The "Ask Nathan a question" thread

I apologize if this had already been asked, but I wasn't able to find any information on this subforum.

I really like my field knife, but the handle is a little thin for my hands. I would like to add some liners. Do you:

1) have plans to produce your own liners pre-formed to fit the field knife (I would be happy to purchase some), or
2) have any suggestions about materials and methods for doing this with basic tools.

I tried to make liners once for another knife and it didn't turn out as I hoped. My worry is that the provided hardware can only accommodate a minimal increase in handle thickness. Maybe the project would be too complicated/risky for your average enthusiast for other reasons.

I thought it was worth asking, and there might be others who might like a little extra handle thickness. Thanks for your help.
 
Marl71 said:
I apologize if this had already been asked, but I wasn't able to find any information on this subforum.

I really like my field knife, but the handle is a little thin for my hands. I would like to add some liners. Do you:

1) have plans to produce your own liners pre-formed to fit the field knife (I would be happy to purchase some), or
2) have any suggestions about materials and methods for doing this with basic tools.

I tried to make liners once for another knife and it didn't turn out as I hoped. My worry is that the provided hardware can only accommodate a minimal increase in handle thickness. Maybe the project would be too complicated/risky for your average enthusiast for other reasons.

I thought it was worth asking, and there might be others who might like a little extra handle thickness. Thanks for your help.
Click to expand...

The issue you may find is that the fasteners are installed with lock-tite. It's not hard to get one fastener out of each location, but the opposite screw is fairly well set into the female sleeve. On mine, the remaining fasteners are all fully screwed into the sleeve on one side. Others here have destroyed a set of fasteners trying to take them apart. If you install liners, all of the thickness will be taken out of the thread engagement on one side. Depending on how thick you go, you may not get the screw to start, or only have one or two turns before it comes up tight, risking stripping it if you are not careful.

Solution is to buy a replacement set of screws and threaded sleeves that are slightly longer.

Smarter people than me may very well disagree, and Nathan may well tell you something else. This was just a thought that occurred to me.
 
(When) Will there be a pre-order for the EDC? Or did I miss it already?

I thought I was immune, but I've started craving one.
 
ni1s said:
(When) Will there be a pre-order for the EDC? Or did I miss it already?

I thought I was immune, but I've started craving one.
Click to expand...

We were trying to decide what the next pre-order should be, and we ended up doing the Light Chopper. The previous pre-order, the Field Knife, is finished. Once we've made some headway on the LC preorder we'll start thinking about what the next one should be. I had been planning on the EDC, but that may change.
 
TRfromMT said:
The issue you may find is that the fasteners are installed with lock-tite...

...solution is to buy a replacement set of screws and threaded sleeves that are slightly longer.

Smarter people than me may very well disagree, and Nathan may well tell you something else. This was just a thought that occurred to me.
Click to expand...

Thanks, and yes I might need longer threaded sleeves if the liners are on the thick side. I'm not worried about threadlock, and I had no problems with disassembly and reassembly on my FK, LC, and EDC.

Just wondering what specific considerations (liner material, liner thickness tolerated without changing hardware, matching the handle shape correctly, etc.) are important if I try to make my own liners and whether Nathan had considered manufacturing liners himself to fit these knives.
 
a little cord wrapping might do the trick
 
Marl71 said:
Thanks, and yes I might need longer threaded sleeves if the liners are on the thick side. I'm not worried about threadlock, and I had no problems with disassembly and reassembly on my FK, LC, and EDC.

Just wondering what specific considerations (liner material, liner thickness tolerated without changing hardware, matching the handle shape correctly, etc.) are important if I try to make my own liners and whether Nathan had considered manufacturing liners himself to fit these knives.
Click to expand...

I have considered making liners for the various patterns, but wouldn't that cause issues with the sheath fit?

The knives we make can be disassembled, but weren't intended to be. I can get them apart, but we're set up for that.

