First Folder

Patrickknives

Patrickknives

Joined
Dec 13, 2006
Messages
2,415
My collection of personal fixed blades was growing too fast so I tried a folder so I can carry it rather than my K-Bar. I feel like a new father, not perfect but a good carry knife, blade is 440c with nickel steel bolsters, ebony handles and brass liners.

FirstWestern007.jpg
 
Pretty cool for your first folder. I like the looks of brass and ebony combined for a nice classic look.

Hey, where's the nail nick :D (they're stinkers huh)

:thumbup:
 
Work in progress, I am hoping to score a tool for making the blade nic at the show in Reno this weekend, any suggestions. I have seen several types. I am also ordering some templates for my mark, I have one but not really happy with it.
 
PCRKnives said:
Work in progress, I am hoping to score a tool for making the blade nic at the show in Reno this weekend, any suggestions. I have seen several types. I am also ordering some templates for my mark, I have one but not really happy with it.
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I've seen fly cutters use on a mill. They are adjustable so that you can adjust the diameter swing. I have used a 4" cuttoff wheel for a straight slit but it isn't as professional looking as a fly cutter.
 
PCRKnives said:
Work in progress, I am hoping to score a tool for making the blade nic at the show in Reno this weekend, any suggestions. I have seen several types. I am also ordering some templates for my mark, I have one but not really happy with it.
Click to expand...

Nooooo dont add no silly finger nock in the blade leave that sucker smooth. I hate that notch thing in big wide bladed folders. If your going to add one add a series of groves at the back portion of the clip like say 3 per side maybe kind of like this
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Just somethign to let you get a good grip on the blade to open it.
4 rows close to gather on each side would look realy nice.
 
I like that Idea, it is wide enough to get a good hold and I dont think I would use the nic, this will be my knife so I think I will hold off on the nic for a while. I am looking at Fastel and they have a fly cutter for $35.00 not sure if it includes the cutter or not. I will experiment with the multi grip idea I do like it but will be tough to do right. I do have a number of experimental/messed up/ did not watch what I was doing blades to experiment on. I plan to bend one to see how the 440C holds up I did a hunter and was suprized how well it did but not 90 degrees.
 
novaflare said:
Nooooo dont add no silly finger nock in the blade leave that sucker smooth. I hate that notch thing in big wide bladed folders. If your going to add one add a series of groves at the back portion of the clip like say 3 per side maybe kind of like this
---
----
-----
------

Just somethign to let you get a good grip on the blade to open it.
4 rows close to gather on each side would look realy nice.
Click to expand...

Can you show us any examples of that?
 
PCRKnives said:
I like that Idea, it is wide enough to get a good hold and I dont think I would use the nic, this will be my knife so I think I will hold off on the nic for a while. I am looking at Fastel and they have a fly cutter for $35.00 not sure if it includes the cutter or not. I will experiment with the multi grip idea I do like it but will be tough to do right. I do have a number of experimental/messed up/ did not watch what I was doing blades to experiment on. I plan to bend one to see how the 440C holds up I did a hunter and was suprized how well it did but not 90 degrees.
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How are you heat treating and tempering your blades? I have never done that with 440C so I am clueless about that aspect. There are steels that would be easier to work with.
 
I am using a torch to heat inside of some fire bricks, I try to get a even color and let it soak for a couple of minutes. The reason I use 440C is it does not require I hold it at temp for a long period of time. I double temper at 400 for one hour and put it in the freezer in between. I keep the edge to 0.015 to 0.017 and then sharpen at 12 degrees on each side. I have been able to get 30+ cuts on a 3/8 rope, which made me real happy. I tried the edge flex on a brass rod and it seem to be ok as well.

I looking for some new steel to work, I see alot of folders using ATS 34. I like to do my own heat treatment now so I can try alot of things. I do plan to use other steel and send them out for heat treatment. Have a steel to recommend?
 
Sorry, I just don't have enough experience with HT to recommend a particular steel. ATS-34 seems to be used a lot with folders but I have heard that it is going to be discontinued and is replaced by a different steel, CPM-154 maybe. There are some non-stainless steels that are darn near stainless after they are HT and polished to a high degree. D2 has a high chromium content and is rust resistent.

Lots of steel information here http://www.knivesby.com/knifemaking.html
 
Kerry Hampton said:
Can you show us any examples of that?
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Shcrade had a few examples of it ill do some searchign and see what i can find. I think it might have been the beast folder from shcrade. I always hated the look of that knife it was like a folding big belly skinner.

EDIT not the beast thats the one with the thumb stud.
 
PCRKnives said:
I like that Idea, it is wide enough to get a good hold and I dont think I would use the nic, this will be my knife so I think I will hold off on the nic for a while. I am looking at Fastel and they have a fly cutter for $35.00 not sure if it includes the cutter or not. I will experiment with the multi grip idea I do like it but will be tough to do right. I do have a number of experimental/messed up/ did not watch what I was doing blades to experiment on. I plan to bend one to see how the 440C holds up I did a hunter and was suprized how well it did but not 90 degrees.
Click to expand...

Hmm shouldnt be to teribly hard. Once you have one grove cut or lined up to be cut you just need to control the spacing. To get a good look with it i wouldd use a nice sharpie. I would bet you could make a jig to position the blade so the grooves go at the same angle.
 
Before I got a mill, (after I got a mill I have yet to make anouther slip joint:rolleyes: ), I used a 4" grinding wheel I shaped off on a dressing stone so that it had a sharp edge and about a 45deg. or so angle. I'd use the dremel and a cut off wheel to cut a small notch, then use the grinding stone to make a more traditional nail nock. I did it by hand with a battery drill and it worked pretty good most times as long as I kept the stone sharp and did it before final grinding. If I had it to do now I'd use a fly cutter or a dove tail cutter.

Good looking knife, looks like a good one for carry and use.

I personaly like the way ATS-34 works, it's a good steel, not to hard to sharpen and holds a good edge. From what I've read it does have a tricky heat treat, but I send stainless to Paul Bos and he does an excellant job.
 
Kerry Hampton said:
Thanks novaflare for that example.
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No problem the old style nock is fine on say a schrade old timer stockman patern or a boker congress but on single blade knives i never cared for them. Simply put a single blade has a more refined elegence and should not have something that detracks from their in general smoother cleaner lines. Personal choice id kill for that exact knife in a liner lock with out any thumb stud knoc groove hole or any thing else.

On some of my 1 hand knives ive removed the studs and filled in the hole with silver solder. Simply dont need the thing on the knife. Now on smaller ones or ones where the stud is alsothe stop or the blade is all but flush to the handle when closed like say the jung lee babalon or many other warn cliff paters you sort of have to have the stud there.
 
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