Modified Production Knives (traditional only)

[Revolvergeek]

Nothing fancy here. Just a rescue project that has almost turned into a Lambsfoot....

 

[HFinn]

i don't yet have this knife, this is just a sketch. I would like to have a sturdy, pocket sized fixed blade with scandi grind. I found this one by Finnish maker Ahti. His knives have a good reputation and they are not too expensive. I liked the size, blade shape and grind, but the handle not so much, so I made a sketch of what I am after. What do you think? It has a through tang epoxied and peened in place.

The original:

Ahti Korpi would also work with no modifications, it has slightly longer blade but overall lenght is the same.

 

[B.F.U]

OIL THE JOINTS

I have been really enjoying this knife.

I added a nail nick notch for easy opening since the nail nick sits so close to the frame.

 

[JTB_5]

It's been awhile, but I figured a project post would be a good way to dip back into the waters. I recently bought a GEC 71 in O1 Tool Steel of the Exchange for a nice deal due to the patina and used quality of the knife. I have wanted to try 01 for awhile, and I have also wanted to try slimming down a 71 because I really like the sodbuster style knife, but am not a big fan of the chunkier and squarish handle. I'm working without any machines--just pieces of sandpaper from a wide variety of grits--so it took me quite awhile just to get the material to the point I have it currently. I may go for more eventually, but I think I've hit a pretty good compromise between "work knife" thickness and "contoured" feel. I forgot to protect the blade at first and got some pretty deep scratches, so I hand to sandpaper it through several grits and then did a vinegar patina just to give it a more even look. Oiled the joint, ren-waxed the micarta, and sharpened the edge to finish it off. Enough talk:

 

[Sacto]

It's been awhile, but I figured a project post would be a good way to dip back into the waters. I recently bought a GEC 71 in O1 Tool Steel of the Exchange for a nice deal due to the patina and used quality of the knife. I have wanted to try 01 for awhile, and I have also wanted to try slimming down a 71 because I really like the sodbuster style knife, but am not a big fan of the chunkier and squarish handle. I'm working without any machines--just pieces of sandpaper from a wide variety of grits--so it took me quite awhile just to get the material to the point I have it currently. I may go for more eventually, but I think I've hit a pretty good compromise between "work knife" thickness and "contoured" feel. I forgot to protect the blade at first and got some pretty deep scratches, so I hand to sandpaper it through several grits and then did a vinegar patina just to give it a more even look. Oiled the joint, ren-waxed the micarta, and sharpened the edge to finish it off. Enough talk:

View attachment 1210930

Looks good. I’ve wanted to do that to mine but haven’t had enough courage to do it yet.

 

[JTB_5]

Looks good. I’ve wanted to do that to mine but haven’t had enough courage to do it yet.

It's definitely harder to mess up with sandpaper, since it is not removing much material even at the lower grits. I took my time, and checked pretty often as I went along. It was fun!

 

[JohnDF]

It's been awhile, but I figured a project post would be a good way to dip back into the waters. I recently bought a GEC 71 in O1 Tool Steel of the Exchange for a nice deal due to the patina and used quality of the knife. I have wanted to try 01 for awhile, and I have also wanted to try slimming down a 71 because I really like the sodbuster style knife, but am not a big fan of the chunkier and squarish handle. I'm working without any machines--just pieces of sandpaper from a wide variety of grits--so it took me quite awhile just to get the material to the point I have it currently. I may go for more eventually, but I think I've hit a pretty good compromise between "work knife" thickness and "contoured" feel. I forgot to protect the blade at first and got some pretty deep scratches, so I hand to sandpaper it through several grits and then did a vinegar patina just to give it a more even look. Oiled the joint, ren-waxed the micarta, and sharpened the edge to finish it off. Enough talk:

View attachment 1210930

It looks great!

 

[BenjaminRush]

It's been awhile, but I figured a project post would be a good way to dip back into the waters. I recently bought a GEC 71 in O1 Tool Steel of the Exchange for a nice deal due to the patina and used quality of the knife. I have wanted to try 01 for awhile, and I have also wanted to try slimming down a 71 because I really like the sodbuster style knife, but am not a big fan of the chunkier and squarish handle. I'm working without any machines--just pieces of sandpaper from a wide variety of grits--so it took me quite awhile just to get the material to the point I have it currently. I may go for more eventually, but I think I've hit a pretty good compromise between "work knife" thickness and "contoured" feel. I forgot to protect the blade at first and got some pretty deep scratches, so I hand to sandpaper it through several grits and then did a vinegar patina just to give it a more even look. Oiled the joint, ren-waxed the micarta, and sharpened the edge to finish it off. Enough talk:

View attachment 1210930

Fantastic work!

 

[hornetguy]

It's been awhile, but I figured a project post would be a good way to dip back into the waters. I recently bought a GEC 71 in O1 Tool Steel of the Exchange for a nice deal due to the patina and used quality of the knife. I have wanted to try 01 for awhile, and I have also wanted to try slimming down a 71 because I really like the sodbuster style knife, but am not a big fan of the chunkier and squarish handle. I'm working without any machines--just pieces of sandpaper from a wide variety of grits--so it took me quite awhile just to get the material to the point I have it currently. I may go for more eventually, but I think I've hit a pretty good compromise between "work knife" thickness and "contoured" feel. I forgot to protect the blade at first and got some pretty deep scratches, so I hand to sandpaper it through several grits and then did a vinegar patina just to give it a more even look. Oiled the joint, ren-waxed the micarta, and sharpened the edge to finish it off. Enough talk:

View attachment 1210930

That looks good... nothing too drastic, but it looks like it will be way more comfortable in use. Very nicely done, and very nicely documented.

 

[JTB_5]

It looks great!

Thanks, John!

