Kershaw Rainbow Leek with STR emerald green ti low rider clip

Shown here is a emerald green anodized titanium pocket clip made to fit a Rainbow Leek by Kershaw knives. Sometimes they come out so nice you just have to show em off a little.

http://www.yuntaa.com/FileManager/Download.aspx?ContentID=52E030C97E8122C9E04400144FB7B71E


Here are a few more of the same model only a standard Leek in tip down carry vs the rainbow model which is set up for tip up carry. Most of these aftermarket low rider clips I make are going to be 'location specific'. If you imagine flipping the clip on this rainbow model to tip down you can see that the fold over would overhang off the end by quite a bit. This is typical of many folders as the proximity of the holes to the end of the knife is most always different from one mount position to the other. Doesn't matter if it is a Spyderco Para Military or Military or one of the Leek models or many others. Few are going to be the same for hole placement in regards to their distance from the end of the handle.

Hope that makes sense.

Thanks for looking
STR

Leek Factory Clip 

Factory clip tip down

Custom Low Rider Tip down 

Low Rider in pocket shown in titanium, anodized blue @ 28 volts for the DC power supply 

A "Scagel Style" folder pattern in a modern day interpretation

First things first. Click any picture to bring it out to full size.
A few years ago I bought a couple copies or clones of Scagel folding knives. These sanctioned licensed copies were by Northwoods Knives. (top photo of double blade model) These were supposed to be built to exacting tolerances following patterns from original knives they knew of and had possession of, at least long enough to copy, that Bill Scagel himself had made when he was alive. Although they are both very nice (see first picture of second wood handle model ) they were quite pricey, limited in number made and more importantly quite heavy for their size. The way Northwoods made them both the folders I bought were double blade models like the top knife shown here with stag handles which anyone knows is also problematic for the handles cracking especially around the pins.

Unlike what I've  done here with my version of this folder, both these copy knives were made using extra thick blade and spring stock by Northwoods since that is what Bill Scagel's knives were like. As a result of the springs and blades being as thick as knives way bigger than normally seen in knives of this size, both had very big 'foot prints' in the pocket. They were way more folder than I would want to carry due to the thickness of two extra thick blades and the weight they brought to the table but otherwise I loved the shape and design characteristics of both.

I have several other Northwoods Scagel models. Of all the models I own the one shown above with wood handles in that first picture is the knife that excited me even if it is not original anymore because its been taken apart to make into a single blade. I like it so much because its very pockeable. I've carried it off and on. However, the 'shoe shined' rounded off finish and thickness of this one and the fact that Lignum is the heaviest of all wood means its still a bit thick and a bit heavy even as a single blade model now. The bottom line is that its close but no cigar and still carries bigger than you would expect for such a small knife of only 3 and 3/8" closed. My intention in creating my own version of this wonderful design was to improve on that footprint size and reduce the weight at the same time.

What I've done here is simply re-interpret this classic pattern for my own pocket as shown next to the two Northwoods models in the first picture. My examples here are 3/32 blade stock using ATS34 steel set at 60 Rockwell hardness for the blade and 50 RC for the back spring as opposed to what appears to be 3/16" stock if not more on the Scagel copy by Northwoods. This is a classic Sod Buster design or very close and as you know if you've followed some of my other models, I've been a Sod Buster fan all my life!

All of my folders are all equipped with titanium liners in .050 thickness as opposed to the much heavier nickel silver or brass used in many other traditional knives and all of these folders except for the last one sport textured G10 handle scales made to pop on and off to interchange. The models shown here all weigh in at 1.4 ounces to 1.5 ounces for the first two shown together. I used solid ti pins in those first two and made the pivots a beefy 1/8" diameter on all of these. The last one shown alone here in black textured G10 is the one in my pocket. I've been using the tar out of this thing since finishing it up!. The original that I copied to make these weighs in at 3.4 ounces.

None of these shown are for sale but the first of some I plan to make later and later on I'll have some available. I had this project shown here on my agenda to do for some time and finally got around to using those blanks I had cut out by a Water jet service a long time ago.

