Spartan carbon mod....

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Just thought I’d post a pic of my carbon steel main blade upgrade. I’m sure people have done this much better that this before but pretty happy with how it came out in the end considering my lack of engineering expertise and precision tooling. It was made from 01 tool steel - just shaped on a grinder, not forged. hardened with a blow torch and tempered in the oven .... quite low tech but it’s functional so I am happy.

Only thing not quite up to scratching that it doesn’t snap shut like the original classic sounding close... problem with the tang shape or the steel is a bit more ’sticky’ perhaps!! 

Also added new navy camo scales, a mini screwdriver, pin and a paracord lanyard.

See what you think ;0)

[Thunderpants]

Wow that's an awesome upgrade! Very impressive! 

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Cheers. I think the jury remains out as to whether it’s actually and improvement or not but it feels like it’s cool and glad I gave it a go at least....want to stick a short file in place of the small blade on a huntsman sometime too ....creating a ‘Bowman’ for my archery escapades!!

[cody6268]

I would say O1 is definitely an upgrade if the heat treat is right. SAK steel tends to get a lot of micro-chipping in my use. While for most uses, 1.4034 is good steel, it's not as tough as most common carbon steels used in low to mid-end knives.  My Kabar is 1095, and it rarely rolls or chips--even when being used to dig out thistles.

I am eventually going to send my old 1942 Soldier to Rothlisberger in CH to have it pimped out. At present, it is my only carbon steel SAK. I am mainly getting the main blade (2-3 centimeters short) and handles (shrunken badly and falling off the knife) replaced; as Vic cannot do the repair here in the US it seems. They told me that if I sent it in, it would be replaced; presumably with a Pioneer.

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1095 is supposed to be better for heat treating with a blowtorch which I wish I’d known - it doesn’t  need ‘soaking’ as much when at temperature apparently so I might try that if I do another blade.

Sounds like yours has been we’ll used and deserves a good pimping.

I’m properly attached to an old ‘champ’ that I have which still, to this day, remain my favourite. That’s had a new main blade as that was worn away to a stub too ;0)

[Thunderpants]

I don't know if you're aware of Cedric and Ada's steel tests on youtube, but one of the things I've learned is that Victorinox steel is so soft it's almost impossible to find a knife with anything softer! Frozen butter is probably slicier... So my guess is your upgrade is already 3 or 4 times tougher than the original, even if every step was done by guestimation.
I'd never thought about those old Soldiers with carbon steel blades - it would be nice if Victorinox one day made a limited run of Spartans or Climbers with an old school carbon blade, or something super-tough and far-from-stainless like K390... But Victorinox isn't Spyderco, so it'll never happen! Imagine a Spyderco/Victorinox collaboration with a nice thumb hole on the main blade!

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I think the occasional limited Damascus bladed edition comes out but not sure if these are available to the general public or not!  Now that would really be niiice...

[cody6268]

I don't know if you're aware of Cedric and Ada's steel tests on youtube, but one of the things I've learned is that Victorinox steel is so soft it's almost impossible to find a knife with anything softer! Frozen butter is probably slicier... So my guess is your upgrade is already 3 or 4 times tougher than the original, even if every step was done by guestimation.
I'd never thought about those old Soldiers with carbon steel blades - it would be nice if Victorinox one day made a limited run of Spartans or Climbers with an old school carbon blade, or something super-tough and far-from-stainless like K390... But Victorinox isn't Spyderco, so it'll never happen! Imagine a Spyderco/Victorinox collaboration with a nice thumb hole on the main blade!

This is exactly what I've been calling for. Yet, we get same old, same old LEs--common, existing models with wood handles and a Damascus blade, or 3 of the same Alox models with different colors.

Vic should really explore new blade steels and handle materials like G-10 and S30V; even if the price is stupidly much. They could probably sell for less, and probably sell more than the fancy Damasteel knives.  From a user perspective, Damascus does nothing. If I'm gonna spend loads of money on an SAK, it better be a big one, or a rare vintage model.  But, premium steels and scales that won't break--sign me up!

[Borg]

Good job HB 

- it would be nice if Victorinox one day made a limited run of Spartans or Climbers with an old school carbon blade

  that would be nice

[Storm]

Nice work chap 

[Barry Rowland]

Nice job 👍👍

[Sos24]

Nice mod.

[Rizio Il Ghiro]

Nice work!

[pfrsantos]

Cheers. I think the jury remains out as to whether it’s actually and improvement or not but it feels like it’s cool and glad I gave it a go at least....want to stick a short file in place of the small blade on a huntsman sometime too ....creating a ‘Bowman’ for my archery escapades!!

Looks great!

 

What kind of archery? Hunting or just recreation? Longbow, traditional, compound?...

 

[Wspeed]

Excellent job 

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Looks great!

 

What kind of archery? Hunting or just recreation? Longbow, traditional, compound?...

 

Cheers.  I do 3D archery - so hunting in the woods just with foam animals that don’t run away  :0)

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Thanks everyone for your comments. I’ve got it nice and sharp now and been using it for the last few day’s. Still  happy with it as a first attempt just wish it would snap shut properly and that I’d stuck it in a Ranger instead!