After having such a great response with the Watu, I have decided to fit the Spyderco Smock with some wood scales. These things turned out so nice! All the internal indexing and recessed areas are milled to give you the full functionality of the smock. I absolutely love this knife and a little face lift on the scales never hurt! Let me know what you all think!
Very nice.
Definitely getting some for the para3. Will have a hard time resisting the smock...
I like the chamfering around the three small holes. Very nice detail.
Are these wood scales stabilized, including the Watus? Thanks
The wood is not traditionally stabilized. So if you are planning on getting the oil finish, you must be prepared to take care of the wood and condition it periodically as well as being mindful of the conditions that you are using it in. For the oil finishes I recommend not using it in extreme arid or humid conditions, and to avoid quick changes in humidity.
There is no such disclaimer for the UV finish. The UV finish seals the grain and does not allow moisture in or out of the scales. If you are like me and really "use" your knife in hardworking conditions, the UV finish is the way to go. It is a durable coating that is impact and water resistant. The finish also continues to harden as it is exposed to UV light (sunlight).
Are these wood scales stabilized, including the Watus? Thanks
The wood is not traditionally stabilized. So if you are planning on getting the oil finish, you must be prepared to take care of the wood and condition it periodically as well as being mindful of the conditions that you are using it in. For the oil finishes I recommend not using it in extreme arid or humid conditions, and to avoid quick changes in humidity.
There is no such disclaimer for the UV finish. The UV finish seals the grain and does not allow moisture in or out of the scales. If you are like me and really "use" your knife in hardworking conditions, the UV finish is the way to go. It is a durable coating that is impact and water resistant. The finish also continues to harden as it is exposed to UV light (sunlight).
Thank you for the reply Chris. The reason why I asked if your scales are stabilized is that I live in the tropics where humidity is a concern 3/4ths of the year and even more. I find that traditional wood scales do expand and contract depending on how rainy it was.
It would be fine in a fixed blade where handle expansion wouldn't affect the functionality of the knife but in folders I bet it would lead to issues with tolerances that could affect the knife itself. I'd love to try a set for my Watu but given how rainy it was the past few months I wouldn't risk it. But more power to your business and hoping you will have more customers! If you ever do stabilized wood in the future I might get a set (assuming I still have my Watu with me then) :)
Are these wood scales stabilized, including the Watus? Thanks
The wood is not traditionally stabilized. So if you are planning on getting the oil finish, you must be prepared to take care of the wood and condition it periodically as well as being mindful of the conditions that you are using it in. For the oil finishes I recommend not using it in extreme arid or humid conditions, and to avoid quick changes in humidity.
There is no such disclaimer for the UV finish. The UV finish seals the grain and does not allow moisture in or out of the scales. If you are like me and really "use" your knife in hardworking conditions, the UV finish is the way to go. It is a durable coating that is impact and water resistant. The finish also continues to harden as it is exposed to UV light (sunlight).
Thank you for the reply Chris. The reason why I asked if your scales are stabilized is that I live in the tropics where humidity is a concern 3/4ths of the year and even more. I find that traditional wood scales do expand and contract depending on how rainy it was.
It would be fine in a fixed blade where handle expansion wouldn't affect the functionality of the knife but in folders I bet it would lead to issues with tolerances that could affect the knife itself. I'd love to try a set for my Watu but given how rainy it was the past few months I wouldn't risk it. But more power to your business and hoping you will have more customers! If you ever do stabilized wood in the future I might get a set (assuming I still have my Watu with me then) :)
Gotcha, I live on the coast where the humidity gets in the high 90%'s and I have been carrying my watu with the high gloss UV finish and have had no issues with noticeable expansion or contraction on the scales. I think you could give it a shot but I understand your hesitation. I have been thinking about doing some stabilized runs for those in more arid or humid climates, so maybe this is the kicker that will finally push me to do it!
