TBS Boar EDC - Thumb Grip Mod

[Nomad]

Those that are familiar with the TBS Boar EDC pocket knife will be aware that it can be awkward to open with wet hands due to the lack of a slot to get the thumbnail into. There are a couple of little bolt-on doohickeys to make things easier, but they don't appeal to me. So, I cut a slot in the blade instead...

Here's the knife clamped into a milling machine just before I started cutting. The copper strips are to reduce the chance of marring the blade with the steel clamps. The cutter is a 2mm carbide slot drill (which is designed to do plunge cuts as well as sideways cuts - just the sort of thing that's needed for cutting slots). The slot was made in a series of cuts about 0.1mm deep, and cutting oil was used to lubricate the cutter and absorb some of the heat. The slot is 12mm long and about 0.6mm deep.


And here's the result...

I gave it the wet hands test, and it worked very well with just the fleshy part of the thumb - the flesh presses into the slot a little and the edge of the slot nearer the spine seems to give enough grip. With washing up liquid on the fingers, making things rather more slippery, the fleshy thumb grip struggled a little - needed to apply a bit more pressure to get enough grip. With soapy fingers and using the thumbnail instead, it was no problem at all.

 

[SCOMAN]

That's very nice wouldn't mind that done to my own. Alas tools and skills defeat me.

 

[Clouston98]

Good mod, I like it!

 

[Macaroon]

That's head and shoulders above those awful brass bars - well done, that's a good 'un..................................atb mac

 

[Stew]

Very tidy job mate. Well done.

I think it should be standard on the knife anyway!

 

[Nomad]

Thanks all.

Yes, agreed that the knife should have something like that anyway. I suspect they compromised the design to make it look like a baby Woodlore-stylee fixed-blade in the photos, and then added the brass things when they realised it's hard to open with wet hands. They should bite the bullet and do it properly.

 

[crosslandkelly]

Very clever. I like that.

 

[HHazeldean]

I agree with Mac that looks so much better than either of the other brass attachments, very nice mod there

 

[ammo]

An improvement for sure. Nice work