Screwed bolsters on slippies

Sean Cochran

Sean Cochran

Well-Known Member
Ive seen several slipjoints of late that use screws in the bolster/pivot as opposed to pins. Just wondering what are your thoughts on this? Do you think it is an exciting new take on them or is it just an easier way that doesnt hold true to slipjoints?

I dont want to taint any responses so Ill keep my opinion to myself for a little while.:D;)
 
Pinned knives are nice, for nail jobs. Eventually the pins can stretch and blade play will develop.
I build slip-joints that are completely screwed together. I can take them apart and put them back together as many times as I want. The other advantage I have over makers who pin knives together is that I can adjust the spring after the knife is completed. On more than one occasion I have sent knives to clients who didn't have long or strong fingernails and the spring was too strong for them to open the knife easily. They sent the knife back and I took the knife apart, removed some of the spring material and lightened up the spring action. Screwed the knife back together and put it back in the mail.
To adjust the spring on a pinned together knife you would have to carefully grind down all the pins including the pivot and knock them out. Then remove some spring material, and adjust the spring. Then you would have to pin the knife back together, re-finish the bolsters, and the possibly the scales. It would require you to finish the knife twice. That's a lot of work, and time.

I'll stick with screws,
Chuck
 

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Call me old fashioned but I prefer the look of the pinned and soldered bolsters. It's an aesthetic thing and not a practical thing for me. If they're done correctly there is no need to disassemble. I will say that when I make my first slippie, it will be screwed together. I would hope to become proficient at either technique though.
 
Chuck Gedraitis Knives said:
I can adjust the spring after the knife is completed. On more than one occasion I have sent knives to clients who didn't have long or strong fingernails and the spring was too strong for them to open the knife easily. They sent the knife back and I took the knife apart, removed some of the spring material and lightened up the spring action. Screwed the knife back together and put it back in the mail.
Chuck
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Thats a very good point Chuck, I hadnt really thought of that.
 
I have used both but mostly pin the slipjoints. After reading this post I will take a different out look.
 
Just speaking as an old collector, I prefer the pins. Screws just seem out of place.
JMHO
Jim
 
Chuck,
Since you use screws to put the knife together, what kind od pivot do you use?

Thanks
Steve Hostetler
 
Chuck Gedraitis Knives said:
Pinned knives are nice, for nail jobs. Eventually the pins can stretch and blade play will develop.
I build slip-joints that are completely screwed together. I can take them apart and put them back together as many times as I want. The other advantage I have over makers who pin knives together is that I can adjust the spring after the knife is completed. On more than one occasion I have sent knives to clients who didn't have long or strong fingernails and the spring was too strong for them to open the knife easily. They sent the knife back and I took the knife apart, removed some of the spring material and lightened up the spring action. Screwed the knife back together and put it back in the mail.
To adjust the spring on a pinned together knife you would have to carefully grind down all the pins including the pivot and knock them out. Then remove some spring material, and adjust the spring. Then you would have to pin the knife back together, re-finish the bolsters, and the possibly the scales. It would require you to finish the knife twice. That's a lot of work, and time.

I'll stick with screws,
Chuck
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Amen brother !
This is one of the very rare occasions i agree with someone on absolutely every point he made :)

Ondrej
 
The diameter of the pivot depends on the size of the knife. On a smaller knife I use a 1/8in pivot. Larger knives get a 3/16pivot.

I use titanium liners. I can either build the knife with washers like a linerlock or I relieve the liners so the blade does not rub.

I agree that pins are classic and slip-joints have been put together that way for a couple hundred years, but would you rather have to peen the pivot tighter to reduce blade play or just simply turn a screw?

When I started using screws on slip-joints I received some flack for doing so. So I built one with no screws showing except for the scale screws. This knife is completely screw together construction, I just hid all the bolster screws.
Chuck
 

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# 3 and #4 are real nice i like #3 best yes my kinda knife, screws all the way. i've never made a pocket knife yet well 1 1/2 first one was a little sloppy sec. one havent finished yet. i want to make a slip joint so bad just can't get my head around it yet ,just afraid I guess, 176 knives under my belt butttttt,not that slip joint yet. dang it !!!!!!. nice work. Chuck
Clint
 
I held back for a little while just to see what everyone thought.

Here is my $.02
First of all slipjoints are my favorite style of knife and I am a very traditional guy, so the first time I saw one with screws I didnt like it at all. But as I started seeing more of them I have started to like them. I can see the benefits from the makers stand point, but also as a matter of the evolution of the style. Makers like Chuck and Papi are really pushing the boundries of what we think of slipjoints, they, among others, are producing some extraordiary work. I am a big fan.

Dont get me wrong, Im still a sucker for a traditional slippie, but I think there is plenty of room for both.

Now, how is that for a politicians answer. :)

Sean
 
Dont get me wrong, Im still a sucker for a traditional slippie, but I think there is plenty of room for both.
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Well said , for the look , I prefer the clean look of hidden pins , for function and being able to tune after the fact , I like the screw construction.

Both are good....
 
What thickness of liners and of what material are you people using, please? I've made only liner locks and Chuck's remarks sure fit for me if I was to try a slip joint. Frank
 
Frank Niro said:
What thickness of liners and of what material are you people using, please? I've made only liner locks and Chuck's remarks sure fit for me if I was to try a slip joint. Frank
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I like screws. For me , even if using Ti. I'd go no larger than a 2-56 on the average size model:)
 
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I'm using .050 Ti liners. The screws I use depend on the size of the knife, I like to keep them proportionate. I usually use 0-80 on smaller knives and 1-72 on larger. I also turn down the diameter of the pivot screw so I don't have a huge screw showing at the front of the knife and smaller screws on the rest of the knife.
 
So dumb question here but for a slip joint what part gets threaded?
Do you have the screws go all the way through or do you have screws coming in from each side?
How is the lock held tightly?

Thanks for any answers
 
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