Homemade folding knives drawings. © KNIFE — KNIFE and Company
A folding knife is a great tool in a man's pocket and not only. You should definitely take it with you, going on a hike or just to nature. With the help of a knife, you can not only cut sausage or open beer, but also protect yourself from enemies. And more often the enemy is not a person, but an animal, for example, a dog or even a fox. In this tutorial, we will look at how to make a good simple DIY folding knife.
To make a knife, the author used a rather professional set of tools, he needed a jigsaw and other tools. But you should not despair, if you have skillful hands, such a knife can be easily made with ordinary hand tools. The fixing device of the knife is also simple, all parts are made by hand. So let's get started.
Materials and tools used
List of materials:
- high carbon steel (which can be hardened);
- pins (you can steel or brass);
- material for overlays (wood, plastic and so on at will);
- epoxy adhesive;
- spring rod (for making a spring).
List of tools:
- ;
- drilling machine or drill;
- clamps;
- Bulgarian;
- vice;
- paper, pencil, scissors for making a template;
- sandpaper;
- furnace, oil for hardening.
Knife making process:
Step one. Sample
First of all, the author makes a template, including all internal details. For those who have already made a knife at least once, it will not be difficult to make such a template. You need to think over the locking mechanism, it is made in the form of a lever with a hook.
Step two. Cut out blanks
The author cuts all the details of the knife from sheet steel. The locking mechanism consists of two parts, one part holds the spring, and the second is a lever with a hook that holds the blade.
To make a handle, you will need to carve two identical parts. All details, including the blade, are cut out by the author using a grinder. In hard-to-reach places where the grinder cannot crawl, we make a lot of transverse cuts, and then gradually cut them out.
For the manufacture of the blade, you will need steel with a high carbon content, in America it is customary to use steel 1050, in Russia steel 65X13 can be considered the most common grade of steel for making knives. Good steel, which can be hardened, is widely used in the manufacture of tools. You can also use steel from an old cutting disc.
When you cut out the blanks for making the handle, assemble them on pins or simply on bolts. Now sand the product along the contour, as a result you will get two identical parts.
Step three. Grinding
We proceed to finer processing of blanks, namely, grinding. This is where a belt sander comes in handy. We bring the details to the ideal, and in the end we go through manually with a file where we could not get close to the machine.
Using a grinder, you also need to remove the bevels on the blade. The author attaches the blade to a special fixture and gets to work. The main criterion here is the symmetry of the bevels.
At the end, the author processes the details manually using sandpaper. The next step for us will be hardening, before that, do not forget to drill all the necessary holes in the workpieces, since then it will be problematic to do this.
Step four. Tempering the blade
In order for your knife to keep sharpening for a long time, the blade must be hardened. Since our blade is small in size, it can easily be heated to the desired temperature with a burner, as the author did. Calim the metal until the steel is no longer attracted by the magnet. If we approach this matter more professionally, then for each steel there is a clear heating temperature.
When the steel is hot, dip the workpiece into the oil. Waste oil from a car, as well as vegetable oil, is quite suitable. After cooling the workpiece, go through the metal with a torch to burn the oil. Now the steel can be checked, if it is not taken with a file, then the hardening was successful.
The next step in hardening is necessarily metal tempering, otherwise the steel will be very brittle. For holidays, a household stove is suitable. Place the blade in it and heat it for about an hour at a temperature of 200-250 degrees Celsius. Then let the oven cool down with the knife inside. Vacation done! Now the steel will spring, and the blade will not break under high load.
Step five. We proceed to the assembly of the knife
After hardening, polish the blade to a shine, as after heat treatment it will change color. Now the knife can be collected. Lubricate all internal parts with engine oil so that the knife does not rust from the inside. Now we collect everything on the pins. Glue the pads with epoxy glue.
Clamp the handle well with a few clamps and let the glue dry completely. Epoxy usually takes about a day to dry.
When the glue is completely dry, we make the final polishing. First, the product is processed on a grinder, and then manually, using sandpaper. At the end, we bring the handle to perfect smoothness with fine sandpaper.
The urbanization of the modern world has led to an increase in the popularity of folding knives (colloquially - "folders" or "folders", from the English folder - a folded object). Such a knife is compact and convenient for a city dweller, attracts less attention, and usually its wearing is absolutely legal.
It can be used for a variety of operations - opening envelopes and cardboard boxes, opening plastic packaging, cutting adhesive tape, etc. In a critical situation, it can also be used as a personal defense tool. There was even a special term for the knives of a city dweller - “everyday carrying knife” or an EDC knife (from the English abbreviation EDC - Every Day Carring).
The activity of human rights organizations in many countries of the world has led to the fact that folding knives have come to replace knives with a fixed blade in law enforcement agencies and even in special units operating in urban areas. These knives are called "tactical". Surpassing urban knives in strength and reliability, they are inferior to them in size and weight.
