I made a few changes to a 51 OT

[Meridian_Mike]

I was sitting in my chair Friday afternoon trying to decide what I was going to work on last weekend. Then it hit me.... I remembered seeing a 51 OT that Herman Williams had customized. I figured that might be the thing to do. I had a hole filler in my collection that I wasn't very pleased with so that would become my guinea pig.
Here is what she looked like before I started.....

First thing I figured I would do, was mock it up with a sharpie to see what the blade and handle would look like if my plan worked out.....

Then, I took it over to the sander and got to work. I reshaped the blade first and then worked on the handle a bit.
Here is what she looked like with the changes.......

Next.... I took her all apart...... THEN.... well, what was I going to use for new covers???? ...... OOPS.... I searched all through the bone I had on hand. NOTHING was big enough to cover this joker. Then, I happened to think about a set of buckeye scales I got from a local guy at the last gun show. This guy had found a load of exotic wood and he went to work making scales out of it. I have no idea what he did to this stuff. He wasn't at the show so I could talk to him but his dad was at the gun show selling it for him. He said they had a system they used to stabilize the wood.... So, it looked OK to me. Why not give it a try.

The wood I got was supposed to be book matched but the burl was so radical that in only 1/2", the look completely changed. You could look at the end grain and see the change.
Here is a shot of the 2 slabs ready to glue on for fitting. (Sorry, that is the glue side of the wood. I should have posed the pieces flipped over to show how they would look on the liners.....OH WELL.)

You know the usual song and dance.... gluing, pinning, sanding, assembly, finishing...... ETC...
And here is the finished product...

Thanks for having a look everyone!
Y'all have a safe and happy week.

[doglegg]

Was a 51 OT, now it's a 51 MM. I like the blade and especially that beautiful burled wood. Excellent

[Steve Warden]

Home run, Mike!
Gimme a clip over a spear and natural over synthetic every time.

[Stanwade]

Mike— You turned an average knife into a beautiful work of art! I love those scales! Good job ! two thumbs up..

[Meridian_Mike]

Thanks so much everyone!
It was a fun project.
.
OH.... one "happy accident" (as Bob Ross would say) I discovered after it was finished was this...... The blade doesn't have a nail nick and it was a bit hard to open if it was oily. WELL... with the new front finger swag (you know what I mean) I cut, it made for a larger place to get your fingers on the blade. It opens nicely now....

[glennbad]

Man, what an improvement!

[Doc B]

Wow!!! That wood is really nice!!! I too, like a clip, over a spear. Very nice!!!

[herbva]

Beautiful work of art! When I looked at you first picture, I was wondering what would happen to the nail nick. Man, that turned out nice!

[Beavertail]

That sure is a pretty knife!
I'm going to get up enough nerve and try tinkering with one of My old beater kinves,

[Meridian_Mike]

Thanks for the comments y'all.... I'm pleased that y'all like it!

I'm going to get up enough nerve and try tinkering with one of My old beater kinves,

That is the way to start. Get a beater and take it apart.... then put it back together.... it's that simple!
Get in there and give it a try!

[Byrd]

Wow Mike! You did it again! Nice....

[rustyoldknife]

I like it Its a very nice looking knife

[Tony_Wood]

MM,
Very nice work. Love everything you did.

[Meridian_Mike]

Thanks for all the positive comments everyone!