slipjoint question

[fishface5]

I bought a piece of wootz steel that I would like to make into a blade for a slipjoint folder (Remington Bullet style design). I have modified many knives but have never done a slippie before and am looking for insight from those that have - for this project would it be easier to buy one of those kits with the un-prepped liner and spring, and drill all the holes myself, or would it be wiser to pull apart an existing knife and replace the blade then put it back together? I am also intending to put on my own bolsters and handle scales. Thanks for any thoughts on this!

 

[kc custom]

That depends---- some of the kits I've seen look great. The problem with a $5 junker or any existing
slippie for that matter is to get it "more right" usually means a fair amount of redo and or fitting.
My take would be get a kit use whatever you want, lose the rest and use the blade for your
wootz blade pattern. Probably easier to use a kit with pre drilled holes. The reason I mention a $5
junker is cause thats how I started making slipjoints.
Ken.

 

[fishface5]

ah thanks for the info - I couldn't find a kit with pre-drilled holes in the size & design I need, so I ended up going with one in which the spring seems to have one hole pre-drilled and the liners have none. So this should be a challenge . . . . .