It's been far too long

[Grant Lamontagne]

It's been far too long sine anyone mentioned the name Scibeer around here, and it's about time I rectified that.  Why?  Well, if you don't know then its about time you learned.  If you like custom ALOX knives, then Scibeer is a name you wish you knew, and I'm about to show you why.  Prepare to have your mind blown.



These are three custom ALOX knives I have in my collection that Bill (aka Scibeer) made for me.  But before I go into them, here's a quick history lesson.

Back in the early days of SAK collecting there were no "mods."  SAKs were ade by magical gnomes in underground workshops in the foothills of the Alps and we were all happy with what we had straight from the factory.  Then the scale mods started.  People started making wood scales and replacing the familiar red cellidor and we were all amazed.  Then a young prodigy (a man whose name I won't utter here, but legend says that he was destined to become the Lord of Lime Jello) did the unthinkable and cut a SAK open and began rearranging parts and reassembling them to make new SAKs no one had ever seen before.  This was groundbreaking, and soon others started to try their hands at building custom SAKs.  Eventually this grew to include ALOX SAKs as well. 

Let me tell you kiddies, it was a wonderful time to be alive!

Among the daring few that stepped in to the wonderful new world of modding was a man named Bill, but we all knew him as Scibeer, and he was absolutely one of the greats, and a pioneer in modding ALOX SAKs, no pun intended.  In fact, while he may not have been the only one doing it at the time, I will say that he pushed the custom ALOX trend further at the time than I think it even goes today.  There is a certain pretender out there, famous for special ALOX runs who claims to be the originator of many of the ideas that Scibeer was the true originator of- trust me, I was there, and ALOX is not the only thing that pretender claims to have originated but didn't.

But, let's let Scibeer's work speak for itself.  I'm going to start with the pretty blue one, because what's been done to the others is truly revolutionary, and I'd like to build some excitement before we go there!



This was one that Scibeer built to my request for an ALOX Huntsman with a bail.  I went through a phase where I wanted anything and everything with a bail (and amusingly enough it was because of my interest in bails that we ever started working with Felinevet Tim, and frankly I don't want to think of where we'd be today had we not had his support and friendship over the years, but that's another story) and so I asked Scibeer if this was possible.  This is the result.



Scibeer started with a limited edition set that had been offered that year by Victorinox and included a blue Farmer and one of Victorinox's short lived flashlights, and came up with this- an ALOX Farmer with scissors and an electrician's blade.  Needless to say, I was thrilled and immediately put it to work, as you can see by the dirty blades.     I haven't carried or used this one in years, but it is an excellent example of Scibeer's work- look at those hand peened pins!   



And this was all accomplished back in the days before anyone else was modding scissors into ALOX knives!  Scibeer was a true visionary, and I miss his work.  You can read more about this blue beauty over at the SOSAK Archive at  www.SwissArmyKnights.com.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Part 2:

The next two mods may look similar, but are actually very different.  They both hwever came from a bunch of SAKs that started off by having their anodizing stripped off (again, by hand) because it just wasn't robust enough.  Yup, at one point Scibeer decided that ALOX, the knife issued to the military since 1961 just wasn't tough enough and so he decided to have the scales re-anodized, this time to HAIII or Hard Anodizing, Level 3.  The original anodizing is only HAI, which is sufficient for 99% of what anyone is likely to encounter, and can be done in pretty colors.  HAIII is the color you see, and it is virtually indestructible.



How indestructible?  Simple- I had been bragging about it to Doug Dillman, owner of Freeport Knife Shop (and right hand man to Dan Jacquart, at the time, owner of the Official Victorinox Collector's Society) and he decided to test it by grinding a quarter into the scales.  I immediately regretted my foolhardiness, especially when I saw the silvery flakes or metal all over the knife... until we realized that the textured grip of the knife handle had worn away the quarter!   



This particular Scibeer Custom HAIII knife is a standard Farmer (other than the hard anodizing and hand peened pins) and I'll wager that this is the absolute toughest Farmer knife to be found anywhere.



