The knife is very useful tool, you can use it to defend yourself, sharpen a stick, cut sausage, or use it instead of a screwdriver if necessary. In order for the knife to always be with you, it must either have a protective cover or be foldable. The second option is more convenient, since such a knife will be more compact and you will not be able to lose the case. Folding knives come in the most various designs, we will consider the simplest of them.
The author decided to make the handle of his knife exclusively from wood. This material is accessible and easy to work with. The author used only hand tools to make the knife. The main emphasis in the article is on making a handle. You can either find a blade ready-made from an old knife, or you can sharpen it yourself, it’s not difficult. So, let's start making a knife.
Materials and tools used
List of materials:
– blade blank;
– wooden board;
– steel rod (as an axis for the blade);
– wood glue;
– electrical tape;
– oil for impregnation.
List of tools:
– jigsaw;
– wood hacksaw;
– drill;
– marker;
– plane;
- sandpaper;
– files;
– vice;
– clamps.
Knife making process:
Step one. Cutting out blanks for the handle
To make a handle you will need a piece of board. you can use various breeds trees based on your preferences. But just remember that harder rocks will be more difficult to process. We will cut the board lengthwise into two halves, and in the end we will get two blanks. Here you will need to correctly take into account the thickness of the board.
We apply the blade to the board and trace it. Now we know approximately how long the handle should be so that the blade can fit into it. Also consider the location of the locking pin and so on. Having done everything necessary calculations, clamp the board in a vice in a vertical position and begin cutting. The author first marks the cutting line using a jigsaw, and then a hacksaw with a wide blade comes to the rescue. Slowly, slowly, cut the board into two halves. Step two. We make and install the blade axis
Step three. Finalizing the handle halves
Step four. Internal spacer
Step five. Drilling holes for the axle
Step six. Gluing
We clamp the whole thing with several clamps and let the glue dry completely. Epoxy dries in about a day; wood glue should also take about the same amount of time. Step seven. Final processing
At the same step, you can sharpen the blade; fine sandpaper dipped in water is perfect for this. Step eight. Impregnation
That's all, the making of the knife has come to an end. As a result, we have a small convenient pocket knife ik. Do not forget that the handle is made of wood, so the knife will not be able to withstand high loads on the blade. However, for the majority household work its strength should be sufficient. That's all, good luck and take care of yourself! Dec 21, 2018 Gennady
The blade is attached to the handle using one metal axis. We look for a rod of suitable diameter and cut off the required piece. We drill a hole in the blade of such a diameter that the axis fits tightly into the hole. The blade should not dangle on the axis.
After the board was sawn into two parts, we got two halves. Each of them needs to be thoroughly leveled and polished, since after cutting the parts will have a lot of irregularities. They can be leveled using a plane or by grinding, which is safer. Finally, sand the parts with sandpaper until they are perfectly smooth.
Between the two halves there is another piece of wood, with its help we get the required gap. We select the gap in accordance with the thickness of the blade. The main idea is for the blade to fit tightly into the handle and not fall out. There are no additional fasteners here. This part will also act as a stop for the blade. Use dense wood for this part, like oak, maple, and so on.
Attach the blade to the workpiece and drill holes for the axle. It should fit tightly into the part. Try to collect all the parts in a pile and make sure that all the parts are made correctly. The blade should not spontaneously fall out of the handle. If this is the case, you need to reduce the gap between the handle halves.
Epoxy glue is suitable for gluing, but the author decided to use wood glue, which is also quite sufficient here. Apply glue to the “spacer” on both sides, and then glue the halves to the sides. As for the axis on which the blade rests, it is highly advisable to apply epoxy glue to it before assembly, so that it will reliably stick to the handle. But be careful, if the glue sticks to the blade, you may not be able to open the knife after making it.
When the glue dries, remove the clamps. You now need to cut off the protruding parts of the axle; for this we use a hacksaw.
Finally, all you have to do is create the desired profile of your handle. This can be done manually, since the sizes are small. We take files and form the desired profile. Then we switch to sandpaper. Finally, we use the finest sandpaper to bring the product to perfection.
Wood is a very treacherous material; it instantly changes in size, cracks, and becomes deformed if moisture gets on it. To avoid these unpleasant consequences, the tree must be protected. It will save you here linseed oil or any others intended for wood processing. Do not use mineral oils because they don't dry out. We impregnate the handle everywhere, both outside and inside. Let the oil dry. You can also easily use varnish instead of oil.
