Ken Erickson Knives: A Retrospective

Ken,

You have some source for your stag :)

I like the bushing idea. It is the very reason that the Sebenza is my all time favorite designed folder. Pivot or pin you can hammer or torque it down as tight as you want and the bushing takes the brunt. All the blade has to do is sit there and pivot. I hope that when my name comes up on your list you will consider this construction.
 
Ken: Can ....you....tell the difference with a bushing? How much thicker did you leave the bushing than tang thickness?

John,

To be honest I would not be able to tell this knife had a bushing as far as opening and closing. I will say I was able to peen the pin very hard. The blade has absolutely no side to side play that can be felt. It feels rock solid. I left the bushing .00075 thicker than the tang thickness.


Thanks for the very kind comments on the JMP guys! They are very much appreciated.
 
Here is a little 1/2 Congress based on a Queen I picked up at the Badger Show. This knife is a bit different as it features "coined" or "milled" liners , much like the treatment done on finer Sheffield made knives. The knife is 3 1/2 closed, 154CM with some really nice ivory. The ivory has mellowed with age, showing some grain and features. This one is not available and will be going to Blade in June. Thanks for looking!

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Ken,

Love the liners, I have never seen that treatment and the scales are fantastic! See you in Atlanta, hope it's still on your table.

Jeff
 
That's a beautiful Half Congress, Ken. Someone will be very happy with that!
 
Ken,

That 1/2 Congress with Milled (Coined) Liners is gorgeous.

Thank you for showing it.

I hope to see you and your charming Lady again at Blade this year.

Mike H.
 
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That one exudes elegance and sophistication Ken. Very nice all the way around. I love the milled liners, very nice touch.
 
As some may know I started using a number system to denote the blade steel on a knife. Here is that chart, updated. I started installing pivot bushings in a select few knives. I came up with a "period" or "dot" after the blade steel number. If a knife has this "dot" , then a bushing is installed.

1=01
2=A2
3=D2
4=ATS-34
5=154cm
6=CPM154cm
7=CPM D2



. along side the steel number denotes a bushing install


Here is a picture of a Jmp (Junior Michigan Pen) going to Blade show. Reading the tang would signify CPM154cm with a bushing.

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Ken: You just cannot beat stag! (-:

Well John, you have made my life much easier when it comes to putting stag on one of my knives! ;) I utilized a set of scales for this knife, and while they do show a color difference from side to side, it is much less noticeable in-hand and think they will mellow with age.

It does seem as if these large JMP's beg for stag.
 
Never get tired if seeing those JMP's Ken. What an outstanding pattern.
 
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A year ago I was asked to build my rendition of a German Eye Brand single blade locker and today finished it up. (this knife not available). I was a bit on the fence when I first received the Eye Brand as an example to work with. Now, I must admit I really like this knife. It is a handful at a touch over 4 5/8 and fairly thick. The changes I made on mine was to slightly change the blade shape with a drawn swedge running most of the way back to the plunge line. I also hafted this knife in yellow linen Micarta(said to be old Randall shop Micarta), a bit thicker than the Eye Brand but very nicely rounded. The Eye Brand has flat sides and I personally think for a large clasp knife like this, the rounded scales feel much better in hand. One of the other changes I made was a bit more drop to the blade in relation to the frame. I took creative license on the shield. I opted for a "gimp" shield , fairly large in size. When you look at a lot of vintage clasp knives, many times you will see them with a larger in proportion shield compared to smaller knives in the 3 to 4 inch size. The blade steel is CPM154cm 1/8 stock. The thumb recess is also relieved as is the frame for the tang, to eliminate marks on the lockbar. As this is a change up in knife styles for me, any comments, suggestions etc are more than welcome.

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Nicely done, Ken. I think our mutual friend is going to love it. :thumbup:
 
Ken, i have 2 of these very large Schlieper Clasp or 'Sodbuster' knives. They have a commanding presence and are a 'powerful' solid user, i.e. a great knife.
I think your version is an improvement over the very good original. I prefer your blade profile of dropping the point. And, rounding the handles makes the knife look better and makes for perfect hand comfort which is great for a big knife that may need to be gripped tightly for 'tough' cuts.
It is a knife to be proud of and although it is not coming to me, i'm happy that you decided to take this one on.
Beautiful knife and a Total Winner.
roland
 
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