As you can see, like all of my Scibeer custom knives, this one has also been carried and used.  I never babied any of these knives, as it was Scibeer's wish to see them EDC'ed and enjoyed.  It's only since he disappeared that I have retired all of his customs, since there's little chance of replacing them now.  Even so, they still come out for the occasional job, because let's face it, as pretty as these are, they were meant to work.

Def

[gustophersmob]

Beautiful knives!

I remember reading about these back in the sosakonline days. Whatever happened to Scibeer?

[Don Pablo]

Over the top amazing work. 
I was worried, then extremely surprised, when I read the bit about the quarter. 

[Nix]

Great post and a sweet bit of SAK history, Def. Glad to read that they still get out for a bit duty. 

[Poncho65]

I remember Bill and was around when he was still making these knives but I caught the tail end of it and missed out on getting any of these beauties

He truly was a revolutionary and the community as a whole was shaken when he decided to retire

Great write up and pics Grant and I sure wished he would join in some modding discussion even if he has left modding them

[Grant Lamontagne]

The third and final knife I have was actually the last custom knife Scibeer made- it was called the Stalker and was, in my opinion anyway, an excellent signature for him.  I feel like he could have cranked these out by the dozen and made a living off of just them.



It starts with his HAIII scales, then one side was drilled and tapped for a pocket clip, something he had also made something of a name for himself with.



Sharp eyed members will notice that there is also a shield on both sides- Scibeer thought this was a bit of a fault as he only had two "front" scales left, but I consider it to be something that just makes this knife even cooler and more special than any other, as there is no other Stalker in the world like this one.



It is basically just a Farmer with scissors, just like any other Farmer with scissors and an absolutely impenetrable shell with shields on both sides. 

You can read all about this one in the SOSAK Archives as well.  It was a sad day for me when Bill announced that he was retiring from modding- it was just taking up too much of his time, and he had some serious personal issues that needed attending to.  I'd always hoped he would come back and start making knives again, as I know he loved doing it, so much so that during a California Meetup he actually built a knife right there on the tailgate of his pickup truck in front of everyone!  That knife was later auctioned off to support Felinevet, because that was the kind of great guy Scibeer Bill was.

Bill wasn't just about ALOX either- he made this beautiful micarta scales OHT for me as well, and I have a three layer Yeoman that he'd made.



And, if you still need more proof that Bill's work was world class, his knives got a mention in Tactical Knives magazine.  How do I know that?  Simple, I wrote it.   

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Beautiful knives!

I remember reading about these back in the sosakonline days. Whatever happened to Scibeer?

He retired from modding due to some personal issues.  I don't know what specifically they were, although I recall that he needed to devote some serious time to other things.

At the time more and more SAK modders were appearing and thinking they could make a buck doing it- some were good, some were in it for a quick buck and some were just awful.

I miss him and I'd love to see him come back some day.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Over the top amazing work. 
I was worried, then extremely surprised, when I read the bit about the quarter. 

You can imagine my feelings at the time!  I'd heard that the anodizing would survive just about anything, but I'd never really gone to that extreme to prove it!  I'm glad Doug did it, because I'd have never gone that far myself, at least not on purpose!   

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Great post and a sweet bit of SAK history, Def. Glad to read that they still get out for a bit duty. 

Bill insisted that they not be shelf queens, and as much as I wanted to hoard them away to keep them safe, I had to go along with it, and I am glad I did. 

Def

[Aloha]

 

Fantastic bit of history.  Thank you for sharing.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I remember Bill and was around when he was still making these knives but I caught the tail end of it and missed out on getting any of these beauties

He truly was a revolutionary and the community as a whole was shaken when he decided to retire

Great write up and pics Grant and I sure wished he would join in some modding discussion even if he has left modding them

Me too, although I think SAK modding has gone a bit beyond what he had done.  Modern day modders, especially those working in ALOX like Syph007 have gone more towards screws than peening, probably because it is so time consuming to get absolutely right.  I have absolutely nothing against the screws, and in fact I see them as being superior to peening as the screws are adjustable for tension, while peening is just the way it turns out.  There is still a major technique and skill to peening, and Bill had that pretty much perfect.  None of these knives I have feel any different from the Victorinox factory knives.

