While in Chicago, I noticed alot of the makers are making their high end folders in automatics. Phil Booth being one that sticks in my mind. He had some very cool and very small automatic folders on his table; one is on this site. I gues my question would be, what kind of springs are these guys using. I've seen a coiled pivot spring that goes around your pivot, but not sure exactly how it works. I drew up a few things using a leaf spring under the backspacer, but I don't know if it is a logical design or if it will even work. I would like to make a double action, so when you close the knife it loads the spring, so you can use the knife as a standard linerlock until you hit the button.
Thanks guys

Jeremy,
How many folders have you made? I figure that one dosen't really have the mechanism for a linerlock down, along with the fit and finish till you make about 50. Add a spring and it's a whole other animal. You have to have tight tolerances and precision work to make an auto function correctly. The first one I made took me a month and it had it's share of problems.

Ti doc, I asked a lot of questions on auto's in the past, but those in the know aint talkin.
I guess this is one of the best kept secrets in the handmade knife business. I think the best thing one could do is to buy a couple of cheapline auto's with different mechanisms, strip them down and analize the mechanisms. Then improve, redezign, innovate or do whatever it takes to make it work even better. Once you understand how it works it shouldn't be to difficult to immitate.
But be prepared to upgrade on your equipment.

GOOD LUCK

I sat down and kind figured out what I would have to do to make this thing work using a leaf spring under the backbar. But timing everything out so the when you close the knife the spring loads, the release button pops into place holding the spring, and the detent ball falls into the blade sounds like it could be very difficult. I'm working on my 16th linerlock, so I'm well below your recomended number. But I may take apart one of my earlier knives and try to retro a prototype auto machanism into it.

Jeremy, you might try one of my designs. If you have a lathe and mill, and know linerlocks it's doable. :)

Here's a really bad overview of the mechanism :lol :

http://www.knifenetwork.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11879&highlight=automatic+mechanism

I say that only because I drew the images, and they aren't very good...