Hi. Do those things called scales have some structural function? Let's say I removed them and covered the bare metal with anti-slip tape. Would that make the knife weaker?
Hello Bre. I've added a picture for you to see underneath the scales. The steel liners are held together with stand-offs (round pillars) and screws. On this model you could not fix the screws without scales or at least some kind of washers. If you want something like that I'd recomend a steel framelock knife like the Sanrenmu 710 or 9103/9104 or maybe a cheap titanium framelock from Gearbest or fasttech (they start at $30).
A steel knife where you can easily remove the scales would be the Kershaw Strobe, if you want to see it "naked", check this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLIJ8FLkmkU
Thanks, you are the king. When I saw the picture you posted, for a minute, I thought "you could make the knife really thin with anti-slip tape if you used shorter screws", but that pivot screw thingie would ruin it anywayy. Actually I covered my all-steel Praetorian clone with anti-slip tape and I liked how it feels, even if it's somewhat uglier now. I even put some on the grooves for easier one-hand openings. By the way, I browsed your blog and found your projects very interesting. That copper-gilded Damascus is a gem!
I never needed a very grippy knife, even though I use one every day on job. Most of the time it's the reground Malyshev Gnome. I really like that knife, small enough for every day carry and a real slicer with that blade. If I needed a grippy knife I'd take one with rough G10 or Micarta but in wet and slippery conditions I'd prefer a fixed blade like a Mora. The coppered damascus was a "mistake" and I doubt I could ever do on on purpose :)
It holds an edge quite well but you must consider that I thinned out the blade just like a Spyderco knife. Behind the cutting edge it's around .5mm so a little honing is enough for quite a while. Still it's my job edc knife and I use it for everything from opeing letters/packages to cutting 3mm rawhide and up to 20mm EVA material. I was sometimes thinking about getting another one to mod it without the mistakes I made on the first one but there's too many other sharps on my list ;)
Interesting. So you're saying the geometry of the blade and edge helps to extend the time that the edge remains useful? I would think thinning out the blade would reduce the strength of the edge a little, but maybe that's negligible compared to the overall advantage of a thinner blade.
A thinner blade will glide through the material with less force so it doesn't even need that keen initial sharpness. It's not by chance that grandpa's slipjoint and any modern SAK has a thin full flat blade. No need for super steel, it just cuts nicely and when it's dull it only needs a little honing. Still the RAT 2's AUS-8 and all my 8Cr13MoV knives dull way too quickly. The best edge retention with a fine edge has my Spyderco Caly 3 with it's ZDP189 core but the Gnome is not far behind.
That makes sense. I am starting to appreciate thinner blade stock on my knives. The Tangram knives are good in that way, and I heard the Civivi knives made by WE also feature thinner (<4mm) blade stock.
4mm is quite thick though, a Spyderco Delica has 2.5mm for example. Those knives with the tick on the blade are ugly for my eyes but the Caly 3 is the best performing knife I own. It's comfortable and a real slicer but it hurts the eyes ;) My next project could be a French slipjoint (no Laguiole) made from a kit for around €40. I have enough modern knives but I like the simplicity of a slipjoint knife. Maybe I'll add a clip though :p
I've had the SRM version of the TechTool 2 and it is a hell of a slicer. Slipjoints are good these days when everyone is scared of knives and I kinda like the classic and classy look. Also the making is interesting for a tinkerer like me who has made scales already besides other stuff. It's a totally different world, I wish I had an old knifemaker around here to learn from :)
Hi. Do those things called scales have some structural function? Let's say I removed them and covered the bare metal with anti-slip tape. Would that make the knife weaker?
ReplyDeleteHello Bre.
DeleteI've added a picture for you to see underneath the scales. The steel liners are held together with stand-offs (round pillars) and screws. On this model you could not fix the screws without scales or at least some kind of washers.
If you want something like that I'd recomend a steel framelock knife like the Sanrenmu 710 or 9103/9104 or maybe a cheap titanium framelock from Gearbest or fasttech (they start at $30).
A steel knife where you can easily remove the scales would be the Kershaw Strobe, if you want to see it "naked", check this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLIJ8FLkmkU
Hope I could help you
Endre
Thanks, you are the king. When I saw the picture you posted, for a minute, I thought "you could make the knife really thin with anti-slip tape if you used shorter screws", but that pivot screw thingie would ruin it anywayy.
ReplyDeleteActually I covered my all-steel Praetorian clone with anti-slip tape and I liked how it feels, even if it's somewhat uglier now. I even put some on the grooves for easier one-hand openings.
By the way, I browsed your blog and found your projects very interesting. That copper-gilded Damascus is a gem!
Thank you :)
DeleteI never needed a very grippy knife, even though I use one every day on job. Most of the time it's the reground Malyshev Gnome. I really like that knife, small enough for every day carry and a real slicer with that blade.
If I needed a grippy knife I'd take one with rough G10 or Micarta but in wet and slippery conditions I'd prefer a fixed blade like a Mora.
The coppered damascus was a "mistake" and I doubt I could ever do on on purpose :)
How is the edge retention on your Gnome compared to other knives/steels?
DeleteIt holds an edge quite well but you must consider that I thinned out the blade just like a Spyderco knife.
DeleteBehind the cutting edge it's around .5mm so a little honing is enough for quite a while.
Still it's my job edc knife and I use it for everything from opeing letters/packages to cutting 3mm rawhide and up to 20mm EVA material.
I was sometimes thinking about getting another one to mod it without the mistakes I made on the first one but there's too many other sharps on my list ;)
Interesting. So you're saying the geometry of the blade and edge helps to extend the time that the edge remains useful? I would think thinning out the blade would reduce the strength of the edge a little, but maybe that's negligible compared to the overall advantage of a thinner blade.
DeleteA thinner blade will glide through the material with less force so it doesn't even need that keen initial sharpness.
DeleteIt's not by chance that grandpa's slipjoint and any modern SAK has a thin full flat blade. No need for super steel, it just cuts nicely and when it's dull it only needs a little honing.
Still the RAT 2's AUS-8 and all my 8Cr13MoV knives dull way too quickly.
The best edge retention with a fine edge has my Spyderco Caly 3 with it's ZDP189 core but the Gnome is not far behind.
That makes sense. I am starting to appreciate thinner blade stock on my knives. The Tangram knives are good in that way, and I heard the Civivi knives made by WE also feature thinner (<4mm) blade stock.
Delete4mm is quite thick though, a Spyderco Delica has 2.5mm for example. Those knives with the tick on the blade are ugly for my eyes but the Caly 3 is the best performing knife I own. It's comfortable and a real slicer but it hurts the eyes ;)
DeleteMy next project could be a French slipjoint (no Laguiole) made from a kit for around €40. I have enough modern knives but I like the simplicity of a slipjoint knife. Maybe I'll add a clip though :p
Yes, I meant the Tangram are less than 4mm. I have ltd. experience with slipjoints, a few Sanrenmus and a Boker tech-tool that's hollow-ground 12C27.
ReplyDeleteI've had the SRM version of the TechTool 2 and it is a hell of a slicer.
DeleteSlipjoints are good these days when everyone is scared of knives and I kinda like the classic and classy look.
Also the making is interesting for a tinkerer like me who has made scales already besides other stuff.
It's a totally different world, I wish I had an old knifemaker around here to learn from :)