You've finally decided to make your first folding knife. This is right. In any case, this gives me great pleasure, and the result inspires new creativity. Give it a try. You won't regret it anyway. Someone smart once said: “it’s better to do it and then regret it than to regret not doing it.”
Since you have already made up your mind, it means you have some design ideas. Let's assume that you have chosen a lock (Liner Lock), and this is one of the best knife locks. If not the best. It contains a minimum of parts, which means it has maximum reliability.
A little history. The modern linear lock was invented by Michael Walker in 1981. The most important thing Michael did was create independent system blade fixation, which has only one spring. The lock's leaf spring not only locks the blade in the open position, but also ensures its secure fixation in the closed position.
In addition, this lock allows you to open and close the folding knife with one hand. This invention in the full sense of the word changed the face of the modern folding knife. Honor and praise to him for this.
Make a sketch of the future design on paper or in some graphics editor. For example, it turned out like this:
First of all, choose your materials. It is preferable for a blade, since if moisture gets inside a folding knife, the moisture is not so easy to remove. Therefore, if there is something to rust, it will rust. If there is a thermal operator capable of working with high-carbon alloyed stainless steels, then you are very lucky in life (at the level of happiness).
If not, you will have to work on hardened material, and this is not easy. To drill holes in hardened metal, I use ceramic and glass drills with an arrowhead tip. You need to work hard, at low speeds, but carefully. You can chip the drill. And, of course, monitor the heating of the part. Be sure to refrigerate frequently, otherwise it will release.
Give the desired shape to the blade. I have used blades from Tramontina Professional Master series knives several times. They are a little more expensive than regular kitchen appliances from this company, but they are made from Sandvik 12C27 or 1.4110 from Krupa. This is good steel.
For folding knife dies, I recommend titanium. Despite its small thickness, it is strong enough and has sufficient rigidity and springing properties. In addition, titanium is lightweight and does not rust at all. There are some peculiarities in titanium processing.
Titanium should be worked at low speeds. For example, I couldn’t cut a 4 mm plate with a grinder, but I could easily cut it with a hacksaw for metal, although it took a long time. The thread in titanium must be cut slowly, with oil, going back every 0.5-1 revolution.
To cut out the contour of the locking spring in the bottom die, at the place where it is supposed to end, I drill 3-4 holes with a diameter of 2.5 mm, connect them, and place them there hacksaw blade and forward. Slowly, almost to the hole for the axle. In this place, I also recommend drilling a small technological hole for a clear end of the cut. All that remains is to saw through the line of the stopper itself. Here it is necessary to leave a reserve, which is then removed when setting up the lock.
The second, upper, die has exactly the same dimensions (as a rule) as the lower one. But it must have a recess for a hole for opening the knife. All mating holes should be drilled in batches. Start with the holes for the axle. Do not forget that the diameter of the holes for the fastening screws in the lower die must be threaded, and in the upper one the diameter of the screw.
So everything is cut and drilled. Select, or make your own, two fluoroplastic or bronze washers that will be used as a bearing on the axis of rotation (folding) of the knife. Insert the axle into the lower die, install the locking pin, washer, blade, and fold the future folding knife.
If something doesn't match, adjust it to the correct size. This must be done very carefully and carefully. Remember Zhvanetsky: “One careless movement: and you are a father.” Well, everything fits together!
On the locking spring of the lower die, mark a place for the ball and in this place drill a hole with a diameter 0.1-0.2 mm smaller than the diameter of the ball. I use balls with a diameter of 1.5-2 mm, from the bearing. Then, in a vice (placing a piece of hot metal under the ball, otherwise it will fit into the jaws of the vice), press the ball into the locking plate. The ball should protrude outward by approximately 0.5 mm. The thickness of the washer on the axis between the blade and the die.
Next, using a marker, draw in the place on the heel of the blade where the ball will move and fold/unfold the future folding knife several times. A clear mark from the ball will be visible on the blade. Stepping back 0.3-0.5 mm from the place where it (the trace) ends, drill a hole into which the ball will go in the folded position of the knife. Carefully bend the plate in the desired direction.
