All About Pocket Knives

Here is a project I finished today, an old 55UH with a worn out blade but a good frame.
I have a few blades for the 55UH, so I decided to put a new one in. I have customized several knives in this frame, but there are several variations.

The 55UH has the Swinden pin for the pivot pin, but it has the lanyard tube at the end & a liner lock as opposed to the lock back. This complicates the whole procedure. Also in the factory 55UH there is no hole in the back spring for the rivet about the lanyard tube; I had to cut a slot near the end of the spring so I could pin through the knife, instead of just pinning the handle to the liner. The spring is harder than I thought; it wore out 2 carbide burrs!

Anyway here it completed with Amber CSB (carved stag bone) from Culpepper’s. The mark side is darker as I think the bone as a tad bit more porous.

I would love to know what y'all think of it.

Wow Dale, love it! I like what you did to the bone, allowing it to be wider at the butt end. Almost gives a 152 kind of look.

Beautiful work!

Sittin' here with the 55OT we were talkin' about the other day, glennbad said Wow, I'll just say Amen! You changed the bolsters and kept the liner lock. That one beats this green thing all to pieces!
Treefarmer
EDIT on 11/01/13: Looking at Dale's work I assumed (y'all know what that does ) that he had changed the bolsters from brass to NS, well he had to set me straight, the 55UH doesn't have brass bolsters as do the 55OTs. Again, Dale has made it a fine lookin' knife!

Pretty darned good for an old guy. I really like that Culpper CSB.
Mission accomplished. At ease.

That came up really nice Dale!

Thanks for the feedback guys!
Getting the opinions of knife guys really helps me to know if I am on track with what other people like. Sometimes y’all like things I really don’t and vice versa. Your comments are quite helpful.

glennbad wrote:Wow Dale, love it! I like what you did to the bone, allowing it to be wider at the butt end. Almost gives a 152 kind of look.

Beautiful work!

Thanks Glenn,
I don’t know if it is the arthritis in my hands or just me, but I have started tapering the handles on several knife patterns I use myself. People have commented on it and say they like the tapering scales on the handle. For me, I can get a more secure grip on the knife.

Very nice knife, Dale!

Did you taper the handle slabs with a saw or just sand them to a taper? (Gotta try it myself.)

..... Joe

Another beauty! I love that Amber CSB...what a great looking knife

Joe Dirt wrote:Very nice knife, Dale!

Did you taper the handle slabs with a saw or just sand them to a taper? (Gotta try it myself.)

..... Joe

I sanded them Joe.
I have a 4 X 36 belt sander with a 40 grit belt that I use for tasks like that. I run the bone in basically a figure 8 pattern to take it down where I want it. It takes a bit of practice to get them just right & you have to keep measuring them to see that they are both handles are close to the same.
Just watch your fingers, that 40 grit goes through fingers easier than the bone slabs! 36 grit is even worse, (and don't ask how I know that!)

IMO, the taper of the handle makes a big difference in my grip when I use the knife!

Thanks for the info, Dale.
I have a big 6x48 sander and know what ya mean with that ol blue 40 grit belt!

So your saying that's your new "ergonomic" handle style of choice? Sure makes um look good too.

..... Joe

Joe Dirt wrote:So your saying that's your new "ergonomic" handle style of choice? Sure makes um look good too.

..... Joe

I would say it is, at least of single blade locking knives, (usually lock backs or liner locks).
It is inconvenient on a knife that has blades at both ends!