Hello everyone, long time reader and first time poster to the forums. I wanted to pose a question here that may be viewed a bit controversial to some, and perhaps normal to others.
I do not advocating or endorsing theft of intellectual property. This is merely an amalgam of existing designs. Whatever the outcome of this design, it is solely for personal own use and not for resale/profit. If Spyderco thinks the idea of a "Mini-Manix 2" is a good idea, by all means, I'll be the first person in line to purchase one from them.
Short Version: Is it possible to reverse-engineer an existing lock-back design folder and put in place a caged-ball lock? I.e. Take the locking mechanism concept of the Spyderco Manix 2 and apply it to a Delica 4 frame.
Long Version: There are four knives that I really like, but each one seems to have something that is not quite perfect. I like my Delica 4, but I do not really care for the blade shape nor do I care for it being a lock back. Also, I feel the lack of the 50/50 choil seems like a waste from a design point of view. I like the knife, and I like the grip profile a lot. I also like the Dragonfly 2 quite a bit, but it is a little small for my hands and again, is a lock back. I really love the design of this knife, however. The blade profile with the swedge is very cool looking. The wire-clip is icing on the cake. I like the Manix 2, but I am not crazy about "that much knife" as an EDC blade. I do however, like the caged-ball lock. Finally, I like my Benchmade Minigriptilian. The axis lock is very satisfying to use and be able to close one-handed. The size is very good as an EDC, but I find my pinky finger wants to trail off the grip of the blade, which prevents me from getting that very comfortable and secure 4-finger grip.
So now I am attempting to pursue a quest for the "perfect storm" of a knife, and sometimes if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself, or if you have limitless disposable income, contract someone else to do it for you. Since I do not have the latter, I am relegated to the former.
This is what I have done so far:
Engineering/Design Questions:
I took some time searching through the forum on knife construction, and they all have been very helpful and will glean more of it during the knife's final construction. However, I wasn't able to find much information on designing, pivot alignment, and more non-traditional locking mechanisms. I am posting this here (if this is the incorrect place, I apologize) because I am aware that I will have to essentially create this from scratch since I enjoy all of my knives intact and because none of my knives match these specifications. I have no problem in attempting to engineer this, but I am not very mechanically inclined and terrible at CAD. Anyone who has some ideas/tools or heck, could show me how to resolve the clearance/pivot/locking concepts would be greatly appreciated.
I do not advocating or endorsing theft of intellectual property. This is merely an amalgam of existing designs. Whatever the outcome of this design, it is solely for personal own use and not for resale/profit. If Spyderco thinks the idea of a "Mini-Manix 2" is a good idea, by all means, I'll be the first person in line to purchase one from them.
Short Version: Is it possible to reverse-engineer an existing lock-back design folder and put in place a caged-ball lock? I.e. Take the locking mechanism concept of the Spyderco Manix 2 and apply it to a Delica 4 frame.
Long Version: There are four knives that I really like, but each one seems to have something that is not quite perfect. I like my Delica 4, but I do not really care for the blade shape nor do I care for it being a lock back. Also, I feel the lack of the 50/50 choil seems like a waste from a design point of view. I like the knife, and I like the grip profile a lot. I also like the Dragonfly 2 quite a bit, but it is a little small for my hands and again, is a lock back. I really love the design of this knife, however. The blade profile with the swedge is very cool looking. The wire-clip is icing on the cake. I like the Manix 2, but I am not crazy about "that much knife" as an EDC blade. I do however, like the caged-ball lock. Finally, I like my Benchmade Minigriptilian. The axis lock is very satisfying to use and be able to close one-handed. The size is very good as an EDC, but I find my pinky finger wants to trail off the grip of the blade, which prevents me from getting that very comfortable and secure 4-finger grip.
So now I am attempting to pursue a quest for the "perfect storm" of a knife, and sometimes if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself, or if you have limitless disposable income, contract someone else to do it for you. Since I do not have the latter, I am relegated to the former.
This is what I have done so far:
- Taken the profile of the Dragonfly 2 and scaled it to the size of the Delica 4 (7 inches OAL).
- Printed and cut out a wooden template to get the right scale and feel of the knife.
- Overlayed the existing caged-ball lock onto the existing image (see below).
Engineering/Design Questions:
- What design tool(s) do you use to ensure that your blade fits into the handle?
- What design tool(s) do you use during design to ensure a proper pivot?
- Any tool(s) or advice on how to design the tang/scale the locking mechanism?
- Is this a fools errand to pursue? If so, why?
I took some time searching through the forum on knife construction, and they all have been very helpful and will glean more of it during the knife's final construction. However, I wasn't able to find much information on designing, pivot alignment, and more non-traditional locking mechanisms. I am posting this here (if this is the incorrect place, I apologize) because I am aware that I will have to essentially create this from scratch since I enjoy all of my knives intact and because none of my knives match these specifications. I have no problem in attempting to engineer this, but I am not very mechanically inclined and terrible at CAD. Anyone who has some ideas/tools or heck, could show me how to resolve the clearance/pivot/locking concepts would be greatly appreciated.