Assemble your future folding knife without the top die and adjust the lock (your stopper is cut out with a margin). Do this very carefully (remember Zhvanetsky). As soon as the lock engages, stop. Assemble the folding knife completely, with the top die, and try folding/unfolding it several times, apply force (as if cutting something). Do this several times. And put it off until tomorrow.
Final adjustment of the parts of a homemade folding knife.
Sleep with the idea that you have made your first folding knife. The next day there will definitely be something to finish. Bring the castle to condition. The locking plate should not reach the upper end of the heel of the blade, otherwise it will fall all the way to the top plate and jam the lock.
If the spring is too tight (depending on the thickness and brand of used
Manufacturing should begin directly with the blade. First of all, mark the place for the axial hole. We drill it and, using it as a guide, we make further markings of the blade. If you do the opposite and mark and cut the blade along the contour, and only then drill a hole, then during the drilling process, especially in hardened workpieces, the drill can move to the side and all dimensions will “float away”.
Having transferred the contours of the blade to the workpiece, we begin to make the blade. We grind it using a grinder and sandpaper along the contour. For the convenience of holding the blade during the process of removing the slopes, we do not yet cut off the blade itself from the workpiece and do not form the heel of the blade.
To remove slopes, you can use various tools: grinders, sandpapers, flat grinders, grinders. I do rough grinding of the slopes on sandpaper and fine grinding on a surface grinder.
Next, we begin making the side dies.
Next, drill a hole in the dies for the blade stopper pin, install the axis and stopper pin, install the blade and the second die. We move the blade to the open position and mark on the die the position of the heel of the blade, more precisely the place where the lock liner should rest. Next, mark the liner and start cutting it out.
Having prepared the pritins in this way, we proceed to install them on the dies. There are different methods: soldering, riveting, spot welding etc. The most accessible are soldering and riveting.
For soldering you will need a soldering iron, soldering acid, solder and a heat source. As a soldering iron, it is best to use a massive piece of copper, which is heated in the flame of a burner. Soldering acid is hydrochloric acid etched with zinc. POS-60, POS-90 are suitable as solder. Before soldering, it is necessary to clean and tin the soldering areas. Cleaned with sandpaper and a file. After cleaning, coat the soldering areas with acid, take a piece of solder on a well-heated soldering iron and tin the surface. During the tinning process, it is necessary to ensure that there are no gaps and that the entire surface is covered with an even layer of solder. High-quality tinning and soldering are possible only with good heating of the parts.
After servicing, rinse the parts thoroughly in water and soda, removing any remaining acid. Next, we clamp the tinned parts in a vice and begin to heat them with a burner from different sides. To reduce heat loss, thermal insulating material must be laid under the jaws of the vice; fragments of ceramic tiles work well. As it warms up, we press the vice until droplets of solder appear between the parts, after which the heating can be stopped.
Soldering the right-hand prytina has features: first we solder the knife axis into the die, and then solder the pritina, while instead of one of ceramic tiles We use a piece of tube larger than the diameter axis.
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| So, all the components of the knife are ready, all that remains is to assemble the knife and once again make sure that the lock is working correctly. Adjust if necessary. For smoother operation of the mechanism, it should be lubricated with machine oil. After some time of operation, the parts of the mechanism will rub in, the blade will rotate easily and smoothly, and the liner plate will rise slightly upward. |
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DIY folding knife. How to make a folding knife with your own hands. DIY folding knife drawings. Friction folding knife. Author. Hello everyone, I present to your attention photos step-by-step production friction type folding knife. It’s hard to call it a master class or tutorial; a lot is missing. Friction folding knives are common in countries where knives with locking locks are prohibited. Knives of this type are widely used by European knife makers.