Anyway, these are great little folders whether done in tradional styling with natural handle materials like wood, stag or bone, with or without bolsters or a non traditional approach such as mine using G10 and Micarta man made synthetic materials for handles. Either way the knife fits into my philosophy that less is more, less is best, and keep it simple. These done using G10 or Micarta are everything I think a carry knife should be to be great. That means an EDC should be light weight so that you don't know its on you until you need it. It should be stainless to be pretty much immune to sweat, salts, rust and other such things like pitting or staining. It should be a great edge keeping hard blade with proper heat treat. It should be able to work bigger than its size and it should be grippy and done with a handle material immune to acids, oils, chemicals, moisture, splitting, cracking, chipping , fraying, warping or temp or weather changes. I have all that now shown right here. Thanks for looking.

Edit: Bob Pickle is a fellow knife maker friend and has sent me pics of the one I did for him that he wanted to do his own handles on so I'm posting those up for folks to see. This turned out really nice Bob and I really like the lignum handles on yours. Nice and flat! I know that one rides in the pocket right!. Thanks for sharing it with us.
STR

Mini Ti Pry Info Thread

NEW for 2012 no more 1st class shipments to Canada. I get just a few orders to you guys up north every year and I hate to do this but your customs gives me such fits where I've had to redo orders two and three times trying to please a customer and it happens so much that I've finally decided thats it. I'll entertain mailing in a Priority mail box but it will be costly compared to first class.  I've got three orders out waiting to here if I need to refund money once again while we wait to see if the clip ever gets there or whether I remake the whole order which sometimes consists of multiple clips or prybars and honestly, just too much. I can't keep doing it so the only other alternative is to stop mailing there or make it so that if I do its more secured and gets there faster. If you have a friend stateside you would like me to mail it to thats fine but as of today no more shipments to Canada. I have no problems shipping first class anywhere else. 


First off, be advised that shipping has gone up again with the USPS and I've had to make appropriate adjustments to my pricing. New price is $30 each for the pry tool as shown here. This to adjust for this new change with first class shipping prices as well as the cost of the packing materials and envelopes I use to mail these. Thanks for understanding.  Click any picture to bring it out to full size for better viewing. 


The Mini Ti Pry. What is it? Perhaps "useful" describes it best. Simple, lightweight, convenient and handy. Most of these are between 3.5" to 4" in length and some may drift over 4" long  All are half an inch plus or minus for width. No two are exactly alike since these are done from scratch using raw materials. They start out as a strip of bare dirty titanium approx. 1/2" wide which came off a larger sheet before that. The thickness is .090 + or - and I use the 6AL-4V knifemaker grade titanium on these so they are the same titanium that I use for my folding knives. I can wrap them in various colors of para cord. Finish choices are bead blasted or hand rubbed to a satin finish or anodized one of many color choices. (note I cannot get black or red colors). See some samples of those found in threads on my forum here in the provided links or what is posted here by guys that have bought some. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/sh...&postcount=107 . 

These are all a pry bar on one end and a flat head screw driver on the other end no matter which model you pick. There are two models besides a variance in length. At request I am offering straight bars or bars bent on one end. If you do not specifically tell me when you order or pay for one of my pry bars please know the default mini ti pry will be a straight bar that is hand rubbed and wrapped in black para cord.

I have tried to be sure these screw drivers are geared to work quite well for adjusting the pivot barrels of Emerson knives as well as many other light to medium duty jobs you may need a flat head driver for. While these don't replace a knife they seem to fill a niche for some of the abusive things we do with our pocket knives at times and can work in place of a knife for those of you in situations where you cannot carry a knife at work or in the office or for those that simply don't want to carry a knife by personal preference. 


