Slip Joint knives are some of the hardest knives to make. I made knives for twenty five years (fix blades) before I started making folders.
When I started, I did them like when I did fix blades, from scratch, no patterns. And it still took me over three hundred knives to get good at them.
Now that I've made over a thousand of them, all from scratch. I can make one (from scratch) and do it right. I used bushings on about a hundred knives and then went back to no bushing. When you use a bushing, it will help on pinning the knife. When you pin the knife it will want to close up.
And with a bushing over sized on thickness, it will help, and you can pin it better.
I think I have done ever thing to a slip joint that can be done. When I started, I broke so dam many springs trying to adjust them for tension.
Knocked them around to get the blade to close just right. When you use pins, you got one shot at getting it right. I had to learn to get all the parts
"FLAT". Cause as you make the parts, they bend from heat and hitting them. Putting on bolsters, pinning the shield and what not. You have to
make sure everything is flat and true. At first you will do a lot of slacking and as you get better, you won't have to do as much.
Something that helped me a LOT. Was during the twenty five years doing fix blades, was that I made miniature knives from my drop.
And doing that over time helped me perfect grinding small blades. ( I do all my grinds free hand) Most makers use a pattern and most use
jigs or what not to grind with. You don't have to go to those extreme's as I did, you can use patterns and jigs to grind with, they would help.
I remember showing Alistair Phillips my knife destruction test. As you get into making the knives, don't be scared, always try new stuff.
Doing more knives over and over helps a lot. Stay focused and good luck.
