Ok, had a bit of an idea burst when contemplating my Bali.
1. What are favorable traits in a Balisong?
a. Pins that are strong and wont break easily.
b. Latch that is tight in both the open AND closed positions.
c. Strong handle material that wont break.
2. Common problems in balis
a. Weak pins, break and fall out.
b. Brittle handles that snap or bend.
c. Latch dosent stay in open and/or closed position.
d. Latch contacts the blade.
e. Handles that grow loose and wobbly.
3. What causes these problems and how to fix them.
Pins? Simply make a bali with strong, solid pins. Bearings and such additions can help extend the life of the pins. The Pin should also stay tight so that the handles will not loosen.
Handles? Make handles out of a strong material,, DUUH
As you flip your bali the tang pin slams repeatedly into your handles, causing the formation of 'cups' or small divots in the handles where the pin comes in contact with them. As these divots become deeper the pins sink into the handle further, thus there is less tension on the handles in the open position, so the latch wont stay latched.
There are many ways this can be fixed. You can make the tang pin protude more from the blade, by doing this you increase the amount of area on the handles to absorb the shock. You could make a tang pin with a larger diameter, i.e. Bears, this also increases the absorbtion area, but will bite out divots nearly as fast. The shock area of the handles could have a coat of rubber, this would protect both the pin and the handles, though the rubber would eventually wear out. Plus i suspect rubber would be tiresom to manufacture on the blade, and might pop off.
Also the holes in the blade that the handles are pinned to could be moved farther apart, so that the shock would be spread more equally through the handle surface.
If a bali doesent close tightly it is because the handle material on the side of the blade with the "kick" (a protrusion on the blade that prevents the edge from touching the inner handle) has been worn away and posibly cracked and pushed outwards. To fix this, the area aforementioned must be increased in thickness and strength.
Well, benchmade beat me to the "Latch Gate"
And the pin thing covers wobbly handles so there you have it. Somthing to think about..
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1. What are favorable traits in a Balisong?
a. Pins that are strong and wont break easily.
b. Latch that is tight in both the open AND closed positions.
c. Strong handle material that wont break.
2. Common problems in balis
a. Weak pins, break and fall out.
b. Brittle handles that snap or bend.
c. Latch dosent stay in open and/or closed position.
d. Latch contacts the blade.
e. Handles that grow loose and wobbly.
3. What causes these problems and how to fix them.
Pins? Simply make a bali with strong, solid pins. Bearings and such additions can help extend the life of the pins. The Pin should also stay tight so that the handles will not loosen.
Handles? Make handles out of a strong material,, DUUH
As you flip your bali the tang pin slams repeatedly into your handles, causing the formation of 'cups' or small divots in the handles where the pin comes in contact with them. As these divots become deeper the pins sink into the handle further, thus there is less tension on the handles in the open position, so the latch wont stay latched.
There are many ways this can be fixed. You can make the tang pin protude more from the blade, by doing this you increase the amount of area on the handles to absorb the shock. You could make a tang pin with a larger diameter, i.e. Bears, this also increases the absorbtion area, but will bite out divots nearly as fast. The shock area of the handles could have a coat of rubber, this would protect both the pin and the handles, though the rubber would eventually wear out. Plus i suspect rubber would be tiresom to manufacture on the blade, and might pop off.
Also the holes in the blade that the handles are pinned to could be moved farther apart, so that the shock would be spread more equally through the handle surface.
If a bali doesent close tightly it is because the handle material on the side of the blade with the "kick" (a protrusion on the blade that prevents the edge from touching the inner handle) has been worn away and posibly cracked and pushed outwards. To fix this, the area aforementioned must be increased in thickness and strength.
Well, benchmade beat me to the "Latch Gate"
And the pin thing covers wobbly handles so there you have it. Somthing to think about..
------------------
Elect Cthulhu!
Why vote for the Lesser Evil?