Modified an ol?one from the shelf.

[Stefan]

Ok, let me begin with saying that this is not a knife of my own making. If this is inappropriate please move to some other forum (though I couldn?t find one for modified production pieces...) It began as an swedish EKA lockback, actually an very decent production folder with a drop point sandvik steel blade. It was given to me as a going-away present when I left a company five years ago. This was before I had even the slightest interest in knives, and even though it was a good knife, it has been in a drawer since i got it. It was just too boring.

Since then, I?ve become (like most of us) hooked on knives and have tinkered with fixed blade knifes. I?ve wanted to try folders, but before I could begin to make one or order a kit I realized I had this EKA that could act as a good test subject (or victim, depending on how you see it...)

I added checkering to the scales (the original scales, sanded down a bit, don?t know what kind of wood, maybe walnut), together with a mosaic pin (had one laying around).

Did some filework to the screws and spine, simple wine pattern. The filework goes about an inch onto the blade as well. The filework on the brass liners was supposed to point towards the spine and not the scales, but i managed to mix them up and they can?t be interchanged. ah well such is life... Just don?t tell anybody... By the way this was my first attempt at filework, so I didn?t want to screw up a one off damascus spine special...

My point with all this is twofold. One is that a couple of hours of work can turn even the most boring knife into something pretty good looking. Also production knifes are good to test new techniques, we all have a bunch just sitting around.

My second point is also the reason I posted, because I like checkering. It?s good looking, fun to do, gives a positive grip etc. Thats?s mainly the reason I modified the knife in the first place, just to try it on a folder. Still checkering is almost never seen on custom knives... How come? I think I?m going to start a new trend by adding checkering to mine.

Stefan

[Wilhelm]

That does look mighty good.

[Stefan]

Thanks.

I?ve come to a conclusion regarding the absence of checkering in knives... I?ve found that it is very important to have the best possible wood grain showing in the handles, scales or whatever. This applies to all kinds of wood and natural handle materials. Obviously checkering will take away from the look of finely burled wood...but still there is a clear advantage with checkering, grip. And good checkering is extremely beutiful as well. Also, the property grip is also often mentioned regarding knives, but then often in association with sandblasting or other techniques that gunstockmakers don?t consider very "grippy". Or is it so that there is such a thing as too much grip in a knife (for ergonomic reasons)

Interestingly enough, I began doing checkering when doing gun grips. With gun grips it is far more important with checkering, even when using the best pieces of wood. The demand for grip is there, but to me it seems grip should be just as important with knives.

It is fun to see two different "disciplines" of handcraft that are closely related still show such difference when it comes to taste and the popular way of doing things.

[mitchell]

Stefan,that look's great on that piece.Great job!

[KNAdmin]

Great work!

Alex

[MtMike]

Stefan -- no matter which reason inpsired you to checker this one, keep it up That's beautiful work, and I agree -- grip is every bit as essential on a good knife as it is on gun grips.

Mike