A true gourmet's journey through the home country of Meisel: portraits and recipes of 25 Michelin-starred chefs from Savoy, Haute-Savoie, Piedmont and the country of Nice, including fascinating anecdotes about the history of Savoyard gastronomy written by Annie Victor and illustrated photographs by Anthony Cottarel. There you will learn about the Savoie family and family, as well as modifications to production processes and the technical and commercial development of the brand. The visit ends with a film made during the workshops describing the current production processes.
With a foreword by Pavel Baucus and Michel Dejoe, the tale unfolds through the revelations of Maurice and Denis Meisel and interviews with company employees. The folding knife is one of the most common tools in America. Go to any convenience store, sporting goods store or outfitter in the country and you will find several to choose from.
If, like me, we don’t know how to use Corel, we draw for a long time and tediously with our hands. cut out of cardboard - fold and unfold
The clutch has characteristic feature- a long tail protruding beyond the dimensions of the handle when folded, the principle of operation of such a knife is simple, in the frame of the knife there is a locking pin into which the tail of the blade rests when unfolded, and a special recess in the blade when folded so that the edge of the blade does not touch the insides of the frame . Well then, to the point:
With folding knives readily available and legal to carry in more places than a pistol, it's no surprise that more people are choosing a folding knife as their primary self-defense tool or to complement their regular concealed carry. But despite the wide range of folding knives available, not all blades are created equal. The folder market has some outstanding entries, but is also flooded with knives that are cheap, gimmicks, or simply not suitable for defensive use.
Can you open it with one hand?
If you're considering adding a folding knife to your self-defense options, these are the four things you need to look for. You need a knife that can be opened with one hand. If you are fighting in a clinch, blocking a strike, holding a child, or otherwise unable to use both hands, you will only have one hand free to access and open the knife. And even if you're using the knife in a non-defensive environment, you may need to open it with one hand.
Making a blade requires a separate master class. The axle and sliding washers are from an unknown Chinese folding unit.
we cut them out with a grinder, transfer the centers of all the holes from the drawing to the blade, and drill them, pressing the blade to the die, drill holes through the blade, first in one, and then through one in the other.
Does it have a secure locking mechanism?
The blade should lock open, without swinging in any direction. You won't be able to accidentally close the knife. If you need to use your switchblade to defend yourself, the adrenaline will pump through you. You and your attacker will both move and fight. When a knife is used, enormous forces will be applied to the blade. If your locking mechanism fails to handle this, you may find yourself with the blade locked or locked on your fingers.
Is the blade quality steel that will have a sharp edge and is designed to penetrate. The purpose of a defensive jackknife is to cut and stab. Unless your blade gets a lot of use from hard use, it won't make the cuts you need when it counts. A deeper cut is more likely to disable an attacker, and a sharper blade cuts the deepest. It is also very important that the blade profile promotes penetration. When your attacker is wearing heavy, thick, or even just loose clothing, stabbing can be effective and cutting becomes less reliable.
We cut a groove between the locking holes, in my case with a grinder, ideally with a router
let's take a look at the assembly
From thick stainless steel (5mm) we cut out a spacer into the back of the handle
Is it legal to exercise in areas you frequent?
Laws regarding knives vary widely from state to state and even city to city. In fact, if you are carrying a folding knife for self-defense, it may be because a fixed blade is illegal to carry in your area. There are rules about length, type and deployment mechanisms. Some of them may be vague or vague, and many of them seem unfair. Our respect for the law is what separates us from criminals, even if we admit that some laws are stupid or arbitrary and do not deserve such respect.
we carefully consider this whole thing many times, we spit and swear
we attach the spacer to the dies, drill, insert pins, rivet, grind the tops of the heads flush
Make sure your knife is legal. There are many other desirable qualities in a knife. For example, you need a way to carry knives that consistently target fast access. You also want a grip that doesn't get slick when it's wet, be it sweat, blood, or water. While these things are important, they didn't make a list because they can often be dealt with after the fact. The clip is good, but belts and pocket holsters can be a problem with carry. A smooth handle can often be trimmed or dressed with a handle.