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 Savoy family and family, as well as modifications production processes and technical and commercial development of the brand. The visit ends with a film made during the workshops describing 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 everyone more people choose 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 estimate the assembly once
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 targets quick 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 shopped for a pocket knife for daily carry, you'd know that there are a ton of options to choose from. 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 descents on the blade roughly, hardening - tempering, remove descents to zero+ on the diamond from above, rough assembly
hand sanding, etching. The etching process is also missed because this needs to be done separately by MK.
finally tighten it axial screw with cyanoacrylate fixation, roughly cut out the lining with a spare, 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
V intimate places Where it is not possible to remove it 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. They not only add 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 thumb pins 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 descents you can use various instruments: grinders, emery machines, 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, or rather 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 an emergency or 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, pickled 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.
Jackknife - great tool in a man's pocket and more. You should definitely take it with you when going on a hike or just in nature. Using a knife, you can not only cut sausage or open beer, but also protect yourself from enemies. Moreover, more often the enemy is not a person, but an animal, for example, a dog or even a fox. In this instruction we will look at how to make a good simple folding knife with your own hands.
To make the knife, the author used quite professional set tools, he needed a jigsaw and other tools. But don't despair if you have skillful hands, such a knife can be easily made with ordinary hand tools. The knife fixing device is also simple; all parts are made by hand. So let's get started.
Materials and tools used
List of materials:
- high carbon steel (which can be hardened);
- pins (can be steel or brass);
- material for the linings (wood, plastic, and so on as desired);
- epoxy adhesive;
- spring rod (for making a spring).
List of tools:
- ;
- drilling machine or drill;
- clamps;
- Bulgarian;
- vice;
- paper, pencil, scissors for making a template;
- sandpaper;
- furnace, oil for hardening.
Knife making process:
Step one. Sample
First of all, the author makes a template, including all internal parts. For those who have already made a knife at least once, it will not be difficult to make such a template. You need to think over a locking mechanism; it is made in the form of a lever with a hook.
Step two. Cutting out blanks
The author cuts all the parts of the knife from sheet steel. The locking mechanism consists of two parts, one part holds the spring, and the second is a lever with a hook that holds the blade.
To make a handle, you will need to carve two identical parts. The author cuts out all the details, including the blade, using a grinder. IN hard to reach places where it is impossible to reach with a grinder, we make a lot of cross cuts, and then gradually cut them out.
To make a blade, you will need steel with a high carbon content; in America it is customary to use 1050 steel; in Russia, the most common grade of steel for making knives can be considered steel 65X13. Good steel that can be hardened is widely used in tool making. You can also use steel from an old cutting wheel.
When you cut out the blanks for making the handle, assemble them on pins or simply on bolts. Now sand the product along the contour, in the end you will get two identical parts.
Step three. Grinding
We proceed to finer processing of workpieces, namely grinding. This is where a belt sander comes in handy. We bring the details to perfection, and at the end we go through them manually with a file where we couldn’t get them with a machine.
Using grinding machine, you also need to bring out the bevels on the blade. The author attaches the blade to a special device and gets to work. Main criterion here – the symmetry of the bevels.
Finally, the author processes the parts manually using sandpaper. The next step for us there will be hardening, before that do not forget to drill everything in the workpieces required holes, since it will be problematic to do this later.
Step four. Tempering the blade
In order for your knife to hold its edge for a long time, the blade must be hardened. Since we have the blade small sizes, it can easily be heated to desired temperature using a burner, as the author did. We heat the metal until the steel is no longer attracted by the magnet. If we take a more professional approach to this matter, then for each steel there is a clear heating temperature.
When you heat up the steel, lower the workpiece into the oil. Used oil from a car, as well as vegetable oil, is quite suitable. After cooling the workpiece, run a torch over the metal to burn the oil. Now the steel can be checked; if it cannot be taken with a file, it means that the hardening was successful.
The next step in hardening is necessarily tempering the metal, otherwise the steel will be very brittle. A household oven is suitable for holidays. Place the blade in it and heat it for about an hour at a temperature of 200-250 degrees Celsius. Then let the oven cool closed with the knife inside. Vacation is done! Now the steel will spring back and the blade will not break under high load.
Step five. Let's move on to assembling the knife
After hardening, polish the blade until it shines, as after heat treatment it will change color. Now the knife can be assembled. Lubricate all internal parts with motor oil to prevent the knife from rusting on the inside. Now we assemble everything on pins. We glue the overlays using epoxy glue.
Clamp the handle tightly with several clamps and let the glue dry completely. Epoxy usually dries in about a day.
When the glue is completely dry, we perform final sanding. First, the product is processed using a grinder, and then manually using sandpaper. Finally, we bring the handle to perfect smoothness using fine sandpaper.
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 open position, but also ensures its reliable fixation when closed.
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 future design on paper or in some graphic 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 required form 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 cut finish. 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
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, ordinary 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
Show 6 more images
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 use (like me) some old saw, you need to “loosen” it. 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 an angle grinder 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 best 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 a larger hole on the 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. 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 another 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 steel part After lubricating the handles a little with WD-40, the knife will open and close much smoother.
The last thing to do is sharpen the blade. I used wet grindstone 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.