Totally stainless folder?

T

Thiqq

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May 1, 2018
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I’ve been working on putting together a totally worry-free salt water folder, but there are a few things I can’t solve, and am looking for advice.

Sourcing everything to be extremely rust resistant if not totally corrosion proof is fairly straight forward, except for the blade suspension method and pivot barrel.

My understanding is that spyderco uses H1 in their salt series knife pivots, and molds the “washers” into the handle scales. My experience with those knives has been super positive, but that’s not a construction method I can replicate at home of course...

So, my questions are how do I source a totally stainless pivot barrel? And what’s the best approach for blade suspension?

I don’t have access to a lathe, so turning my own out of lc200n or even 304 isn’t an option. Everything available commercially that I’ve been able to find is 17-4 or 416, which aren’t anywhere nearly stainless enough to last in the environment I’ll be using the knife in. I’ve tried to find precision ground lc200n drill rod or the like but have had no luck.

As far as blade suspension, ceramic bearings are the obvious choice, but I’m not a big fan of ball bearings and would rather go for washer suspension. I’d go for nylon or nylatron but I don’t know how those would deal with the salt either?

Thanks in advance
 
When I worked for NAVELEX we had boxes of TL-29 knives in the storeroom. One day I opened a new box and it was all stainless blades knives marked U.S.Navy. The scales were textured in a weave pattern. 440C, IIRC. They were pretty much junk compared to the standard electricians TL-29.

I think you are overthinking your project:
Make the knife blade from any good stainless steel. CPM-154 would be fine.
Make it a frame-lock.
Make it with stainless screws and spacers to allow easy cleaning and disassembly. knifekits.com has everything you need, including the taps and drill bits.
Use the standard pivots available from most any supplier. knifekits.com has lots to choose from ( even titanium)
Use nylon washers.
Consider titanium for the frame to lower weight.
 
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I’m designing the knife around being used in offshore sailboat racing, which means it’s going to be exposed basically non stop to salt water spray for a week or more at a time, and taking it apart regularly isn’t something that is possible. The only thing I’ve been able to buy that holds up is salt series spyderco knives, and I’ve even seen rusting on those on occasion.

Long story short, it needs to be as stainless as a salt series spyderco.

The titanium pivots I’ve found online have all had titanium pivot screws, but are all 416 barrels, which doesn’t help me much, unless I can get a way to seal the barrel off reasonably well.

Not sure how well nylon or nylatron will form a seal between the handle and the blade, but an o-ring could conceivably seal the pivot screw/handle interface?
 
Probably only in sealing water in.

What about having stainless pivots melonited?
 
Are there companies that will do that small scale? Meloniting stainless steel parts would definitely do it.
 
Just about any commercial heat treating outfit I've dealt with does it. (outside the knife world, but I'd imagine Peters does.)
 
Thiqq said:
I’ve been working on putting together a totally worry-free salt water folder, but there are a few things I can’t solve, and am looking for advice.

Sourcing everything to be extremely rust resistant if not totally corrosion proof is fairly straight forward, except for the blade suspension method and pivot barrel.

My understanding is that spyderco uses H1 in their salt series knife pivots, and molds the “washers” into the handle scales. My experience with those knives has been super positive, but that’s not a construction method I can replicate at home of course...

So, my questions are how do I source a totally stainless pivot barrel? And what’s the best approach for blade suspension?

I don’t have access to a lathe, so turning my own out of lc200n or even 304 isn’t an option. Everything available commercially that I’ve been able to find is 17-4 or 416, which aren’t anywhere nearly stainless enough to last in the environment I’ll be using the knife in. I’ve tried to find precision ground lc200n drill rod or the like but have had no luck.

As far as blade suspension, ceramic bearings are the obvious choice, but I’m not a big fan of ball bearings and would rather go for washer suspension. I’d go for nylon or nylatron but I don’t know how those would deal with the salt either?

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...

David Boye Boat Knife is 100% rust proof.

download_2_600x600@2x.png


If you can find one there used to a an all titanium folder made by Mission Knives.
 
Simple stainless scales, backspring, and blade-and brass pins.
You don't need bushings and bearings.
 
If you are going to use stainless, don't use 304 - use 316L. Titanium is far better than any stainless. M390 or Elmax blades are better than H1. Delrin washers will be better than nylon, because delrin will absorb less water.
 
kuraki said:
Titanium frame. Titanium screws. Titanium clip. Titanium pivot. Nylon/Teflon washers. Titanium thumbstud. Whatever super stainless blade you want. Easy peesy.
Click to expand...
... and titanium blade. Well, titanium will be not as sharp as steel can be but is wear resistant. ;)
 
If you could find a piece of stellite 6k for the blade (it took me years to get my hands on one piece of it I've now got tucked away) that combined with titanium would give you something that in terms of what it would see as a knife will not corrode or oxidize in any way.
But that said, 440c or cpm154 will be plenty good if you even remotely take care of the knife. As will off the shelf pivots and hardware. If it gets submerged in salt water, rinse it off.
 
you could use teflon or ceramic bearings for the pivot, then pick up some titanium rod and drill/tap, then turn it down on your drill press or mill (yes it's doable). you could also experiment w/ some coatings maybe...
 
Every time I’ve been out in the water I never wanted for a folding knife. A fixed blade in a neck sheath worked infinitely better for me. I was canoeing though. You might just look at making a good stainless fixed blade if it’s for something high speed on the water.

If you’re determined to build a folder, then just pick out a highly stain resistance stainless and be done with it. Use internals that won’t rust. I’d use titanium everywhere I could, but not the blade. I too think you’re overthinking things a bit. It’s not rocket surgery ;)
 
McMaster-Carr sells a lot of 316SS fasteners. You might get away with something like this for a pivot barrel:
https://www.mcmaster.com/#screw-posts/=1cp2abt

I make parts for industrial washing machines that we use where I work, and I make everything I can out of 316SS, as these parts are constantly introduced to water and very caustic soaps and other chemicals. They hold up quite well.
 
I used to run a trawler supply net shop. Sold lots of knives to loads of fishermen. Most popular was the Victorinox serrated paring knives or “Vickies” as they were referred to. Any of the Spydercos held up well also, even non marine models like the Police model. Anything that can survive a trawl deck should be able to do just fine on a sail boat. Most folks over think the whole marine thing.
 
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