I've sold these to office workers, secretaries, teachers and even law enforcement and security people who use these as probes for working crime scenes for digging around in places they would not want to go with their fingers and I've noticed folks think they make great stocking stuffers for Christmas so keep that in mind if you need some office party or friend and family gifts this year. In a pinch these prybars can open boxes, pop tape, pry staples, lift water meter lids in the yard or hot pot lids in the kitchen, pop stubborn canned food pop tops or beverages for those wanting to save a fingernail. They can be used to untie stubborn knots and many other things limited only by imagination. The folks that either can't carry a knife or just don't happen to have one on them like the light weight and 'sheeple' friendly acceptance these receive in public places compared to pulling out a knife. I've been told they save your blade for what its made for, cutting!  So rather than ruin the tip of your expensive blade to pry something use a mini ti pry instead. Point is, they do come in handy at times. I hear tell they are hell on the insides of washing machines so if you forget to remove the one you carry consider yourself warned!  Clean out your pockets before washing.  What can I say, they are tough little buggers. 


Price is $30 each shipped for the basic model shown here. Postage is going up again so my price has to as a result. If you need to contact me personally: This email is also my pay pal address. 
STR@bladeforums.com Speaking of pay pal, please know that I do not ask people to pay me with a personal or gift payment. I don't mind giving pay pal their cut so pay normally for goods. Besides the address never shows up when you pay it other ways so it forces me to have to reach out to you to get the address and can delay shipping if I don't hear back from you right away. 

Ordering is easy. Just email me at STR@bladeforums.com and tell me how many and what type you like and the address they'll be shipping to. 


Remember


What color bar if any? 
Do you want one straight or do you want a slight bend in the end of the bar. I need to know that before coloring or wrapping. People forget this all the time so please let me know straight or bent guys! 
Also, cord wrap choice. 
Thanks for your interest in my mini ti pry! 
STR

Custom Low Rider Pocket Clips:

Pocket view. Note how the knife disappears in the pocket. This answers the question of why folks want a low rider. My clip is less noticed due to difference in 'foot print' size also. 

STR Low Rider mounted

Factory clip set up 

Superimposed view of my clip over the factory clip for this model

Close up of STR Low Rider

Side view STR Low Rider

Side view factory clip

One of the things I get asked to do more than anything else is to make one of my custom low rider pocket clips fit a favorite everyday carry knife for a customer. This is one of the few things I do involving production folders anymore and something I will always do at least as long as I can. As many of those following my work know, I used to do quite a bit of modification work on production folders as shown here in my blog in past posts. Most all of those production knife jobs have been discontinued by me with the exception of my custom pocket clips.  I am a pocket clip fan and I enjoy making these for folks when it involves knives already equipped with a pocket clip. Some models such as the Spyderco Military, and Para Military 1 and 2, the Kershaw Leek, or Junk Yard Dog II folder (shown) and the Benchmade Mini and full size Griptilian folders are frequent requests that come my way.

For most of these above models I can make a clip without the need for having the knife shipped to me because I have some of my own folders in these same models which can be used to make pocket clips for others. If someone owns something other than these knives I may need the knife in question to do the pocket clip. It depends on several things I need to know. Sometimes it helps to see pictures of a knife in question and from all sides to decide if one of my clips is a possibility. Pictures can tell me a lot usually so if you have some of your knife or a link to your knife model that helps me to determine if we can proceed or not on a pocket clip project.

This JYDII folder here was set up to take one of my custom fit low rider pocket clips made from .045 thick titanium. I use the same knife maker grade of titanium for my clips as I do for my knives. You can see the side shots for both factory and upgrade to my clip as well as the difference in look and fit from one to the other. I try whenever possible to use the factory pre-threaded holes already in the knives. In the event I have to drill and thread new holes for mounting the clip somewhere other than the factory mountings I would need the knife. This of course is problematic when I have to modify a knife permanently because it voids the factory warranty but also its something that needs discussed because there are some models I simply won't drill and thread into for various reasons. Pinned together knives are some I'm not really fond of working on even though you can find some that I have done. For knives that never had a pocket clip it can also be problematic. Some knives simply won't allow for a clip to be installed due to how they are made or the materials they are made from. Each case varies so contact me if you have questions about yours.

