before doing so. The blade came looking quite good after this, but this is a zombie blade it needs to look zombified! More playin with acid gave me the look I was going for:
So now it needed a handle. I contemplated adapting the factory black scales, but went with wood. I have no idea what wood is it; bought a bunch of slabs some years ago and didn't label them. I chose a light colored wood that could be stained, then went to town with the pins and epoxy. Here it is at prep stage with 2 more I made, one for my dad and another to be sold to a friend:
almost finished, the red parts got a darker shading added later:
before n after:
finished! for now, it resides in a Heavy Bowie sheath, I might or might not make a new sheath for it:
mandatory batonning pic:
For the other one I will do something different. Somebody mentioned a mini parangatang, I think this is the route to go. Stay tuned for more!
First thing to go was a roughly 45 degree section of the tip that included the beak. Next, a lesson in grinding HT'd steel - make sure you have new rough belts before doing this! It was slow going until I found a belt with more bite (already ordered more) and then the grind was raised to mid blade. I also keep a jug of water next to the belt for quick cooling dunks. After checking for flatness on both sides it was convexed by belt and then by hand with sandpaper/mouse pad.
Then the handle got de-horned and slimmed. A coat strip was next, but I dropped acid on the ZK logo/Ka-Bar stamp before doing so. The blade came looking quite good after this, but this is a zombie blade it needs to look zombified! More playin with acid gave me the look I was going for:
So now it needed a handle. I contemplated adapting the factory black scales, but went with wood. I have no idea what wood is it; bought a bunch of slabs some years ago and didn't label them. I chose a light colored wood that could be stained, then went to town with the pins and epoxy. Here it is at prep stage with 2 more I made, one for my dad and another to be sold to a friend:
almost finished, the red parts got a darker shading added later:
before n after:
finished! for now, it resides in a Heavy Bowie sheath, I might or might not make a new sheath for it:
mandatory batonning pic:
For the other one I will do something different. Somebody mentioned a mini parangatang, I think this is the route to go. Stay tuned for more!
