The Smoking Snake Folder

[Ivan Campos]

Over a year ago I décided to start making framelock folders and made two prototypes in 2023. Making these with a minimum précision and not loosing little parts in thé mess of my shop was a real struggle and I realized that it would be necessáry to change extensivelly my shop setup, and learn quite a few new skills if I wanted to follow this path but I was really hooked and décided to take a break from kitchen knives and do an immersion in folder making and after a couple months, here is the first folder finished recently in titanium and damascus steel from my friend Junior from DJR Cutelaria. It was a very slow project as I décided not to improvisé and solve thé several problems that showed up so I would not have to deal with them again - and I lost a few parts along the way, of course! - but here it is the result and I am very happy with it. I believe I never learned so much on a single project and am very willing to dedicate more time to folders now. This has been quite an inflection point in my career - like it was when I décided to work almost exclusivelly with kitchen knives around fifteen years ago - and I décided to change my signature and start numbering the new folders in a new number system starting with this one, thé zéro pièce.
I have quite a few designs in the works and already got instructions from Rick Lala to start using thé IKBS system, wich I plan to do as soon as I gain more practice at folder making - lots to learn!
And about the curious name of this model, it came from its curvy lines and from thé expression “thé snake is going to smoke” we use when we have a very complicated task to do (and was the motto of Brazilian troops in Italy during WWII). I think it fits, doesn’t it?
Let me know how you like it!

 

[Dawkind]

I enjoy the lines and style….great shape.

 

[bwlacey]

Well done!

 

[luethge]

The name seems perfect. I like the way the secondary edge drops almost to knuckle depth - kitchen to camping and everything between . Beautiful piece

 

[jfk1110]

Neat.....

 

[Ivan Campos]

Thanks for your comments, buddies!
I am getting really hooked on making folders - it is a cool challenge and I am learning new things everyday.
At this moment, I am working on my second design and should have pics of it finished in the next days. Here is a picture of the blade, wich came from the same damascus steel bar that the Smokimg Snake blade, after etching and before coffee treatment.