In addition to self-defense, they can be used for a wide variety of operations - breaking doors, breaking through office partitions and, of course, cutting ropes, etc. These knives are often used as auxiliary knives in army units, as well as tourist (camping) knives or knives for working in field conditions.
The main types of blade retainers
Achievements of modern metallurgy and inorganic chemistry, the introduction of new materials processing technologies make it possible to implement the most daring design ideas. The close interaction of knife masters with hand-to-hand combat experts allows you to create original models of tactical knives with enhanced combat qualities. As a result, new models of folding knives appear with an unusual blade shape, ergonomic handles, and additional design elements that increase the convenience and safety of using the knife.
Knives with increased cutting properties
There is no perfect knife. Certain design solutions and elements increase the performance of the knife for certain types of work. In addition, there are no identical people, they have different hand sizes, they can have a leading right or left hand. For those who are not experts in the field of bladed weapons, the variety of designs creates a certain difficulty in choosing a knife for their needs.
Folding knife design
Folding knives have a long history and have gone from primitive designs to high-tech products, the manufacture of which uses the most advanced technologies.
A typical folding knife is a blade with one-sided sharpening, mounted on the axis of the handle. When folded, the blade of the knife is hidden in the handle.
The main structural elements of a knife are the blade and the handle.
In the classic version, the rotation of the blade occurs in the plane of the handle. Much less common are knives in which the axis of rotation of the knife is perpendicular to the plane of the blade. These knives look very original, but in terms of reliability they are inferior to knives of a classic design. An exception to this rule is articulated knives with a transverse opening of the blade.
In most folding knives, when open, the blade is in line with the handle. Among folding knives designed for personal self-defense, you can find knives in which the blade can be fixed in an intermediate position - perpendicular to the handle. In this case, the knife turns into a knuckle-grip knife like the famous “push daggers” (push dagger), originating from the daggers of the hidden carrying card players of the Wild West. The advantage of such knives is a simplified technique for striking - a blow is similar to a punch.
STI even developed the Tai sabaki knife (from the name of the Japanese body reversal technique), in which the blade can be fixed in six positions, which allows you to expand the technical arsenal of striking.
STI knife with blade lock in several positions
According to the opening principle, knives can be divided into knives:
- with manual opening and closing of the blade;
- with semi-automatic and automatic blade opening;
- fully automatic.
In knives with semi-automatic opening, to bring the blade into working condition, it is enough to move the knife blade a little, and then it is brought to working condition by a special spring.
Semi-automatic knives and automatic knife (right)
In knives with automatic opening, for this you only need to press a special button or a folding trigger guard on the handle. In knife literature, such knives are often referred to as "automatic" or "automatic knives", although this is not entirely true, since the reverse operation of folding the blade is performed manually in them. A classic example of such knives is the "Italian stiletto" and its numerous clones.
Buttons for opening semi-automatic knives and Italian stiletto
In fully automatic knives, both opening and closing of the knife is automatic. Moreover, the blade extends from the handle along the longitudinal axis of the blade (frontal ejection of the blade), and in the closed position it is completely retracted into the handle. This allows the use of dagger-type blades with two-sided or one-and-a-half sharpening in such knives, but imposes restrictions on the width of the blade - it cannot be greater than the width of the handle.
The process of opening / closing the blade is controlled by a special slider on the handle. These knives usually have a characteristic blade play. Only the specialists of the Mikrotek company, known for the high quality of manufacturing knives, managed to create automatic knives that are practically devoid of this drawback. But the price to pay for this is their high price.
Microtek automatic knives
The legislation of many countries, including Russia, classifies automatic knives with a certain blade length as criminal, and their wearing in these countries is prohibited. These restrictions do not apply to semi-automatic knives.
In order to avoid the risk of injury if such knives are accidentally opened in a pocket, they often have a special safety catch.
The main advantage of automatic and semi-automatic knives is to quickly bring them into working condition with one hand. This is of great importance in knife fighting, as well as for people who, as a result of professional activities, can only operate with one hand.
The disadvantages of these knives include increased sensitivity to dirt due to the rather complex design of the opening mechanism, and therefore less reliability. Cleaning the mechanism is a rather complicated procedure, especially in fully automatic knives, where it can only be carried out by qualified personnel. Therefore, automatic and semi-automatic knives are not well suited for field conditions.
These shortcomings are devoid of knives in which the opening of the blade occurs due to its gravity ("inertial knives"). The most famous of them is the knife of the airborne units of the Wehrmacht, which is still produced in a modified version today. The knife is very reliable, has a simple design and can be easily disassembled for preventive cleaning.
Fixing the blade in the open position is provided by special structural elements - locks(in English literature - lock). This fixation of the blade ensures the safe use of the knife, especially in operations where its piercing effect is necessary.
On the first primitive folding knives, the latch-lock was a special protrusion on the butt of the knife like a straight razor. Currently, there are many varieties of these devices. However, only three types of locks are most widely used - back up (lock on the butt of the blade), liner lock (strip lock) and axis lock (axial lock), as well as their varieties. All of them allow you to create knives that can be opened with only one hand, and provide a fairly secure blade in the open position.
