Umnumzaan Anodized blue and gold

Shown here is a Chris Reeve Umnumzaan folder which is the newest model Chris offers. Its the first one I've seen and due to the job request here I was able to see it all because I had to take it apart to do the blue and gold anodizing.

This looks pretty good and I hope the owner likes it. Its his color request. Took me three tries to get it to the color brightness I wanted but I managed. Third tries a charm as they say.

Thanks for looking.

STR

CQC14 Pop on Frame Lock installed

Please note that this job shown here known as a frame lock conversion along with some others I used to offer are no longer being done by me. I will not be offering this service for production models or the services of rebuilding lock back style folders like some of the Spydercos shown here and this is something that I just decided not too long ago. The reasons for this are too lengthy to get into here. I leave what is shown here in these posts in my blog for your viewing pleasure only. At this time I am trying to focus more on my custom folders which I make from scratch. I will continue to offer my custom folders and my custom titanium pocket clips and pry bars as well but I have limited the numbers of these I will do at one time also. If you wish to know more about why, or what other jobs just write me or post a question in a comment. Thanks for understanding.

My first post for 2010 is shown here and it is one of the pop on frame lock sides in .160 thickness 6AL-4V titanium I did for folks a while back. This is left over from last year. This was made for the Emerson CQC14 model without even having the knife shown here in the picture here to use but simply by doing all the same prep work as if I did have the knife here and then shipping the frame out to the owner of the knife to install himself.

The holes are all mated up to match up perfectly to the original factory side so all the user has to do is open this lock, disassemble their folder and reassemble it using the new thicker slab instead of the original factory thin liner lock and G10 scale.

Some of the models have been tricky to do this with but the 14 and the Horseman have both proven to be quite consistently identical from Emerson so I have had success with several now doing them this way for folks. The owner of the knife then installed the lock side and new replacement non rattle stop pin and took these pictures.

Oh and by the way. I appreciate the great pictures. They always look so much better when someone else takes the pictures so I can post them here.

Thanks

STR

Lignum Vitae Spyderco Stretch w/ ti liners.

This is one I did a long time ago and should have loaded up here on my blog a long time ago as well. I am really surprised this Spyderco Stretch was not added because the lignum vitae handle scales I did for it and the ti liners for a complete rebuild of the body really added a lot of class to this folder. Its probably one of the better Spyderco models that left my shop after completing the job. The gentle feathering pattern of this particular slab of wood I had when this was done really came out so nice it surprised everyone. With age the handles have darkened some with exposure to sunlight which is a typical reaction for this wood once it is aged.

It is normally the case that when you add lignum to a folder the knife gains some weight but since this one was all stainless before it really equaled out quite well in the end. As is shown here the knife was not equipped with a pocket clip. The owner, the Deacon on blade forums and the Spyderco forums didn't want one and does not use one at all. The R2 model I did that is posted in another thread in older posts from 09 below belongs to the the Deacon and the Atlantic Salt in stabalized birds eye maple scales with titanium liners in a 2008 post belongs to him as well.

Thanks for looking

STR

Low Rider Pocket Clips For Folding Knives

Someone asked me if I could do a CASE knife. Unfortunately the only one I could find a picture of is now posted. A Case Trapper in yellow delrin handles with one of my low riders installed on it at the owners request. Just for you S.

Do you own a folding knife that does not have a pocket clip and you wish it did?

Maybe you own a folding knife with a pocket clip you've damaged?

Maybe its a folder you own but equipped with a pocket clip you just don't care for because of various reasons, the most common being that it advertises to everyone near you that you have a big ole knife on your person?

Fortunately I can solve that problem in a lot of cases. Thats right! In many cases I can make a custom pocket clip to suit your needs using the existing holes already drilled and threaded into your folder body from when it was made. In other cases I can drill and thread new holes and mount a new pocket clip if you want a different mode of carry. Some knives come with the pocket clip orientation set up for tip down carry from the factory and if you happen to like tip up carry and your knife didn't come that way it can often times be changed in this way also. However, it will void the warranty to do it this way should you choose to go this route where I have to drill new holes.

