Total carbon knife - practical / LEGAL???

B

BVT

Joined
Jul 13, 1999
Messages
2
I have some sheets of cured carbon fiber given to me by a friend. I'm wondering if it would be feasible to trim them to shape, press/glue/bolt/rivet them together, bend/block a slice over to one side to form a liner lock, and finally, make a blade from the stiffest sheet I have (the stiffness and weave of these sheets varies considerably). I know the blade would not be practical for everyday use - but neither is titanium. Any thoughts? Am I making an illegal "terrorist knife" if I do this? I'm new to the world of custom knives, and I'd like to make something more interesting than my Benchmade 830SBT. Anywhere to find linerlock plans on the web? Thanks in advance. BVT
 
I don't know of any laws stating the manufacture of such an item would be illegal, but you should always look through your state laws to be safe. It's what you might do with it that could be illegal, such as taking it into a federal building or onto an airplane. Don't.

I know some makers have tried this concept out, but I've never seen or heard much about the results. I'm skeptical about doing a liner-lock because carbon-fiber doesn't seem to have any "memory" - meaning if you bend it to a position it will break or return to true, not take on a new angle. Maybe a lockback would be better suited? You'd just need a tiny spring.

I think such a knife would only be useful as a stabbing instrument. I doubt the edge would be worth much even in cardboard. It's true that Ti is a lousy blade material but has some applications - but that doesn't mean a blade could be made from anything you please and still work. By that reasoning I could make a blade out of soap...

I think it would be an interesting project and you'd learn a lot about building a knife, but I don't think you'd get much of a tool when it was done. What are you going to use for pins/screws, BTW? Be careful with that CF and have fun. let us know how it turns out.

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-Drew Gleason
Little Bear Knives
 
Thanks, Drew. The carbon is in planar form. It will go right back to original shape. I was thinking of pinning it on one or two sides to force it over to lock position against the blade. I might even try to do something like this with just the blade of my Benchmade - build around it. That would take care of blade utility concerns... I will keep you posted. Any plans or basic foundational instructions on the web? BVT
 
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