A kind of lock on the butt of the blade
The lock on the butt of the blade (back up lock) considered the most reliable. But knives with this type of latch are difficult to fold with one hand. In addition, there is a possibility of accidental folding of the blade when the handle is strongly compressed.
Knives that use the kind of back up lock that was originally used on Spanish Navaja knives are free from this drawback. A similar lock is used on the South African Okapi. In this latch-lock, the blade is locked in the open position by a protrusion of the butt, which enters the hole on the spring bar of the lock. To disengage the latch in them, just pull the special ring. In modern versions, the ring has been replaced by a more compact and convenient folding bracket - a lever.
Linear lock (liner lock) compared to the previous one, it allows you to close the knife with one hand (in fairness, it should be noted that due to the asymmetry of the design, this is not very convenient for people with a leading left hand). Experts believe that in terms of the reliability of fixing the blade, this lock is inferior to the lock on the butt of the blade - with a strong longitudinal load, the end of the locking strip can disengage from the heel of the blade.
Much less common is ring lock, which is used on the French Opinel knives, which have been produced since the end of the 19th century. This lock has a very simple design - a slotted ring. To unlock the blade, it is enough to turn the ring so that its slot is aligned with the line of the blade. The same type of lock is used on the original domestic knife "Fortel".
In addition to the classic ones, there is a very interesting type of hinge-frame type knives. In these knives, the main structural element are special frames or hinges, which at the same time ensure the fixation of the blade. Such knives are distinguished by high reliability of locking the blade in the open position while the knife is held in the hand. They have a symmetrical shape, so they are equally convenient for both right-handers and left-handers.
Frame knives consist of two frames, the planes of rotation of which are mutually perpendicular. Among domestic knives, these include "Chizhik" by master Konstantin Sazhin and "Skat" by the company "NOKS".
Frame knives "Chizhik" and "Skat"
Of the hinged knives, the most famous is the Philippine balisong (butterfly knife) and its antipode, in which the plane of rotation of the blade is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the knife. The latter is, perhaps, the only knife with a transverse tear-off of the blade, which provides a very reliable fixation of the knife blade in the open state.
Among articulated knives, pantograph knives have the most complex design. Typical representatives are the German Paratrooper knife and the Power Glide knife from Smith & Wesson.
Knives with transverse rotation of the blade
The Paratrupper knife, patented in Germany in 1938, is sometimes erroneously called the knife of the Wehrmacht landing units. An indispensable condition for knives for paratroopers is the ability to open it with one hand, and it is impossible to open the Paratrooper with one hand. The reason for this misconception was the name of the knife, which translates as "parachutist". However, this name is not associated with the purpose of the knife, but with the fact that its opening resembles the opening of a parachute dome. The unique feature of this knife is that the length of the blade when open exceeds the length of the handle.
The main disadvantage of hinged-frame knives is the impossibility of opening the knife with one hand and the complexity of the design. The only knife of this type devoid of these shortcomings is the famous Filipino balisong knife.
Articulated knives
In most folding knives, when folded, the blade is completely hidden in the handle of the knife. Only part of the butt protrudes from the handle (for this reason, double-sided sharpening of the blade is not used in folding knives). However, there are knives in which, when folded, the blade comes out of the handle - semi-folding knives. A classic example of such a knife is the daggers of Admiral D'Estaing. This design combines the advantages of large fixed blade knives with the small dimensions of folding knives. This design of knives in the last century was quite common on hunting and jaeger knives. It is with this knife that Kuzmich cuts pineapple from the garden in the popular comedy "Peculiarities of the National Hunt."
Semi-skewed knives
The disadvantage of these knives is the need to use a sheath to carry them. Knives are free from them, in which the blade is retracted into a special groove that extends from the handle when the blade is folded.
A Soviet knife designed by A.I. Shilin, deputy chief designer of the Kovrov Plant No. 2 named after A.I. K. O. Kirkizha (State Union Plant No. 2). The knife was developed as part of the competition for the selection of a folding knife for the officers of the Soviet army, which was held in 1944, and took second place in this competition. According to some reports, in 1945 a small trial series of these knives was made. However, for unknown reasons, the knife never entered service. The knife had a blade with double-edged sharpening. When folded, the blade was hidden in the handle for two-thirds of its length. To carry the knife, a wooden sheath was used, inside of which there were special hooks that automatically extended the blade to its full length when the knife was removed. In addition to the blade itself, the knife handle contained a standard set of tools needed in everyday life - an awl, a corkscrew, a screwdriver, a can opener and a bottle opener.
Officer's knife designed by A.I. Shilin and its modern Chinese counterpart
The ideas laid down by Shilin in our time have been used by the Chinese in the development of a special knife that is in service with the Chinese police.