Seen here you can see two different sets of photos. In each set is three photos and two different production factory knives are shown. The first from the bottom up is a Spyderco Para-Military. The second is a Spyderco Persistence folder. If you scroll down to what would be the last picture for this post as you go down you will I know its probably confusing but this is actually the first picture even though you have to scroll down to get to it. The first picture of each set is what the knife was like from the factory. In other words its the 'before shot' when the knife first arrived here for a new clip.

You can see the factory look in that first picture of each of the two sets showing the way the pocket clip allows the knife to clip to your pocket from the factory but leaves it stuck up so its up out of the pocket, sometimes to the point its very obvious or you can opt for one of my pocket clips and hide it better by burying it in the pocket so all anyone around you sees is a pocket clip and not necessarily even well enough to identify what the clip is attached to. Some customers even opt for a color anodizing job like that khaki clip shown so the pocket clip blends with slacks at work. I've done countless blue jean blue and khaki pocket clips for folks as well as bead blasted ones. Since my clips are all made of 6Al-4V titanium alloy they are both light weight and strong and come with incredible durability and toughness as well as the inherant 'memory' that titanium is famous for.

For what its worth, besides viewing here you can view other pocket clips and my work posted by customers as well as myself by visiting either one of my two forums at the following links pasted below. You may have to register as a member to view the pictures or get on my forum, I'm not really sure. Thats a simple matter if so though and certainly worth it to view more if this interests you. Please list the referal from me when you do so if you register. Once there you can also see my other sticky posts titled "Read this if you need to mail me work" and in that thread or my "Low Rider Clip and Mailing instruction" sticky threads you can find my work order form needed for every job I do.

Once on my forum simply find the post your looking for or one with a title that interests you and click on it with your mouse to enter that thread. Feel free to ask questions or post pictures or heck start new threads of your own for any new topic you wish to discuss. If there for a clip then follow the simple instructions there in one of my sticky threads to fill out and print my form using the very easy pdf file at the link I've provided and once done use the address on the form to mail with your folder if I need it or to email the form to me if I don't need the folder from you to fit the clip. Turn around time is very quick on smaller jobs like these. Usually well within 24 hours from the day I get the knife. If its a more popular model you own that I get requests for more frequently I often times will not need your knife to make the clip since I already have the template to make it. Also if you are overseas outside the USA or have other questions contact me first and we can discuss the possibilities for your particular folding knife. Check back often on my forums and here as work gets added periodically. Thanks for stopping by. STR

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=652895 http://www.knifedogs.com/forumdisplay.php?f=33

Mini Titanium Prybars

Seen here are some .090 thickness 6Al-4V grade 5 titanium prybars I started making a few years ago. These started out as a smart way to use up some scrap left over end cuts of titanium sheets I had from folding knifemaking but that were too small to use for folders. It didn't take me long to realize there was a market for them albeit a small one. I don't make that many these days like I did when I first started offering them but when I do make a batch they don't last long usually. I'm down to six remaining from this batch at this writing, most of which sold before I even got the pictures loaded everywhere I wanted to put them. Go figure.

Anyway, these are great stocking stuffers for Christmas and make great gifts for other times. They run $20 plus shipping for first class mail. If you prefer Priority mail well thats possible just add $4.95, but they are usually just as fast getting there first class and its cheaper. International shipping is a case by case basis and you need to contact me first to work out how that will be done and the cost.

These are available in a variety of colors as you can see and each one is slightly different as I do still do these up from base raw materials all by hand from scratch. I wrap them either in para cord or some other decorative nylon cord wrap which you can pick for yours should you buy one. This cord helps to aid grip and looks, as well as, allow one to carry them on key rings.