As far as I'm concerned, you may call yourself a custom ALOX collector, but if you don't know Bill's work you don't know what you are talking about.  Those may be big words, but I can bet anyone who has handled or owned any of Bill's mods would agree.

Def

[Ron Who]

I knew of Scibeer in the SOSAK days, but wasn´t very interested in alox at the time. I was a fool. I´m hoping I´ll be able to get one of Syph´s mods in 2018.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Fantastic bit of history.  Thank you for sharing.

When I dig out the OHT and Yeoman I'll post those too.  In the meantime, feel free to check out these old articles I'd written about them:

Scibeer Specials

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

I knew of Scibeer in the SOSAK days, but wasn´t very interested in alox at the time. I was a fool. I´m hoping I´ll be able to get one of Syph´s mods in 2018.

Syph's mods are the only ones that I have seen, handled and felt that are on par with Scibeer's mods.  That's not to say that Bob is the only one doing good mods out there, just saying that I have not experienced any other modders at that level.

Of course as I said, Bob's mods are a very different style, using screws and custom made backsprings, handles etc, while Bill's were more traditional, using and modifying existing parts more than anything else.

Def

[ThePeacent]

he sounds like a true artist! I'd have loved to meet him or have one of his custom beauties.
Love threads about SAK History and historical SAKs like these. Thanks for the reading boss! 

[Grant Lamontagne]

he sounds like a true artist! I'd have loved to meet him or have one of his custom beauties.
Love threads about SAK History and historical SAKs like these. Thanks for the reading boss! 

There are years worth of articles at SwissArmyKnights.com if you want to check them out.  The formatting may have gotten a bit screwed up over the years, but it should all be there.

Bill's story is an interesting one, at least for those of us who have lived it.  With all of the current excitement about custom colored ALOX and the related collectors it amuses me that few, if any of them will ever know the guys that were largely responsible for it happening.  Heck, I'll bet few of the current crop of modders even know who Scibeer is, and that is a real shame.  No one looks for the history anymore, and the few that do are told a very altered, self serving version of history from the pretenders out there who try to claim credit for the work of others.

Def

[jaya_man]

Thanks for the write-up Grant. Somehow the name Scibeer sounds familiar... Ig my memory serves me right, one or more of his mod guides is available here in the forums.

His guides and all the other mod guides proved invaluable to a neophyte modder such as me... Without them, I wouldn’t even know where to start.

So thank you Scibeer, Syph and everyone else who contributed their time in making those guides.

As for me, I know my limits... I don’t dare yet to do mods commercially... Don’t know if I’ll ever go that route...Peening is an art form I still have yet to master...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Don Pablo]

Peening is an art form I still have yet to master...

I've seen pics of your work. Compared to me, you ARE a master.   

[Butch]

I will most likely never own a modded SAK. I am pretty much completely happy with my Champs, but this thread is awsome. It shows what an individual can do when they are trying to acomplish a goal. Bravo to all you modders out there, master or junior starter.

[gustophersmob]

Beautiful knives!

I remember reading about these back in the sosakonline days. Whatever happened to Scibeer?

He retired from modding due to some personal issues.  I don't know what specifically they were, although I recall that he needed to devote some serious time to other things.

At the time more and more SAK modders were appearing and thinking they could make a buck doing it- some were good, some were in it for a quick buck and some were just awful.

I miss him and I'd love to see him come back some day.

Def

I'd kind of forgotten that the old sosak articles were on the swissarmyknights site. I remember poring over them when I really got interested in learning about SAKs back in 2009. I'm gonna have to go reread them now!

I also remember something called a Scibeer Tool, which I remember thinking was a clever play on the name of the Cyber Tool. I can't remember what the Scibeer model actually was now.

Much like the current crop of nice mods out there (namely syph's), I couldn't afford one of Scibeer's at the time. Though I almost pulled the trigger more than a few times on some the Tim had on the felinevet store. Now I wish i had. 

[SteveC]

Very cool especially the Stalker ( Farmer X)   

[VICMAN]

Thanks for sharing the pictures and information Grant!
Those are some awesome knives! 

[Grant Lamontagne]

Beautiful knives!

I remember reading about these back in the sosakonline days. Whatever happened to Scibeer?