The blade is the main part of the knife. It is from him that the piercing and cutting properties of the knife depend. The main factors determining the operational characteristics of the blade are the material and technology of its manufacture, as well as its shape and section. The blades of modern folding knives are made of corrosion-resistant steels. On blades from well-known manufacturers, the steel grade is often stamped on the blade at the base of the handle. On cheap knives, you can often see the inscription on the blade - "stainless" or "rostfrei", which simply means "stainless steel". Currently, the knife industry uses several dozen different steel grades. Since different countries have different standards for the designation of steel grades, the same steel may have different designations. The most common steel grades used for the manufacture of folding knife blades are shown in the table.
For an inexperienced user, it is enough to take into account the fact that the more expensive the steel, the longer it keeps sharpening, but this increases the fragility of the cutting edge and makes it more difficult to straighten the knife at home. The quality of the blade is largely influenced by the technology of thermal hardening of steel used by the manufacturer. With proper heat treatment, even relatively cheap types of steel provide good cutting qualities of the knife, and vice versa, even expensive types of steel with flaws in heat treatment will not ensure good blade quality. It is with this that the high cost of folding knives of well-known manufacturers is associated, which have modern equipment and carefully monitor the quality of the blade.
The hardness of the cutting edge is expressed in Rockwell units. Typically, folding knife blades are hardened to 42–60 HRC units. The larger this number, the longer the knife keeps sharpening, but you have to pay for this with less resistance to shock loads and the complexity of sharpening the knife. And, conversely, at low HRC values, the cutting edge is more plastic, easily sharpened, but does not hold sharpening well. With an increase in hardness above 61 HRC, the blade of knives with a normal butt thickness becomes very brittle. The edge of blades tempered to 42 pts. and less, has low strength and is difficult to cut ordinary materials. This indicator is not given on the packaging of knives. Even when describing the model on the manufacturer's website, it is not always possible to see it. When using a knife, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the knife blade is very sensitive to temperature rise. That is why you should not stir up the coals of a fire with a knife or use an electric grinder for metalwork or carpentry tools to sharpen it.
The surface of the blade can be polished, matted, blued, chrome-plated or have a special protective coating.
Polishing increases the resistance of the blade to corrosion, but such a surface shines in the sun, which is not entirely acceptable in tactical knives. Matting increases the anti-reflective properties, but worsens the corrosion resistance of the knife.
When the blade is burnished, a thin layer of protective oxide film is created on its surface, while the blade acquires a dark color. In chromium plating, a thin layer of chromium is applied to the surface of the blade, which prevents corrosion of the blade, but not its cutting edge.
In modern knives, blade coatings made of synthetic materials (epoxy resins, Teflon) are becoming more common, which provide high resistance to moisture or acid and alkaline environments. Since this coating prevents the blade from reflecting in the sun, it is often referred to as "anti-reflective" and is often used on tactical knives. The disadvantage of such coatings is low wear resistance and sensitivity to scratches.
Recently, with the reduction in the cost of industrial production of Damascus steel, more and more blades are made from it. Damascus steel is obtained by forge welding several layers of steel with different carbon contents. As a result, a beautiful pattern appears on the surface of the blade. Modern industrial production of Damascus steels allows you to pre-design the shape of this pattern ("mosaic Damascus").
The combination of low-carbon strips of steel providing ductility and high-carbon strips of steel providing hardness of the cutting edge allows you to create blades with excellent performance. In addition, the cutting edge of Damascus steel knives has micro-teeth, which increase the cutting ability of the knife.
Knives with blades made of Damascus steel look very impressive. However, it should be borne in mind that the risk of getting a defective Damascus steel blade is much higher than when purchasing a knife with a conventional steel blade. This is due to the rather complex manufacturing technology of such steel.
Doly, which are often referred to as bloodlines, are longitudinal grooves along the axis of the blade and serve to lighten the weight of the blade. At the same time, they increase the rigidity of the blade in the transverse direction. Sometimes they are through cutouts.
Ricasso- the unsharpened part of the blade at the handle serves for the convenience of sharpening the knife.
false blade came from combat knives with a fixed blade that has one and a half sharpening.
Folding knives use a variety of blade shapes. For ordinary household operations, knives with a straight blade or a blade converging to a point are preferred. The disadvantage of the classical form of the blade is its lower strength at the point, since the thickness of the blade gradually decreases towards the point. Blades in the form of "tanto" or "modified tanto" are free from this drawback.
At the beginning of this century, first on knives with a fixed blade, and then on folding knives, a special blade shape with a reinforced tip began to be used. At the end of the last - the beginning of this century, knives with a sickle-shaped blade, which is typical for Malaysian karambit knives, came into fashion. Such a blade does not cut, but rips open the surface of the target like a plow. Knives with such a blade are used for self-defense or for cutting car seat belts. Knives in which the blade is located at an angle to the handle serve the same purpose. This idea has received its maximum development in knives with a pistol grip from the STI company.
