Beckerhead Knife Making and Modification Thread

I wanted to neutral out some the blade heavy Bk29. Not much just a little. I packed in some JB Weld and a stainless steel nut. The JB can be punched right out if I dont like it or need more or less weight. I also added micarta scales. Its seemed to shift the balance point back about 3/8-1/2 inch right about were Bk29 is etched on the blade. I'm really liking it. It adds a little to the overall weight of the blade but its heavy anyways. It actually feels lighter due to the more neutral balance.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/153781516@N05/
 
Sweet move, Tanker!

Just in case you guys think I've fallen ENTIRELY into the ocean (not yet as of this writing, but who knows - I fly again this afternoon), here's a little something something that will hopefully be finished before the year is out... 0.200" at the spine. :eek:
Nope, no more clues than that 'til it's done.

IMG_20170813_181846-small.jpg
 
Sweet move, Tanker!

Just in case you guys think I've fallen ENTIRELY into the ocean (not yet as of this writing, but who knows - I fly again this afternoon), here's a little something something that will hopefully be finished before the year is out... 0.200" at the spine. :eek:
Nope, no more clues than that 'til it's done.

IMG_20170813_181846-small.jpg

You are a tease.
 
First off everything I did to this Bk2 was the result of a mistake on my part. One of those days!!!!
All I wanted to do was take a little off the top with my milling machine. 90ยบ so it would throw a spark. Chucked up the mill, leveled the blade, sprayed on some cutting oil off I go!!! Well after leveling the blade in the vice I forgot to tighten the vice completely. Im spinning along milling some metal working it back and forth my bit wasn't quite wide enough but it was sharp. I guess I didn't notice that I had pushed the front of the blade down in the loose vice.
When I went to the spine by the handle I dug the bit right into the side of the blade! When I pushed the tip down it raised thd spine by the handle. Well hell!!! I took the blade over to the belt sander The one in the picture, to clean up the spine. First thing I did was hit the handle and sanded a big spot out of it. Uhgggg. So I pulled the scales off and put them to the side and went to working the mill marks out. They were deep so I kept sanding and shaping the spine. I had alot of burrs on the side of the blade so I turned it vertical to touch the belt. Bam!!!! Right down the side of the blade finish gone.
After shaping the spine with the belt sander I realized that it was looking like a thick RSK. Vision light bulb moment!!!
Stripped the blade and threw it in horticulture vinegar, sanded the scales and sprayed them with rubber tool dip, grabbed some locktight for the hardware.
Done deal!! Looks decent and throws sparks like crazy. Mission accomplished :thumbsup:
 
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Update!!!! The spray on rubber/plastic dip SUCKS!!!!! Started to peel right off first time I used it. And I roughed up the scales real good before I put it on. Par for this project. Don't even waste your time. Hummm maybe a acetone wipe before I apply it. I'll let ya'll know how that train wreck works out for me.
 
Update!!!! The spray on rubber/plastic dip SUCKS!!!!! Started to peel right off first time I used it. And I roughed up the scales real good before I put it on. Par for this project. Don't even waste your time. Hummm maybe a acetone wipe before I apply it. I'll let ya'll know how that train wreck works out for me.
I just hit it with a 36 or 60 grit sand paper to put some scratches in it, then sand off the raised material with 400 grit paper.

This leaves some small gouges and a chalky feel to the highs. This will give a little more surface grip (especially when wet/sweaty) without adding any hot spots and nothing to shed off.

It isn't the prettiest, but I haven't found much that performs as nicely while maintaining the weight, and have feel of a True Becker handle.
20170826_001252.jpg 20170826_001149.jpg
 
Here is my own attempt at a four-inch Kephart. I still have a great deal to improve upon, especially my blade grinding consistency, but this is the best knife yet that I have personally made.

While the handle profile is of course different from the ur-Kep, I did try to do the convex grind like the Colclesser, where it convexes back toward the spine as well. Not as successfully as I would have liked, but I tried.

I also hadn't planned on contouring the handle the way I did from the beginning. The blank I cut out had a straight handle, but when it came time to finish it, I just kind of went where I was feeling it on the spot. Sometimes the knife tells you the way it wants to be.

Steel is 1095, heat treated for me by Todd Hunt... The only part I didn't do myself.

The handle is made with natural micarta, black G10 liners, and copper pins and lanyard tube. Feels great in the hand, and the thumb scallops help put it over the top.

Still a few details to finish up, but I'm pretty proud of this one.

dca kephart 1.png dca kephart 2.png dca kephart 3.png
 
Here is my own attempt at a four-inch Kephart. I still have a great deal to improve upon, especially my blade grinding consistency, but this is the best knife yet that I have personally made.

While the handle profile is of course different from the ur-Kep, I did try to do the convex grind like the Colclesser, where it convexes back toward the spine as well. Not as successfully as I would have liked, but I tried.

I also hadn't planned on contouring the handle the way I did from the beginning. The blank I cut out had a straight handle, but when it came time to finish it, I just kind of went where I was feeling it on the spot. Sometimes the knife tells you the way it wants to be.

Steel is 1095, heat treated for me by Todd Hunt... The only part I didn't do myself.

The handle is made with natural micarta, black G10 liners, and copper pins and lanyard tube. Feels great in the hand, and the thumb scallops help put it over the top.

Still a few details to finish up, but I'm pretty proud of this one.

View attachment 758487 View attachment 758488 View attachment 758489
Really nice job David. Its a Great looking knife.
 
That's quite a looker, David. Clean lines and great visual appeal. Hey, what are you guys using now to post pics?
 
Sweet blade! Now get it dirty and post more pix!
 
Thank you gentlemen! Since taking those photos I have adjusted the geometry a little, and I will be attempting to etch a DCA mark into it next week after my Etch-O-Matic arrives.

That's quite a looker, David. Clean lines and great visual appeal. Hey, what are you guys using now to post pics?

Being a gold member I can attach pics to a post, but on other forums I have been using Flickr to embed. Best part about using them is that you can install their app on your phone and set it to backup all your photos automatically. Then you can choose what you want to share, and they can even spit out code for you that sets the images at whatever pixels x pixels you want so that it fits the forum better.
 
Very nice David. :thumbsup:
 
Ok the clip point is modified on this Buck124. Now the question is. Should I take down the top guard to the tang and shorten the lower guard. Or just leave it alone?

 
yup - bring the top guard down flush with the spine.
and drop the tip just a smidgen more.

Your killing me vik!!!! Drop the tip really!!! It is an sbsolute work of art that tip is. Cut and polished, actually looks like I had thought it out and executed it perfectly. I just wish I had dropped it a smidgen more :D Looks like a Damn horses nose the way it is
 
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