So, I've been procrastinating for a while now but finally took the plunge and bought a J.Adams MoD Survival Knife.
I already own a couple of decent bushcraft knives, nothing fancy or expensive and I also have a nice Bowie from the 1970's. I'm from South Yorkshire so I've been raised on the sure and certain knowledge that the best knives are made in Sheffield and fortunately for all concerned that still includes examples of the MoD Survival Knife, though the various makers have long since been absorbed by a single manufacturer.
The fact is the knife is quite a crude tool but the steel is good and there's plenty of it so my intention was always to try some minor modifications.
1) Remove the finger guard - Quite frankly the worst feature on the knife. Tack welded into place and it inhibits the placement of your thumb on the spine, should you want a modicum of better control.
2) Reprofile the scales - Their quite thick and angular and not at all suitable for my tiny delicate girl hands.
3) With the guard removed I thought it wise to form a finger choil. The tang/blade is a thick piece of steel but this was surprisingly easy with a Dremel set on medium speed.
4) Jimping - Using a diamond needle file, I've cut 3 good grooves into the spine. I'd already ground out a smooth transition from the tang to the spine where the steel had previously had a step to hold the guard. 3 grooves feel more than adequate for the size of my hands and fingers.
5) Sheath - OMG! The sheath that comes with the knife is truly dreadful. It's a perfectly good piece of leather but it's definitely a product of the same thinking that went into the finger guard. The worst part is the location of the snap, right up near the top of the belt loop. Should the whole assembly be turned upside down for any reason, the knife slides out, exposing a good 3" section of blade. I tried to commission an Etsy maker to create a nice leather sheath, configured for scout carry, but he's no longer doing custom jobs. I ended up getting a decent nylon sheath (Marauder) from eBay for a fraction of the cost.
6) Para-chord - A final touch was knotting a length of para-chord.
I already own a couple of decent bushcraft knives, nothing fancy or expensive and I also have a nice Bowie from the 1970's. I'm from South Yorkshire so I've been raised on the sure and certain knowledge that the best knives are made in Sheffield and fortunately for all concerned that still includes examples of the MoD Survival Knife, though the various makers have long since been absorbed by a single manufacturer.
Survival knife – Sheffield Knives
7 inch Carbon steel blade blackened blade or polished.
sheffieldknives.com
The fact is the knife is quite a crude tool but the steel is good and there's plenty of it so my intention was always to try some minor modifications.
1) Remove the finger guard - Quite frankly the worst feature on the knife. Tack welded into place and it inhibits the placement of your thumb on the spine, should you want a modicum of better control.
2) Reprofile the scales - Their quite thick and angular and not at all suitable for my tiny delicate girl hands.
3) With the guard removed I thought it wise to form a finger choil. The tang/blade is a thick piece of steel but this was surprisingly easy with a Dremel set on medium speed.
4) Jimping - Using a diamond needle file, I've cut 3 good grooves into the spine. I'd already ground out a smooth transition from the tang to the spine where the steel had previously had a step to hold the guard. 3 grooves feel more than adequate for the size of my hands and fingers.
5) Sheath - OMG! The sheath that comes with the knife is truly dreadful. It's a perfectly good piece of leather but it's definitely a product of the same thinking that went into the finger guard. The worst part is the location of the snap, right up near the top of the belt loop. Should the whole assembly be turned upside down for any reason, the knife slides out, exposing a good 3" section of blade. I tried to commission an Etsy maker to create a nice leather sheath, configured for scout carry, but he's no longer doing custom jobs. I ended up getting a decent nylon sheath (Marauder) from eBay for a fraction of the cost.
6) Para-chord - A final touch was knotting a length of para-chord.
) they worked well enough as choppers, but were even better suited to battoning though firewood. A regrind to a high sabre can make them more user-friendly, but if you're going to that amount of work you may as well make something better instead IMO.
