View Full Version : MOD Survival Knife- What to do?
I have an old MOD survival knife at home which is missing the handle and the sheath.
At one time I had designs to put a handle on it myself, but seeing as i can't knock a nail in straight, i have thought better of it.
So is the blade worth doing any custom work on? Would you reshape the blade or simply put a handle on it..
Does anybody know someone who can do the work with out charging an arm and a leg...
Regards,
Pete
for the work it would take to reshape the blade you might as well make your own knife, as I learnt a few months back its not as difficult as it seems.
Pete.. i don't know what the blade is like or what you want if for so i don't know if it would need re-shaping.. if the blade is just knocking around i would say have a go putting a handle on it your self.. learn from the challenge.. if you want it done professionally though just ask on British Blades.. and the makes there will be able to do what you need, and very reasonably for the most part! :-)
Gents,
I am not sure about reshaping simply as I don't really have an idea what I would do with the knife..it just seems ashame to see it lying there useless..
Whats the quality of steel like in the these knives?
I would like to put some antler scales on it, but besides the lack of skill, I also lack the facilities to work on it...
I will go over to Britishbaldes when I get a minute and see what they can come up with..
Regards,
Pete
Remember thiough that in messign about (especially sending it back and forth to others and so on) that a new MOD knife will only cost you £30 or so and that a handle and sheath plus postage might cost you more than that. You might want to get a new one and use the old one to experiment with.
Just an idea ...
tenbears10
14-12-2004, 15:01
I managed to put a passable handle on a blade with a file, a rasp, wet and dry paper, epoxy, linseed oil, drill, and ...... that was it. No power sander, no vice, no workshop. You don't need many facilities. Admittedly a few things would have cut the time it took down but you don't need much to be going on with.
Bill
Re-handling the MOD knife would be a good project, It would just cost too much to get someone else to do it. You can acomppolish a lot with just a few files, a hammer, sand paper, a drill and some basic materials. Having a lot of equipement makes things go a bit faster but you loose some of the enjoyment. Its amazing the quanitity and quality of knives that came out of the little mesters in Sheffield and their tools were really basic but used with a lot of skill and experience.
bambodoggy
14-12-2004, 15:39
Pete, I love my MOD knife and think they are great! How they manage to make such a BIG knife look so non-threatening is amazing!
Steel is fairly high carbon and they light up with a fire steel like a christmas tree!
I bought a new cordura sheath for mine a couple of months ago that has a pocket on the front for a spyderco, firesteel and harmonica (ok so that's not what they advise you to carry in it)....anyway, the long and short is I have a practically brand spanking new leather issue sheath that although I'll keep for years I know I'll never use so if you want it PM me and I'll send it to you.....free that is, I don't want anything for it, if it's of some use to you then that's enough :-P
Cheers,
Phil.
Phil,
Thanks for the kind offer...if I can put a respectable handle on it, I might take you up on that offer...
regards,
Pete
bambodoggy
14-12-2004, 15:53
No worries Mate, as I said the sheath isn't going anywhere so just let me know if you want it....
I might sound like a philistine here (to some of our knife appriciation members....sorry chaps and chapesses) but what about a field expedient handle....wrap paracord round the tang (or leather strips)....hey presto a handle! A bit rubbishy I know but hey...if it works then that's cool.
I might sound like a philistine here (to some of our knife appriciation members....sorry chaps and chapesses) but what about a field expedient handle....wrap paracord round the tang (or leather strips)....hey presto a handle! A bit rubbishy I know but hey...if it works then that's cool.
Couple of points, wouldn't that take an awful lot of paracord? And would it be that comfortable?
Personally I'd go for the old route of basic wooden handle with hide cover, but that's just my old re-enactors love of leather and point things comign out.
Ah, happy days...
bambodoggy
14-12-2004, 16:15
Yer, I guess it would take a lot of cord.....but not a lot of skill or tools :o):
Not sure how it'd work on a knife of that size.... it was just an idea :?:
Yer, I guess it would take a lot of cord.....but not a lot of skill or tools :o):
Not sure how it'd work on a knife of that size.... it was just an idea :?:
Nothing wrong with that mate!