He retired from modding due to some personal issues.  I don't know what specifically they were, although I recall that he needed to devote some serious time to other things.

At the time more and more SAK modders were appearing and thinking they could make a buck doing it- some were good, some were in it for a quick buck and some were just awful.

I miss him and I'd love to see him come back some day.

Def

I'd kind of forgotten that the old sosak articles were on the swissarmyknights site. I remember poring over them when I really got interested in learning about SAKs back in 2009. I'm gonna have to go reread them now!

I also remember something called a Scibeer Tool, which I remember thinking was a clever play on the name of the Cyber Tool. I can't remember what the Scibeer model actually was now.

Much like the current crop of nice mods out there (namely syph's), I couldn't afford one of Scibeer's at the time. Though I almost pulled the trigger more than a few times on some the Tim had on the felinevet store. Now I wish i had. 

Reply #74 

If that's not enough, there is also the Scibeertool CoreDuo

I had forgotten about that one, and the only other mod I recalled was Tim Colling's Senior Mechanic!

Def

[Don Pablo]

There is one thing bugging me.

From http://swissarmyknights.com/articles/2008/78-march-2008/414-blue-alox-huntsman.

Why no hook?! 

[Don Pablo]

(and yes, I know it would have been impossible to add the hook due to the location of the rivet. Just imagine though. )

[gustophersmob]

Beautiful knives!

I remember reading about these back in the sosakonline days. Whatever happened to Scibeer?

He retired from modding due to some personal issues.  I don't know what specifically they were, although I recall that he needed to devote some serious time to other things.

At the time more and more SAK modders were appearing and thinking they could make a buck doing it- some were good, some were in it for a quick buck and some were just awful.

I miss him and I'd love to see him come back some day.

Def

I'd kind of forgotten that the old sosak articles were on the swissarmyknights site. I remember poring over them when I really got interested in learning about SAKs back in 2009. I'm gonna have to go reread them now!

I also remember something called a Scibeer Tool, which I remember thinking was a clever play on the name of the Cyber Tool. I can't remember what the Scibeer model actually was now.

Much like the current crop of nice mods out there (namely syph's), I couldn't afford one of Scibeer's at the time. Though I almost pulled the trigger more than a few times on some the Tim had on the felinevet store. Now I wish i had. 

Reply #74 

If that's not enough, there is also the Scibeertool CoreDuo

I had forgotten about that one, and the only other mod I recalled was Tim Colling's Senior Mechanic!

Def

That's awesome! Brings back good memories!

[gustophersmob]

Beautiful knives!

I remember reading about these back in the sosakonline days. Whatever happened to Scibeer?

He retired from modding due to some personal issues.  I don't know what specifically they were, although I recall that he needed to devote some serious time to other things.

At the time more and more SAK modders were appearing and thinking they could make a buck doing it- some were good, some were in it for a quick buck and some were just awful.

I miss him and I'd love to see him come back some day.

Def

I'd kind of forgotten that the old sosak articles were on the swissarmyknights site. I remember poring over them when I really got interested in learning about SAKs back in 2009. I'm gonna have to go reread them now!

I also remember something called a Scibeer Tool, which I remember thinking was a clever play on the name of the Cyber Tool. I can't remember what the Scibeer model actually was now.

Much like the current crop of nice mods out there (namely syph's), I couldn't afford one of Scibeer's at the time. Though I almost pulled the trigger more than a few times on some the Tim had on the felinevet store. Now I wish i had. 

Reply #74 

If that's not enough, there is also the Scibeertool CoreDuo

I had forgotten about that one, and the only other mod I recalled was Tim Colling's Senior Mechanic!

Def

That's awesome! Brings back good memories!

Just spent some time looking through that old mod thread. Cool to see post from a lot of the older members.

[clown]

Good thread!  Man I used to have one of those HAIII Farmers.  I got it from FelineVet back when he had some of Scibeers stuff on his site.  I foolishly traded or sold it somewhere along the way.   

[ColoSwiss]

Bill did some great work!

OH Trekker w/ebony handles

Solo w/olive G-10 handles

The red alox is basically a Pioneer X, 15 years early

A very fancy Blue alox

YoMan, modified Yeoman (saw added) w/trans blue scales