Cold Steel Mod

**GerhardG** · 29-01-2015, 20:14

Hi

I see a lot of the cheaper Cold Steel products as perfect DIY improvement projects, a Trail Hawk got the treatment already.

I ended up giving my first GI Tanto to a friend as payment for a favour, and I had to wait a while for my replacement....it was in pieces a few minutes after I came home with it.

Took off the top guard, stripped the coating, rounded the choil, fitted red liners and did a TOPS effort on the handle

Oh yes......and boiled the blade in vinegar.

No jokes, never mind the cosmetics, when you feel the knife in hand you'll agree that's how it's meant to be.

**GerhardG** · 29-01-2015, 20:17

**gary-t** · 29-01-2015, 20:30

It looks great.
Out of interest what does boiling it in vinegar do.
I have Gerber warrant that I would like to do some work on. Is the scabbard standard?

**GerhardG** · 29-01-2015, 21:21

It's carbon steel so it'll rust if you look at it, the vinegar gives it a antique patina (apparently) and stops it rusting to a certain degree.

Worked great on the Trail Hawk, and there's a multitude of YouTube videos on the subject.

I tried the mustard patina technique as well, also the vinegar in the mustard doing the work supposedly. Don't know if I was just impatient, but it dind't work for me....

Sheath is standard except for the paracord, and retention is still fine, just moved the screws holding the belt loop up one step to compensate for the missing top guard that no longer holds the knife in.

**tims** · 30-01-2015, 06:26

Like a lot .What do you use for the TOPS effort on the handle ? tims

**GerhardG** · 30-01-2015, 07:45

Hi Tim

The top guard was removed with a bench grinder, the rest was done free-hand with files.
I started the groves with a saw, rest was done with 2 sizes round file.

**prepare2win** · 30-01-2015, 08:12

Love it.

I have a little hobby of modding lasher pangas and machetes into different shapes and designs (incidentally lasher make the cold steel machete range)

I need to finish a few of them off properly and will start a thread

**tims** · 30-01-2015, 08:29

Originally Posted by GerhardG

Hi Tim

The top guard was removed with a bench grinder, the rest was done free-hand with files.
I started the groves with a saw, rest was done with 2 sizes round file.

Ha , ok , ,thank you
.tims

**drie57** · 30-01-2015, 09:39

Originally Posted by prepare2win

Love it.

I have a little hobby of modding lasher pangas and machetes into different shapes and designs (incidentally lasher make the cold steel machete range)

I need to finish a few of them off properly and will start a thread

Looking forward to pics prepare2win, have a couple myself.