Any idea, good, bad, or downright ludicrous, is still an idea.:o):
It could be a cool way to store elastic bands for your office space :naughty:
Most people don't like the MOD handles anyway. There's aren't that great
bambodoggy
14-12-2004, 16:48
I often have a leathermans at work and as a Dispatch Manager always have a box cutter/stanley knife but I think my staff would FREAK if I brought the MOD knife in.....especially if just to store rubber bands!!!! :rolmao: Rubber bands might be more comfy than paracord though.
The handles aren't all that amazing and they can cause blisters on softer hands (mine included) but at the risk of tempting "Mistress Fate" (Jakunen) I've never had one break on me!!!!
Have you thought about bicycle handle bar tape for a soft coating for a handle?
Some rip tape is very strong and would be good for rough handles as well. Less give then bar tape. It would have the effect of a material wrapped round it but of course been rather sticky it wouldn't move. It's also rather hard wearing (it's to stop spokes poking holes in rubber after all)
How much does an issue British MOD survival knife cost.Thinking of getting two,one for myself and another as a Christmas prezzy.
Well, you might consider the handle design we developed here at Hoodoo Knifeworks (after a good hour of experimentation I might add) for the mighty Battle Bar.
http://www4.gvsu.edu/triert/images8/battlebar1c.jpg
bambodoggy
14-12-2004, 20:48
My God Hoodoo!!!! What the heck is that??? :shock: It looks positively evil...lol I do like the handle though....it's very me! :o):
Clem, you can expect to pay between £25 and £35 each for them....but they are built like tanks and you'll find it veryhard to break it.
They weigh a tonne and can chop like a small hatchet.
Some people love them (like me) and others hate they saying they are too big and clumbersom....hence I have mine in a cordura pouch with a spyderco in it.
My God Hoodoo!!!! What the heck is that??? :shock: It looks positively evil...lol I do like the handle though....it's very me! :o):
It's the original sharpened prybar. No other sharpened prybar comes close. :wave:
Paganwolf
14-12-2004, 21:19
It's the original sharpened prybar. No other sharpened prybar comes close. :wave:
Hoodoo you is SCARY :yikes: LOL :rolmao: :nana:
rapidboy
14-12-2004, 21:54
I have an old MOD survival knife at home which is missing the handle and the sheath.
Pete
Is it an old "old" MOD survival knife or an old "new" MOD survival knife ????
The old MOD survival knife was made by WS and a lot better than the new POS sharpened pry bar.
I have an old WS that i refinished the handles on and made a sheath for.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v76/rapidboy1/395_9534_1.jpg
It's a pretty good heavy duty camp knife but i have since moved on to a GB SFA for those type of duties.
rb
I have an old MOD survival knife at home which is missing the handle and the sheath.
At one time I had designs to put a handle on it myself, but seeing as i can't knock a nail in straight, i have thought better of it.
So is the blade worth doing any custom work on? Would you reshape the blade or simply put a handle on it..
Does anybody know someone who can do the work with out charging an arm and a leg...
Regards,
Pete
Pete,
Unlike the original WS MOD's (pictured rapidboy's a post), some more recent models were found by Mike Stewart (Bark River) to be only surfaced hardened. That condition would limit what could be done to modify the blade. Does yours have a maker's name?
Tom
ChrisKavanaugh
15-12-2004, 04:34
Current MOD4 knives are made by J Adams. Rockwell is 54 of a plain carbon steel with a small percentile of nickel. The older WS are lovely and closely match the Martindale paratrooper machete. 'Out of the box' J Adams come with a left handed leather sheath insulting to the sacrifice of the animal. Throw it away. The black fiber handles are impossible to sand. Buy the civilian wood version and sanding improves the very uncomfortable grip. The guard is spotwelded and a rare accident can break it free. The 1/4" thick blade has virtually no edge and a horrid angle. It is readilly reprofiled due to the soft temper. Sadly, it loses the edge almost as fast. I locked myself in an abandoned caravan and picked a fight with my MOD4. It took the better part of an hour hacking,prying and smashing through marine plywood, duraluminum skin, electrical conduit and fiberglass insulation. The edge was a hopeless mess. In fairness though a fine mill file brought it back to usefullness in short order. For all the shortcomings, I would love an older WS. For all the empirical shortcomings, it still works somehow.
Gents,
The knife is about 20years old i suspect and had a horrible blocky wooden handle and the guard was spot welded on by the looks of it. The blade it self has no markings on it at all.
I suspect it is therefore one of the poor quality new versions?
Regards,
Pete