Ken Erickson Knives: A Retrospective

Kevin,

It looks good! Glad I was able to help in some small way.

As many of you may or may not know I conducted a give-away were I asked for help choosing a pattern to build for the up-coming Blade Show. Here is a link to the winning pattern and thread.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...!!33OT-Middleman-Jack?p=10714197#post10714197
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...dleman-Jack?highlight=ken+erickson+help+blade

I promised to post some wip pictures and so far am really happy with this knife. I choose this knife for several reasons. A pattern I have not built before, along with a challenge I have not met before. This knife is a two blade jack with "sealed cap". While I have recently built a pruner with a sealed cap, this one is different in that there are two back springs.

I machined the cap out of a solid piece of bar stock(CPM154cm) and heat treated. No soldering of separate ears for the cross pin.

Here is one big improvement over the original knife IMHO. I made an extension spring for the pen blade, also out of a single piece. No separate filler piece. If anyone has a picture of a vintage two blade jack, with sealed cap AND extension spring I would love to see it, either here or via email.

Thanks to everyone that offered up suggestions in my thread, especially Eric for following up with pictures and dimensions of his knife. (this knife not available)

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That's going to be an awesome knife Ken!

One of my favorite parts of bladeforums is seeing your WIP.

By the way, your part was not small. You gave the portions, very important warnings and maybe most importantly you gave me the confidence to try it. Also, your work is an inspiration.

Enough on me, I can't wait to see that one finished up.

Kevin
 
I can not wait to watch this one come about.

(Got a huge weakness for sealed caps.)
 
Jake makes a good point. Ken, if all you have is measurements taken from an intact knife, how do you figure out tang geometry and whatever else is needed to get a precise fit with perfect action ? Trial & error: make a few rough blades and see what changes are needed to achieve perfect results ? or ??.
roland
 
rprocter said:
Jake makes a good point. Ken, if all you have is measurements taken from an intact knife, how do you figure out tang geometry and whatever else is needed to get a precise fit with perfect action ? Trial & error: make a few rough blades and see what changes are needed to achieve perfect results ? or ??.
roland
Click to expand...

Roland,

Good question and one a bit hard to answer but I will try. When I take on a new pattern such as this one , I will start by cutting a piece of brass sheet stock and make my frame pattern. Placing the holes for the pivot, and springs come down to knowing the patterns, sizes of knives and types of blades. After refining the frame pattern I then move on to the blade. At times I may have a blade pattern from a previous knife that works. Much like the cutlery companies did. Utilize a blade in as many patterns as possible. Other times I make a new blade pattern up in brass. Brass is a lot cheaper to make mistakes on, compared to blade steel stock. I have no patterns for the springs normally. I think if perhaps someone was to watch me develop a pattern from scratch, they maybe surprised how low-tech my process is. I hope I have been making these difficult to make knives long enough that I am starting to get a feel for how, and what they should look like!


I did get a chance to work on the swell center jack. I have the scales cut, jigged and in the dye now. The grinds are done, with the swedges to follow, along with the bolsters shaped, fluted and threaded. I went with a small flute(rat-tail) and then fine thread. I like this combination. I may coin/mill the center liner but the jury is out on that one yet.

Here are a few pictures, along with a in-hand picture. Not a small knife by any means at 4" and full master.

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That's a handsome and muscular looking knife there, Ken. Looks like another winner! :thumbup:
 
Blues said:
That's a handsome and muscular looking knife there, Ken. Looks like another winner! :thumbup:
Click to expand...

I think that is a good term for this knife Elliott. With the seal cap you end up with a nicely rounded, hand filling cross section. The blade stock on the original Schrade Cut CO. that I patterned off of uses .125 stock for the master. Many knives in this size range use 3/32 or .093 stock. Visually this knife will have lots going for it I think.
 
Feel free to have me write all of your future press releases. ;)
 
That's NICE! Great shape. Blades look
perfect to the pattern and love the extended
back spring. Can't wait to see the rest..

Jason
 
I have no doubts that Ken picked The Most interesting pattern that was posted in his request for patterns/give-away thread and that another masterful custom Traditional folder is soon to be completed.
It has also become evident that Schrade Cutlery Co. made exceptionally fine knives that likely were the zenith of production Traditional knives ever made in the U.S.A. and superceeded only by knives from the Sheffield "Golden Age".
Please, if you are not already a collector of SCC knives don't become one based on my comment. There already is stiff competition for these vintage knives and i need more.
roland
 
Ken,
as others who took part to your "poll" thread, I was pretty curious to see the WIP pictures for this knife.
I think it's great to see the birth of a knife, and even better the reinterpretation of an old knife.
I assume the sealed cap adds alot of work to the making process...but it also adds alot of character to the knife, and the definition of "muscular" given by Elliott seems to suit this knife perfectly. Now I'm just willing to see the pictures of the finished knife. :)

Fausto
:cool:
 
Ken: Another question please. It looks like the end cap is shy of the outside of the outer liners by a bit. How does this work in the finished knife? Do the outer liners grind down or......? Might be an optical illusion also.........
 
That knife is a handful Ken-I can't wait to see the finished product. That's gonna be a super pattern-very unique!!!
 
Had a chance to finish up the swell center jack with seal cap. This was a fun exercise for me, and as always I have learned. :D

4 inches closed
CPM154cm
410 integral frame/bolsters, fluted and threaded
CPM154cm seal cap
My dyed and jigged bone scales
410 double pinned shield
Half-stops
Master blade, cut swedge, long pull
Pen blade, cut swedge, standard pull
Extension spring for pen blade
3 5/8 oz.


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Boy that looks to be a handful and a half! Very nice! That bone is exceptional. I like the fact that you still kept the extended spring for the pen blade, along with the seal cap.
 
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