But if the knife won't open with one hand, won't stay open under hard use, and won't stay sharp or penetrate layers of clothing, it's a problem that can't be fixed. If you've ever purchased a pocket knife for daily carry, you'd know that you have a choice of great amount options. Trying to understand the many types of knives and their subtle differences can become overwhelming. Of the many factors to consider when choosing something as personal as a knife, its locking mechanism is one of the most important.
we make bevels on the blade roughly, hardening and tempering, remove bevels to zero+ on the diamond on top, rough assembly
hand sanding, etching. The etching process is also missed because this needs to be done separately by MK.
We finally tighten the axial screw with cyanoacrylate fixation, roughly saw out the lining with a spare, and drill recesses for the axle heads.
You should know what type of locking, if any, you should have based on your needs and preferences before investing in quality knife.
Linear locks are one of the most common mechanisms found on folding knives. A characteristic component of this mechanism is the side spring bar, located on the same side as the sharp edge of the blade, “lining” the inside of the handle. When the knife is closed, the spring bar is held under tension.
glue one die, drill holes in the die through the frame for the stop pin, and pins in the backplate, similarly glue the second die and drill through the first in the right places, glue the pins, and grind them roughly.
When fully open, this tension slides down the shaft inward to contact the butt of the blade, holding it in place without closing it. To disengage the liner lock, you must use your thumb to push the spring bar "down" so that it releases contact with the butt of the blade. This allows you to use forefinger To push the blade, it's enough to hold the bar so that you remove your thumb from the path of the blade, and then continue to safely close the knife.
Linear locks are useful because they allow the knife to have two true handle sides, as opposed to a frame. You can close the knife with one hand without a switch, ideal when you need both hands at work. You will find liner locks on both entry-level and high-end knives. This is the type of locking that appeals to both beginners and enthusiasts.
glue in the locking pin, cut it off and grind the pads closer to the desired shape
in intimate places where it cannot be removed with a grinder (for example), we remove it with a Dremel.
If you will be using the knife for heavy duty tasks, you should be aware that liner locks are usually not as secure as other locking systems. They're still quite strong, but since they're usually made from a thinner piece of metal, they're more prone to wear and tear, like a hard frame.
Think of a frame lock as a larger version of a liner lock. They are very similar to liner locking mechanisms, except that the internal spring strip moves into place, it is part of the handle itself. Frame lock knives tend to be stronger than liner locks because the piece of metal that slides into place is more substantial than the metal liner. Because of their similarity to liner locks, closing a frame lock knife is essentially the same - push down on the spring bar so it no longer blocks the butt of the blade, move your thumb out of the way, and then fold the knife closed.
you can matte all metal elements, although this is unnecessary
As you can see, at the beginning of the process I had an axial screw from a Chinese folding frame, but during the manufacturing process I lost it, and I had to quickly make it out of anything. I did not remove this. It is better to do the etching process as a separate MK, because There are many nuances that are important. In general, I missed a lot, I didn’t have enough hands. Article taken from the original source http://forum.zadi.ru/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=11774 Here are some photos of the finished knife.
This type of locking system puts more metal against the blade, providing a strong lock for piercing, cutting, slicing and other heavy-duty tasks. Locking locks are seen on many mid to high range knives, usually made from titanium. In the example shown here, the stainless steel insert interacts with the blade as it takes longer to wear than titanium and stabilizes the shaft so you don't loosen it by pushing too far. Not only do they add a unique look to the knife, but they are also easy to operate with one hand.
Manufacturing should begin directly with the blade. First of all, mark the place for the axial hole. We drill it and, using it as a guide, we make further markings of the blade. If you do the opposite and mark and cut the blade along the contour, and only then drill a hole, then during the drilling process, especially in hardened workpieces, the drill can move to the side and all dimensions will “float away”.