The hole diameters and pin diameters are tightly controlled and quite snug. There is very little clearance and in fact there is some tolerance overlap where pins can be a light press fit. A lot of folks can't safely deal with that.

The shorts screws found on the signature side are installed with red Loctite which is very difficult to remove. The longer screws on the other side are assembled with removable blue Loctite. When disassembling a handle you have to remove those screws and tap the pins out leaving the short screws in place. Some come right apart, some need a little help. There is .001" (half the diameter of a human hair) nominal clearance so things can be a little tight. This isn't a good project for a lot of folks, but if you're handy and have the tools it's do-able.
 
Nathan the Machinist said:
I have considered making liners for the various patterns, but wouldn't that cause issues with the sheath fit?

The knives we make can be disassembled, but weren't intended to be. I can get them apart, but we're set up for that.

...

This isn't a good project for a lot of folks, but if you're handy and have the tools it's do-able.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply. Maybe I came across having the wrong attitude in my reply to the other comment. I just like to take things apart. The three I own certainly weren't easy to take apart, and they did take some coercion to get back together.

Making a new component to fit a CPK FK is probably beyond me. If you ever decide to make liners or thicker handle scales for the FK, I will buy some and switch to a leather sheath. In the meantime, I'll try out Lorien's cord wrap suggestion on the thin part of the handle.
 
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Will the Heavy Chopper be making a come back?

Btw, Nathan I sent you two emails asking about a quote on a slightly moded heavy chopper,(handle really) Im not sure you got them or not?
 
Nathan, will you confirm that the D2 EDC's ended up the same dimensionally as the 3V EDC's (for sheathmaking purposes)?
 
Survivorman23 said:
Will the Heavy Chopper be making a come back?

Btw, Nathan I sent you two emails asking about a quote on a slightly moded heavy chopper,(handle really) Im not sure you got them or not?
Click to expand...

I may very well be wrong about this, but I have always been under the impression that a Heavy Chopper was never put into production, so would be difficult for it to make a comeback, lol. I think Nathan made 8 or so heavy chopper prototypes which I guess led to the Light Chopper , but none of the HC prototypes had the Carothers name on it, I don't think.
 
the HC was up for a redesign last time I checked in. Possibly the new competition chopper, Nathan/Jo?
 
Lorien said:
the HC was up for a redesign last time I checked in. Possibly the new competition chopper, Nathan/Jo?
Click to expand...


That would be nice. If we could get the handle to be the same size back and front, without the hump on the back, just a handle at an angle, but no hump/palm swell on top. Finger swell on bottom is okay.. I wouldnt have to get a custom one

The current handle aint fitting me.

EIther skinny both in the front and back, like the A2 version you got, or the same witdth as the read, both front and rear. But this thin in front thick in back, aint working for me.

The blade itself, fuller,etc.. is epic..
 
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Survivorman23 said:
Will the Heavy Chopper be making a come back?

Btw, Nathan I sent you two emails asking about a quote on a slightly moded heavy chopper,(handle really) Im not sure you got them or not?
Click to expand...

I don't think I got your emails. Email through the BF system is very hit-and-miss. though my inbox is a perpetual disaster too.

I plan to make a heavy chopper of some kind. Probably some time this year.
 
nandok said:
Nathan, will you confirm that the D2 EDC's ended up the same dimensionally as the 3V EDC's (for sheathmaking purposes)?
Click to expand...

they are dimensionally the same :thumbup:
 
Lorien said:
the HC was up for a redesign last time I checked in. Possibly the new competition chopper, Nathan/Jo?
Click to expand...

If we get 4V where we want it, we hope to do some kind of a Bladesports competition chopper collaboration with Keffeler.
 
Do you have any side by side comparison videos of the Pre-Delta and Delta 3v in use? Just curious because I have both in your FK, but have yet tested and compared them. Thanks again for making awesome quality blades.
 
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