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- Nov 12, 2009
- Messages
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Hi folks -
Here will I share my impressions and specs of John Kiedaisch's new JK Handmade Knives Titanium Folding Scout Frame-lock.
Specifications:
Weight:4.7 oz - 134 grams
Scales:
Material: titanium
Thickness: .120" - 3.05mm
Length: 4.59" - 116.50mm
Blade:
Material: 01 tool steel
Thickness: .123" - 3.12mm
Usable cutting edge: 3.08" - 78.41mm
Construction:
01 steel spear-point blade
Titanium frame-lock using two .032" bronze washers and a hand-fitted 3/8" bronze bushing which rides inside the blade tang
and locates the bronze pivot washers. The blade tang includes a small protrusion that which contacts the stop-pin/spacer
when the blade is opened.
Ball-detent in lock-bar engages with divot on blade tang for blade retention.
Three .250" stainless steel barrel-spacers, with the blade-pivot boss acting as a fourth spacer.
Stainless steel button-cap hex screws.
Lanyard hole.
Cost: $250
Options include $20 for pocket clip and -$10 for a g10 lockbar-opposing scale.
The knife is all top-notch quality, and is based on the JK Scout, with a very utilitarian spear-point blade.
The knife is nicely balanced, the balance point being right at the end of the lock-bar where the scale is cut out to allow easier access to
push the lockbar away from the blade.
The blade is perfectly centered on my example, and the lockup is very firm. The lockup is at about 25%, but once you grasp the knife in your hand
when cutting, the lockbar engages slightly more, making the knife lock up as firmly as any frame-lock I have experienced. I attribute the very firm lockup to the way the blade tang engages the stop-pin; think friction folder tang here, only
not as long.
This same tang protrusion arcs up out of the scales slightly when the blade is deployed, which I initally thought might be a problem, but
this has not come into play at all in the time I have been using the knife (I have had mine since the beginning of May).
The knife has a titanium sheet pocket clip that is attached using the stop-pin and pivot pin fasteners. The clip holds the knife firmly and works well.
The clip does allow a goodly portion of the knife to stick up out of your pocket, however, so I have taken to just slipping the knife down in my
pocket
I have attached a nice paracord lanyard that Mr. Sogetsu gave me at the last JK Gathering,
I have used the knife to cut open boxes - I worked a charity "beer festival" event that required me to open dozens of cardboard boxes while I was serving.
I also use the knife to chop down a 3/4" sapling to fashion a "fishing-pole" at the JK Gathering. The JK was awesome, I bent the tree over and then "chopped"
at the bend, then sliced through the last bit of bark and fiber. Then I chopped at the branches to clean the stick up. The knife worked VERY well.
The JK is rugged, and the design is "no-nonsense" in nature; I feel it has a military look to the design. Functional, quality and a knife that will not
let you down.
The 01 steel blade is starting to develop a patina, as you would expect from a carbon steel. I keep the blade clean and lubricate it as necessary.
I have not had to re-sharpen the blade. John does a very fine job of heat-treating his blades, and this knife is no exception.
The spine of the blade is very nicely rounded. The rounded spine gives the knife a finished, elegant look both when closed and when opened.
I am very satisfied with the knife. I have many examples of Ti frame-locks, and the JK is amazingly competitive with the best I have in terms of quality of
build and materials.
Initially my knife had a bit of roughness in the action of the blade, which I determined was from the fiinish on the inside of the lock-bar
and the blade tang. I smoothed that out by sanding with 1000 grit and then polishing the tang and lockbar surface with red rouge.
Now my JK is comparable to my Sebenza in smoothness - it is a "tight" smooth action, not the "loose" action that you find on some other
frame-locks.
I am sure that the JK Frame-lock will just get better as John tweaks and makes small changes to the knife based on his making more of them.
I will use this knife for many years, and I am fairly confident that it will outlive me!
