Slip-Joint folders - Post yours

[T.A.DAVISON]

Post some of your slip-joint knives.
New - Old, factory or customs, let see them....

[gdmoody]

What is a "slip-joint folder"?

[T.A.DAVISON]

Originally Posted by gdmoody

What is a "slip-joint folder"?

A slip-joint knife is a traditional type of knife.
Most knives made by Case Knives are a traditional slip-joint type.

Here is a drawing to help look at how they are made.
As the blade is opened or closed the spring moves freely up and down.
The blade tang pivots against the back spring, hence slip-joint.
The only lock to the knife is the spring, holding the blade closed or open.
Some slip-joints have a half stop position to them, the blade stops half way open.
This means the tang would be square on the end, the one in the drawing.
Has a more rounded tang, meaning it would not have a half stop.

Some folders are Liner locks, some are friction folders.
These type are not slip-joints.
The friction folder just pivots loosely no back spring, and the liner lock knives locks up from the liner holding the blade open.

Slip-Joint knives are some of the hardest to make, because of the action. ( called the Walk & Talk of the knife.)
And to pin the pivot pin ( hide it completely, and still have the knife work smoothly.)

Hope this helps some.

Todd





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[gdmoody]

Thanks, All of my custom made folders are liner locks. I am going to assume that the Remington Bullet Knives that I collect are Slip Joint.

TA - I saw some of your knives in another thread a little while ago, you surely do make some beautiful knives. I have posted a couple of pictures of my custom knives in the thread: What Do you Collect

[T.A.DAVISON]

Here is a group shot of my last three.....






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[TranterUK]

Very beautiful knives indeed.

They are what we call a pen knife, as the original folder it was a small pen knife gents would carry for cutting the quill on the feather to dip in the ink.

I have seen a lot of knives, friends of mine, the Middleton brothers have been knife makers for generations, these look to be of the highest quality.

[Pistolenschutze]

I like that Wharncliff bladed knife in the Feb. 9 photo, TA. Do you make that design with other handle materials as well?

[T.A.DAVISON]

Originally Posted by Pistolenschutze

I like that Wharncliff bladed knife in the Feb. 9 photo, TA. Do you make that design with other handle materials as well?

Yes I do, all my knives are made one at a time.
When I make a knife, I start by drilling a whole in a piece of steel.
And then make the knife from there. No patterns used, ever.

I use all kinds of material - bone, Ivory tusk, horn, Pearl and all kinds of exotic woods. And of course Micarta for scales.
I do not use the Pearl much any more, it is the most toxic to grind.

Thanks for the kind words.
Take care.

Todd

[ampaterry]

T A Davison:

Outstanding design and craftsmanship!
Good job!

Originally Posted by TranterUK

Very beautiful knives indeed.

They are what we call a pen knife, as the original folder it was a small pen knife gents would carry for cutting the quill on the feather to dip in the ink.

I have seen a lot of knives, friends of mine, the Middleton brothers have been knife makers for generations, these look to be of the highest quality.

Tranter, I did not know the origin of the term 'pen knife' before.
Thank you!!

[Pistolenschutze]

Originally Posted by T.A.DAVISON

When I make a knife, I start by drilling a whole in a piece of steel.

OK, next question: What steels do you use for your blades? Your skill and craftsmanship appear outstanding, but a knife is a tool, and the steel makes the knife. My favorite for knife blades is VG-10.

[TranterUK]

Originally Posted by Pistolenschutze

My favorite for knife blades is VG-10.

Why?

No really, steel is very interesting. Take these knives, they are not designed for what they like to call 'hard use' by a Navy Seal. The steel requirement is quite different. Steels can offer good edge retention, but then may be harder to sharpen, or even easier to nick. A softer steel may be easier to sharpen and less prone to breakage, but loose its edge more quickly.

Interestingly in the 1800s one of the best steels for knife making was old worn out files. I have often wondered if thats because of the very hard steel, or that tool makers would have had a lot of worn out files lying around?

[T.A.DAVISON]

Originally Posted by Pistolenschutze

OK, next question: What steels do you use for your blades? Your skill and craftsmanship appear outstanding, but a knife is a tool, and the steel makes the knife. My favorite for knife blades is VG-10.

No I make the knife. -

Someone else may take a good piece of steel and make a crappy knife.
When I started making knives almost 30 years ago now. I bought a bunch of steel and ground it all up into a pile of junk. - Yep - did NOT get one single knife out of it to sale. - But instead of just tossing it in the trash, I did the heat treat on it and started testing them. I drove them into trees and would bend them. I would sharpen them and hit the edge om my anvil. ( Still have and use that same anvil with nicks in the edge in my shop.) I would destroy every single knife. Than I would buy a bunch more steel and do it again. I tell ya this not to mock ya, but to let you know that now, almost thirty years later. I do know what my knives can do and how they will perform. You are right about them being a tool first. I made thousands of fix blade knives before I started making slip-joints. Why do you think you do not see very many of them for sale on the web? Because the guys I sold them to used the crap out of them and had no interest in letting them go.....
I was in the local sport & gun shop here one day and there was a police man there who owned one of my knives. He did not know who I was when I came in, but someone there ask him - do you know who that is? He said NO. And they told him I was TA Davison the knife maker. Well he comes over an says, I just want to shake your hand. I have one of your knives that I paid $400 dollars for it, but after using it I wouldn't sale it for a thousand. I had another guy in Mississippi that had one. He told me that knife has skinned more deer than most people have seen.
I have used D2 a lot, it's a very good steel. But now all I use is ATS34. I do all my own heat treating, have from the very beginning, never have sent a single knife out for the heat treating ever. I harden them to a Rc. 60 - 61 and do a Cryogenic Quench on all the blades made now. I'm not saying VG-10 is not a good steel. It's just that I like what I use and so why fix some thing if isn't broke?

