I've got an idea for a really tough folder.

[Shing]

Looking at Strider folders which are great and very inspiring, and being a perfectionist, I wonder how I can improve on the Strider, below is a few of my ideas and chip in with yours, The idea is to make the M1A of folders, here goes:

Differentially heat treated 4 inch O1 blade, 3/16 thick, flat sabre grind
5/32 thick O1 locking plate (frame lock) heat treated to a spring temper, blind slotted, NOT drilled to reduced weight
3/16 thick titanium handle plate
Heat treated 3/8 diameter 416 stainless pivot with PB bushing and washers
Heat treated 440C stop pin
Titanium clip
Gunkote finish

I was thinking about using S3V or A2 for the blade as well

 

[underaged!]

And a moveable clip.

Don't forget the lefties.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

Differentially heat treated 4 inch O1 blade, 3/16 thick, flat sabre grind

This is way out of balance with the lock type. Even without a sabre grind, on a blade that length you are looking at it being able to take bodyweight loads. The lock can't handle near that level of torques.

5/32 thick O1 locking plate (frame lock) heat treated to a spring temper, blind slotted, NOT drilled to reduced weight

This is way overbuilt, really thicker liners don't achive functional strength gains because the liners never fail through excessive bending, they just have security issues with the lock up and disengage.

3/16 thick titanium handle plate

Even FRN handles are not weakpoints unless you want to be able to hit the handle with a hard object.

For the kind of folder you are looking for, start off with the Manix, put in a 3/16" full flat grind AISI 420HC steel blade, mill the handle out of one piece of the same steel (or use a decent tool steel if you want to take care about corrosion around the pivot), use a 3/16" lock bar, and extend the handle past the blade for greater torque security, use much thicker screws in the body, and a heavier pivot pin.

-Cliff

 

[Jeff Clark]

I have an idea as to how you carry the weight of this design.
http://www.eagleindustries.com/ProdDisp.asp?PartNoID=237

As Cliff said, you can afford to lighten up the handle considerably. The only place the handle will be in high stress is right near the pivot. Make the handle a solid 1/8-inch thick there and you can afford lightening holes further out in the handle without reducing the strength. There are times when excess handle weight leads you to put excess stress on your blade tip.

 

[Shing]

Thanks for the feedback guys, the reason for the thick liners is twofold, to increase torsional resistance to the handle deforming under extreme loading compromising the lockup although I have a solution to minimise that as well and to allow it to be extremely strong overall to take the place of a fixed blade in most circumstances such as plying and heavy chopping and piercing. As to the weight, it will be about the same as a fixed blade with a full tang handle and sheath but in a more compact and in some places legal package. I think if you find this knife too heavy, you're in the wrong line of work.

 

[runT1ME]

Interesting Cliff...a sort of "super manix" if you will. I like it!

 

[Cliff Stamp]

Thanks for the feedback guys, the reason for the thick liners is twofold, to increase torsional resistance to the handle deforming under extreme loading compromising the lockup ...

It doesn't take extreme torsional loading to unlock liners/integrals. You are overbuilding the design ignoring the weakest link. You can get liners/integrals to release and not even overcome the strength of FRN handles.

-Cliff