Corby Bolts??

[calharkins]

Guys, what is your opinion of corby bolts? I found several post containing corby, but not much on the opinion of how good they are.

Thanks
Cal

[ranger1]

I use them on my tacticals. Never had one turn loose. I use a little J-B weld on the threads.

[David Broadwell]

Corby bolts will function well. They're a bolt and nut and if properly applied will hold your scales together.

From an aesthetic point of view, I never did like them. In particular, I don't like the bullseye effect on one side. The other side is fine. If I want a large pin/bolt holding my scales together I prefer the complete hidden bolt set. You get two solid circles of your material, and not that bullseye.

David

[ranger1]

The corby's I have are the same as a hidden bolt. The Loveless bolts I have leave a bullseye. I bought them as Corby's, got a deal on 150 sets of SS so I have had no need to buy any in the last 5 years. They look the same as the brass Hidden bolts I got from TKS. You will get a bullseye if you grind too deep on one side.

[David Broadwell]

Interesting, Andy. It sounds like Corby isn't selling real Corby bolts! For the last 25 plus years the suppliers have been selling what they call Corby bolts that have a solid head on the bolt piece and a nut that has been drilled and tapped all the way through. One side has a solid circle of metal and the other side has the bulls eye of the Loveless bolts. What you and I have been using were always called simply "hidden bolt sets". I looked them up in my current Texas Knifemaker's Supply catalog and the hidden bolts are called "Corby Fasteners" and what I called a Corby is now a "Screw Type Fastener". However, in my 2004 TKS catalog the Corby fasteners are the combo solid/bulls eye. Somebody is playing games with us!

Cal, get the double solid hidden "New Corby" fasteners and you'll be in good shape.

David

[Andrew Garrett]

I like the function of Loveless type fasteners, but never liked the 'bullseye' or the half circle of threads you could always see when finished.

The reason I never tried Corbys was because I didn't like a handle with such a huge 'pin' in it. They always reminded me of cheap steak knives. I like 1/8" pins. 3/16" at the largest, so I've just steered clear.

HOWEVER, I just bought some MICRO CORBYS from Jantz. They have a bunch of new stuff in their latest catalog--this is one example. They got the head size down to the sizes I like AND there's no way you'll ever get a bulleye.

One head has the threaded male end, the other side has a hollow shaft threaded on the inside. You'd have to grind off the entire head to get to threads. By that point, you've destroyed the handle anyway, right?

The other cool thing is that they tighten with an allen wrench instead of a screw driver. I guess there'd be less chance of chipping your nice handle material this way.

Anyway, they come in brass and SS I think. I bought a few sets of each of the smaller two sizes just to try them out. I also bought the special drills that create the 1/8" hole and the appropriate head width for both. Esentially, they are countersink bits without any angle on the step up. It should be perect every time.

Check 'em out.

[calharkins]

Thanks for the info guys. If I buy them, I will get the ones from Jantz. They are only 60 miles away.
Cal

[ranger1]

David, I think your right. I have the new style. Like I said I've only bought one time and still have plenty left over in stock.

[chris moore]

good to here there is smaller ones being made now. i use 3/16 pins on just about everything, i hate anything bigger, but i do like the phsical locking of the scales to the blade that the bolts offer