Flat wedge has high performance, combining the strength of the blade and a sharp blade. Due to the uniform distribution of force, it cuts soft materials of large thickness well. Disadvantages - the complexity of sharpening, does not cope well with cutting hard materials.
Chisel profile- Differs in manufacturability and ease of sharpening. It is widely used on Asian knife blades. It has excellent chopping properties, cuts thin materials well.
Flat wedge and its variety, the plano-concave wedge with a supply, is easy to manufacture, easy to straighten and sharpen, perfectly performs a shallow cut. Disadvantages - low mechanical strength, difficulties in cutting thick materials due to protruding side ribs.
wedge profile has excellent cutting properties. The disadvantage is the fragility of the cutting edge and the difficulty of sharpening (it is necessary to sharpen the entire plane of the blade). From this disadvantage, a wedge-shaped section with a supply is free.
Pentagonal profile combines manufacturability, strength, good cutting qualities, well corrected. Disadvantages - the difficulty of sharpening when restoring the cutting edge.
In addition to the blade, folding pocket knives can have additional auxiliary tools - an awl, a corkscrew, a can opener, a bottle opener. In the so-called "Swiss Army knives" (Swiss Armyknives), the number of such tools can reach several dozen. Such multifunctional knives are called "multi-tools". For self-defense, knives with two working blades are also produced, which allow you to hit the target with the forward and reverse stroke of the hand without changing the orientation of the knife or changing its grip.
Part of the blade of the blade can be sharpened in the form of a saw for cutting fibrous materials. In the knife literature, such sharpening is called "sereytor" or "sereytornoy" (from the English. Serrated"sawtooth"). In self-defense knives, sereytor sharpening facilitates cutting through the upper dense clothing and can be performed along the entire length of the blade. The tooth configuration of this mini-saw may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. The presence of a sereytor makes it difficult to sharpen the blade at home; for this, you need to have a special tool and skills to work with it, or contact the appropriate specialist. 
The design of most modern folding knives allows you to open them with one hand, both right and left. To do this, there are special elements at the base of the blade - cylindrical pins, round or square dies, or holes in the blade (a round hole is protected by a patent owned by the American company Spyderco, and other manufacturing companies are forced to use its other forms). It is more convenient to open knives with protruding elements - pins or dies, but they reduce the effective length of the blade.
At the beginning of this century, a special device appeared on the knives in the form of a hook on the butt, which automatically opens the knife when it is pulled out of a trousers pocket. Owners of such knives should be aware that if the trousers are made of thin material, then after several cycles of pulling the knife, they are likely to be torn through.
Much less common on modern knives is a special semicircular cutout on the blade. Most often it is used in models that have several working blades or tools, or in knives without blade fixation, which are well known to the older generation in Soviet times.
Another element that facilitates the opening of the knife is the flipper (from the English. flipper"fin") - a special ledge on the butt of the blade. To open an ordinary knife, it is enough to move the blade a little, pressing the flipper with your finger, and then, with an energetic swinging movement of the brush, bring the blade to its working position. In semi-automatic knives, there is no need for such a move; the blade is brought to the working position by a spring mechanism automatically.
In addition, the flipper plays the role of a kind of guard, preventing the hand from slipping onto the blade.
The most common grip on folding knives is the straight diagonal (fencing) grip. In this grip, the thumb is located on the butt of the blade. For more comfortable control of the knife, a special notch is made at the contact point of the thumb on the butt of the blade. The part of the handle adjacent to the blade may also have a notch.
handles
The handles of most modern knives have a package type-setting design, consisting of an internal frame (frame) in the form of metal strips - liners (liner) and overlays. Blade fixing elements, automatic opening mechanism (for semi-automatic and automatic knives) are mounted inside the frame.
Simple monolithic handles with a groove for the blade or handles made of a bent strip of steel are rare in modern knives, mainly in French "Opinel" and African "Duk-duk". Previously, the parts of the handle were connected into a single whole using rivets. The axis of the blade was also riveted. In modern models, screw connections are usually used for this. The use of screw connections allows you to eliminate the loosening of parts that occurs during the operation of the knife, adjust the “softness of the blade stroke”, and facilitate the disassembly of the knife for maintenance work. Most foreign folding knives use screws with a torx slot (torx). To work with such screws, a special tool is required - screwdrivers or socket wrenches with the appropriate head. Some companies include such keys with the knife, otherwise they have to be purchased separately.
The shape of the handle, its section, as well as the texture of the lining determine the convenience and safety of using the knife. The rectangular section of the knife is technologically advanced in production, but not convenient when working with a knife for a long time. The handle with a round section fits comfortably in the hand, but it does not allow you to determine the orientation of the knife by touch. Therefore, oval-shaped handles are most convenient. The rectangular shape is compact, but it does not provide protection against slipping of the hand onto the blade. The wedge shape of the handle better protects the hand when working with the tip of the knife, but when trying to pull out the knife stuck in dense material, the hand will slide off the handle. Small penknives often have this shape for small household work.
