First two handmade folders

Seals

Seals

Joined
Oct 12, 2007
Messages
2,655
:D Hey,they aint great,but i kinda like them.And you can probably tell which one was first.Yea,yellow one.Only problem is ... OWYAHEEEE! They are nailbusters.I was needing morphine a few minutes ago.I carried the yellow all day and opened and closed it a lot and now its working fine.The blk/grey i am having to use pliers to open it.Of course,both my thumbnails are trashed.I may have to take it back apart and do some polishing.The steel is Brad Vice (Alabama) Random damascus.Made the pattern off of a Case Sodbuster.Used the damascus steel for the spring too.I dont know if thats right or wrong.Whatchu guys think?Any advice for taking some tension off the thing?
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Yea,My bud helped me with his forge on the heat treat.We torch heated the spring to purple for the temper.Thanks! I left it open with the stoutest pressure.Im hoping it will ease up a bit.( :
 
Don before final assembly and with fit up pins in the knife, adjust the tension by grinding the inside the backspring between where the kick hits the spring and the swell that starts for the center pin. By doing so you can make the springs any tension you want. The knives look good but your nail looks bad. It would also help a great deal to move your nail nicks further out on the blade.
Ken.
 
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All the above advice and also see what you can do about the little 'tit" at the ricasso on the yellow one. Try slightly rounding it back onto the heel.
 
kc custom said:
Don before final assembly and with fit up pins in the knife, adjust the tension by grinding the inside the backspring between where the kick hits the spring and the swell that starts for the center pin. By doing so you can make the springs any tension you want. The knives look good but your nail looks bad. It would also help a great deal to move your nail nicks further out on the blade.
Ken.
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Thanks Ken,Great tip.I was trying to adjust it further in and have my spring sinking a little low closed.Yea,the nail nicks i was trying to copy those awesome swedges you guys that know what you're doing do.( : Ill nail one one of these day!
 
If those are the first two then there are definitely some really nice ones to look forward to!

As for the thumb... That hurts just looking at it.
 
Two main things make nailbreakers - overly strong springs and too shallow nail nicks, and you've got both of them. Shape a stone so that it creates a much deeper nail nick - both deeper into the blade thickness and deeper from top to bottom. The best nail nicks you can actually get your nail and some of the thumb behind it seated into - you're actually pushing at about a 45 degree angle upwards with your thumb if you do it right -- with that you can handle pretty strong springs and a lot of tearing force is off of your thumbnail.
 
Thanks Dwight,I really didnt even want a nail nick,but these aint pinch pullers.( : Ill dig the nicks out a bit more.That will definately help.The yellow one has loosened up some and i think the blk/grey has too.I tried to take it apart and adjust it as Ken suggested,but it didnt seem to help much.There's always next time!I do really like that Bama damascus.It gets a real toothy ripping edge.Thanks DropPoint,i appreciate it.
 
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