Klein Electrician's Rehab

[Reverand]

It has been almost a year since I have done any work in the knife shop, so I have really been itching to get back at it.
I moved past several half-finished and barely-started projects on my workbench to start on this Klein that I recently found cheap on the 'Bay. The poor thing had been heavily used and abused.

Klein Hawkbill electrician's knife

So I shaped the worn Hawkbill blade into a Sheepsfoot and removed the screwdriver blade.
I rehandled it in some Culpeppers Sunset smooth bone.

I Left some of the deeper scratches on the blade and bolsters, because I didn't want to take off too much metal. Still, I like how it turned out!

[Jeffinn]

That’s a great rehab!

[edge213]

It has been almost a year since I have done any work in the knife shop, so I have really been itching to get back at it.
I moved past several half-finished and barely-started projects on my workbench to start on this Klein that I recently found cheap on the 'Bay. The poor thing had been heavily used and abused.
86BE6BB2-A960-46D4-BDFD-E9B0E1FFCBEB.jpeg

So I shaped the worn Hawkbill blade into a Sheepsfoot and removed the screwdriver blade.
I rehandled it in some Culpeppers Sunset smooth bone.
CE0FF584-73A4-4A51-8FE6-DF1A19F77816.jpegC6AA56E3-B3F8-4E0A-896C-BD816CC28D69.jpeg

I Left some of the deeper scratches on the blade and bolsters, because I didn't want to take off too much metal. Still, I like how it turned out!

material.

much improved!

[orvet]

Nice job Rev. I would have taken out the secondary blade also, although it is not a screwdriver blade. It is a blade specially designed to cut a certain type of electrical cable covering.
Glennbad knows the proper name.

[eveled]

very nice result.

[Reverand]

Nice job Rev. I would have taken out the secondary blade also, although it is not a screwdriver blade. It is a blade specially designed to cut a certain type of electrical cable covering.
Glennbad knows the proper name.

Thanks Dale!
I did remove the secondary blade, along with the liner lock. I had assumed (ahem!) that it was just a screwdriver blade that had been ground down after breakage, or something. I appreciate the correct information. There is always something more to learn!

[herbva]

Really nice, creative work Reverand! That one will make a nice EDC. And, now I know what to do with a worn down hawkbill blade in the future.

[Doc B]

That turned out nice Reverend!!! I like a sheep foot style blade, too. Very useful EDC!!!

[cody6268]

Great job! I have a Schrade Walden 204 Electrician that Jeffinn redid with a sheepsfoot blade, but it was cut down to Barlow-size. But it uses the same bone. The sheepsfoot blade is my favorite profile for most jobs--you can't accidentally stick something with it if cutting in an emergency (like cutting a seatbelt), but there's still a tip.

Klein/Kutmaster from the factory typically look pretty cheap. Throw in 20-30 odd (some nearly 50!) years of use, and EWW! They don't age well at all. About half of mine were EDCs of family members/friends who were coal miners; and typically used them hard; as they were work-issued. I've got a nice Klein hawkbill, as well as a well used, but still decent condition Kutmaster that has no lock--I'm thinking about having those redone in stag. The lock-free Kutmaster is sleeker, and better made than the Klein; despite coming out of the same factory.

[rea1eye]

Nice jobs Reverend!

Bob

[Reverand]

I really appreciate all of the comments. This bone looks better in person than in pictures, but the blade looks a bit worse.
I should have taken more time with it, but I was really hankerin' to finish this one up.
It is good enough for me, so I guess that is what counts. The blade has good half-stops, snaps like a bear trap, and has taken a good edge. I have been coon fingering this knife all evening!

[1967redrider]

Great looking job, Reverend!

[samb1955]

Looks real good, big improvement!

[texoma]

glad to see you back in the shop to show off your work, that turned out nice