The concave shape of the handle provides a more secure grip, but is not entirely comfortable. The convex shape of the handle fits perfectly in the hand and is comfortable to work with. It is this shape of the handle that time-tested Finnish-type knives have.
Even more convenient is the handle of a convex-concave shape and a shape that is often used on tactical knives. Modern knives are increasingly using handles of a complex shape that takes into account the ergonomics of the hand. However, its configuration is calculated for a medium-sized arm, and a person with a large or, conversely, a small hand, will not be able to take full advantage of its advantages.
overlays
For their manufacture, materials of natural (wood, bone, horn) and artificial origin (metals, plastic) can be used. The main advantage of wooden overlays is their "warmth" and the beauty of natural material. In expensive handmade knives, exotic woods with a very beautiful texture can be used. The main disadvantage is poor wear and moisture resistance. The multi-layer lacquer coating in some way solves the problem, but it reduces the reliability of holding the knife in your hand. Another material of natural origin is horn and bone. Handles made of these materials are well polished and look very nice. The disadvantage is that they can crack and scratch easily. Metal linings are highly durable, but in the cold season, knives with such handles are inconvenient to use. In addition, they are difficult to hold in a wet or sweaty hand, even if they have a notch. In modern knives, titanium alloys based on aluminum or titanium are used for their manufacture. Damascus steel can also be used in expensive designer knives.
Materials based on synthetic resins make it possible to imitate the structure of natural materials and at the same time avoid their inherent disadvantages, although they lose to them in terms of weight. One of the most popular materials of this type is one of the types of micarta textolite. Lately linings made of various types of plastic, such as ABC, Zitel, Kydex, etc., are being used more and more. These materials are technologically advanced, moisture resistant, durable and resistant to the external environment. They allow the production of rubbers of any shape with any texture pattern - from a simple roughness inherent in the rubber material itself, or a rectangular cut to specially designed surface types. So, in the knives of the "For those who serve" series, CRKT uses a special honeycomb structure that prevents the knife from slipping in the hand. For the same purpose, rubberized inserts or structural inserts such as sandpaper are used.
At the end of the handles of many models of folding knives there is a through round hole for attaching a lanyard or lanyard to it.
Security elements
Although modern designs of blade retainers are quite reliable, nevertheless, as noted above, there is a possibility of accidental folding of the blade. To prevent this, modern knives have special fuses. For knives with a lock on the butt, they are usually located in the cutout area of the locking lever. In linear lock models, they are located in front of the handle under the thumb. The addition of blade locks with guards practically transforms the knife from a folding knife into a fixed blade knife.
For the safe wearing of semi-automatic and automatic knives, the fuse must prevent the knife from opening in a pocket of clothing if the trigger mechanism is accidentally actuated. Therefore, in such knives, the safety often has a double action - it blocks the blade in the closed and open state.
Clip (clip) for wearing
An almost mandatory attribute of modern folding knives is a steel spring clip. In knife literature, the term “clip” is often used to designate it (from the English. clip clamp, clip). It provides convenient carrying of a knife in pockets of clothes or on a trouser belt.
Many knife manufacturers make the clip adjustable - that is, it can be fixed on different sides of the handle, depending on whether the owner is right-handed or left-handed. In addition, sometimes you can change not only the side of the clamp attachment - at the base or at the end. In this case, the knife in the pocket will be oriented either with the tip down or up. Some experts believe that when carrying a knife with the point up, there is a possibility of a cut when trying to get the knife out of the pocket, if for some reason the blade comes out of the handle. At the same time, with such an orientation of the knife, it is faster to bring it into working condition.
In some models of folding knives, the clip attachment point is not Z-shaped, but shaped like the letter "G" or "P". In this case, when carrying a knife in a pocket of clothing, the upper part of the handle is hidden from the outside eye - only the spring plate of the clip protrudes from the pocket. Outwardly, it looks like a regular ballpoint pen.
Elements that expand percussion capabilities
For self-defense, the knife can be used without opening the blade. In this case, it is used as a palm stick and the blow is delivered by parts of the handle protruding from the fist. In tactical knives and knives for self-defense, the end of the handle to increase the effectiveness of such strikes often has a triangular shape or a special impact element in the form of a cylinder, cone or pyramid.
Concluding the review of folding knife designs, it should be noted that the legality of a knife, that is, that it is not a melee weapon, can only be determined by an expert by law. Therefore, when purchasing a knife, it is always necessary to ask the seller for a copy of the information sheet for the certification test report (colloquially it is often called a “certificate”). The absence of such a document, no matter what the seller says, may indicate that the knife you like has not passed the tests for belonging to melee weapons. Moreover, it is best if such tests were carried out by the parent organization "Expert Forensic Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs." It is best to always have a copy of this document with you, which will allow you to avoid unnecessary conflicts with law enforcement officials. 
