My ESEE 4 (or RC-4 as it was known when I got it) is what I consider to be my first real bush knife. I've pounded hard on this thing during use and never once has it failed me. ESEE produces a heck of a knife, no complaints there.
You're rarely if ever, going to find a knife that suits your needs completely and there have also been a few modifications I'd wanted to make to it. Last Spring I finally got around to making those mods and I've had a whole summer/fall to test them out, and am thoroughly happy with them.
So how do you take a great knife and make it better?
First off, I've never really been a fan of the protective epoxy coat. Wet weather and humid conditions can ruin a high carbon blade very quickly and the ESEE 4 was designed as tough survival knife to function in all environments, so the blade was given a epoxy coating to protect the exposed steel. This has never really been a problem for me, and since the coating has always prevented me from using the spine as a firesteel striker I decided I wanted it gone.
Stripping was done using a dremel buffing attachment.While the epoxy was removed on all exposed steel, I left it on under the micarta scales. It seems counter-intuitive, but my rationale was that I could spot and clean up any surface rust, but I didn't want moisture to ruin the blade where I wouldn't see it and catch it early should rust occur.
It was at this point that I noticed there was some pitting on the surface of the blade. My best guess is that since the blade is coated, there's no need to grind out these small imperfections in the blade stock. For me, I'd have to spend some time reducing them since I wanted to bring the knife to a near-mirror finish.
With the pitting mostly removed I proceeded to bring the blade to a mirror finish by using a felt buffing wheel loaded with green stropping compound. This took a lot time and I had to stop frequently to make sure I wasn't heating the blade and ruining the temper.
I finished up by polishing the blade by hand using flitz and shop towel.
Next up was the edge grind. ESEE knives come from the factory with a 40 degree V-grind (20 degrees per side), and is wicked sharp. I however, prefer a convex secondary bevel for a full flat grind knife and this was easily done using an old textbook and some wet/dry paper. I used three grits, starting from 220 then moving on to 600 and then 1500. A good trick to use when convexing a knife is to run a sharpie marker along the edge of the knife where you are grinding. This gives you a quick reference to see where material is being removed and where you need to focus your efforts to thin out material.
With a final stropping I managed to get my knife shaving sharp with only a few hours of work, and been very pleased with the results. So far the knife has handled everything I've thrown as it without rusting or tarnishing and the edge has held up to intricate tasks (carving netting needles, pot hangers) as well as processing wood for fire (splitting, feathering) with minimal upkeep.
really nice upgrade. I love a shiny knife. Its beautifull done. Getting any rust in the meanwhile?
ReplyDeleteNo rust. The kydex sheath keep water from being held against it, but more important is simply wiping the blade of moisture if it gets wet.
ReplyDeleteI don't live in a humid climate, so rust prevention for me is as simple as general maintenance of my tools.
Fantastic. Exactly what I want to do with mine...just wondered, what was the steel finish like under the coating? Pretty raw and lined, I'd imagine. Have you thought about total re-grind to convex, not just the edge?
ReplyDeleteThe stock under the epoxy coat was definitely very rough. If you want a mirror finish you'll need to spend some time using sharpening stones or wet/dry paper. I'd go with 600, then work to 1000, then 1500 grit using wet/dry.
ReplyDeleteI got this blade when ESEE first moved away from Ontario to have Rowan to manufacture their knives (under the RAT RC-4 branding), so their manufacturing process might have changed since that time.
Feel free to post back and let me know how it turns out!
I found that convexing the edge alone was enough for me, but it's a full flat grind so doing a full convex on it shouldn't be too hard.
My ESEE-4 is now my backup knife and I now carry the TOPS B.o.B. Fieldcraft, which I have stripped and polished in the same way.
Hey Kuris, not sure if you got my reply (I don't see it above), but thanks for your input, much appreciated...if using paper to high polish, should I be going in one direction? or circular, etc? What about using Flitz and a dremel buffing attachment?
DeleteI tend to go in one direction as it gives a better finish.
DeleteFlitz is find to finish the polish, but I found that it doesn't provide enough abrasion to bring the final polish down to mirror. If you went from 1500 grit to Flitz, you might end up with more of a satin or sand blasted type look.
One more thing, when using the dremel be careful to stop and dip your blade in water often. If it gets warm to the touch, stop and cool it. The last thing you want is for it to heat up and ruin the temper.
Good stuff, thanks, especially the last bit...I never considered that a Dremel might actually heat up the metal enough to wreck temper! No thanks.
DeleteI don't mean to eat up your time, but wondered about the logos on the blade. It looks to me like you started with a desert tan RC-4. After stripping and polishing, it seems the logos have disappeared. Was this intentional? I'd like to keep them, and wonder if I should etch them prior to stripping the epoxy...though on the tan version of my knife, the logos already appear etched.
I plan on using paint stripper...worked great on a BK-14 Eskabar...
One of the things about the Desert Tan model, is that when the logo was lasered, it didn't end up exposing bare metal. I would've liked to have etched the logo into the blade, but it wasn't an option for me.
DeleteAs it looks right now, you can see a "ghost" image of the logo if you tilt the blade in the light, but it's not obvious.
If you've got a model where the blade is exposed then etching shouldn't be a problem. I actually have a post that's half written that I never completed. I can finish it up and post it tonight if you're interested in seeing what I did.
Sure, if you've time I'd be interested to read the "completed" post...I have the ESEE-4 model (not RC-4) and suppose the logos are laser etched as well...other methods are too time-consuming from what I've read. I may try a vinegar/peroxide/salt treatment; PCB etchant is really hard to find in Canada, it seems.
DeleteNot a biggie in the end. Still a great blade whether it's marked up or not, I guess.
Posted the entry here:
Deletehttp://untamedwolf.blogspot.ca/2013/04/tops-bob-fieldcraft-knife-etched.html
I also live in Canada (Greater Toronto Area) and managed to find the PCB etching solution without too much difficultly. Home Depot or Canadian Tire won't carry it, but if you find electronic hobby shops around you, you will find it.
This is manufacturer of the Ferric Chloride (etching solution) I used, maybe you can find a dealer near you:
http://www.mgchemicals.com/distributors/canada/
Found an electronics place around the corner from my workplace, and they got some...thanks for the article, great tips! How did you dispose of the etchant when scrubbing and rinsing? Kinda corrosive, that stuff...
DeletePour it into an old sour cream container (or similar) and then dispose properly.
DeleteTry asking the hobby shop if they accept used etchant, or know your local disposal center.
much as I thought, thanks again for all your help, K...I'll let you know how it all turned out.
DeleteGood job!!! I've just rcdntly removed the coating on my ESEE-4 also and will polish it!!! I am thinking the manufacturer dicided not to spend all the time and money to do a good polish job on it so perhaps it's just cheaper to coat it!!! Any other thoughts by snyone???
ReplyDelete