Ol'Hick mod and PSK blade with scrap


Dadio

Dadio

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Picked up a 10" Old Hickory Slicer on a recent trip, and for $8 it's hard to resist as a good basis for a project. I cut it down to a wharncliffe/sheeps- foot shape and put together a sheath with my limited leather working skills (actually messed up and made it backwards the first time - Arrgh!) Batoned through some River Birch limbs I have with ease. I was a bit afraid that the relatively thin blade would twist, but it was fine, and still sharp enough to carve afterwards. I will round the handle out some though, as it was uncomfortable with use pretty quickly. Later, I plan to add some micarta handles.
OH1.jpg


I got the idea to make a blade for a PSK out of the remainder. Ground and filed it down to make a tang, and added some "teeth" to the tang to better hold a cord handle.
OH2.jpg


Next, I made a handle from a small branch, and batoned through a small piece of red oak just to see if it would. Worked better than expected, and retained an edge well enough to make a few small curls.
OH3.jpg


Overall - an easy and satisfying project. I did quench the blade frequently to keep from overheating while using the cutting wheel of a Dremel, and it seems to have kept its temper with no obvious problems. The steel seems fairly soft but easy to sharpen. I'm looking forward to some more hard use. Hope you enjoyed it, and if you haven't tried, this is a great and inexpensive way to get started with knife mods!
 
Great job!!! The mini-seax look of the main blade is utility at it's finest, but the psk is just too cool! It could be a nice spear head for fishing, if you had to.
 
Holmesmade said:
Great job!!! The mini-seax look of the main blade is utility at it's finest, but the psk is just too cool! It could be a nice spear head for fishing, if you had to.
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I initially had that idea - the ability to use it as a harpoon ala Hoffman Harpoon, but it stuck my hand while working on the tang, so I rounded off that point. I think it could still work for that purpose. I'm considering drilling a little hole in the tang or close to the top edge so you could run a piece of cord through it and secure it better. I'd hate to finally stab a carp or something and have it swim away with my knife!
 
Very cool! I've got one I've been looking at to modify. What did you use to cut the blade? I'm worried that I would take the temper out of it if I use the wrong tool to cut it. Thanks!

Scott
 
Scott Allen said:
Very cool! I've got one I've been looking at to modify. What did you use to cut the blade? I'm worried that I would take the temper out of it if I use the wrong tool to cut it. Thanks!

Scott
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I started out with a hack saw, then tried to snap it in a vice - btw, that blade took a beating and didn't flinch! Finally, i went to the Dremel with a fiberglass-reinforced cut-off blade. I kept a bottle of water and a rag close, and literally quenched it after no more than two seconds of cutting just to be on the safe side. When I got to the thin, sharpened edge, I kept water on the blade while I cut. If you go that route, you absolutely have to WEAR GOOD EYE PROTECTION. That $8 dollar knife becomes way too expensive after a piece of hot metal hits your eye. Actually, the hacksaw would work fine; I was just impatient. You could even use a file and slowly, totally reshape it, but you wouldn't have the scrap to use (it would be reduced to metal filings.) I did use a file to finish the shape, and the Dremel again (with water) to carve out the tang. Also, tape the edge when working with it and, if you're a minor, get help from a parent.
 
Dadio said:
....and, if you're a minor, get help from a parent.
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Well, my 72 year old dad would think that was funnier than hell! :) I haven't been a minor (age wise anyhow) for 34 years or so, but thanks for the precautions. The knife I have is way too long for my taste and I find it unwieldy. This looks like the perfect solution.

Scott
 
Scott Allen said:
Well, my 72 year old dad would think that was funnier than hell! :) I haven't been a minor (age wise anyhow) for 34 years or so, but thanks for the precautions. The knife I have is way too long for my taste and I find it unwieldy. This looks like the perfect solution.

Scott
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You can never be too sure - give him a ring! The coolest part about these mods is, if it totally sucks and you turn the blade blue, you are out $8 and an hour or so of time that you could have been watching the Barrett-Jackson auction or some guy jumping down waterfalls in a "survival" situation.
 
Got tired of the wharnnie/sheepsfoot shape, and drop pointed it a bit. worked a little on rounding and shaping the handle. Gotta say: really like the blade shape now!

oh3_zps53aa0ade.jpg
 
AAAGGHHH! Sorry... I was loving the wharncliffe blade as I read through the thread. I was thinking of trying that myself for my first Old Hickory project. I love that blade shape and just don't see it very often. What was it about the shape that you didn't like, if I may ask? What advantages do you find with your more recent modifications? Nice work on both mods.
 
I make a few knifes from scratch, re found moding old hicks cant get interested in scratch building the old hicks do every thing i want out of knife.
 
That first cut was a fantastic take on the Viking seax...great old world look to the blade. Thanks for posting! Giving me ideas...
 
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lightsoutcalls said:
AAAGGHHH! Sorry... I was loving the wharncliffe blade as I read through the thread. I was thinking of trying that myself for my first Old Hickory project. I love that blade shape and just don't see it very often. What was it about the shape that you didn't like, if I may ask? What advantages do you find with your more recent modifications? Nice work on both mods.
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It was hard to carve, particularly divots or hollows, with the previous shape. Good news is that these are cheap to mod, so don't let the fact that I went for version II to stop you if you want to give it a try!
 
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