Most high-quality folding knives on the Russian knife market are the products of foreign companies. Unfortunately, most serial domestic folding knives are inferior to foreign ones in almost all respects, and original models are rarely found among them. Russian craftsmen and knife companies prefer to create knives with a fixed blade, and among them there are very original models that have no analogues abroad, which include Vitaly Kim's knives, the Kondrat knife, the NDK-17 knife (Kochergin's saboteur knife) . This is largely due to the more complex technology and the expensive equipment required for it. Among Russian craftsmen, only a few design and produce original folding knives of the author's work that are not inferior to foreign ones (including in price). Folding knives of the Ural master Urakov and the workshop of the Shirogorov brothers are shown as an example. The rapid pace of development of the Russian knife industry allows us to hope for the appearance of domestic folding knives that are not inferior to foreign models.
Anatoly Fomin. Magazine "Bratishka" 2013-01
Knives are currently popular not only in the kitchen, but also among people who have connected their lives with extreme outdoor activities - these are: fishing, hunting, tourism, etc.
In modern times, there are various knives on the market: variable models, different sizes and designs. But none of them can replace a knife that is made by hand.
How to make a knife with your own hands is often written on the Internet, and you should try to make them.
Knives: types and main properties
On the photos of the knife on the Internet, you can see that each product is a creative element created from various mechanisms.
There is a large classification of knives depending on their functionality: combat, tourist, folding (for example, a butterfly), knives designed for hunting, multi-tools, bivouac knives, as well as ordinary kitchen knives.
Kitchen knives are bought ready-made, but knives intended for hunting or for tourism can be easily made at home on your own.
There are also such knives as survival knives, the main task of which is to help with existence in the wild. This option is relevant for tourists and hunters.
The blade of such a knife is usually no more than 12 cm. This length is sufficient for cutting wood, processing game, cleaning fish, or other similar actions. The small dimensions make it easy to transport such a knife.
In the manufacture of such a knife, great attention should be paid to the material intended to create the blade. Steel is often preferred.
Steps to create a knife
To get a positive result during the manufacture of the knife, you must first sketch out the drawing of the knife. In this case, you can know in advance what exactly you want to achieve in the end.
Instructions on how to make a knife at home includes a number of rules.
Making a knife step by step
Cut out the blank for the future knife. Based on the finished drawing, cut out the shape for the knife.
You will need a knife sharpener. With its help, bring the base to the desired shape. And after that, an already understandable blank will be in the hands, where you can distinguish the places of the handle and blade.
Rough sharpening of knives. At this stage, you clearly need to know what your future knife is intended for. If it is made for hunting, fishing or hiking, then it is better to give preference to the blade type of sharpening.
And, if the knife is created to function in the kitchen or in the garden, then a razor type will do.
Do not expect perfect sharpening from this stage, because this is just a draft, intended to determine the future shape.
If the blade is pre-prepared, then you can start working with the handle. A variety of materials are used to create the handle - these are: wood, organic glass, bones, thick types of leather, etc.
Note!
Having cut out the workpiece to create the handle, you should check whether it fits comfortably in your hand, as well as its proportionality with respect to the blade. The handle for the knife is fixed using the riveting method.
The shape for the foot handle is attached using a grinding machine.
The knife is ground and polished on the basis of sandpaper.
The final sharpening of the blade is done after sharpening on a sharpener, also using sandpaper.
At the end, the finished knife is polished with velvet or polish.
Note!
As you can see, the process of making a knife with your own hands is not that difficult, so everyone can try their hand at this area.
You can also set the necessary and desired design for the future knife. Pay special attention to the handle during the design process.
knife design
Since it is by the handle of the knife that the rest can then judge your creative thinking and status.
Some write their names on the handles of the knife, draw certain patterns and sketches in the form of tattoos.
The simplest knife can be built in an emergency in the forest, the main thing is to find the materials necessary to create it.
Note!
It is worth finding only the cutting part for the knife, and then you should insert it only into the handle, which will be in the form of a piece of wood, ropes or leather.
DIY knife photo
You have finally decided to make your first folding knife. It is right. In any case, this one gives me great pleasure, and the result inspires new creativity. Try it. You won't regret it anyway. Someone smart once said: "It's better to do it and then regret it than to regret not doing it."
Since you have already decided, it means that you have some design ideas. Let's assume that you have chosen a lock (Liner Lock), and this is one of the best knife locks. If not the best. It contains a minimum of parts, which means it has a maximum of reliability.
A bit of history. The modern linear lock was invented by Michael Walker in 1981. The most important thing that Michael did was to create an independent blade fixation system with only one spring. The leaf spring of the lock not only blocks the blade in the open position, but also ensures its secure fixation in the closed position.
In addition, such a lock allows you to open and close the folding knife with one hand. This invention in the full sense of the word changed the face of the modern folding knife. Honor to him for this and praise.