Anyway, this has been something I've been wanting to do ever since this customer of mine sent me these pictures and posted them on my forum to show what the before and after for one of my low rider or fold over style pocket clips did for his Kershaw knife. As you can see from the pocket shot the knife buries deep and completely disappears with one of my clips. This is not always the case as some models won't allow me to make the clip such that it can go clear to the end of the knife to do the fold over due to their specific design but no matter it is still better for how it sits than a factory set up. Sometimes its necessary to weave the stem of the clip between the lanyard hole and a button lock or some other mechanism which forces me to stop the clip short of going to the end. At other times if it looks like the fold over would overhang off the spine I am forced to fold it over before it would overhang to keep the clip as invisible in the hand as possible. So in these cases I cannot bury a knife as deep as one may envision but usually its pretty close.

Some customers elect a bead blasted finish as shown here. Bead blasted is the most popular request. Other customers elect to have me anodize their clip a color, usually khaki or brown, or perhaps blue jean blue to allow the clip to blend with slacks a little better in the work place giving their carry knife somewhat of an urban camo thing going on. Some customers that carry larger knives prefer to have a smaller than factory clip made to fit their knife. This gives the illusion that the knife they carry is much smaller than it really is. So occasionally I'll get an order for an almost "pen" looking pocket clip rather than one as large as that shown.

If you navigate my blogger a bit using the menu to the right you can find older posts I did on my low rider clips also, both in May and August of 2010. However, if it interests you further you can see still more of my work in my forum at http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=810 in the makers section. Once on my forum, just find the pinned posts at the top pf the page somewhere with the other pinned posts there titled "Low Rider Clip Picture thread" or "The Picture Thread" and you can see more. Both of these threads and the other pinned posts are always there on page one somewhere at the top of the page on my forum so they'll always be easy to find in the event you want to see a picture again or see what new pictures have been added. Lastly, if you need or want to get in touch with me about how to get one of my clips for yourself simply go here and fill out and print one of my work order forms and once I get it I'll do the rest or contact you if I have any questions. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=525771
For the record I do have a second forum on http://knifedogs.com/forumdisplay.php?33-STR-s-Back-Yard-Dog-House that also has additional pictures in a separate gallery.

Thanks for stopping by my blogger.
STRs

V Grind Hammer Forged White Steel Kiridashi Liner Lock In Textured Green G10

What can I say. I liked the folder like this one that I did for my sister so much I decided I had to have one for myself. :-)

Same specs just slightly thicker G10 and a V grind blade instead of the one side grind model. I equipped mine with a pocket clip for right hand tip up carry and used black screws for the clip since I'm out of the shiny ones. Mine weighs more than the one for my sis which is the orange one right below this green one I did for myself. As shown this one weighs in at 3.5 ounces.

Just a reminder to those of you new to my blogger, drag your mouse on any picture and click on it through out my blog and you can bring it up to full size. 

Thanks for looking.

STR

Hunter Orange Left Handed Japanese White Steel Kiridashi Folder

My sister said to me that she really liked the Kiridashi I did for a customer when she saw it over on my Face Book account. She hinted that she'd like to have one for her birthday, 'to match her kitchen knives' but I know she really just wants it because its by her big brother. :-)

Anyway, being that she is a south paw (lefty) I figured it would be a good excuse to use this right hand grind blade since the smooth side of the blade is on the correct side to roll along on the detent ball in the lock. I assume most viewing here know that these style of folding knives have little ball bearings in the locks. These aid smoothness in the action and keep the blade tip down during carry preventing the blade from opening by gravity. I learned doing the V grind model and some past ones that the ball can feel somewhat grainy for a time if you don't do this so to me it was the perfect match up to have this blade laying around and a project it fit right into. This actually turned out quite well and it answered a question I had in my mind as to if I could make this blade work in my BUSSTR folder platform as well as my He-Man folder model which I did earlier for some folks and posted on other pages.