It's easy to use on one side, but also important, it's completely reversible. Here's how it works: The lock consists of a spring-tensioned rod that slides back and forth along a track cut into the handles of the knife. To close the knife you will pull the bar towards the back of the knife using the pins thumb, and fold the blade.
Typically these knives require two hands to open and close safely. They consist of a spring bar and a specially shaped blade. To open the knife, you pull the blade to overcome the spring pressure, snapping the blade into place. To close it, make sure your fingers are out of the way of the sharp edge and lean back. Friction folders are similar except they do not have a spring bar. Instead, the knife blade is held in place simply by friction between the steel of the blade and the weights of the knife.
Having transferred the contours of the blade to the workpiece, we begin to make the blade. We grind it using a grinder and sandpaper along the contour. For the convenience of holding the blade during the process of removing the slopes, we do not yet cut off the blade itself from the workpiece and do not form the heel of the blade.
To remove slopes, you can use various tools: grinders, sandpapers, flat grinders, grinders. I do rough grinding of the slopes on sandpaper and fine grinding on a surface grinder.
One of the main advantages of these types of knives is their legality. They are also a pleasure to carry because they are simple and easy to use. But it's worth mentioning that these knives don't have a real lock, so they're not the best for heavy-duty tasks.
By now you should be more familiar with your options to better choose a knife worthy of your pocket. Do you have a favorite type of lock to recommend? Words and images by Ed Jelly and Bernard Capulong. If you've seen photos of what people carry every day, you might be wondering, "Why do so many people carry a pocket knife?" The answer is different for everyone, but it all comes back to the idea that a handy pocket knife is an essential tool.
Next, we begin making the side dies.
Next, drill a hole in the dies for the blade stopper pin, install the axis and stopper pin, install the blade and the second die. We move the blade to the open position and mark on the die the position of the heel of the blade, more precisely the place where the lock liner should rest. Next, mark the liner and start cutting it out.
Carrying a knife can also potentially save your life in emergency or in a survival situation if you spend time on outdoors. However, knives may be restricted depending on where you live and what your local laws are, so keep that in mind before deciding which pocket knife you can carry.
Best pocket knife for everyday carry
When you're choosing the best pocket knife for everyday carry, you should consider many factors: how big the knife is, how it opens, how it locks, how you'll carry it, how durable it is, etc. Remember that you will need a knife that is comfortable, built, durable, safe to use, and legal to carry.
Having prepared the pritins in this way, we proceed to install them on the dies. There are different methods: soldering, riveting, spot welding, etc. The most accessible are soldering and riveting.
For soldering you will need a soldering iron, soldering acid, solder and a heat source. As a soldering iron, it is best to use a massive piece of copper, which is heated in the flame of a burner. Soldering acid is hydrochloric acid etched with zinc. POS-60, POS-90 are suitable as solder. Before soldering, it is necessary to clean and tin the soldering areas. Cleaned with sandpaper and a file. After cleaning, coat the soldering areas with acid, take a piece of solder on a well-heated soldering iron and tin the surface. During the tinning process, it is necessary to ensure that there are no gaps and that the entire surface is covered with an even layer of solder. High-quality tinning and soldering are possible only with good heating of the parts.
After servicing, rinse the parts thoroughly in water and soda, removing any remaining acid. Next, we clamp the tinned parts in a vice and begin to heat them with a burner from different sides. To reduce heat loss, thermal insulating material must be laid under the jaws of the vice; fragments of ceramic tiles work well. As it warms up, we press the vice until droplets of solder appear between the parts, after which the heating can be stopped.
Soldering the right pritina has its own peculiarities: first we solder the knife axis into the die, and then solder the pritina, while instead of one of the ceramic tiles we use a piece of tube larger than the diameter axis.
