All About Pocket Knives

I just wanted to show a few pics of how I cut the pulls into the newly made blades on the recent rebuild of the Cattaraugus Sowbelly. I like this method because it uses a common power tool and does not require and fancy or expensive equipment.

Mark where the pull is to be cut parallel to the spine with a fine tip Sharpy. Tape the blade to avoid scratches. Use a piece of scrap the same thickness as the blade and clamp a piece of scrap metal as a guide. I had a piece of 1/4 inch keystock for this. Run the Dremel tool at max speed along the scrap metal being careful of the initial touch that the tool doesn't jump or torque. Grip with both hands. Make multiple passes to get the depth and length desired. Finished product. This makes a narrow, square cornered slot that the fingernail can easily engage. There are different thickness Dremel wheels available if a wider pull is desired.

Excellent tutorial! Thanks for sharing that.
Jeff

I have been struggling with the best way to do this type of work. I do have a mini-mill, but it's not set up yet. Thanks for taking the time to show us your process!

Thanks for the information. Turned out great.

That's a neat lil tip. I'm betting there are smaller cutting wheels or you could use a worn down one too if you wanted to customize the length. I like it - simple.

Excellent tutorial and super simple method for solving a challenging problem!

Great detailed description. This would have been helpful about
4 years ago. A member here helped me making the nail nick
much deeper on an old knife I bought.

Bob

Nicely done. When I was using cut off disks to cut pulls I used to put the disk in a drill press and clamp the blade up in a machinist vise. I tend to punch most of my pulls now.

muskrat man wrote: ↑Fri Jun 13, 2025 3:05 pm Nicely done. When I was using cut off disks to cut pulls I used to put the disk in a drill press and clamp the blade up in a machinist vise. I tend to punch most of my pulls now.

If I did more than I do now, I would go with something better and faster. But for the occasional times I need to cut one, this works OK without needing to buy extra tooling.
Thanks for all the comments guys.

TY for posting this. It has been a great thread and very informative. I saw a video of Bobby Neal doing this but have never tried it myself.

Thank you Olde Cutler,

I was about to post and ask about the very same topic.

Ozwelder