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Making of Liner Lock Folding Knife part 1

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Handmade Damascus Steel Brass Bolster
Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any (probable) injury or death (unlikely) that may occur as a result of your attempt to follow this instruction, nor am I responsible for what I do with the information I have obtained from this instruction. nor what you do with the knife you have made. Follow local laws at all times!

Unfortunately, sometimes I catch up on work and I forget to take pictures. Therefore, I will use several different models to demonstrate the steps. All parts are the same, and the instructions to build them are the same, but be prepared for a sudden change in the knives shown.

This project is somewhat difficult and requires familiarity with basic tools, as well as a lot of time. However, the price is quite cheap and, without counting the tools, it only costs me around $ 25 per knife.

I will try to obtain this instruction first, since I can not find another instruction manual of this type and then fill in with additional images. Any question is welcome!










Step 1: What is a line block?

 Feel free to skip this step if you know what a line lock knife is. This step is only to familiarize those who do not know and also to give an overview of what we will do.

The blocking of the lining was invented by Michael Walker, who modified the electrician's knife to create this folding knife, with a ball bearing as its stop. The lock, when done correctly, is very strong and also allows wear.

The main parts of the lock are the stop pin, the pivot and the liner lock. When closed, a retainer built into the lock keeps the blade closed. A liner lock works because a spring on the handle side (usually titanium) is in the path of the blade and keeps the blade open until the spring is pushed to the side. If one is right-handed, when the blade is cutting the edge up, the closure of the liner will be built on the left side and will jump to the right. 

Terms to know:
Locking: what keeps the blade open (in this case, the titanium spring)
Stop pin: which prevents the blade from moving too much when it is opened and closed.
Pivot: what connects the blade to the handle and what allows the blade to turn.
Backspacer: a piece of material located near the end of the handle (opposite the blade). This is just a supporting pillar of the same width as the blade and the washers.

Scales- The materials of the handle. To begin with, the G10 is a very good material; It is strong and easy to machine, although a mask must be used to protect against the fiberglass that will be released. Micarta is a less dangerous material.
Pins - What holds the knife together. In the image below, these are the two silver ones that are near the leaf and the two brass ones towards the end.

Step 2: Design

 A lining lock knife is easy to design. A good knife liner lock, however, is more difficult. In addition, I discover that I never follow my designs exactly, but a good design is essential to ensure that the parts come together. I suggest using inkscape for the drawings, although if your hands are good, the drawing also works. One of the advantages of inkscape is that when you turn, you can set the pivot point to the real pivot of the blade, which allows you to have a kind of virtual model of your blade and see it open and close.

The design of the blade depends on your applications and the blade. If you are starting, I would try a small and simple knife. The smaller size would take less time since there is less steel to grind, and the first knife would probably not be perfect. For me, my first knife had a lock that traveled too far, or had little space to use, as well as a broken detent (the ball broke). For my second knife, the lock was perfect, but the catch was too weak. My 3rd and 4th folders, which I am currently doing, have perfect seals and have been sent to be thermally treated. The point is, making knives requires patience and time. I find it a very pleasant pastime with the reward of a new knife, made to measure to fit my hand, that will fulfill my exact purpose, and costs less than $ 30 for something so the market would charge much more.

The basic design needs: the blade, the handle, the pivot, the stop pin (or something that keeps the blade open and closed), the lock, the retention ball and the retention hole in the blade.

Also, when the sheet is closing, you must make sure that it covers the retention ball all the time. That way, there will only be an initial resistance when closing the blade due to the seal. Then, the retainer can ride on the blade all the time. Otherwise, when closed, there will be a series of protrusions as the blade pushes out the retainer, then re-enters and pushes out again.


Anyway, once you have finished with your design, a cardboard prototype and a thumbtack are suggested.
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