Third Knife ( Modified Sheeps foot )

T

Taximanny

Joined
Jul 27, 2015
Messages
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I have been going at this like a mad man.
I constantly read, watch videos, and read some more.
Knife making for me is a puzzle and an art.

I decided to do a Sheeps foot with a little flare.
Again a liner less back lock. Which brings the question.

Why liners ?
Now I have read why, but really no definet answer but to help strengthen the knife.
I feel micarta ( commercial ) is tough enough to use without liners.

Can someone chime in and set me straight, with some pros and cons?

5/32 0-1 tool steel
Maroon linen micarta
Blade length 2 1/4"
Closed 3 5/8"
 
I build all my knifes first out of styrene plastic.
To get everything right before picking up the metal.
This is a pic of a working knife out of the plastic. Even the spring is made from plastic.
The back cam of the knife is the hardest. Getting it to be flush at the top of every move.
I might make two to three blades out of plastic before getting a pattern for metal.
But I've also learned to still leave meat on the cam, and fine tune it little by little.
I have a video of this plastic knife but haven't figured out how to post a video yet.
I'll try later possibly.
 
Good on ya for starting with folders! I'd like to see something more slim and sleek if you are making another.

Keep it up
 
So do you have a mill or how are you making all the parts for these? I'd love to start making folders (fixed blades are my only thing right now) but I do t think I have the right equiptment to do this.
 
I do everything by hand mostly.
I have a belt sander I do my surfacing on.
Cut my blades out with a hack saw.
Make my bevels with a filing jig.
I do have a Harbor Freight 16 speed drill press. ( bench top model )
Than lots of hand sanding.
I also have a bunch of different hand files.
Homemade two brick forge and toaster oven.
I made a Aron Gough filing jig works great.
 
Do one in more "fancy" materials and it will look even better. I have made three or four with sheep foot blades in Damascus, meteorite for bolsters an mammoth ivory or tooth for scales. My wife loves the one I gave her. Your fine workmanship will allow the materials to show all of their beauty ! If you send me an email at frank.n@xplornet.com I can send you a picture of one or another
Frank
 
Just some suggestions:
When designing and drawing the knife in plastic, don't shape the open side of the frame/scales yet. After fitting up the blade and lock, put in the closed position and then mark the line needed to make the blade close to the desired depth to hide the lock corner.

On your knife, this will make a fat handle even fatter, so you might want to make the lock end of the spine/spring less deep. This will leave less of the lock receiver on the blade exposed in the closed position. The lock doesn't need as much vertical "spine to blade" face as you have to make a solid engagement.

Make a not-so-wide blade.

Frank can guide you much better than I on making those design changes.
 
I think I'm understanding what you are saying.
My routine is to draw my knife on paper to the style I want.
Then make it work as a folder.
So my handle is drawn the exact way I want it.
And also the blade. Having a wide stubby blade Is very much to my liking and style.

Are you saying with my wide blade there is a way to slim down the handle and still keep the lock slot from showing in the closed position?
If I did like you suggest I think it would change the look of my handle/ knife design.
I could be understanding you wrong though....
 
I think you are understanding me correct. As you designed it the lock corner sticks out at an angle when closed. The only way to change that would be to make a change in the blade or a change in the handle (or both). By making the handle flare out a bit more at the end, it would close that angle. This would slightly widen the handle, and change the way the blade lines up with the handle when open. Other ways to move things around are to move the pivot up/down a tad. These adjustments will slightly change the look of your knife...which you like.

If you like it as-is, then slightly chamfer the 90° corner so it is not a sharp spot that catches things and will scratch your hand when reaching into the pocket. Just a tiny rounding or facet will take the edge off. This is what I do on my folders.

As I said, Frank Niro is much more skilled at these changes than I am.
 
Stacy, I agree with your suggestions 100%. I see a lot of liner locking folders out there with the tang sticking out, why I don't understand. (Yes this is a lock back.) Just a bit of care and the tang would be out of sight, make the knife far more pocket friendly and still have a pleasing look. Frank
 
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