18" Keffeler Sword (K18), AKA The KOD Piece

[WValtakis]

I just stage cool pics while my girlfriend confusingly shakes her head and laughs at my childish excitement...

I can't relate..at all...not even the slightest

 

[Benson X]

I can't relate..at all...not even the slightest

She made the mistake of asking how much I paid for the K18....I simply told her it was less than a house but slightly more than a loaf of bread.

This about sums up my biggest fear in life....


I will be sure to create an itemized appraisal/valuation list before I pass, that way I know she'll be taken care of. Who needs Life Insurance when you have a decent CPK collection?!?!

 

[gunslinger387]

Same here! I thought my LC was big, then I got the Behemoth and felt like Crocodile Dundee...

Now with the K18...it seriously dwarfs anything else in my collection and I feel like a wannabe warlord who's compensating for something. Maybe that's true, but either way - it's a seriously impressive and formidable sword!!!

(Credit to Irish Mike/MichaelCthulhu pictured above who makes some awesome HUGE replicas, like Cloud's Buster sword from FF7)

If I'm feeling brave enough, I may attempt this on one of my EDCs.

The acid wash part would be fairly simple for me, but the tumbling is a bit more daunting. Many ways to go about it on a budget without having to buy a tumbler or media, but still a bit nervous to attempt it on my own blades. I like the idea of doing an acid wash, toss the blade in a rugged/secure container with some small stones or ceramic media, then tow it behind my truck for a few minutes or lob it around the yard to "tumble" it. Seems archaic, but effective.

I put mine in a plastic bottle that had a bunch of mostly smooth pebbles and a LOT of WD40 and shook the crap out of it, checked it after a couple of minutes and repeated. One thing, set the blade in gently and avoid shaking side to side. I ended up with a long “scratch” that didn’t look quite right. It was an easy fix though. Acid wash seems to be pretty forgiving. I’m camping but will try to post a picture of my BC tomorrow.

Also make sure you thoroughly degrease the blade before dipping in the 50-50 acid mix for 5 minutes.

 

[Benson X]

I put mine in a plastic bottle that had a bunch of mostly smooth pebbles and a LOT of WD40 and shook the crap out of it, checked it after a couple of minutes and repeated. One thing, set the blade in gently and avoid shaking side to side. I ended up with a long “scratch” that didn’t look quite right. It was an easy fix though. Acid wash seems to be pretty forgiving. I’m camping but will try to post a picture of my BC tomorrow.

Also make sure you thoroughly degrease the blade before dipping in the 50-50 acid mix for 5 minutes.

I appreciate the tips - THANK YOU! I have some muriatic acid that is some pretty caustic stuff, also have some PCB etchant and naval jelly that I've used for other projects. I'll do some addtl. digging on here as well, since I know there is a wealth of info. about different processes and how-to's that will help

If I do attempt it - I will be sure to share my results!

 

[Fonedork]

You should marinate it in lysergic acid

 

[Madranchtx]

Acid, caustic. Opposite sides of the ph scale.

 

[Benson X]

Acid, caustic. Opposite sides of the ph scale.

My bad - I've been using the term for any corrosive chemical. Thanks for the clarification and hopefully will prevent me from sounding ignorant in the future

 

[Madranchtx]

/\ no problems brother. Not meant as a criticism. I've been burned by both.

 

[Benson X]

/\ no problems brother. Not meant as a criticism. I've been burned by both.

Thank you. I'm always appreciative of constructive criticism and learning the proper use/definition of terms. And that fact you did in a succinct and polite manner is a welcome bonus these days on the interwebs

 

[gunslinger387]

double post

 

[Gusbuster]

 

[jlauffer]

Reported for not including after pic of BattleFlamingo

 

[tinfoil hat timmy]

I

wonder what the neighbors think.....

 

[LVMPDawg]

Reported for not including after pic of BattleFlamingo

I was thinking the same thing. I just received mine, and am looking around for more things to destr....... I mean looking for targets.

 

[Brummie]

She made the mistake of asking how much I paid for the K18....I simply told her it was less than a house but slightly more than a loaf of bread.

Don't tell her what you paid - tell her the appreciation!

 

[Benson X]

YES!!! You have the POWER!
I'd be tempted to behead that innocent flamingo, too.

Don't tell her what you paid - tell her the appreciation!

She knows - I told her about all the intensive labor and Nathan's comment about the low pre-order price and what he would price them at if he were to do it all again.

She thinks the knife hobby is crazy and no amount of explanation is justifiable in her mind - which is fine. Different strokes, ya know. We're like yin-yang/oil and water with a lot of things; I think that's one reason we've been happy together for almost 20 years.

 

[Benson X]

I did a thing this weekend....

I dyed my Gray TeroTuf scales BLACK - and they actually turned out pretty good! Of course, this was solely a cosmetic choice; I think the black is a better contrast with the acid-wash and polished pommel/hardware, as well as the black leather Pirtle sheath that will house the "beast" when not in use.

It was a risky gamble and I know the question about dyeing TT Scales had been asked previously (Nathan didn't recommend it). I've dyed micarta using this method a few times with great results, so I wanted to see how well it would work on the TeroTuf. I thought the TeroTuf might be a (better) candidate for a solvent/topical dye vs Micarta, since it is a slightly rougher and assumedly more-porous material to soak up the dye.

