linerless slipjoint idea. am i wasting my time?

chuck buck

chuck buck

Joined
Nov 4, 2007
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never done any knife making only very minor modding to my own. recently though ive been wanting to make my own little light weight slipjoint. so i took apart an old case trapper that i have and decided to try and use the blade and backspacer for my light weight knife.

so my idea is to just to use micarta/g10 (MAYBE carbon fiber if its not too hard to work with) for the hand scales with no liners or bolsters. and then use 1/8in barrel and screws in place of the pins maybe insetting the bolt heads slightly. i do have the old liners to get my hole positioning correct i think.

first of all will this knife be a functioning slipjoint if i put it back together this way?
and how easy or hard is it to saw g10 or micarta scales by hand and whats the best kind of handsaw to use?

any kind of help and ideas are greatly appreciated as ive been really wanting to do this for a month or so now! thanks- CB
 
You can use micarta for a linerless folder, I would shy away from carbon fiber due to the expense for a thick enough piece. Micarta is pretty easy to work just use good dust protection and gloves, it is real irritating. I would cut with a hacksaw and can be shaped with files and sandpaper.

Couple of key points, rough cut your two sides and then glue them together to final shape, this way they will match. Almost any glue will hole and then you can break them apart again. The most critical part is getting the blade pivot hole in the right place and then get the holes for the spring pins in the right place. With the blade in place position the spring, clamp the spring to one side, remove the blade and move the tip of the spring down about 2mm. With the spring clamped in place drill through the existing spring holes to make sure you get you holes in the right place. Glue the two sides together and then drill through the set of holes into the second side.

that was easy, now fit and finish
 
awesome this is sounding like it might work out. would there be any adverse effects from using screws/barrels instead of pins?
 
I think barrels are alot of work, the blade and spring are heat treated and will be really tough to drill out to a new size. If you dont have to drill then I dont see a problem. Pins are easy, use nickle silver or brass and you can peen them pretty easy then finish to a good surface. I think that is alot easier than barrels.
 
thanks for the replies patrick. i think pins will look a bit nicer too actually. have never used them before though. im guessing the process is as follows: insert pin, peen lightly, cut excess and sand? should one use adhesives with the pins?

i have read some slipjoint tutorials but they usually focus on the bolsters and spring which are the 2 things im not worrying about.
 
When I do a slipjoint I cut the pin and file it down untill about 3/32 is left out, then peen that and file or grind that off.
 
awesome. is the process the same with the pivot end? do i need to take any extra care there?
 
The pivot takes a little extra care. Peen a little then test it and repeat as necessary. Flip it back and forth, doing each side a little at a time. You may want to put a piece of tin foil or some other such shim between the blade and handle on each side before you peen the pivot pin. It only needs to be very very thin but it will prevent you from pinching the blade. you can pull it out after you get it all done. Very thin sheet metal is better than foil but you may not have that on hand.
 
I use my heat treating foil for the shim, It's stainless steel and gives just enough clearance. I peen mine then spray it down with penetrant and let it sit for 30 min to an hour then come back and pull out the shims and work the pivot a bit.
 
I have a friend that has made a few slipjoints using micarta and no liners and they seem to work and wear really well.
 
In Chris Crawford's tutorial he uses a shim made from a razor blade and he puts one between each side of the liner and blade, then peens, and works the shims out. I can't believe it doesn't make for more blade play, but it doesn't. Sounds like a good project... better post pics when you're done!

As for the other questions, Micarta and G-10 cut easily with hacksaw and work easily with files. I'd say G-10 works even more easily than Micarta. They both make very fine dust that is extremely bad to inhale, so use good respiratory equipment and clean up the dust. Use wet sandpaper when you finish and it will cut down on the dust. G-10 dust is even worse than Micarta because it is little glass pieces, so it's extremely bad to inhale. Carbon fiber is even worse, yet, plus a hell of a lot harder to drill without splintering, and the dust is a serious mess and serious health hazard. Good luck!
 
The shim isnt just for the blade it is also for the spring. keeps it from getting pinned or fused to the liners when you peen the pins.
 
ah guys im really stoked to start this now! i have 2 blades and springs so i think ill try one with g-10 and one with linen or paper micarta likewise one pinned and one with screws. i like the idea of being able to take one apart.

really appreciate the quick reponses guys! hopefully this will get me into carrying slipjoints. ive always liked the simplicity but not the weight that comes with them.
 
Wow what alot of great advice, I hope you go through and write this down, I know I will. On the pins us a slightly larger drill bit to make a recess for the pin to squash into. This is what holds the knife together. Like the others said shim the pivot and then peen the pin. fill the divot and check for blade wobble. when you are happy remove the shim (I like a razor blade idea) then peen gently to remove any play. If its a little tight it will work out with a little oil and working.
 
I made a small slipjoint using Cocobolo no liners or bolsters.(I think its called a *shadow* pattern when done w/o liners/bolsters) Anyway i like the knife a lot ! And have had no problems from it. I dont know how it would hold up if used * hard* but i have other knives for those jobs anyway.
I say go for it ! When its done you will have a very liteweight pocketknife.And have the satisfaction of building it yourself.
I will say it spawned a hellava addiction to folding knife making.Ive found patience is a VERY good thing when making folders. For me there has been a lotta trail and even more ERROR making them. But i enjoy it
 
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