Recommendations for someone to modify knife

[KnifeEater]

Hi everyone,

I'm in a bit of a pickle and was hoping someone could point me in the right direction I've got a custom knife that I bought second hand and it's a bit of a clunker.

It was billed as being an awesome chopper but the thing is 1cm thick sabre gring bowie and doesn't bite well at all.

I was hoping that someone more knowledgeable than myself could offer some advice on potential modifications to improve it's performance and someone capable of working on it.

 

[hughtrimble]

Pictures would certainly help, and the dimensions of the thing. 1cm thick blade is pretty damn hefty, but things like the grind height (where the sabre grind begins), angle of the sabre, angle of the edge and thickness behind the edge would be of great help to knowing what can be done.

 

[Janne]

I frankly think you are better off using the money that it would take to make your Bowie more useful to buy another knife.

 

[Shelley]

As would the handle, and intended use, the maker might be able to help, if its custom it may have a makers mark, modifying a knife is not hard but big changes may not be worth it, as an example I usually charge $10 (about 5 pounds) to regrind and sharpen a knife if the point has been snapped off-but that's an easy job, to thin out a blade or change the grind, well that would take more time and cost more.

 

[Stew]

Pctires are definitely the way to go as a first stop!

 

[Samon]

It's 1cm thick and sabre ground.. and still not doing its job as cutting wood?

Is it really light weight? made of foam? are your arms made of noodles? lol

No reason why a bit chunk of steel with the right gemoetry cannot cut wood properly. But we can't really help on modifications unless we can see it.

 

[KnifeEater]

It's 1cm thick and sabre ground.. and still not doing its job as cutting wood?

Is it really light weight? made of foam? are your arms made of noodles? lol

No reason why a bit chunk of steel with the right gemoetry cannot cut wood properly. But we can't really help on modifications unless we can see it.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQiCcDdAAqv/

Sorry I can't attach. What's a good file hosting site to get more photos to show?

It weighs a ton and while I'm not built like Arnie I don't have noodle arms either!

 

[Stew]

Try postimage for hosting pics.

 

[hughtrimble]

That's a well-known maker. I'd contact them to see if you can pay for it to be slimmed down to suit your uses, that is unless you've already tried that?

 

[KnifeEater]

That's a well-known maker. I'd contact them to see if you can pay for it to be slimmed down to suit your uses, that is unless you've already tried that?

I havn't, I figured that postage costs to Poland and back plus work done would make it unfeasible. I thought that I'd see the consensus on the forum first.

 

[Samon]

After seeing the knife, I have no idea why it wouldn't cut/chop well. Maybe you're expecting a knife to behave like an axe?

What exactly are you cutting..? Really hard seasoned tight grain wood or just normal green random wood?

 

[hughtrimble]

I havn't, I figured that postage costs to Poland and back plus work done would make it unfeasible. I thought that I'd see the consensus on the forum first.

I imagine it'll be the labor costs that might be prohibitive here. But you're right about the postage if insured appropriately.

Try Jimmypie? If you need his contact details just let me know and I'll forward them. He's a custom maker, but does do regrinds sometimes.

 

[Janne]

The blade seems to have some kind of surface treatment?

 

[sunndog]

Judging by the pic i'd say if that wont chop it, you need an axe.

What are you wanting it to chop?

 

[Stew]

Can you work out the grind angle? How wide is the blade?

 

[C_Claycomb]

What is the steel?
https://www.kornalski.com.pl/

states he either uses M390 or Vanadis 4 Extra. Frankly, if it is anything other than plain carbon steel, or O-1 tool steel (okay or 1095) I would not even attempt to have it worked on. Sell it to someone who fancies it, and buy a knife that will suit your purpose better. Those steels would be pretty nasty to have to grind, and to turn it into a full height grind, that would be a lot of metal to remove, and it would not be fun to re-finish. It looks like the handles can be removed, which would help, but doing that sort of modification on an otherwise mint knife in super premium steel is kind of crazy. Anything less than a perfect re-finish would destroy the re-sale value, beyond the level of where it would be as simply a used example of the original design, and you could not sell it as an example of the maker's work.

10mm is thick for any knife, irrespective of grind height or blade depth. About the only working knives in that range are khukris, and not even all of those are that thick. I really like the look of a lot of Adam Kornalski's work, some really great tools there, but I wouldn't count that as one of them. A very impressive blade, but I would not want to carry it, or swing it, in the real world.

 

[Janne]

Knife eater, not wishing to sound condescending or nasty, but are you using the correct technique?
Your technique, does it work well with another similar knife?
(pardon me for asking, please take no offence!)

 

[KenThis]

If you want a chopper of similar dimensions that does just work try a Skrama.

https://www.varusteleka.com/en/prod...Z5k3t4JxGTo1iTsD_LH2LkQi1jTKTvtxoCGlAQAvD_BwE

As has been said if that skrama can't do it - an axe would be needed.

 

[Janne]

Would it not very, very difficult to reshape with the existing hardening?
Easier to de-harden, then reshape, then harden and temper?

I have never had a Skrama in my paw, but I have an old Marttiini billhook that is gab to chop with. what, maybe 4mm thick? 5 at most?
10mm seems to be a bit over the top.

 

[Robson Valley]

Clean up the bevelled edge. Do 30 - 35 degrees, total included bevel. Do nothing else. Try that.
10mm thick should split wood like a froe. Sharp, it must be a good chopper.