How to take apart a slipjoint?

[Zuchus]

I have a Boker Copperhead that I want to disassemble, remove one of the two blades, and put back together as a single blade knife. I can't figure out how to take it apart. Do I drill out the pins, or do they just hold the scales on? Below is a stock photo of the knife in question. Thanks for any advice!

 

[yablanowitz]

The two pins at the ends of the scales only hold the scales in place. The center pin goes through the backsprings as well. There are also pins through the bolsters which are not apparent as they are peened and ground flush with the bolster. I have also seen knives where the pivot pin did not go entirely though the bolster, but was grooved to hook onto the liner.

Taking apart pinned construction knives without causing irreparable damage is not as easy as you think, and putting them back together can be even trickier. I would suggest talking to some of the custom makers here about having them do it instead of risking destroying a new knife.

 

[Zuchus]

Thanks for the reply, yablanowitz. I was afraid of that. I figured there was some mysterious pin that was somehow part of the bolster and not easily dealt with. I appreciate your insight. This was not an expensive knife and I was willing to risk ruining for the fun and experience, but if it is a foregone conclusion that I would wreck it then I'd rather leave it as is.

 

[yablanowitz]

I've taken apart more of them than I have managed to put back together. Nothing wrong with taking one apart for fun and experience, but I'd suggest starting with junkers.

 

[STR]

I've taken apart more of them than I have managed to put back together. Nothing wrong with taking one apart for fun and experience, but I'd suggest starting with junkers.

This is a good suggestion and also have a pen or pencil available and micrometer to measure each pin you remove because you'll be hard pressed to reuse any of them once removed. The originals will likely be bent and tweaked and perhaps weakened or shortened if you remove them by drilling them out and for that matter you may end up having to bump each pin up a step to the next bigger size if you drill too large of a hole. Needless to say this ruins any attempts at restoring it to original condition. Once apart its not going back together without some modification whether that be new pins or rebuff its still the same thing. Also, stag and bone tend to break very easily especially when aged and dried out. It is also possible on many older brass lined, brass pinned folders to see some turquoise coloring from the build up of oxidation if the knives were allowed to get wet a few times too many over the life of the folder. All this can contribute to many factors that come up with pinned knives just to name a few. The liners can usually be reused but often times they'll bend or deform also if you are not careful or do not have the proper tools. A cutler steady and pin vise as well as proper punch assortments can all be a great help and if you don't have them good ones are a fair investment and a bit much for just doing one knife.

STR

 

[Zuchus]

STR -

Thanks for the detailed description. Sounds like this is beyond what I can dabble in at this point in my hobby.

 

[rmfnla]

Boker makes a single-blade copperhead with a liner lock called the Copperliner. I have four of these, one of which is the same smooth red bone as yours, and they are all favorites.

(The others are stag, MOP and grey G-10.)

Boker also makes the Trapperliner, which is also supplied with carbon blades and sold as a Moore Maker.

All fine knives, IMHO.