Help with my first slipjoint folder

Lon Aguiar

Lon Aguiar

Joined
May 23, 2007
Messages
96
I am working on my first slipjoint folding knife. I have the blade and spring profiled and fit together. I have the parts pinned to a board and everything fits nice and seems to work well. I’m trying to figure out how much of a gap needs to be between the front end of the spring and the back of the blade and the bottom of the spring and the top of the tang. I ground both the front of the spring and the top of the tang at a very slight angle. Basically the spring contacts the blade at the back end of tang and top of the blade. I am not sure how much is not enough, just right or too much.

Thanks,
Lon
 
The little inside corner that you see open when spring is engaged in the open posistion is open, some say for a lint trap. In other words, if you carry the knife in your pocket and lint enters the area between liners, when you open blade it will still snap open leaving lint on inside corner. Spring should meet at top of blade and very top end of tang.
 
Thanks for the reply John,

I have heard the gap is needed for a "lint trap" and that it gives the spring "snap". My spring does meets at the top of the blade and the back end of the spring. The gap is really small. I guess I am worried about the areas that contact wearing and the blade and spring not fitting correctly over time.
 
Tolerences should be small...walk and talk and matching up of the spring with blade at open, half stop position and closed position are important.
Small tolerances require keeping it clean and well, but not over, oiled....
Consider a nice 2-3 oz leather pouch to carry your slippie in your pocket in...(I am not an english major, obviously)

Kit-meister, and Mete-Meister....hope for your input......
 
Have you checked out "The complete book of pocketknife repair" by Ben Kelly Jr (I think that is the correct author)? There are pictures of how things fit together.

ron
 
Thank you for the feedback John,

I am very happy with the way the spring and the blade are fitted together both open and closed (no half stop, it is a texas toothpick with a rounded tang) . The only thing I wasn't sure about is the gap. Sounds like it is o.k. though.
 
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