Home/Garage Replacement of Spyderco Handles: Good or Bad Idea?

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Let's say you have a favorite Spyderco knife, and you love the blade and locking mechanism (if a folder) but you do not like the present handle material and colors. Now, this is more than just a desire to change the color of the handle, which has been covered in other posts regarding dying the handles.

Let's say you want a completely different handle made of a different material. How difficult would it be for a person in their home or garage with the appropriate tools to re-handle a Spyderco knife? Imagine you get a Caribbean or an Endura, and you do not like the G10 or the FRN that is on these, and you want to trade it out for some other material, either natural or synthetic, and your goal is to pry, chip, or scrape off the existing handle materials/slabs/scales, and replace them with something else.

1 Does this automatically void the Spyderco Warranty, or not, since you are altering the handle and not the inner lock mechanism or blade?

2 What tools would one need to be able to properly achieve this goal?

Would any of you consider doing that?

Example: Imagine you have a Caribbean or a Military, and you love the blade shape and locks but you want a handle slab made of hard rubberized material, or, natural material like a polished hardwood. Could you get the appopriate materials and change it out, or, are there companies that will do this for you?

[GiftedMisfit]

I dont know the answer or even have a clue really. I just wanted to say that I personally enjoy the thought you (SEF) put into your threads (questions/opinions). Usually a good read and always a thought provoking discussion.

[bearfacedkiller]

Hmm... Depends on the knife. I would start with a model like a Native5 which does not have nested liners. In theory you could do an exposed liner knife with just a drill press, a Dremel and some sandpaper. A model with nested liners would require milling out the inside of the scales which involves more skill and more tools.

There is the option on a knife like the endura to ditch the liners and make linerless scales but on a knife like the Military you have to at least keep the locking scale.

[spyderg]

I don’t know about voiding warranty, I’m guessing Spyderco would be reasonable. Lets say the detent ball falls out a month after the new scales are put on, it’s unlikely a scale swap could have caused it. Spyderco seems to be encouraging of aftermarket parts like custom clips and scales.
I’ve made denim scales for my Gayle Bradley. I’m sure my warranty is long gone on that one since I also modified the handle shape but it wasn’t terribly hard. Old blue jeans, fibreglass resin, (superglue works too but better suited for smaller pieces) 1x30 belt sander, dremel, drill, fine sandpaper.

Alternatively there are some really good sources for aftermarket scales, you might have to be patient for a certain model or perhaps even send them your knife so they can add a particular model to their lineup? I’ve personally ordered from Suingab, or g10it. He does great work!