Magnet folder

Heck, if they ever put that into mass production the lawmakers will have a fit trying to outlaw it. I like it though!

Sincerely,
Anthony
 
A small amount of pressure on the thumb stud sends the blade flying into the open position.
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Interesting. Sounds like an assisted opener but powered by magnetism rather than by a spring. I'd like to see one in action.
 
I wonder how much of an effect these "strong" earth magnets would have on a watch? For that matter any type of magnetic media might be at risk. I like the concept though.
 
It must suck ass for the people in the metalworking industries. I can just imagine picking up filings and stuff with my knife. :barf:
 
SpyderJon said:
Heck, if they ever put that into mass production the lawmakers will have a fit trying to outlaw it. I like it though
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That would be bad. the same language that would outlaw that would probably outlaw assisted openers and any knife you can open with a flick of the wrist.
 
I had a knock-off Spyderco Endura once that had a small magnet that held the blade closed. I thought it was a neat idea because i beat it up alot and it was great for prying staples out of walls. (the magnetised blade held onto the staples so i didn't drop them all over the place)

I've never thought of using magnets to open folders like that though...that's a neat idea.
 
very cool idea . . . but with no lock or backspring the force holding the blade open is pretty minimal - sounds more suited to a gent's knife than a working knife.
 
Neat idea but "Rocks the world for Knife Enthusiasts" and "Revolutionizes the Folding Knife" is a bit of a stretch.
 
stevekt said:
Neat idea but "Rocks the world for Knife Enthusiasts" and "Revolutionizes the Folding Knife" is a bit of a stretch.
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Yeah, it looks like a company press release.
 
nice idea, i suppose, but IMO it borders on gimmick.
in the long run i think it would be more trouble than its worth. as was mentioned think about people working around metal - it would attract filings like mad. would affect watches and electronic equipment, and god forbid you work in the IT field: you can nuke media, monitors, etc with it inadvertantly.
not to mention that magnets are very iffy things in the first place. most lose their strength over time, and it can 'die' if dropped or exposed to high heat, and your knife will be useless.
the more metallic debris it attracts the more likely it will be to rust - think of it attracting a bunch of metal filings, dust or steel wool debris, then exposing it to moisture/humidity. even the most stainless of steels will rust if left adjacent to a rusting metal object.

'The Neodymium (NdFeB) magnet is stronger than conventional magnets and does not loose strength with age, classified a "permanent" magnet'
ehh, since these are new knives that remains to be seen. i wont be 'investing' in them just yet. i think ill stick with my traditional slipjoints, both because theyre proven to work, have no drawbacks at all, and you gotta love the classic walk and talk :)

'...but it was not until I discovered the ready availability of really powerful rare earth magnets'
umm, isnt that an oxymoron? how can they be both rare and readily available?

cheers,
-gabriel
 
interesting idea. I'd like to try it out, but like others have said, it may be more trouble than it is worth.
 
Blackhearted said:
'...but it was not until I discovered the ready availability of really powerful rare earth magnets'
umm, isnt that an oxymoron? how can they be both rare and readily available?

cheers,
-gabriel
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:)

If you're joking, I'm sorry for being the straight man...

Rare earth isn't really "rare," it's kind of a misnomer. The strict definition of a rare earth metal is that it is one of the lanthanide series on the periodic table.
Neodymium in particular is used in a lot of commercial-use magnets. Hard drives, high-end speakers, etc.

Also, is it just me or does the article imply that the absence of side-to-side play is a result of the magnet? That seems a bit odd to me...
 
knife saber said:
:)

If you're joking, I'm sorry for being the straight man...

Rare earth isn't really "rare," it's kind of a misnomer. The strict definition of a rare earth metal is that it is one of the lanthanide series on the periodic table.
Neodymium in particular is used in a lot of commercial-use magnets. Hard drives, high-end speakers, etc.

Also, is it just me or does the article imply that the absence of side-to-side play is a result of the magnet? That seems a bit odd to me...
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ah, well.. i learn something new every day :)
no, i wasnt joking. taken in the context of the entire article i assumed it was more marketing bs.

as for the lack of side-to-side play being a result of the magnet, it kindof scares me too. i like the snap and lack of play in well-made slipjoints, i think that a new trend of knives using magnets to hold the blade is just going to result in cheaply made knives with magnets compensating for the poor fit/action.

i do have some of those neodymium magnets - being an onsite tech for years has given me the opportunity to disassemble a lot of harddrives in my boredom while waiting for the next call. one thing i must give them, they are extremely powerful especially if mounted properly. but even testing a large and very powerful neodymium magnet with the flat back of a reasonably thick blade (much thicker than a standard folder's) i still cant see how this would stop side-to-side play. the blade rocks very easily. IMO using magnets as a 'next generation' type slipjoint might impress tech savvy knife knuts in the short term, but i think that it will encourage laziness and lack of precision in knife manufacturing and in the long run people will switch back once they realise that in a high-tech world carrying around a powerful magnet is just plain stupid, and that cleaning/rust protecting something that attracts metal dust/fragments/filings/wool is going to be a full-time job.

i dont work in the metal fabricating industry or do much with metal, but i just carried around a neodymium magnet in my pant pocket for half a day as an experiment. i had an embarassing incident where my pants stuck fast to a metal counter in a store, had to give all of my comp equipment (which i now realise is everywhere in my house) a wide berth, and when i got back home i realised that there are small metal filings (i guess from knife sharpening/filing) i had no idea existed around my desk.
so suffice to say, ill pass, thanks :)

cheers,
-gabriel
 
HEY! Maybe my ideas where stolen!

I present to you my DIGMON systeM;

c100.jpg


See here:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=347861
 
It's certainly interesting, but overall I think it's just a novelty and not practical as magnets interfere with watches, compasses, and credit cards which I often carry.
 
Personally I don't see that it can be any better than a spring, either for holding the blade open or closed as in a traditional slipjoint or to open it as in an assisted opener or automatic.

Luis
 
Stormdrane said:
It's certainly interesting, but overall I think it's just a novelty and not practical as magnets interfere with watches, compasses, and credit cards which I often carry.
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Can you imagine bumping into a rack of keychains at your local mall? Or walking past your TV (CRT) and leaving a very pretty, very long-lived streak of color across your monitor? Or buying a pair for yourself and your significant other, so that when you go out your pants stick together? Hey, there's another marketing opportunity - the knife that actually brings you closer to your wife!

Granted the magnet will be small and not uber-powerful, but the opportunities for mischief are endless!
 
Bad idea in my opinion. I have a set of these small rare earth magnets and they are wicked strong and came with various warnings, like keeping them up to 2 feet away from anything like pace makers, watches, computer monitors, tvs, keeping them off airplanes, etc. They can hold something like 500 times their own weight, so think of a quarter size one, it could hold 500 quarters up (if they were steel). Size wouldn't matter, they're far too strong.
 
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