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Post by sardaukar on Jun 17, 2023 20:16:07 GMT
Hi,
I received a Windlass Cobra Steel Kindjal as a gift. It’s a very nice short sword / knife, but I hate the rubber/ vibram handle. Has anyone replaced the grips on one or know of someone who would do it? I was thinking of a wood or canvas micarta handle.
Thanks.
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Post by mrstabby on Jun 17, 2023 20:36:09 GMT
I don't have this specific sword, but I have another one with a rubber mold grip.
It's probably possible to change it, but it depends on how the tang looks (does it have holes or slots and how long is it, you could test where it ends with a magnet). Also it will surely be a hassle to remove the rubber.
You could try a wrap first. Leather or tennis racket grip tape.
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Post by demonskull on Jun 25, 2023 1:17:46 GMT
I haven't done the Cobra series but I have removed some Cold Steel rubber grips and made a wood grip and brass guard and pommel for an old Windlass straight kindjal about 40 years ago. To remove the rubber grips, start carefully cutting with a razor around the outside edge of the grip. Cut all the way to the tang and peel back. You can also submerse the grip in boiling or very hot water to soften the rubber. If the tang has holes in it and the rubber runs through the holes, when you peel it back you can then cut the "rubber rivets". Peel the grip completely off and you can they create a guard and pommel. You may have to grind the ricasso down to hold your guard. If you want to do a normal pommel, you'll have to grind and then tap threading into the exposed tang. i.imgur.com/KYSIDfk.jpg?1 The pic shows the modified kindjal. I had to grind the grip width wise and then make the 2 piece wood grip. As you can see, I used boot leather laces to cover the grip. i never changed them because they worked. |
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Post by sardaukar on Jun 25, 2023 1:20:55 GMT
Hi Stabby,
Wrapping it was the first thing I tried with grip tape (I use on some of my pistols), but didn’t make much difference. A friend suggested using leather washers (like a K-Bar knife), but that would require some tools, parts like guards / pommels, skills that I don’t have. I may have a pro try replacing it, but haven’t had much luck finding someone yet.
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Post by sardaukar on Jun 25, 2023 1:32:55 GMT
Hi Demon, Great job, your pic is essentially what I want to do with mine except wood or the canvas micarta handle. Thanks for the tip on removing the rubber. I suspect mine is similar to yours. For those who haven’t seen the Windless or curious, here is a link. www.atlantacutlery.com/windlass-cobra-steel-kindjal |
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AJGBlack
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"This world will stress you like Orson Wells on the radio." -RTJ
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Post by AJGBlack on Jun 25, 2023 5:09:11 GMT
When you cut the grip off please share a picture. I've been thinking of customizing one of those as well but I have no idea what the tang looks like so it's hard to plan.
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eastman
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Post by eastman on Jun 25, 2023 18:14:14 GMT
When you cut the grip off please share a picture. I've been thinking of customizing one of those as well but I have no idea what the tang looks like so it's hard to plan.
good point. If there is a lot of metal in the grip/tang, this could be a good project blade. Regular Windlass kindjal has riveted handle slabs, so a lot of metal to work with.
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Post by mrstabby on Jun 25, 2023 19:27:48 GMT
Yeah, I am interested too. I have the United Cutlery Combat Commander Gladius and saw the Cold Steel Gladius machete, both habe TPU grips. The United Cutlery seems to be full tang going through to a glass breaker with a brass rivet in the middle, and when I got it it was loose, so I bet you could get off this grip in a heartbeat. I glued it on with super glue since I actually like this one, the cold steel version not so much.
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Post by sardaukar on Aug 21, 2023 21:53:07 GMT
Sorry for the delay. So due to real world issues (lot of OT at work and a family matter), I had a spare hour and have started on this. I will say ‘holy crap’, whatever pressure & heat they put this on with, it really doesn’t want to come off. I scribed along the seam several times with a new box knife blade and tried to cut as deep as I could (broke a couple of blades). This crap is dense. I then started using a very thin blade jeweler saw. Made a lot of progress with that, but had to call it quits as out of time.
When I get it all off, I’ll post a pic. There is a good sized tang, so should be able to put a decent sized grip on it.
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Post by mrstabby on Aug 22, 2023 9:10:40 GMT
Sorry for the delay. So due to real world issues (lot of OT at work and a family matter), I had a spare hour and have started on this. I will say ‘holy crap’, whatever pressure & heat they put this on with, it really doesn’t want to come off. I scribed along the seam several times with a new box knife blade and tried to cut as deep as I could (broke a couple of blades). This crap is dense. I then started using a very thin blade jeweler saw. Made a lot of progress with that, but had to call it quits as out of time. When I get it all off, I’ll post a pic. There is a good sized tang, so should be able to put a decent sized grip on it. Do you have a heat gun? TPU is a thermoplast and will deform before it burns, so it should be possible to soften it around the 100°C/212°F mark, maybe 150°C/300°F.
I have bought a CS Jungle Machete and it seems the plastic used in the United Cutlery Gladius is much softer and I bet much easier to remove. I'ts more like rubber than the dense plastic on the Cold Steel, I thought they were similar.
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Post by sardaukar on Aug 23, 2023 0:37:10 GMT
No heat gun, but do have a propane torch, which when I get more of it removed, will lightly go over it to get the small stuff off.
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Post by sardaukar on Aug 26, 2023 22:27:27 GMT
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eastman
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Post by eastman on Aug 27, 2023 1:12:24 GMT
tang looks solid, but maybe a little short to add a gladius type guard and pommel. Will probably order one from KoA or MRL to play with as a future project.
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Post by sardaukar on Aug 27, 2023 1:59:45 GMT
Yeah, that’s why I was thinking about a K-bar style leather disk grip / guard / pommel. More than enough room for that.
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eastman
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Post by eastman on Aug 27, 2023 2:18:58 GMT
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Post by mrstabby on Aug 27, 2023 7:18:17 GMT
![]() So it’s off. Going to go over it with some steel wool, but essentially it’s all off. It’s a decent sized tang as you can see in the photo with the ruler. No holes had been drilled, so have a clean slate if I go that route. I’m still thinking towards a K-Bar leather washer style grip being the easiest, but open to suggestions. First knife handle project! ![]() ![]() I did not expect this to be honest. Didn't expect it being so plain, I would have thought there would be holes or notches to make the plastic hold on better. |
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Post by sardaukar on Aug 29, 2023 2:13:12 GMT
Stabby- Yeah, I was surprised no holes or rough edges either. It was unreal how it stuck to the tang. I suspect it was put on under a lot of pressure. Now that it’s off, have to figure out what to replace it with.
Eastman- ‘Tom Maringer's method’. That’s very interesting! Looks a little more involved than I was planning, but something to consider.
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