Spyderco UKPK backspine material?

[knuckles666]

Does anyone happen to know if the spine on a UK penknife is hardened? I'm hoping to do some filework on a work holiday coming up but I dont want to discover that it's too hard after I've started!

 

[siguy]

this is entirely speculation on my part, so take it with a grain of salt.

because the UKPK is a slipjoint, the backspacer is a spring that holds the blade open and closed. on all other slipjoints that i know of, the spring is hardened to a "spring temper", meaning that is hardened so that it will maintain its form but it won't be too brittle to flex enough to allow the blade to open and close.

i don't know what material the spring on that knife is made from, but i think that on alot of steels the spring temper range is around low 50s. if you use fresh files you can probably do it, but it might be difficult. with something like a dremel grinding wheel it would be easier to cut the steel, but much harder to control and you might end up ruining the spring.

also be careful to keep the spring cool, as you don't want to kill the temper and make it useless.

 

[carrot]

It's a secret. But it is supposed to be wear resistant to withstand the abrasion from an S30V blade opening and closing.

 

[knuckles666]

Thanks guys, that definitely makes sense. I guess I'll try it on a couple of cheap linerlocks first, and then get some diamond files for the ukpk.