I have been told my pry bar is quite handy. They have been popular with a niche group most often popular with folks working in 'non knife' office environments or where "sheeple" friendly attire is needed like a public job where they are seen a lot. Also, some people like having a tool on them besides their knife and don't particularly want to use their knife for jobs that will ding the edge all up or break the tip so this little tool here fits the bill and can actually open boxes and pop tape to separate it from the roll or lift a tab, as well as, pry staples and other things doing the stuff folks want done. I've also sold some of these prybars to police officers that use them as PI (private investigation) probes for evidence gathering and investigation work at crime scenes to dig around in places they don't necessarily want to touch with their fingers. Apparently titanium is preferred because it is an inert metal and will not contaminate the crime scene. The way I make these they are actually equipped with a flat head screwdriver on one end and a pry bar on the other. Many folks that carry Emerson folding knives like these for the flat head screwdriver; as they can use their pry bar to adjust their pivot screw tension. If you are familiar with Emerson knives you are surely aware that the pivot tends to loosen over time so these can be quite handy to have around on your key ring if you happen to carry an Emerson folding knife.

These pry bars, while not what I'd call extreme heavy duty are still plenty thick titanium so they do hold up quite well and you can actually get rough with them. Believe me people have done so and then told me about it. I have customers that use them from all over the world at this point and while they are certainly not what I'd call a hot seller they do seem to serve a purpose for some so if one interests you here let me know. If you like the idea but wanted a heavier one or one longer maybe, well, I may have some thicker scraps of titanium in the shop from folding knife making and other things I'm into so just ask. Again, I will have some of these for the holidays since many office parties and get togethers require gifts under $25 and these fit the bill. I'm easy to reach by email and that seems to work best for me.

Thanks for looking.

STR

Custom Anodizing For A BenchMade Mini Skirmish

I had thought that for this blogger I'd just post the bigger more challenging jobs I do for folks but this turned out so well and really turned the folder around image wise so much that I thought it was worth showing here. Its not something I've posted here before but one of many other smaller jobs I do still offer that I have reserved for my forum posting in the past.

Anyway, shown here are before and after pictures of a BenchMade Mini Skirmish that came to visit me from Hawaii the other day. You can see that as the knife ships it has a neat swirl pattern in the handle non lock side but is a plain jane bead blast finish. Nothing at all wrong with that but the owner of this wonderful folder wanted a bit more and gave me creative license to have my way with it.

First is a re-blast of the handles after disassembly. Once I sat all my hardware aside in a zip lock bag for safe keeping I taped off the detent ball to keep from blasting or anodizing that. Once that was done I took it inside and dipped it at 28 volts for the first base color of blue.

After the blue I went back to my drill press and loaded it with a super fine 3M Cratex Cylinder to put some swirls of my own on the handle in the form of some free hand jeweling of the outer surface in select areas on the non lock side and the whole slab on the lock side. Then I went back to my anodizer and re-anodized only this time at 18 volts for a purple color to blend with the blue. So in the end this is what I got. Honestly my wife wanted it and said to me when seeing it, "for me?" I had to burst her bubble though and tell her it was someone's knife but again quite honestly we were both stunned at how it turned the appeal up on this particular folder. Trust me pictures do not do it justice like sunlight does!

STR

CQC8 HD Conversion

This was one of those folder lock sides sold off to a repeat customer getting ready to go serve his country that needed something faster than the standard turn around time. Some time back I had attempted to make a HD 8 lock side and had it all but done only to discover that the lock side I used as my template was unique in that for some odd reason either the owner of the knife or whomever owned it before him drilled a 'third' hole in it. As a result of course it was copied and I ended up with a second I could not really sell as my best work.

He gladly accepted that offer to get this lock side at a discount but by the time it all played out I ended up having to not just make the lock side for his one. I ended up having to remake the non lock side liner, and another textured black G10 scale to match up to it as well since none of the holes in the back including the lanyard matched up to the originals. Turns out that hole lock side I copied is different than the one sent to replace the side on.

Anyway, as usual I stubbornly baby stepped my way through each step and knocked it out. You can see it here. I did of course have to activate the lock side detent ball since in the rebuild we lost that secondary detent system incorporated into all Emerson liner locks. Also, I tried best I could to camo the third hole so it looks like it is just another threaded hole. I actually did partially thread it for appearance sake only.

Lock side is .160 thickness 6Al-4V titanium and non lock side liner is also the same alloy of titanium only .058 thickness. All the extra parts will be going back with the folder and even though I did have to activate the detent in the lock and drill a small starter hole in the blade for that ball to fall and catch in when the blade closes it can still be put back together just as it shipped from Emerson.

Thanks for looking.

STR