Liner lock
- Thread starter D Whitt
- Start date
EdCaffreyMS
"The Montana Bladesmith"
Is this your first folder?? If so, your first task is to retrain your brain. How? Why? Well, generally when we build straight knives, we think in fractions of an inch. When it comes to folders, and building/making them work correctly, that thinking needs to be refined to think in THOUSANDTHS OF AN INCH. That might sound silly, but it is a necessity if you are to produce folders that function properly. If you don't already, get yourself a GOOD set of digital calipers and/or micrometer.....or better yet both!
Next..... do you own a surface grinder? Or to you have access to one?? Although not "necessary" for folders, it's darn close to being so. You can literally work for DAYS on a granite surface plate, and still not have material/parts as true/flat as you can in a few minutes on a surface grinder.
Do you have the necessary tooling? Like the drill bits and taps necessary for the size screws you're using? Do you own a mill, or a VERY RIGID drill press? Holes MUST be absolutely true/square when it comes to folders..... if you try using a cheap drill press where the table flexes, and/or cheap drill bits...... your holes will not be as needed. EVERYTHING TO DO WITH FOLDER MUST BE FAR MORE PRECISE THEN WHEN BUILDING STRAIGHT KNIVES.
I know you said you have all the parts....... But let's talk about the parts and hardware...... DO NOT USE CHEAP CHINA MADE FOLDER PARTS/HARDWARE!! It will cause you more grief and heartache than I can say.
All of the made in china hardware, screws, etc are +/- usually .010" That is HUGE when it come to folder screws/parts. The ONLY source I will use for folder parts/hardware is: https://ticonnector.com/ Steve Kelly (owner/operator) is not only my best friend, but also makes out of this world folders..... and he knows about tolerances....his hardware isn't cheap, but you get the best hardware available for folders that WORKS....meaning you don't have to fiddle around for DAYS trying to get screws indexed, or get parts aligned because they have .005" slop in them.
Before Steve/TiConnector, I struggled with each and every folder I made....simply because of that bad tolerances of the screws/hardware I had to use....often times I would spend literally days fiddling with every screw, standoff, spacer, etc. to make a folder work right......and then if ANY of the screws were ever loosened......I had to go through it all again.
Even with Steve being my best friend, it took him about two years to get me to use his hardware....because of the expense, and I simply couldn't wrap my head around how it could be any better than what I was using........ BOY, WAS I EVER WRONG! After I started using TiConnector screws/hardware..... for lack of a better way to say it.....my folders just fell together, no muss, no fuss, and EXACTLY THE SAME EVERY TIME!
Finally, PATIENCE, PATIENCE, AND THEN SOME MORE. Expect to spend 3-4X as long to build a folder, as you would a straight knife, that is unless you are having ALL your parts waterjetted, and all you do is assemble.
What I wrote might seem daunting....but don't let it be. I just laid out SOME of the facts/necessities about building folders......at least for building "good" folders. I've seen a ton of folks over the years who claimed to make folders..... that often were worse then what I can buy at my local truck stop. We all gotta start somewhere....but always seek to produce the very BEST product you can..... and let each one teach you something, and be better than the last one.
Folders are a huge fork in the road of a knifemaker...... it will send you in all new directions, teach you all kinds of new things, and teach you to work with many materials you otherwise would not. It's also the "next logical step" in the evolution of a knifemaker. Apply what you learn by building folders to your straight knives, and you will see a HUGE leap in their overall build quality. It's a great journey...... have fun with it!!!
Next..... do you own a surface grinder? Or to you have access to one?? Although not "necessary" for folders, it's darn close to being so. You can literally work for DAYS on a granite surface plate, and still not have material/parts as true/flat as you can in a few minutes on a surface grinder.
Do you have the necessary tooling? Like the drill bits and taps necessary for the size screws you're using? Do you own a mill, or a VERY RIGID drill press? Holes MUST be absolutely true/square when it comes to folders..... if you try using a cheap drill press where the table flexes, and/or cheap drill bits...... your holes will not be as needed. EVERYTHING TO DO WITH FOLDER MUST BE FAR MORE PRECISE THEN WHEN BUILDING STRAIGHT KNIVES.