This is my first liner lock using one of these Japanese White Steel blades.
I can't say exactly what it is this hammer forged look does for me but I sure do like it! Its a bit of a challenge to make a differentially hardened blade work in any integral style folder design but when you do get it I must say its pretty dang nice. I used textured hunter orange G10 on this one and its .080 thick so it made for a light weight thin folder. The liners are .070 titanium on this one and the weight is 2.9 ounces. Its 4 and 5/8" closed and sports 3.125" of blade length when opened. The grind is right handed as I said on this one but that just means my left handed sis can experience what the rest of the world has been experiencing with Emerson knives and other chisel grind knives for years. I have a hunch she'll like it. Happy B-day Sis!

Thanks for looking.

STR

Sod BUSSTR Frame Lock

EDIT: I want to add right here at the top since it has been mentioned by some that on the 3rd of Oct. 2010 Howard Viele contacted me after I reached out to him on Facebook where we are both friends. In his contact he granted me permission to do his trademarked three hole pattern on the 8 blades and pocket clips I have like the one shown in this post. Thanks Howard. 
As a youth I always loved my CASE Sod Buster folders. As some of you guys that read here often know I have been making this BUSSTR folder for some time now offering both a liner and frame lock version of it with the frame lock being made from the 'Tac Ti' sheets of textured titanium I get from Tracy at USA knife maker supply. The only difference between this here model and my original is that the original usually had a clip point blade in it like all those shown here in my blog in older posts. For a change of pace I thought it was time to use one of these Soddie blades to see what it would come out like. This here is the first one using one of these blades. SOD Busters are such great knives in the field. They are so good for small game and food prep jobs that its hard not to like them if you are any kind of an outdoorsman at all. 
When my friend Dave at Great Lakes Waterjet suggested I do a Sod Buster blade shape in my BUSSTR folder I wondered to myself why I didn't think of that myself because I loved the idea and as a youth I carried one for  quite a few years going through high school. In my home town back in West Virginia where I grew up the schools still close for the first week of deer season to this day! It makes sense if you knew the area though cause there wouldn't be any teachers to teach school anyhow since they'd all be huntin! :-)  So, you can see why such a portable butcher shop blade like this would be a great friend to a guy like me growing up in the hills where we depended on the meat we bagged each year. I realize these days that you young whipper snappers skip school to go to the video game stores but in my day we skipped to go huntin'. Such was life where I grew up. 
Anyway, with my friend Dave's help I got my blades to use in the SOD Buster shape. Dave cut these patterns out for me from my sheets of 12C27 stainless steel and after I got em back I went to work and Peters Heat treat service did up the blades for me to 60 Rockwell hardness. Shown here are some of the recent folders I've done along side this here new one utilizing one of my Sod Buster blades. Each of these other folders shown with my Soddie is described in other posts. 
If you want to read up on those others just scroll down some and you'll find em. They are all 12C27 for the time being. Come later on I'll have some in S30V and D2 as well as the old stand by ATS34 again but for now I'm using up that 12C27 Sandvik steel and folks seem to be liking that a lot so I figure I'll be sticking with that as long as the feedback remains this positive. You know on paper this stuff is not all that impressive but there is something about it that just flat out works and folks like it! I must admit its won me over about as well as my customers. The stuff is great! 

Oh yeah. The blade on this here textured titanium model folder is 3 and 1/4" and the closed length is 4 and 11/16". Its a tad heavier due to the grind and the fact that the body is 1/8" longer than my Clip point BUSSTR. This one weighs 3.7 ounces. As you can see from looking the slab thickness on this model is just over 1/8" at .135 thickness 6Al-4V titanium for each side. The spacer/stand off in the rear is G10 pinned with 1/8" stainless barrels and T-8 torx screws. The pivot is a 3/16" 416 stainless that takes a T-15 torx driver to tighten or loosen and the pocket clip, also made by me is a .045 titanium mounted with 2-56 screws for T6 torx. As usual thanks for looking and stopping by my little neck of the woods. 


I've added two pictures of this that are winter shots. You can tell because the greenery is gone in the background. These show the new hand rubbed finish and scandi grind once it was completed. The first shots shown are still work in progress pics before the blade and edge were finished out. Just FYI. 



STR