custom slipjoint, back lock knives easily off centered?

[simonxm]

Hi all,

I was planning to buy few of traditional knives either slip joint or back locks.

Before approaching the makers directly, I was hoping to buy few second handed to begin with to know the built and quality of different makers. But only I looked closely into all the knives being sold made by different maker, I found out few of the makers' second handed knives are having much more off centered blades than the others.

Does anyone know why this happened too often to certain makers? Is it because of the heat treatment? blade thickness and built defects?

Please share your comments?

Thanks.

 

[Clem Kadiddlehopper]

Hi all,

I was planning to buy few of traditional knives either slip joint or back locks.

Before approaching the makers directly, I was hoping to buy few second handed to begin with to know the built and quality of different makers. But only I looked closely into all the knives being sold made by different maker, I found out few of the makers' second handed knives are having much more off centered blades than the others.

Does anyone know why this happened too often to certain makers? Is it because of the heat treatment? blade thickness and built defects?

Please share your comments?

Thanks.

Only thing I can really think of is quality of the makers.

Good luck with the search, there are some great knives to be found.

 

[brownshoe]

I have bought custom slipjoints that had problems. One developed a wobbly blade taking off the ends of corn to prepare them for a boil. I sent it back with a check, it was fixed for free (maker returned the check). Unfortunately the fix was to put in a washer, the blade soon got wobbly again. I asked for a domed pin, so if it got wobbly again I could peen it myself, but this was not in-line with a free fix.

I fixed it myself with a hammer and anvil. Even though it was wrapped in leather, it dented the bolster. Has not got wobbly again. One of the reasons I had no qualms taking a hammer to it is that in addition to the wobble, it was returned with a a small crack in the bone around the spring pin. The maker's work starts at $350 and the knife was two blade small trapper. I still have the knife and use it. It serves as a reminder, "buyer beware."

The guy is a well respected second tier maker who has been doing it for years and gives instruction in pocket knife construction. Personally, I think too many of his blades are safe queens, and although he can make knives, he is short on truly understanding the design, thus the problems during use. The patterns he sells are "standard" he doesn't seem interested in different designs.

If he had just given me the domed pin like I asked and let me pay him for the change...

That's why I like the Case Bose line, high quality construction designed by a man who knows what stresses a knife undergoes during every day use for a 100 years, backed up by a repair department that listens.

 

[simonxm]

I have bought custom slipjoints that had problems. One developed a wobbly blade taking off the ends of corn to prepare them for a boil. I sent it back with a check, it was fixed for free (maker returned the check). Unfortunately the fix was to put in a washer, the blade soon got wobbly again. I asked for a domed pin, so if it got wobbly again I could peen it myself, but this was not in-line with a free fix.

I fixed it myself with a hammer and anvil. Even though it was wrapped in leather, it dented the bolster. Has not got wobbly again. One of the reasons I had no qualms taking a hammer to it is that in addition to the wobble, it was returned with a a small crack in the bone around the spring pin. The maker's work starts at $350 and the knife was two blade small trapper. I still have the knife and use it. It serves as a reminder, "buyer beware."

The guy is a well respected second tier maker who has been doing it for years and gives instruction in pocket knife construction. Personally, I think too many of his blades are safe queens, and although he can make knives, he is short on truly understanding the design, thus the problems during use. The patterns he sells are "standard" he doesn't seem interested in different designs.

If he had just given me the domed pin like I asked and let me pay him for the change...

That's why I like the Case Bose line, high quality construction designed by a man who knows what stresses a knife undergoes during every day use for a 100 years, backed up by a repair department that listens.

That's really bad experience. I bet this US$350 dollars knife would not even compete to a 30 bucks knife for the quality. I believe that there's some very basic built sense been lost from the maker? There are certainly good ones there that really have better value. I can not afford a 2 grand knife as a daily pocket using tools. maybe 1 grand, but need to be just very good fit and finish with quality built. Otherwise, why not buy a 30 bucks slip joint?