You Gotta See This!

Laredo7mm

Laredo7mm

Joined
Jul 8, 2002
Messages
1,240
Well, I am excited anyway. She is just a prototype and not really pretty but she works great. Looks like my typical gent's folder, but she is a bolster release auto!

It took me six design iterations to get her to this point. My main goal was to make my Gent's Folder an auto and not change the profile of the original. That was not easy since there is not any internal room for lever springs and all that jazz.

Anyway, here are a couple pics. And yes, I will counter bore all holes on the final damascus versions, and give her a good fit and finish ;) . Plus I took a little video snippet (about 650K) to show you the action and the awesome "craaaack" she has when opening.

Let me know what you think! I am pumped! :D :cool: :)

Gent's Auto Video


ga1.jpg


ga2.jpg




.
 
That's really cool Sean. I'm excited for you too. ;)
Scott
 
Just had to raise the bar didn't you. I've had everyone trying to get me to do autos. Looks like I'll have to get with it. Cool knife. Got any snakewood to put on it??
 
Holy crapshack batman!!!

That is sweet and a very elegent and "un-auto" looking auto. (if that makes any sense.)
 
Great, now Kim's in on this. What the hell is going on down there, Sean?! Two months ago you couldn't even get a piece of damascus to stick together ( :p ), and you hand this knife to me "Dude, check out this prototype. My first folder... Blah blah blah." Fast forward and the guy is making switchblades. Now Kim says "Yeah maybe I'll try that" and by tomorrow at this time he'll have 60 of them done. Sheesh! Nice knife, by the way! Better send it to me for safekeeping. Can't risk having you go to the poky for that illegal stuff! :p
 
Most impressive, Sean. Nice authoritative click! Be darn sure to post the successive models with all their refinements, okay?
 
Thanks for the compliments guys, I appreciate it. I just looked at the video frame by frame, and it only takes one frame (0.042 sceonds) for the blade to open. How sweet is that? :eek:

I thought autos might sell better than just plain liner locks. For some reason my folders don't sell well. Might be pricing, or me being an "unknown quantity." Who knows? Well, I did finally sell three, all to the same guy. He is also building the frame for my hydraulic press. :D

To tell you the truth, my biggest motivating factor to develop an automatic was because of the numerous requests I had for people wanting a thumbstud on this knife design. I just couldn't bring myself to do it, I still think it would ruin the lines since I would have to notch into the bolster/scales to fit one. I designed it as a Gent's folder, not a tactical. Now I shouldn't get any more of those requests with an auto. ;)

I have to give a thanks to Chris Crawford. I bought his DVD on how to make a scale release auto, and that got the ideas flowing, and eventually lead me to this prototype. It was a great help since I had no clue to how autos worked. I highly recomend his DVD or VHS if you all are interested in building one.

She is a nice little package, and just to give you all a look at what the "dressed up" auto will look like, here is a pic (if you haven't already seen it) of one of my latest ones. The only difference will be that I won't be able to hide the pivot, and I will probably stick to damascus for the bolsters, but the profile is the same:

folder7a.jpg
 
beautiful knife,
I have been putting off making folders but I think im going to have to try it now that Ive seen yours. Damn you Sean!!!!
I have Chris Crawfords dvd also, did you use the coil sping like in the video or did you come up with something else?

Great Job Sean,
By the way, I have a piece of CPM S60V for you. i forgot to mail it so i will give it to you at the Badger show.

Michael
 
Michael - Yes, I used a coil spring. I tried to be "creative" and figure out a way to do it with a lever spring, but that failed miserably. I tried all kinds of stuff, and finally had the light bulb go on and figured it out.

The Badger show is the first weekend in April, right? I looked at your website and you have it listed in March, Hopefully that was for last year, cause I made my hotel reservations for April. :confused: Yeah, that will work out great to deliver the stainless there. Maybe I will have a nice little damascus auto done by them.

Here is a picture of all the rejects:

junk.jpg
 
That's a pretty sweet auto there Sean, I can see more great things coming out of your shop in the near future!

:)

-Darren
 
Looks good, I've been wanting to build a few, your just the motivation I need.

Nice action too, very slick, and love the "snap"
 
Hey, you guys don't need to start making autos. I don't think i can handle that level of competition. Hmmmmmm, well maybe i can license the design to you all and just live off of the royalties. ;) :D ;)
 
Does this one still function as a standard folder, or only as an auto?

very nice work by the way :)

Tony
 
Dang Sean, that is great! What impressed me as much though, was you making an MPEG! :D Anyone else would've used windows media and I'd have been out of luck. Thanks! And congratulations, that is a huge leap.
 
Very nice knife. It would be illegal in Australia. I don't know why you would be just as cut up if using a $2 kitchen knife.

It is a shame I love those kind of knives. Yours is a particularly nice version.
Well done
 
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