Make a sketch of the future design on paper or in some graphic editor. For example, it turned out like this:
First of all, choose materials. It is preferable for a blade, since when moisture gets inside a folding knife, it is not so easy to remove moisture. Therefore, if there is something to rust, it will rust. If there is a thermist capable of working with high carbon alloy stainless steels, then you are very lucky in life (at the level of happiness).
If not, then you will have to work on hardened material, and this is not easy. For drilling holes in hardened metal, I use ceramic and glass drills with an arrow-shaped tip. It is necessary to work hard, at low speeds, but carefully. You can chip the drill. And, of course, monitor the heating of the part. Be sure to refrigerate often, otherwise it will be released.
Give the desired shape to the blade. I have used blades from Tramontina Professional Master knives several times. They are slightly more expensive than the usual kitchenware of this company, but they are made of Sandvik 12C27 or 1.4110 from Krupa. This is good steel.
For folding knife dies, I recommend titanium. With a small thickness, it is strong enough and has sufficient rigidity and springy properties. In addition, titanium is lightweight and does not rust at all. There are some peculiarities in the processing of titanium.
Titanium should be handled at low speeds. For example, I could not cut a 4 mm plate with a grinder, and manually with a hacksaw for metal - easily, however, for a long time. The thread in titanium must be cut slowly, with oil, every 0.5-1 turn back.
To cut out the contour of the retaining spring in the lower die, at the place of its intended end, I drill 3-4 holes with a diameter of 2.5 mm, connect them, put a hacksaw blade there and go. Slowly, almost to the axle hole. In this place, I also recommend drilling a small technological hole for a clear end of the cut. It remains only to saw through the line of the stopper itself. Here it is necessary that there is a margin, which is then removed when setting up the lock.
The second, upper, plate has exactly the same dimensions (as a rule) as the lower one. But it should have a recess for the hole for opening the knife. All mating holes should be drilled in batches. Start with the axle holes. Do not forget that the diameter of the holes for the fastening screws in the lower plate must be for the thread, and in the upper one for the diameter of the screw.
So, everything is cut and drilled. Choose, or make your own, two washers made of fluoroplastic or bronze, which will be used as a bearing on the axis of rotation (folding) of the knife. Insert the axle into the lower die, put the locking pin, washer, blade, and fold the future folding knife.
If something doesn't fit, resize to fit. This must be done very carefully and carefully. Remember Zhvanetsky: "One careless movement: and you are the father." Well, everything fits together!
On the retaining spring of the lower die, mark the place for the ball and in this place drill a hole with a diameter 0.1-0.2 mm smaller than the diameter of the ball. I use balls with a diameter of 1.5-2 mm, from the bearing. Then, in a vice (putting a piece of hardened metal under the ball, otherwise it will fit into the jaws of the vise), press the ball into the locking plate. The ball should protrude outward by about 0.5 mm. The thickness of the washer on the axis between the blade and the die.
Next, using a marker, blacken the place of the heel of the blade where the ball will move and fold / unfold the future folding knife several times. A clear mark from the ball will be visible on the blade. Stepping back from the place where it (the trace) ends 0.3-0.5 mm, drill a hole into which the ball will enter in the folded position of the knife. Carefully bend the plate in the desired direction.
Assemble your future folding knife without the top die and adjust the lock (you have a stopper cut out with a margin). Do it very carefully (remember Zhvanetsky). As soon as the lock is hooked, stop. Assemble the folding knife completely, with the top die and try to fold / unfold it several times, apply force (as if cutting something). Do this several times. And postpone everything until tomorrow.
Final adjustment of the parts of a homemade folding knife.
Sleep with the thought that you've made your first pocketknife. Tomorrow there will definitely be something to finish. Get the castle up to speed. The locking plate should not reach the upper end of the cut of the heel of the blade, otherwise it will fall right up to the upper die and jam the lock.
If the spring is too tight (depending on the thickness and grade of the applied
In the simplest models, the blade does not lock in the open position: it will fold if you push it hard enough in the appropriate direction. This is how a classic pocket penknife works. In English literature, a knife equipped with a similar mechanism is called slip joint folder, or a folding knife with a sliding joint (or rather articulation).
I could not find the corresponding Polish term. Oh well, it doesn't matter what it's scientifically called; what matters is how it works. The spring, attached at one end to the upper edge of the handle, with its other end presses on the disc-shaped surface of the back of the blade. And this surface is arranged in such a way that both opening and folding the knife causes the spring to bend or unbend; at the same time, it provides a certain resistance, which allows you to keep the knife either in the open or in the closed position (Fig. ). But if in the folded state the spring holds the blade quite reliably, then in the open position such a knife cannot be called one hundred percent safe. In practice, you have little to fear if you only use your knife for light, well-controlled cutting—for example, opening mail or sharpening pencils. Perhaps that is why such models are becoming a thing of the past, now there are few of them produced. Even typical multifunction penknives are now increasingly being equipped with mechanisms that allow at least one, the largest (main) blade, to be held open.
