Lost Bean

 

I recently picked up an interesting knife, a Serge Panchenko Skull Bean.

Serge Panchenko Skull Bean

I didn't know it at the time; I literally picked it up from the floor near an escalator in a mall.  Nobody was around to ask if it was their knife, so it came home with me.

The blade was labeled 'Midtech Nitro-V,' but stamped on the frame was a stylized S P in a circle.  Being made with nitro-V was my first tip that this was a good knife.

Nitro-V stainless was first introduced in 2017 and sold by New Jersey Steel Baron.  It could be one of the first steels explicitly made for the knife industry.  It is known for its edge retention, high hardness, and corrosion resistance (especially in salt environments).  It can withstand impacts and stresses without chipping, a property always valuable for knife steel.

Another question was, what is the handle material?  Once upon a time, I could run detailed chemical analysis.  But now I just knew it wasn't magnetic.  It didn't look like aluminum, so I suspected titanium.

But who made the knife? 

I tried Google searching and looked through lists of maker's marks, but nothing clicked.  I tried a Google image search, which returned as 'looks like a stamp.'  Yeah, that was helpful.

The stamp looks a little like E.T.  on profile

Thanks to Facebook, I got the name Serge Panchenko.  Now my searches revealed it was one of his models called the Skull Bean – Harpoon slip joint.

I usually don't get excited about slip joints, but this one was different.  The bottom of the knife, where the slip joint spring is usually located, is open.  The tension spring is side-mounted under the clip with a ball detent that holds the blade closed or open.  A small screw head mounted near the tang of the blade acts as a travel stop for both the open and closed positions. 

The tension/spring bar is built into the side wall of the knife.  You can see it under the clip.

Very clever.  I don't know why other slip joints don't license or develop a version of this.  It would undoubtedly make their knives more interesting.

I wanted to clean it, but not drastically alter the knife's condition.  The first step was to cut the paracord weight off.  Then I tackled the Torx screws.  I wasn't sure what I'd find.  Panchenko described his knives as having a ball-bearing race.  I could visualize tiny bearings scattering everywhere.

The clip came off first.  One suggestion I got from Facebook was confirmed.  The clip was an aftermarket replacement from Steel Flame.  

A custom Steel Flame clip

Hiding under the clip

Then I removed the butt screw, followed by the pivot screw.  I got lucky here—no ball bearings to lose or struggle with.  Two very thin circles of white plastic acted as separators and lubrication between the blade and frame.  I assumed it was Teflon, which I'd use, but that's a guess on my part.  I carefully wiped them off so as not to fold, spindle, or lose them.

Most of the dirt and or corrosion was on the inside.  See the plastic washers?

How about now?  I wanted to be sure I didn't lose them.  The two indents in the blade tang click open or closed.  The white area is really a highly polished surface.

The parts went into to my ultrasonic for a mild scrubbing.  Ultrasound cleaning uses high-frequency sound waves to create cavitation bubbles.  With some solvents, cavitation bubbles can reach temperatures hotter than the sun's surface.  I once studied aluminum tire molds cleaned by ultrasonics.  Dirty tire molds became junk very quickly in soapy cleaning solutions.  Ultrasonics work best with hard particles on hard surfaces.

I didn't want that level of cleaning and used a 50/50 mixture of Clenzoil and WD40.  I wanted the protective nature of the solution to penetrate under any surface corrosion and loosen it up.

A couple of minutes in the ultrasonic peeled off a little surface grime and staining.  The discoloration under the clip needed a little light-duty persuasion with a Super Eraser.  So did the blade.  I could have bead blasted the frame and blade, but I like an honest working patina, so I cleaned it enough to make specks a little less noticeable.

I reassembled the knife with a bit of Teflon lube around the washers, and it works fine. 

Cleaned and re-assembled

It was the lanyard that gave me trouble.  The knife weighs about 62 grams, and the lanyard decoration weighs 35 grams.  The lanyard hanging out of your pocket is a great way to assist losing it.  Perhaps the non-locking, short-blade knife was set up as a flail.  Using the knife as a handle, whipping the heavy, raised surface sphere would make an impression in just about anyone.

I believe the knot is called a king knot.  

I picked out a cord I had and turned to YouTube to learn how to tie a decorative King knot.  My first one was perfect.  But that one wasn't on the knife; it was just practice.  The next three were near misses.  Finally, I tied the knot correctly, and I'm happy with the outcome, even if it does need a little more work.

Did I sharpen it a bit?  Sure. I touched up the blade with my Spyderco Sharpmaker.  It needed a little touch up and I'm happy with edge.

Finished.  I really like that blade shape and the opening lever is very interesting

But what's the knife worth?  Don't know.

I emailed Serge Panchenko with a few questions, but he never answered.  The clip is custom, it is a unique knife, and the handle is titanium, and I think it is worth…..?