- Joined
- Jun 5, 2006
- Messages
- 229
What are your thoughts on G-10 Standing alone on the non-lock side of a Framelock folder? Many of the best makers do not back their G-10 with any metal. Do you think this compromises the strength of a Framelock?
-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is available! Price is $250 ea (shipped within CONUS).
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/
G-10 standing alone?
- Thread starter naccibobacci
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2005
- Messages
- 1,367
I build about 50% of my framelocks that way.
Doesn't seem to compromise the strength enough to worry about.
Would it be stronger if it had a liner?
Sure.
Is it necessary?
Not if it's built right.
Doesn't seem to compromise the strength enough to worry about.
Would it be stronger if it had a liner?
Sure.
Is it necessary?
Not if it's built right.
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2006
- Messages
- 2,418
Well, the pivot shouldn't be rubbing against anything and washers should keep the blade from rubbing against it.
I've got one in my pocket that I did with one side G10. The problem that I had with it is that I wanted a creative way to do a stop pin and I used a standoff screwed from either side. This smaller hole didn't hold up well to snapping the blade open and the stop pin will shift. I need to countersink it and make a new stop.
I'm guessing it will hold up better after that, but it's a concern I have with G10 now. It's much easier to put a stop pin in if there are liners, even if they are very thin ones.
That's just my humble experience with it.
I've got one in my pocket that I did with one side G10. The problem that I had with it is that I wanted a creative way to do a stop pin and I used a standoff screwed from either side. This smaller hole didn't hold up well to snapping the blade open and the stop pin will shift. I need to countersink it and make a new stop.
I'm guessing it will hold up better after that, but it's a concern I have with G10 now. It's much easier to put a stop pin in if there are liners, even if they are very thin ones.
That's just my humble experience with it.
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2004
- Messages
- 12,957
G10 or Carbon Fiber are more than strong enough to stand alone on the non lock side. I've done them with Micarta alone also and tested all of them with no ill effects seen to worry about. The Strider knives with G10 only on the non lock side and the Emerson HD series 12 and 7 models I've tested have also proven to be perfectly capable hard use folders. The Emerson 12 and 7 I had here had .118 and .120 thickness G10 standing all alone and it was both rigid and strong enough to take all the pounding. In short I wouldn't worry about it. I used to wonder but I'm convinced its fine that way now and I have made quite a few of my frame locks this way also.
The only time you really miss the liner under them is with threading these materials. Thats where they don't seem to hold up as well. It is better to have some metal underneath to thread to if you were needing to that for some reason. If you don't line them and plan to thread its best to inlay a backing plate, or simply cut off some barrels that are threaded to use as inserts to thread to on the underside of your handle. If you thread it all by itself it can work for G10, Carbon Fiber, FRN, or Micarta without a backing of metal but you have to be careful about it. I always tell my customers that need something like a pocket clip threaded to just a G10 or one of these other materials by itself with no metal under it the same three rules to live by when screws are threaded into these materials with no backing of metal..
1) Do not use loctite or super glue in the holes or the threads or the threads can either partially or fully strip out the first time you back out the screw once the glue sets. At the least the threads weaken from this.
2)never overtweak them too tight, and
3) don't make a habit of taking the screws in and out a lot when no metal backing is behind it as this can weaken them progressively also.
If you keep these rules in mind threading these materials can hold up with no backing. I've converted FRN knives (fiberglass reinforced nylon) from going on 15 years ago that are still holding just fine. Some of the Micarta and G10 ones are coming up to ten years.
Micarta seems plenty strong to stand alone if its at least .125" thickness but even at this thickness it has some flex to it where G10 and Carbon fiber are still quite rigid at that thickness or even thinner. In my experience if you get below .125 on Micarta you are pushing it but in thicknesses above this its going to be plenty strong to stand alone also.
I've never had a problem with a stop moving or a hole becoming oblong on G10 or Carbon Fiber. I imagine with extreme load it is possible I guess but I have not seen it in my own testing for productions or my own. Some of the Spyderco knives I've had here for work have had very thin Carbon Fiber standing alone on one side. It was extremely rigid even at this thickness and it was also holding up to loads quite well where the barrels went through. I believe it was a CF Harpy. I forgot to measure that scale side but just guessing it looked to hover between .080 and .090 thickness.
STR
The only time you really miss the liner under them is with threading these materials. Thats where they don't seem to hold up as well. It is better to have some metal underneath to thread to if you were needing to that for some reason. If you don't line them and plan to thread its best to inlay a backing plate, or simply cut off some barrels that are threaded to use as inserts to thread to on the underside of your handle. If you thread it all by itself it can work for G10, Carbon Fiber, FRN, or Micarta without a backing of metal but you have to be careful about it. I always tell my customers that need something like a pocket clip threaded to just a G10 or one of these other materials by itself with no metal under it the same three rules to live by when screws are threaded into these materials with no backing of metal..
1) Do not use loctite or super glue in the holes or the threads or the threads can either partially or fully strip out the first time you back out the screw once the glue sets. At the least the threads weaken from this.
2)never overtweak them too tight, and
3) don't make a habit of taking the screws in and out a lot when no metal backing is behind it as this can weaken them progressively also.
If you keep these rules in mind threading these materials can hold up with no backing. I've converted FRN knives (fiberglass reinforced nylon) from going on 15 years ago that are still holding just fine. Some of the Micarta and G10 ones are coming up to ten years.
Micarta seems plenty strong to stand alone if its at least .125" thickness but even at this thickness it has some flex to it where G10 and Carbon fiber are still quite rigid at that thickness or even thinner. In my experience if you get below .125 on Micarta you are pushing it but in thicknesses above this its going to be plenty strong to stand alone also.
I've never had a problem with a stop moving or a hole becoming oblong on G10 or Carbon Fiber. I imagine with extreme load it is possible I guess but I have not seen it in my own testing for productions or my own. Some of the Spyderco knives I've had here for work have had very thin Carbon Fiber standing alone on one side. It was extremely rigid even at this thickness and it was also holding up to loads quite well where the barrels went through. I believe it was a CF Harpy. I forgot to measure that scale side but just guessing it looked to hover between .080 and .090 thickness.
STR
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2006
- Messages
- 229
Thanks for the helpful answers Men. Well appreciated. STR, that was as fine a response as I could have asked for. Thanks for taking the time to give an answer that spoke so well to the question. The advice on threading was especially helpful to me.