I know you said you have all the parts....... But let's talk about the parts and hardware...... DO NOT USE CHEAP CHINA MADE FOLDER PARTS/HARDWARE!! It will cause you more grief and heartache than I can say.
All of the made in china hardware, screws, etc are +/- usually .010" That is HUGE when it come to folder screws/parts. The ONLY source I will use for folder parts/hardware is: https://ticonnector.com/ Steve Kelly (owner/operator) is not only my best friend, but also makes out of this world folders..... and he knows about tolerances....his hardware isn't cheap, but you get the best hardware available for folders that WORKS....meaning you don't have to fiddle around for DAYS trying to get screws indexed, or get parts aligned because they have .005" slop in them.
Before Steve/TiConnector, I struggled with each and every folder I made....simply because of that bad tolerances of the screws/hardware I had to use....often times I would spend literally days fiddling with every screw, standoff, spacer, etc. to make a folder work right......and then if ANY of the screws were ever loosened......I had to go through it all again.
Even with Steve being my best friend, it took him about two years to get me to use his hardware....because of the expense, and I simply couldn't wrap my head around how it could be any better than what I was using........ BOY, WAS I EVER WRONG! After I started using TiConnector screws/hardware..... for lack of a better way to say it.....my folders just fell together, no muss, no fuss, and EXACTLY THE SAME EVERY TIME!
Finally, PATIENCE, PATIENCE, AND THEN SOME MORE. Expect to spend 3-4X as long to build a folder, as you would a straight knife, that is unless you are having ALL your parts waterjetted, and all you do is assemble.
What I wrote might seem daunting....but don't let it be. I just laid out SOME of the facts/necessities about building folders......at least for building "good" folders. I've seen a ton of folks over the years who claimed to make folders..... that often were worse then what I can buy at my local truck stop. We all gotta start somewhere....but always seek to produce the very BEST product you can..... and let each one teach you something, and be better than the last one.
Folders are a huge fork in the road of a knifemaker...... it will send you in all new directions, teach you all kinds of new things, and teach you to work with many materials you otherwise would not. It's also the "next logical step" in the evolution of a knifemaker. Apply what you learn by building folders to your straight knives, and you will see a HUGE leap in their overall build quality. It's a great journey...... have fun with it!!!
Last edited:
Sean Jones
Well-Known Member
While I've never made a folder I believe everything Ed has said is spot on. You will see the part about needing precision reiterated again and again.
I'd like to make a folder but I'm not really setup for it. For me at least, I would buy a kit and learn how to assemble one from a kit first. There are several places including USAKnifemaker that sell nice folder kits.
Let us know how it goes!
I'd like to make a folder but I'm not really setup for it. For me at least, I would buy a kit and learn how to assemble one from a kit first. There are several places including USAKnifemaker that sell nice folder kits.
Let us know how it goes!
Ed is correct. I spent all of 2019 just researching, learning & preparing. I have JUST NOW started on folders. Frame lock folders. Great advice on the Surface Grinder as well. And what do ya know... I already showed everyone how to replicate the SGA quite affordably, LOL!
But even now I am going slow. Luckily, my situation has made me incredibly patient in the slow progress of my work. This is a blessing in disguise as it has largely helped with negligible mistakes.
Titanium frame, CPM20CV blade and my home made(laminated) Carbon Fiber
But even now I am going slow. Luckily, my situation has made me incredibly patient in the slow progress of my work. This is a blessing in disguise as it has largely helped with negligible mistakes.
Titanium frame, CPM20CV blade and my home made(laminated) Carbon Fiber
Thanks guys I have built slipjoints and lock back knives so I know how important the tolerances are and how important having good tools are..... I got my parts from USAKnifemaker so they should be of quality........ I don’t have a surface grinder as of right now so it will take me a lot of patience to get the parts flat but I should be asleep to get it done..... thanks for the input and I’m looking forward to learning liner locks