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The Newbies Arena Are you new to knife making? Here is all the help you will need. |
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#1
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help??
okay,so i want to build my first knife,i want a folding knife,is a spring assisted one very hard to make? i need some help with materials,i live in harrisonburg Va. im not sure what steel to get or where to get it. i also need a little help with heat treating. any help would be greatly appreciated
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#2
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Honestly, attempting a folder for your very first knife is really handicapping yourself. I generally recommend that folks get comfortable with making straight bladed knives, before jumping into folders. The reasons are many, but what is generally not understood is the level of difficulty in building folders versus straight knives for a "beginner". With straight knives you can get away with dealing in the fractions of an inch and be successful. With folders you're dealing with THOUSANDTHS of an inch......being off just a couple of thousandths of an inch makes the difference between a functioning, and non-functioning folder.
My recommendation is to create a few straight bladed knives before jumping on folders....you'll gain valuable experience, and not be nearly as frustrated. To directly answer your questions, spring assisted folders can be fairly simple, or intensely difficult, depending on design and experience level. Most of the major knife supply outfit on the internet can provide you with blade steel, and/or other materials you'll need, but be prepared.....you can order $400 worth of parts/tools required for a folder, and it will arrive in an envelope the size of a business card! Heat treating is the soul of any blade.....each steel type/variety requires it's own specific heat treat....heat treating requirements should be part of your decision of what steel to use.....base on what it requires, and what your capabilities are. Some are simple to heat treat, others complex. In many cases, a newer knifemaker is better off sending blade out for heat treating, while they are learning how to do it themselves. __________________ WWW.CAFFREYKNIVES.NET Caffreyknives@gmail.com "Every CHOICE has a CONSEQUENCE, and all your CONSEQUENCES are a result of your CHOICES." |
#3
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Cris Crawford has a dvd on making spring asst folders. you do have to be very careful in your layout and cutting so you have good action. The fit up has to be perfect for it to work right and safely. i don't know I'd encourage you to start with this until you have made a few folders first and understand the mechanics.
Erik |
#4
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alright,then ill start with a straight knife.. any ideas on how to make a partially serrated blade?
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#5
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ohh,could someone recomend good blade steel that isnt to hard to heat treat??
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#6
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I agree with the others - generally, a very bad idea to try to build a spring assisted folder as a first project - or most any other type of folder. But, if that's what you want, prepare yourself to spend some serious money. Even if you actually manage to succeed and build a nice folder on a shoestring budget you will still end up putting considerably more money into it than if you just went out and bought yourself a nice $1000 hand made spring assisted folder...
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#7
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Honestly I'd suggest doing a refurbishment of an existing knife first, that's how I learned to do my folders.
Go poke around for a cheap spring assisted knife at flea markets, pawn shops, etc. Take it apart and put it back together a couple times to figure out how it works. Get some mild steel and make a blade blank that fits and functions like the original, don't bother grinding the blade bevels, you need to make sure it will fit the action and it's a waste of time till you are 100% sure you can make a blade for it that works and fits. When you are ready, do one out of 1084, 1090, or 5160. Most folks suggest 1080 or 1084 for beginners, I like 5160. Keep working at it till you can replicate everything on it (blade, scales, etc) yourself. Then think about making one from scratch yourself. It takes a hell of a lot of effort, practice and patience to do it and get it right, and you're not going to get it right the first time. |
#8
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well i wouldnt mind doing a straight knife first,i just need help with the steel and heat treating
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#9
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If you plan to heat treat the knife yourself then 1080 or 1084 would be the best choice of steel. If you want to send it out, then 440C is economical, cheap to heat treat, and makes a great blade.
Buying a kit blade and finishing the handle for it is also a good way to start. That skips the need for heat treatment since the blade comes to you already finished. I know just adding a guard and a handle may not sound like much of a challenge but you will learn a lot by doing it. Even this simple seeming task will cause you to acquire some of the tools your folder will require and it will help you learn to use them. It isn't difficult, but it isn't as easy as it looks either, yet it is still far easier than building a folder properly. There are plenty of books and videos available that can help (see http://www.rayrogers.com/books.htm for some examples). Ordering catalogs from the major knife supply houses is a great way to see what tools and materials knife makers use and what they are used for. Some catalogs even include tutorials and all catalogs have lots of pictures of kit knives (both fixed blade and folders). The important thing is to start with something that you can finish... |
Tags |
art, blade, build, building, crawford, design, folder, folding, folding knife, heat, how to, knife, knife supply, knifemaker, knives, made, make, making, materials, project, simple, steel, supply, tools |
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