Process was pretty straight-forward:

1. I first cleaned the scales with rubbing alcohol.
2. Then, I used Fiebing's USMC Black Leather Dye (same as I've used on all other dye projects). I know Rit Dye makes a specific product for synthetics and plastics, but I had this on-hand and have used it quite a bit in the past with good results.

- I did one application of the dye and let it sit overnight
- The next day, I cleaned/wiped the scales with rubbing alcohol again and removed all the residual/excess dye that did not absorb and did another application.
- I let the 2nd application sit for about 6 hours and repeated the same process (clean excess with rubbing alcohol) and did a 3rd application and let sit for another 3 hours

This is after the first application and after cleaning the dye off after sitting overnight. You can see it's more of a dark/dull gray but not completely Black:

This is immediately after applying the 2nd application (before cleaning off the excess dye):

3. After the 3rd/final application, I cleaned/wiped the scales again with rubbing alcohol and rubbed them down with a clean towel to ensure there was no additional dye transferring or rubbing off.
4. The final step was to apply some good wax polish to help seal them and preserve the dye. I used Obenauf's LP wax, but have also used Sno-Seal with great results. I heat the scales a bit with my heat gun to ensure the wax penetrates and "melts" in there, and then I buff clean with another towel as a final step (and to make sure there is no dye transferring).

The wax also provides as an addtl. grip additive when rubbed in completely; it is almost a somewhat rubberized/tacky feel, especially when wet - not a slippery surface as you would initially think. The TeroTuf fabric is still rough/fuzzy to the touch and definitely still provides the resilient and positive grip it is known for. We'll see how well it holds up over time and with some real-world use, but after swinging it around the shop and destroying some (empty) beer boxes, my hands weren't dyed black and it looks/feels amazing! +10 Stealth points!

Finished Result:

Under BRIGHT light, the dyed TeroTuf almost has a dark denim appearance with dark blue undertones. I love seeing the different textures of the TeroTuf vs the Micarta liners.

A comparison between the Gray TeroTuf and the Dyed Black TeroTuf:

...And a few other pics for fun....

 

[bluemax_1]

I did a thing this weekend....

I dyed my Gray TeroTuf scales BLACK - and they actually turned out pretty good! Of course, this was solely a cosmetic choice; I think the black is a better contrast with the acid-wash and polished pommel/hardware, as well as the black leather Pirtle sheath that will house the "beast" when not in use.

It was a risky gamble and I know the question about dyeing TT Scales had been asked previously (Nathan didn't recommend it). I've dyed micarta using this method a few times with great results, so I wanted to see how well it would work on the TeroTuf. I thought the TeroTuf might be a (better) candidate for a solvent/topical dye vs Micarta, since it is a slightly rougher and assumedly more-porous material to soak up the dye.

Process was pretty straight-forward:

1. I first cleaned the scales with rubbing alcohol.
2. Then, I used Fiebing's USMC Black Leather Dye (same as I've used on all other dye projects). I know Rit Dye makes a specific product for synthetics and plastics, but I had this on-hand and have used it quite a bit in the past with good results.

- I did one application of the dye and let it sit overnight
- The next day, I cleaned/wiped the scales with rubbing alcohol again and removed all the residual/excess dye that did not absorb and did another application.
- I let the 2nd application sit for about 6 hours and repeated the same process (clean excess with rubbing alcohol) and did a 3rd application and let sit for another 3 hours

This is after the first application and after cleaning the dye off after sitting overnight. You can see it's more of a dark/dull gray but not completely Black:

This is immediately after applying the 2nd application (before cleaning off the excess dye):

3. After the 3rd/final application, I cleaned/wiped the scales again with rubbing alcohol and rubbed them down with a clean towel to ensure there was no additional dye transferring or rubbing off.
4. The final step was to apply some good wax polish to help seal them and preserve the dye. I used Obenauf's LP wax, but have also used Sno-Seal with great results. I heat the scales a bit with my heat gun to ensure the wax penetrates and "melts" in there, and then I buff clean with another towel as a final step (and to make sure there is no dye transferring).

The wax also provides as an addtl. grip additive when rubbed in completely; it is almost a somewhat rubberized/tacky feel, especially when wet - not a slippery surface as you would initially think. The TeroTuf fabric is still rough/fuzzy to the touch and definitely still provides the resilient and positive grip it is known for. We'll see how well it holds up over time and with some real-world use, but after swinging it around the shop and destroying some (empty) beer boxes, my hands weren't dyed black and it looks/feels amazing! +10 Stealth points!

Finished Result:

Under BRIGHT light, the dyed TeroTuf almost has a dark denim appearance with dark blue undertones. I love seeing the different textures of the TeroTuf vs the Micarta liners.

A comparison between the Gray TeroTuf and the Dyed Black TeroTuf:

...And a few other pics for fun....

Nice! You could use that pic to troll a Zombie Tools fan forum. "OMG! Which model is that?!"

 

[Benson X]

Nice! You could use that pic to troll a Zombie Tools fan forum. "OMG! Which model is that?!"

Funny you say that - I shared some K18 pics a few months ago with a friend and he asked if it was a Zombie Tools blade...

I (politely) educated him on the ways of the CPK

 

[The Amazing Virginian]

So I finally should be getting my grubby little paws on one soon. I'm very excited. The neighbors . . . not so much.


K18: The OTHER Widow Maker