You can contact John by posting in his forum at bladeforums.com:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/830-JK-Handmade-Knives?order=desc
best regards -
mqqn
Here will I share my impressions and specs of John Kiedaisch's new JK Handmade Knives Titanium Folding Scout Frame-lock.
Specifications:
Weight:4.7 oz - 134 grams
Scales:
Material: titanium
Thickness: .120" - 3.05mm
Length: 4.59" - 116.50mm
Blade:
Material: 01 tool steel
Thickness: .123" - 3.12mm
Usable cutting edge: 3.08" - 78.41mm
Construction:
01 steel spear-point blade
Titanium frame-lock using two .032" bronze washers and a hand-fitted 3/8" bronze bushing which rides inside the blade tang
and locates the bronze pivot washers. The blade tang includes a small protrusion that which contacts the stop-pin/spacer
when the blade is opened.
Ball-detent in lock-bar engages with divot on blade tang for blade retention.
Three .250" stainless steel barrel-spacers, with the blade-pivot boss acting as a fourth spacer.
Stainless steel button-cap hex screws.
Lanyard hole.
Cost: $250
Options include $20 for pocket clip and -$10 for a g10 lockbar-opposing scale.
The knife is all top-notch quality, and is based on the JK Scout, with a very utilitarian spear-point blade.
The knife is nicely balanced, the balance point being right at the end of the lock-bar where the scale is cut out to allow easier access to
push the lockbar away from the blade.
The blade is perfectly centered on my example, and the lockup is very firm. The lockup is at about 25%, but once you grasp the knife in your hand
when cutting, the lockbar engages slightly more, making the knife lock up as firmly as any frame-lock I have experienced. I attribute the very firm lockup to the way the blade tang engages the stop-pin; think friction folder tang here, only
not as long.
This same tang protrusion arcs up out of the scales slightly when the blade is deployed, which I initally thought might be a problem, but
this has not come into play at all in the time I have been using the knife (I have had mine since the beginning of May).
The knife has a titanium sheet pocket clip that is attached using the stop-pin and pivot pin fasteners. The clip holds the knife firmly and works well.
The clip does allow a goodly portion of the knife to stick up out of your pocket, however, so I have taken to just slipping the knife down in my
I have attached a nice paracord lanyard that Mr. Sogetsu gave me at the last JK Gathering,
I have used the knife to cut open boxes - I worked a charity "beer festival" event that required me to open dozens of cardboard boxes while I was serving.
I also use the knife to chop down a 3/4" sapling to fashion a "fishing-pole" at the JK Gathering. The JK was awesome, I bent the tree over and then "chopped"
at the bend, then sliced through the last bit of bark and fiber. Then I chopped at the branches to clean the stick up. The knife worked VERY well.
The JK is rugged, and the design is "no-nonsense" in nature; I feel it has a military look to the design. Functional, quality and a knife that will not
let you down.
The 01 steel blade is starting to develop a patina, as you would expect from a carbon steel. I keep the blade clean and lubricate it as necessary.
I have not had to re-sharpen the blade. John does a very fine job of heat-treating his blades, and this knife is no exception.
The spine of the blade is very nicely rounded. The rounded spine gives the knife a finished, elegant look both when closed and when opened.
I am very satisfied with the knife. I have many examples of Ti frame-locks, and the JK is amazingly competitive with the best I have in terms of quality of
build and materials.
Initially my knife had a bit of roughness in the action of the blade, which I determined was from the fiinish on the inside of the lock-bar
and the blade tang. I smoothed that out by sanding with 1000 grit and then polishing the tang and lockbar surface with red rouge.
Now my JK is comparable to my Sebenza in smoothness - it is a "tight" smooth action, not the "loose" action that you find on some other
frame-locks.
I am sure that the JK Frame-lock will just get better as John tweaks and makes small changes to the knife based on his making more of them.
I will use this knife for many years, and I am fairly confident that it will outlive me!
You can contact John by posting in his forum at bladeforums.com:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/830-JK-Handmade-Knives?order=desc
best regards -
mqqn
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