The Jumping Jack Slipjoint

T

Templehound

Joined
Apr 22, 2019
Messages
228
During my education as a traditional German cutler and blade smith I had to do slip joints.....and I didn't like them at all.
There are a lot of do's and don'ts on slipjoints ...from limited using range to the fact that they are very hard to clean....
Also the very small design range when making them....compared to a linerlock they must loose in every aspect.
(actually it would be more appropriate to compare linerlocks with backlock knives, but I compared them just under the term of folding knives.)....
....and not to forget: we are not supposed to let them snap back into the handle....a good crisp, long lasting spring has a strong snap
and the edge will thereby hit the spring and get a nick.....reason for the monstrous kick heels on some traditional pocket knife patterns
....as You for shure know....nevertheless the heels, it can smack the edge.....so do not let the blade snap into the handle.
But that's the half part of the fun...
...and this is the reason I love them nowadays....the are great fun to make....somehow they are like a toy to me....
maybe they are the most useful toy that exists.
There are plenty of challenging things on the making of a slip joint, like for example, to design them that You can let the blade snap back into the handle...👺

If the linguistic and rethoric context is slightly adjusted in a translation of the term "slipjoint knives", in three languages of English. German and Thai,
it can result in "Jumping joint jack knife" ....so it is the "Jumping Jack"

Here is a traditional one in O7 steel for blade and spring, some crap steel for the bolsters , German silver liners and fossile bone handle slabs.

here You can hear it talking and see it walking



You guys stay healthy
Cheers

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Last edited:
....jfk1110, Dawkind and mich13, Thanks a lot for the comments, much appreciated!
.....and Thanks around for the many likes!.....👊
 
The Zieg said:
Impressive! Does it have a half stop? It almost appeared as though it does.
Click to expand...
Thank You Zieg!....traditionally there should be no half stop.
in the final examination of German cutler education it would have got a poor grading.
we were educated to construct a smooth "walk" and a half stop was not accepted as a flawless "walk".
anyways, with no halfstop the spring is forced to bend a little higher than neccessary
A half stop can make some minor sense and personally I do not want to criticize this.
So this knife has something like a half stop but without an less angular interrupted walk feeling.

Cheers
 
I'm not into slipjoints, but if I was, this would be my jam. Nice work; your signature style is apparent throughout!
 
Templehound said:
Thank You Zieg!....traditionally there should be no half stop.
in the final examination of German cutler education it would have got a poor grading.
we were educated to construct a smooth "walk" and a half stop was not accepted as a flawless "walk".
anyways, with no halfstop the spring is forced to bend a little higher than neccessary
A half stop can make some minor sense and personally I do not want to criticize this.
So this knife has something like a half stop but without an less angular interrupted walk feeling.

Cheers
Click to expand...
Every knifemaking tradition has its own standards to respect. Well done!
 
Templehound said:
Thank You Zieg!....traditionally there should be no half stop.
in the final examination of German cutler education it would have got a poor grading.
we were educated to construct a smooth "walk" and a half stop was not accepted as a flawless "walk".
anyways, with no halfstop the spring is forced to bend a little higher than neccessary
A half stop can make some minor sense and personally I do not want to criticize this.
So this knife has something like a half stop but without an less angular interrupted walk feeling.

Cheers
Click to expand...
People argue about halfstops which are a current fad in the Traditional forum. One maker told me a half stop was easier than a round tang with the analogy that it's like a circle is harder for most people to accurately draw than a square. I personally think the hard closing of some half stop tangs is an unneeded risk to your fingers.

Sweet knife! Practical design and construction,meant to be used.
 
Thank You, brownshoe!
well, there are a lot pro's and con's for a half stop, but in the end its rather about the strength of the spring tension.
IMHO If the spring is right, the half stop is not so important anymore...getting the right spring tension is the most challenging thing to
accomplish on a slipjoint....I agree, to much tension combined with a pettish walk can be risky....
IMHO without proper assessment and conscious handling, slipjoints are always a risk to the fingers.
 
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