Schrade 34OT Custom

[Jeffinn]

I just got around to using a set of those Schrade brass bolster liners that I purchased.
I fit them with some mahogany smooth bone handles and converted the knife to a two blade middleman jack and installed two new blades. The mahogany had a few spots where the color saturation was a bit mottled but that just adds some character to the knife. With the dark bone handles and brass bolsters shes a real cutie!

[Steve Warden]

Niiiiiiiiiiiice!

[Meridian_Mike]

VERY nice Jeff! I like!!
Yes sir.... those brass bolsters sure make a snazzy folder!

[Doc B]

I like the deep brown, with brass!

[Reverand]

The dark mahogany works great with the brass!

[orvet]

Looks good Jeff!!

[glennbad]

Another winner!

[rustyoldknife]

Jeff, that's a good looking knife, the brown and brass set it off

[fergusontd]

It amazes me that some guys can throw parts at a wall and come up with an amazing custom build, great custom! ftd

[tinkerer]

Very nice!

Did you use brass for the bolster pins?

[Ivoryman]

A pleasure to see all your work Jeffin, great bones, great re-assembly, great knives period. Have one and a couple on the way because I was so impressed. Thanks and keep on modding them and keep them coming. Great stuff.

[Jeffinn]

Very nice!

Did you use brass for the bolster pins?

Yes.
Since I had to cut the Swinden keys to install the new blades, I used a brass pivot pin for the re-assembly. Brass is slightly softer than nickel silver but for a pivot pin on a knife this size it should hold up just fine (that’s my opinion anyway, others may disagree).
Jeff

[Meridian_Mike]

Since I had to cut the Swinden keys to install the new blades, I used a brass pivot pin for the re-assembly. Brass is slightly softer than nickel silver but for a pivot pin on a knife this size it should hold up just fine (that’s my opinion anyway, others may disagree).
Jeff

I think that a brass pivot pin is just fine for a knife that won't see a whole lot of use.
NOW.... if it a "working man's knife".... I would think the pin would need to be harder.
Just my $.02 worth.....

[Jeffinn]

Since I had to cut the Swinden keys to install the new blades, I used a brass pivot pin for the re-assembly. Brass is slightly softer than nickel silver but for a pivot pin on a knife this size it should hold up just fine (that’s my opinion anyway, others may disagree).
Jeff

I think that a brass pivot pin is just fine for a knife that won't see a whole lot of use.
NOW.... if it a "working man's knife".... I would think the pin would need to be harder.
Just my $.02 worth.....

Sounds like there could be an experiment there. I have a few LB7’s with some blade damage (haven’t been able to find replacement blades at a cost that works for me). Maybe we should install a brass pivot pin in one and give the knife to someone for “regular” daily use to see how it holds up. The trick would be in finding someone to use it without abusing it.
I’m just guessing of course but it seems like it would take a lot of use to wear the pivot pin (irregardless of the material used). I’m sure there are lots of opinions to the contrary.
Jeff

[Colonel26]

Jeff that’s a good looking knife right there. I love the contrast between the bone and the brass bolsters. Very classy.

[Meridian_Mike]

I’m just guessing of course but it seems like it would take a lot of use to wear the pivot pin (irregardless of the material used). I’m sure there are lots of opinions to the contrary.
Jeff

Yep.... I would like to hear a few others add some comments about the pivot pins.
I have seen some pictures where the spring wore away a blade at the pivot point. But it seems like maybe the pivot pin itself wouldn't get as much wear as the blade against the pin would have.
Opinions?

[Jeffinn]

As a side note some of the Buck 110’s use brass pivot pins. I have no idea if it’s a different formulation of brass or just the standard stuff but they seem to hold up well.
Jeff

[Reverand]

Brass tends to hold up well when rubbing against steel - the two metals slide a lot without wearing too badly (one reason we use brass for bushings). And I don't know that brass is that much harder than modern Nickel Silver. I may be wrong, but they seem fairly similar to me. I would think that it would work well for normal use.
This is just my opinion - I have no hard facts to back it up. YMMV.

[cody6268]

The only type of pivot I will not accept is a bird's eye rivet. I had an inexpensive Italian made knife that when I was drilling a hole with its punch blade in some pine plywood (feed box lid), the "bird's eye" ring simply popped off.

Swiss Army Knives (both Victorinox and Wenger), for the most part, have used brass almost exclusively. Only some really old Swiss Soldier's Knives (pretty much every model prior to 1961) aren't brass, and their pins are solid steel. I have never seen a damaged pin, even with tools that were obviously abused. I've seen them with snapped awls and badly mangled/twisted drivers (and I did twist the slotted screwdriver on the end of the can opener once--on a screw that was bent), but no damage to the pins the tool rode on. In addition, I have one that is more than sixty years old, and it still works like the day it was made.

The knife looks great! You ditched that superficial spey. I've owned a 34OT for 15 years now; and I've only used the spey when I dulled the other two blades.

[Meridian_Mike]

Brass tends to hold up well when rubbing against steel - the two metals slide a lot without wearing too badly (one reason we use brass for bushings). And I don't know that brass is that much harder than modern Nickel Silver. I may be wrong, but they seem fairly similar to me. I would think that it would work well for normal use.
This is just my opinion - I have no hard facts to back it up. YMMV.

Yep... I whole heatedly agree!
One big thing that keeps knife parts from wearing is OIL... Keep it oiled and that should help GREATLY!!