Besides nickel silver or brass for the hilt; nickel silver, brass, or duralumin for the butt cap; nickel silver or brass for the butt plate; nickel silver or brass for an optional collar; and aluminum or brass for the spacers; silver can be sourced from Doug Cream (PMF Co., 174 Main Street, Suite 260, East Aurora, NY 14052 USA). The "fine" silver (99.9% pure silver; for the hilt, butt cap, butt plate, and collar) and "sterling" silver (92.5% pure silver; for the spacers) is purchased directly from Doug Cream, who then provides it directly to RMK (if ordered direct) or to the dealer through which you ordered the knife, who subsequently provides it to RMK when submitting the order that includes the knife. The following are some additional notes about the use of silver for RMK knives:
For knives without an exposed (on the top of the handle) tang, spacers between the hilt and handle, and between the handle and butt cap or butt plate (if any), are standard. The standard spacer colors are red/white/blue. The following table details what spacers are standard, and which alternate configurations are chargeable versus non-chargeable:
| Spacer Material | Standard Configuration | Alternate Configurations | Catalog Price for Alternate Configurations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-metal | Red/white/blue | All-black, all-red¹ | Non-chargeable |
| Metal | N/A | Aluminum/black, aluminum/red, brass/black, brass/red, sterling silver/black², sterling silver/red² | $10 (2010) |
Table Notes:
RMK offers a wide selection of handle materials, such as stag, various woods, various colors of Micarta, and stacked leather. The advantage of selecting an RMK-supplied handle material is that it is guaranteed. If you still prefer to supply your own handle material, keep in mind that RMK states that it is at the customer's risk in case the handle material becomes damaged during construction or after delivery, and that excess material is not returned. Ivory is accepted as a handle material only with a bill of sale or statement of legal ownership. You are encouraged to contact RMK with any questions regarding the supplying of custom handle materials.
Please refer to the following table for RMK's custom handle material specifications, paying close attention to any applicable notes:
| Knife | Tang Size | Minimum Dimensions (Rectangular Block) ¹ |
|---|---|---|
| Small (5" or less) ² | 3/16" (0.1875") | 1" × 1" × 4½" (4.5") |
| Medium (4½", 5", 6", 7") ² | ¼" (0.25") | 1⅛" (1.125") × 1¼" (1.25") × 4¾" (4.75") |
| Medium/Large (7½", 8") | ¼" (0.25") | 1¼" (1.25") × 1⅜" (1.375") × 5" |
| Large Bowie Knives (#12-8", #12-9"), Small Sasquatch | ¼" (0.25") | 1⅜" (1.375") × 1½" (1.5") × 5" |
| #10-3" ³ | ⅛" (0.125") | ⅜" (0.375") × 1" × 5" (two pieces required per knife) |
| #10-5", #10-7" ³ | ⅛" (0.125") | ¼" (0.25") × 1" × 5" (two pieces required per knife) |
| #12-11" Confederate | ¼" (0.25") | 1⅜" (1.375") × 1⅝" (1.625") × 5" |
| #12-13" Raymond Thorpe, #13-12" | ¼" (0.25") | 1½" (1.5") × 1¾" (1.75") × 5" |
| #12-11" Smithsonian, Large Sasquatch | ⅜" (0.375") | 1½" (1.5") × 1¾" (1.75") × 5" |
| #14, #15, #16, #16 SP#1, Fireman Special, Buxton Fighter | ¼" (0.25") exposed | Contact RMK for specifications |
| #25 Handle Center Piece (#25, #27) | ¼" (0.25") | 1⅛" (1.125") × 1¼" (1.25") × 3" |
| #25 Handle Center Piece (#26) | 3/16" (0.1875") | 1" × 1" × 2¾" (2.75") |
| #25 Handle Center Piece (#12-9", #12-9" w/#14 Grind) | ¼" (0.25") | 1¼" (1.25") × 1⅜" (1.375") × 3½" (3.5") |
| #28 | 3/16" (0.1875") exposed | Custom handle material not accepted |
Table Notes: