Does anyone carry a MAM folder?

[btb01]

I put off buying one for quite a while, but finally picked one up a couple years ago on Half/Stop Ron’s recommendation. I like the broad spear point blade, and the fact that the edge sits a bit below the level of the handle when open (makes it nice for food prep, I think). The grind is nice and thin and it sharpens up easily and takes a nice edge. I wish it came in carbon steel.

I have the liner lock version. The blade, when open, is a bit wobbly, but for whatever reason it doesn’t really bother me. I’d say the build quality is not as good as Opinel, but they still have their own sort of charm.

 

[Just Tom.]

I had forgotten I used to have this one I modded:

I think I gave it to my dad one day, when he couldn’t find the little modded Okapi I had given him:

Payback for all those knives he gave me and I lost as a kid, I guess…

 

[abcdef]

Are the liner locks left-handed? It seems I recall that from earlier threads.

 

[BrotherJim]

Are the liner locks left-handed? It seems I recall that from earlier threads.

They are

 

[dogstar]

I noticed something about the blade grind on my friction drop point. It is virtually a chisel grind with a small bevel on both sides. I suppose this design allows for use of the same blanks with the liner lock. Hopefully you can see in the photo below. I don't think it has any impact on actual use.

Before I used the MAM knife for food prep, I tried to apply mineral oil to the groove in the handle. This made the pivot very slippery and I could flick the blade out like it was on ball bearings. So, a little more peening of the pivot pin and it was off to the kitchen.

This knife is basically a folding paring knife, so it kicked butt at the food prep. I used it like I would any other knife, and the blade never tried to accidentally close on me. It was pleasant to use in the kitchen. Next up is probably a little harder use, like wood carving or breaking down a cardboard box. I suspect this might be where the lack of a lock may force me to adjust my technique.

 

[dogstar]

A little update today. I squeezed the ends of the pivot pin with a c-clamp, and that seemed to be the most effective way to tighten up the pivot when you want more friction. You will need to cover up the hole on the moving jaw of the clamp with a piece of metal, because it has a hole in the middle. A pair of channel-lock pliers would probably do the trick as well. I believe with this knife, you'll want some way to tighten the pivot over time. Just make sure you are putting pressure on the pin, not the bolster.

I tried to carve a wooden bottle opener. It was a stupid idea that failed miserably. But, I did learn something about my knife. Making the concave portion was an interesting exercise, because it would have been easier with a fixed blade. I avoided making cuts by pushing on the spine of the blade, since that would close the knife. I found new ways of holding the knife and got the job done. I put some torque on the pivot while making some of these cuts, and the pivot did not loosen. On to the next challenge.

 

[sf fanatic]

I got this sheep foot MAM a couple of weeks ago. I noticed that there was some blade wobble. Just took a pair of pliers and opened them up so I could just squeeze the pivot pins. Gave them a nice firm squeeze and wha la locks up nice and tight with no wobble.
View attachment 1999038

 

[BrotherJim]

D dogstar ... This is how I adjust the friction action on the MAM as needed.
I use my Bessey BV-VB BVVB Vise
The jaws have grooves that I guide the pivot pin into, up to the wooden handle of the MAM.
It's a pretty good dimensional fit height wise and helps spread the jaw pressure evenly.
The MAM can be clamped with blade open or closed of course.
I start with slight clamping and check action, repeat as necessary with several small increasing and checking increments.
The last photo is a macro shot showing that the sides of the pivot pin are slightly smushed by the jaw groove angle.
I think that little bit of smushing helps too.
The result so far for me is that the friction action is even throughout blade motion and secure both open and closed.
No two knives are exactly the same and no two people will perform a procedure exactly the same. YMMV
EDIT: That little bit of pivot pin smushing (both sides equally) isn't even normally noticed unless specifically looking for it and bright light hits the flats just perfectly right. That's a really close up and magnified picture.
Even if looking for and happen to notice it, it's so equal all round ... it looks as though it was factory made that way LOL

 

[dogstar]

D dogstar ... This is how I adjust the friction action on the MAM as needed.
I use my Bessey BV-VB BVVB Vise
The jaws have grooves that I guide the pivot pin into, up to the wooden handle of the MAM.
It's a pretty good dimensional fit height wise and helps spread the jaw pressure evenly.
The MAM can be clamped with blade open or closed of course.
I start with slight clamping and check action, repeat as necessary with several small increasing and checking increments.
The last photo is a macro shot showing that the sides of the pivot pin are slightly smushed by the jaw groove angle.
I think that little bit of smushing helps too.
The result so far for me is that the friction action is even throughout blade motion and secure both open and closed.
No two knives are exactly the same and no two people will perform a procedure exactly the same. YMMV

Nice vise, thanks for sharing! I like how compact it is.

 

[BrotherJim]

Nice vise, thanks for sharing! I like how compact it is.