Hope this helps some and doesn't make me sound like a prick?
Because I'm not - I just know what I KNOW!!! And believe me I KNOW my knives.....

Thanks for the replies.

Take care.

Todd Davison
knife maker

[TranterUK]

Originally Posted by T.A.DAVISON

And believe me I KNOW my knives.....

No one's going to argue with you there.

I have a question, the escutcheons, that's what we call them, do people have their initials engraved or are they more decoration?

[T.A.DAVISON]

Originally Posted by TranterUK

No one's going to argue with you there.

I have a question, the escutcheons, that's what we call them, do people have their initials engraved or are they more decoration?

Oh I think? there may have been one guy that has done it on one of mine?
He had mentioned it, don't know for sure if he did.
Most will not, in case they ever want to resale them.
I've had one guy buy four knives from me, one for him self. And one for each of his three sons. And even than he was not going to mark them.
They really are just for decoration? Maybe in the old days, they did mark them more. But than most of those guys were not going to ever sale theirs.
What do you think?

TA


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[TranterUK]

My own view is that if one bought such an attractive hand made item, it would be something to pass to a child later in life rather than sell. I would not hesitate to have my initials put on the knife. It would personalise it. What some might call a heirloom.

I once had a 1911 with my name on the slide. It was done for me as a gift by a gunsmith I had worked closely with, and was very special.

[Pistolenschutze]

Originally Posted by TranterUK

Why?

No really, steel is very interesting. Take these knives, they are not designed for what they like to call 'hard use' by a Navy Seal. The steel requirement is quite different. Steels can offer good edge retention, but then may be harder to sharpen, or even easier to nick. A softer steel may be easier to sharpen and less prone to breakage, but loose its edge more quickly.

Interestingly in the 1800s one of the best steels for knife making was old worn out files. I have often wondered if thats because of the very hard steel, or that tool makers would have had a lot of worn out files lying around?

Because I like the blend of qualities it offers for what I do and how I use a knife, Tranter. As you point out, knife steels, like gun types and calibers, are always compromises. No one has yet invented a steel that possesses all of the qualities one would like to have in a blade in full measure, all at the same time. The vanadium in the VG-10 allows it to take an edge one could easily shave with, though it will not hold an edge quite as well as certain other, harder steels.

Originally Posted by T.A.Davison

I have used D2 a lot, it's a very good steel. But now all I use is ATS34.

Both are excellent alloy steels, though they are somewhat harder than I generally prefer in my blades. The D2, if memory serves me, is often used for files is it not? I have several knives in ATS-34 and they hold an edge quite well. It's getting that edge on the blade in the first place that can be a PITA. Actually, one of my favorite steels is one of the oldest, 1095. It's high-carbon, not a stainless, of course, and softer than most steels used for blades today, but it will take an edge that is finer than anything I've ever encountered. As I recall, that is the steel used in the original Marine K-Bar knives.

[T.A.DAVISON]

D2 is a tool steel, used a lot for making dies & jigs and what not in machine shops.
You probably know it is not a stainless steel, but is very close to it.
It is one of the favorite steels that Bob Dozier likes to use. I made a bowie knife out of D2 and put a mirror polish on it.
I showed it to Bob Dozier and he could not believe it was D2. He said that he had never seen D2 polished that well before.
That kinda made feel good coming from him....

Here is a photo of that knife, I called it a spinner bowie.
Made from the idea when I did quick draw with pistols.
A close friend of mine owns the knife.

Take care.

Todd








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[T.A.DAVISON]

Sway Back Slip-Joint

Maroon Micarta
Steel - ATS34
Stainless Steel Bolsters & Liners
Hollow Ground
Hand Finished

Closed - 3 7/8''

The knife is sold.

Have a great day.

Todd









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[gdmoody]

Tanter, you were talking about putting initials on a knife. Here is a sample of one knife maker in Rhode Island who puts his own initials into most of the knives he makes. Notice the WM (William McHenry) in the scroll work on the bottom of the blade. I never asked him but I bet he could put any initials into it!

[T.A.DAVISON]

Jigged Iron Wood

4 1/16'' - Closed

[T.A.DAVISON]

Folder - #454

Black Micarta

Closed - 3 9/16''

[T.A.DAVISON]

How about a couple of slip-joints than?

Folder - #459

Mammoth Ivory

ATS34 - Steel

Closed - 3 5/16''





Folder - #458

Mammoth Ivory

ATS34 - Steel

Closed - 3 3/4''

[T.A.DAVISON]

Here is one for ya to see.
A little different design, what do you think?

Mammoth Ivory
ATS34 - Steel
Closed - 3 13/16''
Hollow Ground
Hand Finished

Thanks for the looks.

Todd Davison

[T.A.DAVISON]

Here is the latest one done and sold.

Black Linen Micarta Sway Back
ATS34 - steel
Hollow Ground
Hand Finished
Closed - 3 13/16''

Thanks for the looks.

Todd







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[CampingJosh]

Todd, these are just amazing! Thanks for sharing!