The variety of types of knives does not allow the topic of their manufacture to dry out. on our own. A knife is an ideal assistant not only in household, but also in hunting, fishing and other hiking conditions. Some people may also need a knife for tough self-defense. But it is still better to try to avoid using a knife as a weapon of self-defense. There are items of self-defense that are less dangerous to human life and more legal, so to speak. But life is life and you never know when, how and with what you will have to defend it. Hiking and Hunter knives It is convenient to carry in a sheath, but in an urban environment, a cleaver on a belt will look quite wild and will naturally attract the close attention of law enforcement agencies. That's why there are folding knives that are convenient to carry in your trouser pocket. We will start making this today.
Naturally, it will be much easier to buy a folding knife, but people come to this site who do not pursue simplicity, but try to do everything with their own hands. The article is for informational purposes and is aimed at readers who already have an idea about making knives, so the description is given rather briefly; but from the photographs you can understand almost every step of the work.
To make a folding knife, we need a titanium plate, although we can use stainless steel or some other good steel. Naturally, it all starts with making a template, the shape of which you will then transfer to a steel strip.
First we will make the handle liners of the folding knife. We outline the shape of the liner on a titanium plate and cut it out using any tool available to you. Next, we do rough processing of the liner, grinding off excess metal using sandpaper and files. We are making a second liner. To do this, apply the finished liner to a strip of metal and drill two holes through. We cut threads into them, fasten the liners with headless screws and cut out the second liner, using the first as a template. Next, we process the paired liners using sandpaper and files, getting as close as possible to contour line liner.
Now it’s time to make the folding knife blade and the back of the handle. We proceed in exactly the same way: templates, transfer to a titanium strip, sawing and sanding.
We drill holes in the liners for attaching the back of the knife handle. We assemble the knife and look where there are inconsistencies and cracks. If necessary, we modify these places, using files to achieve a perfect alignment of all parts of the folding knife.
We put on the second liner and drill additional holes for attaching the back of the knife. You can fasten the parts of the knife handle using special screws by first cutting the threads in the holes with a tap. The screws are convenient because, if necessary, the knife can be easily disassembled and any modifications can be made. We flare all the holes for the screws with a larger drill so that the screw head does not protrude above the surface of the liner.
Next, we cut out two upper and two lower metal linings of the knife handle. We glue them to the liners using superglue. Now we drill holes for the screws through the liners into the metal plates. The holes in the linings should not be through. Now put the knife in a bath of acetone to dissolve the superglue.
We chamfer the blind holes of the metal plates of the folding knife and cut threads into them. We attach the pads to the liners using screws. We adjust the linings by sanding off the excess metal to the shape of the liners.Next, we perform the final grinding of the knife handle.
From the inside, on the front metal plates, we drill recesses for the blade axis with a drill sharpened at an obtuse angle. For the axle, we grind the support screws to lathe. We cut the thread with a die.In the back of the handle we cut out a cone-shaped ( dovetail) groove for the leaf spring.
We harden all metal parts of a folding knife using homemade horn or a gas burner.We will make the middle part of the overlays from any available material: wood, bone, plastic, plexiglass, textolite, etc.
We cut out and grind the plate, adjusting its shape. The work requires precision, so adjust the middle pad slowly and periodically try it on. After this, we drill blind holes in the liners for attaching the wooden trim. And cut out the L-shaped slots.
The matter remains closed. Drill holes for the lock at each end of the liner. We connect them with a slot. Then we make a transverse cut and get an L-shaped slot that forms the locking plate. We harden it gas burner and bend it to the side three or four millimeters.
We drill a hole in the corner of the lock plate and press a metal ball into it. The back of this locking ball is ground flush with the spring plane.We sharpen the axle screw, making it rectangular. We mill a slot for the screw in the liner body.We sharpen the fin of the back of the knife handle on both sides. We grind the metal parts of the handle linings. We make bevels on the blade of a folding knife.
Assembling the knife. But the axle is fitted with a thin washer, a blade, and another washer. Then the second liner is put on. We insert the middle pads, snapping them into the L-shaped holes. We tighten the screws with a flat special key.
This is an instruction on how to make a homemade folding knife with a push button lock that locks the knife in the open position.
