A question on kicks

[Dr Bill]

As I was examining my newest Ryu K knife and comparing it to a similar Bose model, I noticed the kick was different. Not sure I've seen this before (except other Ryu knives).
Does anyone know what this style kick is called?

Here's the 'traditional' kick found on the vast majority of slipjoints I've seen:

Here's the 'stovepipe' kick Tom Overynder uses:

And, here is the Ryu K kick:

It's hard to see in photos, but the tab which serves as the blade stop in the closed position is inside the knife. The part of the tang closest to the pivot is thicker and is what contacts the back spring. The front part of the tang, which is exposed when the knife is open, does not hit the spring.

This image may show it best:

Three different solutions to the same problem, all of which work well. To me, it seems the style Ryu uses may be harder to execute, but I really have no clue!
Any idea what this kick is called? Internal kick? Hidden kick? Kick me upside the head because it really doesn't matter?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!!

 

[FLymon]

Could it be purely cosmetic?
I am assuming that all makers start with kicks that leave the spring slightly proud when closed, and remove material for final adjustment since you can't add material to the kick if you start with the spring too low.
Sometimes the traditional, and stovepipe kicks have quite a bit ground off of them to get the spring flush when closed (Probably not by Bose or Overynder), where Ryu's kick will be "perfect" every time, by hiding the actual kick in the bolster.

 

[waynorth]

Ryu's kick would certainly make it harder to adjust after assembly!
And if you used/sharpened the blade a lot, how would you lower the point, if it started to "peek", without marring the inside of the knife??
I have adjusted many knives by touching the kick with a file - easy.
Granted, not many customs get that much wear, but I think that's not the point.

 

[glocktenman]

I like the stove pipe one. I'm gonna have to take a look at my knives to see if any of them are different. I think mine all have a traditional kick.

 

[Mack]

I''m really getting a kick out of this thread. The hidden one is a great idea to my eyes.

 

[zerogee]

The kick Overeynder uses is in the very old Sheffield style - usually just called a square kick (though many were actually more trapezoidal, like this one). It's certainly easy to tune, and I like it from a functional point of view since it spreads the area of the kick strike against the spring, while the "traditional" kick focuses all the force on a tiny area of the spring. Ryu may be using the extra internal stop instead of a true kick in an attempt to get crisper closing snap -- slipjoint blades bounce when snapped closed - how quickly this bounce is damped down defines how crisp and clean the closing snap is.

 

[TLARbb]

Good thread. :thumbup: I like these kind that teach me something new and show different technical construction methods and features. Thanks for the illustrations with the great photography fellows. - Ed

 

[Tony Bose]

The kick Overeynder uses is in the very old Sheffield style - usually just called a square kick (though many were actually more trapezoidal, like this one). It's certainly easy to tune, and I like it from a functional point of view since it spreads the area of the kick strike against the spring, while the "traditional" kick focuses all the force on a tiny area of the spring. Ryu may be using the extra internal stop instead of a true kick in an attempt to get crisper closing snap -- slipjoint blades bounce when snapped closed - how quickly this bounce is damped down defines how crisp and clean the closing snap is.

That internal kick is a modern thing. It has nothing to do with the walk and talk of a slip joint. Myself, I don't like it. It would present problems if you had to drop the blade a little and I don't like the way it looks open. It looks too small coming out of the bolster especially on pen blades. Just an old rednecks opinion.

 

[zerogee]

I'm not totally clear on what Ryu is actually doing to replace the kick -- is he using a stop pin or has he made a bulge on the spring? By DrBill's description, I'm taking that it's not part of the spring.

Tony, I agree with all the negatives you listed -- I was just trying to find a possible positive to doing it Ryu's way, or at least a rationale behind it.

 

[Tony Bose]

The ones I've seen have a raised place on the spring for a kick. That's the way he does it and he does it very good. Kind of a trade mark for him. He is a hell of a craftsman and a fine young man.

 

[ptradeco]

The ones I've seen have a raised place on the spring for a kick. That's the way he does it and he does it very good. Kind of a trade mark for him. He is a hell of a craftsman and a fine young man.

I pulled out the three Ryu knives I have and they are all the way Tony described it. A ridge on the spring forms the kick. And apparently rather than adjust the tangs he adjusts those ridges to different heights to correspond to the different blade sizes in his multi-blade work. Kind of like what Swiss watch makers call complications.

 

[zerogee]

"Complications" indeed -- as if multiblade slipjoints needed any extra.

 

[cnas122]

He does that on most of them...at least the ones I have or have seen. His knives are always interesting because he puts modern twists on traditional patterns...and I should say that it is very hard to get him to deviate from the way he likes to do things. You tell him I want a stockman like this...he says Oh...ok...I will do this for you (and it's usually his own way). I did get him to go bigger on the swedge for the last knife I got from him....but it just comes with the territory. If you are going to order a knife from Ryu, you will definitely know it's a Ryu knife.