Thanks. The vise comes in handy for lots of hobbyist stuff.
I guess there is no right or wrong way to adjust the friction action. Your way, my way ... long as it works

 

[dogstar]

Thanks. The vise comes in handy for lots of hobbyist stuff.
I guess there is no right or wrong way to adjust the friction action. Your way, my way ... long as it works

The more ways the better. Hopefully people have something on hand that works, so they don't have to buy more stuff.

 

[BrotherJim]

The more ways the better. Hopefully people have something on hand that works, so they don't have to buy more stuff.

Yep. I normally would have probably tried using a flat punch and ball peen hammer (might have worked) on the pivot.
But the thought just came to me to try the vise and it worked much better and more evenly than if I'd tried a flat punch and hammer ... I think.
I had the vise on hand and use it pretty frequently for odd things. Lucky I don't need to buy anything else.
The MAM folders are so inexpensive, I likely would have just given up on a friction folder instead of buying anything else anyway.

 

[Just Tom.]

I got one of the non-locking sheepsfoot models from 5K Qs a while ago. I really need to start using it, though I need to tighten up the pivot a bit first. Here it is next to the drop point model:

The sheepsfoot one has a slightly more robust feel to it, I think since the spine of the blade maintains its full thickness right up to the tip, instead of being tapered like the drop point one, as you can (maybe?) see in these pictures:

 

[dogstar]

I got one of the non-locking sheepsfoot models from 5K Qs a while ago. I really need to start using it, though I need to tighten up the pivot a bit first. Here it is next to the drop point model:

The sheepsfoot one has a slightly more robust feel to it, I think since the spine of the blade maintains its full thickness right up to the tip, instead of being tapered like the drop point one, as you can (maybe?) see in these pictures:

That is a nice stout tip on the sheepsfoot!. I have this crazy idea about cutting a bottle opener into the spine

 

[sf fanatic]

D dogstar ... This is how I adjust the friction action on the MAM as needed.
I use my Bessey BV-VB BVVB Vise
The jaws have grooves that I guide the pivot pin into, up to the wooden handle of the MAM.
It's a pretty good dimensional fit height wise and helps spread the jaw pressure evenly.
The MAM can be clamped with blade open or closed of course.
I start with slight clamping and check action, repeat as necessary with several small increasing and checking increments.
The last photo is a macro shot showing that the sides of the pivot pin are slightly smushed by the jaw groove angle.
I think that little bit of smushing helps too.
The result so far for me is that the friction action is even throughout blade motion and secure both open and closed.
No two knives are exactly the same and no two people will perform a procedure exactly the same. YMMV
EDIT: That little bit of pivot pin smushing (both sides equally) isn't even normally noticed unless specifically looking for it and bright light hits the flats just perfectly right. That's a really close up and magnified picture.
Even if looking for and happen to notice it, it's so equal all round ... it looks as though it was factory made that way LOL

I’m a firm believer that you can never have enough tools and that is a cool vise. But I’m also one who believes in KISS. I accomplished the same result with a pair of pliers.

 

[BrotherJim]

I’m a firm believer that you can never have enough tools and that is a cool vise. But I’m also one who believes in KISS. I accomplished the same result with a pair of pliers.

I considered pliers, and thought the lines in pliers jaws would leave marks in the pivot pin and perhaps even the bolster face ... so I kept it simple ... and uniformly effective

 

[dogstar]

I considered pliers, and thought the lines in pliers jaws would leave marks in the pivot pin and perhaps even the bolster face ... so I kept it simple

If using pliers, I would place flat pieces of steel on the jaws so you don't mar the knife and most importantly to put pressure only on the pin ends.

 

[joeradza]

I have the liner lock version. The blade, when open, is a bit wobbly, but for whatever reason it doesn’t really bother me. I’d say the build quality is not as good as Opinel, but they still have their own sort of charm.

Same here Barrett. Mine has up and down play and it’s the only knife I’ve owned with play where it doesn’t bother me. In fact I didn’t notice it for a while. Lesson learned on my part. Don’t be so picky because it’s a good drop in the pocket and forget it knife. As you said, it won’t replace my Opinel but all this talk got me to sharpen it up and give it new life.

 

[Henry Beige]

I used to carry my liner lock sheepsfoot quite a bit. It was the perfect knife to slice your bagel and then spread your cream cheese. I have gotten away fro eating bagels in recent years, and so don’t carry it much.

 

[dogstar]

I used my MAM to carve a butter knife today. It did the job; I didn't really have to think about how I used the knife, except in a couple of spots. The butter knife will clean up nicely when I sand it. The MAM was able to do this work without re-sharpening. At the end just a few licks on the ceramic rod made it better than new. The pivot also stayed tight, even though I did put some torque on it.

Today is the last day of my week with the MAM. It is without a doubt a good product, and for $10 at the end of 2022, that is amazing value. The knife is well constructed, the steel takes a razor edge, and it packs a versatile blade in a compact, lightweight package. This knife is a pleasure to carry. There are a lot of products worthy of your pocket and your appreciation, but don't let the price fool you; you can do a lot worse than this traditional workman's knife.

P.S. for all the bushcrafters out there, this knife also makes decent feather sticks, and the spine is square