The project took a lot of time and effort, but I am very pleased with how I made my own folding knife.
Step 1: Introduction
Before you see the diagram and drawings, I must tell you that this is a very complex build and I think luck was on my side during the making of the knife. So if you are a beginner, I would recommend you start with more simple project, for example, to assemble a small, strong, regular knife. The project turned out to be much more difficult than I expected, and I kept having to deal with new problems. But if you want to make the same knife, go for it! It's a great feeling when something like this sits on your desk and you know you made it yourself.
Step 2: Information
This short review all information that relates to a folding pocket knife.
- 8 cm long
- Thickness 1.3 mm
- Mirror polish
- Razor sharp
- Engraved logo
- Length 10.5 cm
- 1.5 cm thick
- Made from of stainless steel and black zebrano
- with button locking system
Materials + cost:
- old saw used for cutting metal - FREE
- stainless steel from old washing machine- FOR FREE
- Zebra tree - FREE (I had a piece of this tree on my hands)
- other iron parts were found in the garden - FREE
- the project was worth the time grinding discs and electricity
Step 3: Create the Blade
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Note: Some of these photos are not from this knife, but the manufacturing method is the same.
To assemble a folding knife with your own hands at home, you will need high-quality high-carbon steel. Saws are good for this, or, for example, a disk from circular saw. Your best bet is to find spring steel. You can check if the steel is high carbon by sanding it using a bench grinder. grinder. If the sparks are long and narrow, then the steel is soft; if the sparks are divided into several smaller sparks, then the steel is high-carbon.
If you're using (like me) some old saw, you'll need to "loosen it up." This means that the steel is too hard to machine, so you need to make it soft. The best and most convenient way- just throw it into the fire and leave it there overnight so that the steel heats up and then cools very slowly. (You may need to repeat the procedure several times).
Let's say you have good, high-quality, soft steel. Now you need to come up with the shape of your knife. For this project I had to come up with a special mold so that I could assemble the locking mechanism. As you can see, I made several prototypes that I drew on steel.
Drill a hole (if you can't do this, the steel is still very hard and you need to soften it further). Then use angular grinding machine with a disc to cut out the rough shape. Level the workpiece with something like a bench or belt sander.
Now clean the steel and get rid of all marks that are present on it. You can use a belt sander again or grinding disc, attached to a drill.
After cleaning, start grinding the steel under the blade. I used a hand sander.
I wanted to make a "thumb rest" so I took the remaining steel and tried it on it different variants forms I cut out the one I liked the most with a hacksaw and smoothed it out with small files.
I stopped here because I didn't want to have to re-polish the blade in case I ended up scratching it. After the handle was made, I heat-treated it with a propane torch to get it red hot and then quenched it in oil. I then sanded it with varying grits of sandpaper and finally polished it on a sanding wheel.
Step 4: Making a Handle
I cut and sanded pieces of stainless steel for the handle using exactly the same method. I drilled four holes, one for the bolt, one for the locking mechanism, and the other two for attaching the wood tabs.
Step 5: Continue with the handle
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To make the lock more stable, I wanted steel pieces at the front of the handle. I made them the same way as the blade and stainless stuff. I used a 0.5 cm thick steel rod. For the safety pin you need to drill a hole in the back, not all the way through, but so that the spring can stay there! The front also has a smaller hole on the outside and bigger size inside. This is to prevent the safety pin from falling out.
To make the thread for the bolt, I drilled a hole with the diameter shown on the back of the caliper (see photo). I couldn't find the bolt I needed, so I made it myself on a lathe. I then carved and cut out a recess in the head.
Step 6: Making the Handle: Safety Pin
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This thing is the most accurate, the most difficult and the smallest in assembling a pocket knife with your own hands.
Let me tell you something first: my original idea was to make a simple friction folding knife, so I designed it and made the blade. But then, I started thinking about the knife and realized what a locking mechanism could do. After a few minutes I came up with this idea. I decided that it was a good option how to make a locking mechanism. So I made another design and another blade and hoped for the best. I had never tried to create anything like this before, and I was very curious if my idea would work.
