Another non-knife, need design input.

Overmountain

Overmountain

Joined
May 2, 2013
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I have developed a love affair with the bottle opener stuff lately it seems. Which seems to put a stop to knives being finished, but dang these little things are fun.

I am retiring the Brewtal after a good run (as promised) so I need a replacement. The problem is I have three designs I like, and not enough input from potential customers to decide which one to do...

These are freehand pencil and ink so go easy on me.
The first is answering the request of having something Brewtal-like, but for those who don't mind a little large opener. The holes are about 1.1" in diameter for scale... So they're all small, this one is just a bit bigger...

Calling it Brewtal v3.0 for now.
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This is being called the Face Opener for now, and I have seen similar face/skull designs. Different opening mechanism. This one resembles the Van Gogh scream dude to me a little...
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And this one is very small. Opens via similar mechanism as the face, just included in the finger holes. No working name for it yet. All they keyring holes will be 1/4" FYI.
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Thanks again for being my focus group. If they all suck feel free to tell me. I've got a pretty thick skin....

Cheers!
-Eric
 
Some cool designs there. The first one reminds me of an angler fish.

What if you joined the finger holes into one larger hole on #1 and #2? This may allow people with odd sized fingers to use it as well.

Also on #2, the bottom of the piece should be rounded in case someone wants to hold it with a reverse grip. It would fit the palm of the hand better that way.

#3 looks like it would have sharp edges on the inside, and wouldn't be comfortable to put your fingers into.

 
Yes, number one, with holes just under 1in diameter, but as one oval shape. And make these in Ti or brass and I'll buy one.. Heavily cambered of course.. round off corner on "outside" "hole"...
 
I like the oval finger hole idea. The struggle is always trying to keep it as covert as possible, small as possible, and still functional. I don't make any of them for comfort sake honestly... The idea is if you've reached the level of force on force to use these things legitimately and legally, a little finger boo-boo is the least of your worries.

So far with my friends and co-workers #1 and #3 have been the front runners. #2 was more for gits and shiggles than anything. Like I mentioned, I have seen some similar skull based designs and wouldn't want to step on any toes. #3 wouldn't have any sharp angles inside the finger holes incidentally. The bevel needed to make it a functional opener is a slight one. And I round all corners pretty well so there aren't any sharp plane on plane angles, etc.

I do aluminum at the moment for stuff this size basically to keep the cost down. I draw very very little off the top on em and I bear the up front on materials and waterjet cutting. And I finish them all from rough rough cut by hand to keep it cheaper too. So any expense increase I have to pass on. I'd love to do titanium or brass ideally, but they'd probably be $40-50 a pop instead of $10-15... I'll have to scope it out though as I'd prefer those materials for their strength as well...

Thanks guys. Keep em comin.

-Eric
 
LucyCustomKnives said:
The idea is if you've reached the level of force on force to use these things legitimately and legally, a little finger boo-boo is the least of your worries.

-Eric
Click to expand...

That's what I was thinking. It's gonna hurt both ways, but worse on the receiving end. Who actually gets in fights though? I haven't been in a fight since high school. :confused: On the other hand, I carry a fixed blade and I guess that gives you some primal sense of security.

I've done a little messing around with beta-ti. It definitely works differently from steel or aluminum. Easy to anodize though.
 
Omega Leather Works said:
That's what I was thinking. It's gonna hurt both ways, but worse on the receiving end. Who actually gets in fights though? I haven't been in a fight since high school. :confused: On the other hand, I carry a fixed blade and I guess that gives you some primal sense of security.

I've done a little messing around with beta-ti. It definitely works differently from steel or aluminum. Easy to anodize though.
Click to expand...

Well, there are some people who live in much more unfriendly areas than we do. And there is never such a thing as being too prepared IMO. I have (because of my job) jumped in a few times and wound up over my head. For example they have a couple of friends I wasn't originally aware of. On the force continuum I have wound up justified in using striking implements on more than one occasion. A little beyond that in a couple as well... but that's for a different discussion.

I had a little time to play with the computer and this is what I've hashed out. Still not pretty design wise, but better than my paper/pencil/sharpie pen drawings. Again, you'll have to imagine there being no actual corners anywhere, and every flat plane to 90 degree being chamfered, as well as every hole being done the same.

#1 I could level things out, which would look more appealing to the eye, but fit funny on the hand... The original Brewtal actually took quite a bit of tinkering to get that whole thing sorted... Proper knucks are on an arc if you look at the hole placement...
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#3 which I am liking more and more for some reason...
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#2 which is becoming the local front-runner... It has a lot higher cost associated due to shape complexity.
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Edit: Whoa those pics were huge first attempt. Hope this is more screen friendly...

