Well here is a story of how I managed to get to a point where I like many, can teach others who become better than me.
This all started about 18 or more years ago. And if there was forums back then, I wouldn't have found them since I did not have a computer.
I started out with a big push from my brother. He had a couple of my straight knives but figured a folder type would also be good to have. I still wonder it the fact the he got the straight knives were for free had anything to do with his request?
I started on a lock back in a size the would have a blade about 3" long. I believe any point of construction ,and I mean any , that I came to was an immediate problem area. I was fortunate to have an unending supply of stainless 302 1/2 hard (?) spring stainless precision ground to .050. This was where all else of good things stopped. My drill bits at the time did not want to make proper round holes. I spent the money getting some new ones and starting over again. The starting over was to become the order of the day. I finally got to a place where now I had to have a spring to operate this thing and all my efforts to produce a reasonable one all failed. Well, I did have bolsters and scales on this chubby looking thing and to me that part looked not bad with the shiney silver bolsters and black ebony wood.
I guess at least more than 6 months had gone by without me getting any further but continuing with the making of straight knives for hunting.
The Blade magazine realeased an article showing pictures of linerlocks. Boy, I thought this could be the way to still get that first folder finished for my brother. I still had on hand many feet of that spring steel for the liners. And so I started again. I immediately realized that the positioning of the pivot hole and holes for the back bar had to be right on. The trial and error thing started again. By now I had drill bits that would drill neat holes for me but it seemed that my pattern changed hole positions with each side liner I tried to make. It was a big moment in my shop when I realized that the way to make the second side was to use the first one as an overlay with the correct sized pivot hole drilled on a rough shaped rectangular piece that was to be the second liner that a pin could be placed through to establish positioning of all the other holes that wolud be drilled. The pieces were as well clamped together and as I drilled holes a drill bit was placed upside down through both holes. Wow, I now had two liners ! I had not made a pattern so now it was time to get a blade to fit. A good piece of cardboard should work well for this, I thought. Not so good a thought at all when I wanted to transfer this to a piece of metal. The metal or another piece of it was the next thing to be try fitted to give me a blade - of sorts. It was time to cut that notch in the back bottom of the blade with an angle on it where the liner would pop in. I did have a an angle measuring dial and managed to figure a simple procedure of how to keep the blade in position and getting it ground . Boy this was getting easier all the time ! I was on a roll ! Yes I was but I must have been at the top of the hill and it was now time for reality to come back. I had to position the blade height. Would I grind on the back of the blade or the front of the back bar? I may have done some of both. I can remember it didn't matter which one I sized down but I definitely remenber it was too short a fit. The back bar was remade and now it was time to slice the liner. In fact I was proud of myself that I could make such a straight line when hand holding the Dremel hand piece. Boy, why did I do that again? I'm giving myself a pat on the back to find in the next move I'm going to destroy the whole liner by making the lenghth of the leaf shorter than it should be. By now I had learned that I could make pieces over. If I could make one, I could make as many as I wanted. Wasn't that something good?
Well , now, the blade would move between the liers and the leaf would jump over and hold the blade open. This was pretty cool ! To bad there wasn't someone around who would recgnize this marvolous development I had arrived at. Well, then I thought. maybe it wasn't quite ready to show yet. I still needed scales of some sort. How about some flash, I thought. I did have some nice red coloured micarta and didn't those Swiss Army folders look so good in red? This folder was made to have the pivot going through from the outside and was not to be a hidden type. Well I was going to do this with the pivot screw bellow the surface of the micarta which went from one end to the other, and it was going to be a close fit around rhe screw as well. Dang but that micarta can cut with a rough surface left behind in the hole. I do remember that I had to use more than one pivot. It seemed that the pivot was too long and then too short after me making a length adjustment. The micarta was creating a bit of problem because of the hole sizing I had used.
It was finally done !!! I just had to show it to someone. I rushed into the house to show my wife. "Look what I've made, sweatheart." She didn't even reach for it but said "That's nice dear. What would you like for supper?"
I wasn't disapointed at all. I suddenly realized that the problems I had solved as I went along and what ever degree of difficulty I overcame was what it was all about to me, and it didn't really matter what I was holding in my hand or what anyone else thought about it.
Go for it Bob !!!!! It could be a lot of fun even thogh there might be problems to solve as you go. My very best to you !!!!! Frank
