All About Pocket Knives

I have always wanted to make a folding knives but never knew where to get the parts at. and how to do it. smkw used to carry the part but they don't no more. I don't know about jantz

To make a folder.........you start from scratch..................like grandma's biscuit's.

To assemble a folder you buy the parts.................like Bisquick.

But you gotta start somewhere, so jump in and your fingers dirty!

old timer 1990,
here is a book to look for at various booksellers.

Actually, orvet here at AAPK would be a good place to look.

old timer1990 wrote:I have always wanted to make a folding knives but never knew where to get the parts at. and how to do it. smkw used to carry the part but they don't no more. I don't know about jantz

like music said - start with a kit from jantz - that will get your feet wet & you'll know enough to be one - you can also use the parts as a pattern to make a hand made knife - you can bust apart any knife & use it as a pattern - thats how i did it for 30 years anyway -

some guys cheat & use the factory liners & springs & just build a blade & re-handle it - & call it a hand made knife - they just don't tell anyone - just don't get into that trap - be honest & it will pay off in the long run -

i guess some folks might be able to set down & draw a slipjoint out on a piece of paper & make it work - i never could - never tried -a good soft ware program would also help i guess - many if not all of the high end engravers now use photo shop to design their back-bone pattern and then transfer that computer drawing onto the knife or gun - i'm to old & not smart enough to learn photo shop - i draw all my patterns on with a sharpie - no transfers -

One of my pet-peves is art knives - many sell for thousands of dollars - many have never seen a heat treating oven & are held together with super glue! True story - At the Guild Show one year the guild member set up next to me sold a knife for $7,500.00 - I ask him if he did his own heat treating - he said it wasn't heat treated & if someone pays that much for a knife they will never know the difference - may be art but if it doesn't cut & hold an edge it's not a knife - to me anyway - At one time i shipped 1/2 my knives to Texas - the boy's there will pay you 600 bucks to build them a knife but they will also carry that knife & work it - it it doesn't cut & hold an edge - word gets around pretty fast - i can sharpen a coffee can lid to cut but it won't cut very long - thats why i have a lot of respect for hammer heads (Hand Forged Guy's) 99.9% of these guy's believe that a knife should be built to be a knife reguardless of what someone will pay for it.

I'll shut up now - tom

check out usaknifemakers.com
they will have some kits that are cut out to fit to finish

mike miller wrote:check out usaknifemakers.com
they will have some kits that are cut out to fit to finish

True, but their kits are not for the first timer as they are not hardened and are only profile cut. I would not recommend them to someone just starting out. All their kits do is take out the grunt work of cutting out the pattern and liners. Everything else is up to the knifemaker including grinding the edge bevels, nail nicks, drilling the holes, fitting and finishing, hardening and tempering, etc.

Best to start out with a kit from jantz, texas knife supply, K&G, or sheffields. Or, start with fixed blades to learn the basics of knifemaking and then branch out into folders.

Good Luck!