Review of my slip joint #2.

T

TheEdge01

Joined
Apr 3, 2015
Messages
3,707
I have been carrying my #2 slip joint as my work knife for a few days, so I figured it was time for a short review. It’s thin and light, so it’s very comfortable to carry. I wish I put the nail nick closer to the front of the blade and made it a little longer because the spring is very tight, which is something I need to address on slip joint #3. As expected, the nail breaker spring was a turn off when I showed #2 to other people. I also noticed that I left corners on the tang that comes into contact with the spring so the action isn’t as smooth as it should be. As you can see in the bottom pic, the centering is a little off, but it isn’t rubbing the side of the handle. The bottom pic is where the tang contacts the spring. I also made the mistake of adjusting on the tang after drilling the holes for the scales, so the blade bounces up a little when snapping closed 🤦‍♂️.
I really want to get this right, so any opinions, suggestions, or feedback is appreciated.
Thanks and God Bless.
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Ratatoskr said:
I'd say the most important thing is - you're doing it. You're making stuff. If it's useable, and solid, and pleasant, I'd say you got a great knife. Learn from the few hiccups on this one, and make the next one better.
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Thank you! I’m determined to get it right. Sometimes, trial and error is the best way to learn.
 
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There is no substitute for getting in there and just doing it. My recommendation, go to Chris Crawford's website and purchase the Luke Swenson making a slip joint video. It was one of the single most important purchases I ever made on the road to becoming a maker myself. There aren't many processes I do like Luke at this point to be honest but it gave me a good working baseline of what needs to be done and some of the tooling needed.
 
Making slipjoints is a test of patience.
You need to slow down, your work looks rushed. There are a lot of unfinished areas of your knife.

Keep trying, but do not move on to the next step before finishing the current one.
 
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Signalprick said:
There is no substitute for getting in there and just doing it. My recommendation, go to Chris Crawford's website and purchase the Luke Swenson making a slip joint video. It was one of the single most important purchases I ever made on the road to becoming a maker myself. There aren't many processes I do like Luke at this point to be honest but it gave me a good working baseline of what needs to be done and some of the tooling needed.
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I followed part of Chris Crawfords process on my first slip joint, and kind of winged the second one. I believe #3 will be much better if I don’t get ahead of myself and address the mistakes I made on the first two.
 
AVigil said:
Making slipjoints are a test of patience.
You need to slow down, your work looks rushed. There are a lot of unfinished areas of your knife.

Keep trying, but do not move on to the next step before finishing the current one.
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Indeed, I’m not always as patient as I need to be. I have a habit of trying to rush through the process to address previous mistakes I made, and end up with subpar fit and finish.
 
The Swenson video isn't free for a reason. Because it's detailed. ;) It's a $35 investment and imo it's worth thousands! It makes the free tips and tricks out there more easy to understand and implement. I sold my 3rd knife for good money and haven't looked back. It's the best advise I can offer ya. Good luck!

**just wanted to add that I own all the videos that Chris offers, Swenson, Ruple and Brewer. Luke's is the most detailed for getting started. But I do recommend all 3. No other info out there for self help even comes close.
 
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Signalprick said:
The Swenson video isn't free for a reason. Because it's detailed. ;) It's a $35 investment and imo it's worth thousands! It makes the free tips and tricks out there more easy to understand and implement. I sold my 3rd knife for good money and haven't looked back. It's the best advise I can offer ya. Good luck!

**just wanted to add that I own all the videos that Chris offers, Swenson, Ruple and Brewer. Luke's is the most detailed for getting started. But I do recommend all 3. No other info out there for self help even comes close.
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This.

I too own all those videos. I probably have watched Lukes video 15x.
 
Signalprick said:
The Swenson video isn't free for a reason. Because it's detailed. ;) It's a $35 investment and imo it's worth thousands! It makes the free tips and tricks out there more easy to understand and implement. I sold my 3rd knife for good money and haven't looked back. It's the best advise I can offer ya. Good luck!

**just wanted to add that I own all the videos that Chris offers, Swenson, Ruple and Brewer. Luke's is the most detailed for getting started. But I do recommend all 3. No other info out there for self help even comes close.
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I’ll check into that! Thanks!
 
Keep at it. Research and watch videos but DO IT. Your knife looks pretty good, maybe just pay a bit more attention to detail but be proud of what you have done. You have a useful tool in your pocket and if it can cut well then all the better. #3 will be even better, be sure to share it too. Good luck and enjoy the journey :) .

Mike
 
miden said:
Keep at it. Research and watch videos but DO IT. Your knife looks pretty good, maybe just pay a bit more attention to detail but be proud of what you have done. You have a useful tool in your pocket and if it can cut well then all the better. #3 will be even better, be sure to share it too. Good luck and enjoy the journey :) .

Mike
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I certainly will. This one has loosened up a little after opening and closing it over and over. I did get in a bit of a rush on my first two so the f&f isn’t what it should be.
 
TheEdge01 said:
I certainly will. This one has loosened up a little after opening and closing it over and over. I did get in a bit of a rush on my first two so the f&f isn’t what it should be.
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For break in "Lucas High Performance Assembly Lube" can do wonders. Better then any oil or grease I have tried
 
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