Thanks,
-eWreck
 
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Why dont you put the chamfers in those cad models? What software is that? Can it create the path for the waterjet? If not give me the rough dims and I will draw them for you with chamfers and create the .dxf or .dwg you need.
 
629hugo said:
Why dont you put the chamfers in those cad models? What software is that? Can it create the path for the waterjet? If not give me the rough dims and I will draw them for you with chamfers and create the .dxf or .dwg you need.
Click to expand...
Thanks, but this isn't actually a traditional CAD program. I can import these directly to AutoCAD 360 and then specify machine path and chamfers, radii, etc, but at the moment it's just easier to doodle with this. It allows me to do a quick scan to pdf transfer and copy with line overlays. Then I can just specify a thickness and get a quick CG rendering. Going to a specific platform and executing it is easy from here, but this is just for a rough idea...

Cheers.
-Eric
 
Eric,
Since the discussion is about making "covert" knuckles, the discussion is about making an illegal weapon.....which is against forum rules.

I will leave it up to you whether to close this thread or not. It would have been better if you just left the discussion about bottle openers.
 
bladsmth said:
Eric,
Since the discussion is about making "covert" knuckles, the discussion is about making an illegal weapon.....which is against forum rules.

I will leave it up to you whether to close this thread or not. It would have been better if you just left the discussion about bottle openers.
Click to expand...


These don't meet the definition in most states as an 'illegal weapon' as they are legal for sale; just possibly not carry depending... But I realize in some states even speaking about a knife with double edges, or something with a blade of more than 3 1/2" long, or a concealable neck knife can be an illegal weapon when discussing carry... Most items, until used and only then through their use, do not become an illegal weapon.

I always took the forum rules to be about discussions of manufacture of what are truly outright banned and illegal weapons for sale or manufacture. Things like projectile knives and the like. My apologies if it is more obtuse than that. I had even refrained from calling the Brewtal an out and out knuckle in the sales thread until I viewed others selling even non-covert knuckles here. So I assumed this was ok. My apologies if it isn't. I know how rules and laws are often left unclear and open for interpretation by those that enforce them.

So if it needs to be locked then I'll lock it. I just don't see a violation here. The sales threads for others selling knuckle dusters need to be closed too then as they are sales of 'illegal weapons.'


-Eric
 
I would just keep any further discussion about it as a bottle opener.

It was the fact that you said it was a disguised knuckles that was skirting the edge of the rules and getting close to crossing the line.

Not a big enough deal to close the thread unless there is more than bottle openers from now on.
 
I was out on the boat yesterday. Awesome weather, lots of empty bottles in the livewell because the fish weren't biting. (OK, they are root beer bottles, I've learned I may be allergic to hops) I have a bottle opener on the boat. I also have a snap removal tool to take the cover off the boat. Snaps need a 1/2" slot to pry them off. I'd like to have them both on one tool. It just looks like there's room for it on 2/3 of the designs shown.

Here's what a commercial snap revomal tool looks like. I build my own by drilling a 1/2" hole and cutting into it.
IP-0081.JPG
 
zaph1 said:
I was out on the boat yesterday. Awesome weather, lots of empty bottles in the livewell because the fish weren't biting. (OK, they are root beer bottles, I've learned I may be allergic to hops) I have a bottle opener on the boat. I also have a snap removal tool to take the cover off the boat. Snaps need a 1/2" slot to pry them off. I'd like to have them both on one tool. It just looks like there's room for it on 2/3 of the designs shown.

Here's what a commercial snap revomal tool looks like. I build my own by drilling a 1/2" hole and cutting into it.
IP-0081.JPG
Click to expand...
I could certainly make something like that... Could be a cool little niche market for a project. Add something else boat specific, like maybe a notch to flip a sticky drain plug lever or something.

I used to work at a boat rigging/customizing facility on a popular lake here years ago. We used to make these little teardrop shaped tabs out of a thin polymer that was installed in conjunction with the snaps on custom vinyl covers. The tip of the teardrop facing out. Lift the edge and the snap pops. I've since made a similar little tab out of very thin Ti which I attached to a thumb break holster snap upon repair. (A good 90% of what I do in the shop is local repair/fab related. The bottle openers are just a side hobby...) I may incorporate something similar in a sheath I'm working on for the jade ghost knife I'm making... I know some of the bigger holster makers use a hard plastic supportnon the thumb break for their holsters. Same idea but bigger...

Subverts the tool idea a little, but I thought it a practical investment if one is replacing a snap or three...

-Eric
 
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