Hey guys! Started this skinner quite a while ago but just haven't had time to finish. To be honest, I lost the desire because of a couple mistakes and the fact I just didn't have the heart to want to use my 1x42 since I have had the KMG just waiting to be set up. Well low and behold, the KMG is still creeping along but is not ready yet, and with my ankle broken and being bored out of my mind, I decided to pick it up again and fire up the 1x42 and finish it out as best as possible. I must say I am not completely horrified with the results! Not perfect but I was able to work out most of the mistakes to make a very usable skinner! Just have to put a final edge on it. Anyhow... Here it is! 3/32 1095 steel with cocobolo scales...
Bob, I think you did a lot of things right with this knife. The taper on the blade and the thin handle profile look good. Working with bolsters is ugh...as an old mentor-friend says "the Devil must have invented the bolster." I have re-done them more than anything else. Go and put it to good use and abuse it a little. You will be pleasantly surprised when it loves you back. Dan
Great effort Bob. I think all creative efforts have their unique forms of "writers block". And all our mistakes are our best teachers.
Just with pins Marc... I was warned that soldering them would destroy the temper on the blade and it makes sense.
Yeah Ive heard that you have to wrap the blade in a wet cloth when you are soldering. But then the blade might rust a little...so you'd have to refinish it after the bolster is attached, which to me seems like it would be a pain in the ass. I've also considered using JB Weld with pins.
Those pins are on tight as heck... I am not worried about the mgoing anywhere. Besides, being a skinning knife with quite a thin blade, it will not be seeing severe duties like a camp knife ir a bushcraft or the like...
Yeah I have no doubt. Thats good to know. I've been meaning to give metal bolsters a shot someday but the idea of soldering has deterred me.
If everything is perfectly flat, then well swaged in pins will never loosen up. A good machinists trick is to create a small taper on the outer pin holes using a center drill. This turns straight pins into rivets. If you beat on the pins with a big hammer, you won't see them after sanding. Doesn't hurt to give it a little buff with rouge. A good polish hides things you don't want to see.