During assembly, I discovered that it wouldn't be as easy as I expected, but nothing was impossible. Using turning and drilling machines, metal files, sandpaper and much more, I finished the pin in about 3 hours.
Let me explain it to you: the front part of the pin (the one without the ring) serves as a block for the blade. The pin sits on a spring, so when you press down on it, the other end presses down on the spring, drops down, and the thinner part of the pin slides through the slot in the blade. The ring on the other end acts as a block so the pin does not fall out of the knife.
Despite the difficulty of making this piece, I was forced to make two pins because the first one was a little loose and caused the blade to wobble.
In order for the pin to return and secure the folding knife, you need to insert a spring into the back - I cut a suitable one from a spring from a ballpoint pen.
Step 7: Making the Handle: Align
As the name suggests, you need to perfectly align the handle using whatever methods you see fit.
You will also want to make spacers. I made mine from a piece of stainless steel. Next I drilled two holes in the handle and spacer and then cut a rod that was 2mm longer so I could hammer it in and make it flat.
Step 8: Making the handle: wooden trims
As I mentioned earlier, I used zebra wood. I don't recommend it for beginners because it is a very hard wood and difficult to work with. (I know what I'm talking about. I had to redo the guard twice on a different knife because I didn't know how the wood behaved.) The most affordable and easiest wood to work with that I've found is beech. It is hard, but quite easy to work with.
First, copy your knife sketch onto a piece of wood. Then rough it with a rasp to shape it and use a round file to make the groove. Using a variety of files and sandpaper, round the corners of the wood so that the handle is comfortable to hold. Using pins, secure the trims and make sure everything looks smooth and of good quality.
Step 9: Finishing
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Finally, the product began to look like a knife. The only thing left to do is polish it sandpaper different grain sizes and polish on a grinding wheel.
Glue the wood trims with epoxy and pin them, but not all the way through, just to the stainless steel part so that the knife can fit inside. Now cut the pins to fit the pads and sand them to zero. For finishing I used some kind of oil. You can use anything - oils, wax, paints, varnishes and so on.
Since I wanted to mark my knife somehow, using two nine-volt batteries and vinegar, I etched my logo onto the blade. Pour a little vinegar into a small container and put a little salt there - such a concentration is enough so that the salt no longer dissolves. Now take a cotton swab and dip it into the solution. Next, connect the two batteries. Connect the positive wire to the blade and the negative wire to the tip of the stick, so that the blade touches the cotton saturated with the solution. Prepare the blade by cleaning it with alcohol or soap. Use nail polish to cover the area where you want to apply your logo. Scratch the desired image with a toothpick. Now you can start etching. (I recommend trying this process on a spare piece of metal because you won't be able to do a good job the first time.)
Another one useful thing– use a plastic hole punch to make two circles and make holes in them. Place these circles between the blade and the steel part of the handle, with a little WD-40, the knife will open and close much smoother.
The last thing to do is sharpen the blade. I used a wet whetstone and a strip of leather. I compared the sharpness with my old razor and I have to say that the sharpness is almost the same.
I spent about 40 hours on the project, but it was worth it. The best thing you can hear from other people is the question of where you bought this knife and whether you are going to make and sell knives.
Step 10:
For better carrying, I made a homemade leather sheath. First, take the foam and cut a hole inside for the knife. Then take a piece of leather and soak it in warm water. Next, make a sandwich: put a tree on the table, put a knife on it, put a plastic bag on top (so that the knife doesn’t get wet), then the skin, foam with a hole, a foam lid and another piece of wood. Then clamp the sandwich in a vice and let it dry overnight. Simply stitch the resulting piece of leather to another piece of leather, add a rivet and a belt clip.
Step 11: Photos
Here are some photos of the finished knife. I hope you enjoyed it because it is a beautiful and challenging project.