Fantastic work!

Thank you!

That looks good... nothing too drastic, but it looks like it will be way more comfortable in use. Very nicely done, and very nicely documented.

I was hesitant to go too far on a first try. But it definitely feels more comfortable. Thanks for the kind words!

 

[Ramrodmb]

It's been awhile, but I figured a project post would be a good way to dip back into the waters. I recently bought a GEC 71 in O1 Tool Steel of the Exchange for a nice deal due to the patina and used quality of the knife. I have wanted to try 01 for awhile, and I have also wanted to try slimming down a 71 because I really like the sodbuster style knife, but am not a big fan of the chunkier and squarish handle. I'm working without any machines--just pieces of sandpaper from a wide variety of grits--so it took me quite awhile just to get the material to the point I have it currently. I may go for more eventually, but I think I've hit a pretty good compromise between "work knife" thickness and "contoured" feel. I forgot to protect the blade at first and got some pretty deep scratches, so I hand to sandpaper it through several grits and then did a vinegar patina just to give it a more even look. Oiled the joint, ren-waxed the micarta, and sharpened the edge to finish it off. Enough talk:

View attachment 1210930

Very nice Josh!
I have the same knife I did the same thing to, only with power tools. It took A LOT of grinding/sanding and that Micarta is tough stuff. I can't even imagine trying to do it by hand! Do your fingers still work?!
Great job though!

 

[flatblackcapo]

i don't yet have this knife, this is just a sketch. I would like to have a sturdy, pocket sized fixed blade with scandi grind. I found this one by Finnish maker Ahti. His knives have a good reputation and they are not too expensive. I liked the size, blade shape and grind, but the handle not so much, so I made a sketch of what I am after. What do you think? It has a through tang epoxied and peened in place.

The original:

Ahti Korpi would also work with no modifications, it has slightly longer blade but overall lenght is the same.

It looks like it would work just fine and I like the looks of your handle shape better. My recommendation would be to try the knife as is for a few days before you mod' it, you might like it.

 

[JTB_5]

Very nice Josh!
I have the same knife I did the same thing to, only with power tools. It took A LOT of grinding/sanding and that Micarta is tough stuff. I can't even imagine trying to do it by hand! Do your fingers still work?!
Great job though!

ha! Thanks for the kind words. It gave the fingers a bit of a workout, but I found it rather relaxing to be honest. I do so much speaking and interacting with people throughout the day that just some simple quiet repetitive movements reset things.

 

[Rose and Thistle Custom]

 

[Ramrodmb]

ha! Thanks for the kind words. It gave the fingers a bit of a workout, but I found it rather relaxing to be honest. I do so much speaking and interacting with people throughout the day that just some simple quiet repetitive movements reset things.

That's great Josh. I'm glad you have found an appropriate means of re-centering things for yourself. I find much the same when putting in ear plugs and focusing on the grinder for a bit.

Wanted to add a couple (not so great) photos. I still want to work on smoothing out the area around the birdseye pivot.
The new rounded version is a pleasure to hold and seems to melt into my pocket, but having rather large hands I wonder if the more robust stock scales might be better for extended use for me. At some point I'd like to try this on a #21 Bull Buster.

Thanks for the wonderful gift, Jerome. @Lostball
Hope you are doing well, my friend.

 

[hornetguy]

Great comparison photos. It's amazing what a big difference it makes when the sharp, square corners and edges are "ergonomically" blended down.

 

[Wurrwulf]

That looks fantastic, Mark. Reminds of some of the vintage German-made Sodbusters.

 

[JTB_5]

That's great Josh. I'm glad you have found an appropriate means of re-centering things for yourself. I find much the same when putting in ear plugs and focusing on the grinder for a bit.

Wanted to add a couple (not so great) photos. I still want to work on smoothing out the area around the birdseye pivot.
The new rounded version is a pleasure to hold and seems to melt into my pocket, but having rather large hands I wonder if the more robust stock scales might be better for extended use for me. At some point I'd like to try this on a #21 Bull Buster.

Thanks for the wonderful gift, Jerome. @Lostball
Hope you are doing well, my friend.

That looks really nice! I bet you could still have the benefits of the beefier slabs of micarta while still have some contouring (and a nicer bird's eye pivot) if you concentrated on slimming at the corners and the pivot area and only slightly blending the top and bottom sides and flats. It wouldn't look as sleek, I think, but it might still provide the best of both. It might even come out looking a bit like some barlow handles, where there is a swell from the bolster back to the butt.

 

[Sacto]

That's great Josh. I'm glad you have found an appropriate means of re-centering things for yourself. I find much the same when putting in ear plugs and focusing on the grinder for a bit.

Wanted to add a couple (not so great) photos. I still want to work on smoothing out the area around the birdseye pivot.
The new rounded version is a pleasure to hold and seems to melt into my pocket, but having rather large hands I wonder if the more robust stock scales might be better for extended use for me. At some point I'd like to try this on a #21 Bull Buster.

Thanks for the wonderful gift, Jerome. @Lostball
Hope you are doing well, my friend.

When you do that, are you typically working from end to end on one edge of the handle, then switch to another edge or are you going across the top of the handle rolling from edge to edge? It’s hard to describe what I’m getting at, but hopefully it made sense.

 

[hornetguy]

Speaking of Barlows, I have a Bear and Sons bone handled barlow that had that swell you speak of... but the ends of the handle were very squared off... almost sharp feeling. I used files to knock that square edge down a bit, and rounded the edges. It's not a huge change, visually, but the difference it made in the way it feels in your hand was amazing. I wish I had taken before/after pics. I also have a jigged bone #15 Huckleberry that has the same sharp-edged feel to it. I will likely do the same treatment on it, if I decide to keep it.
It's the "little" things....