Hey All. 

I envy you guys in the states - if we want to carry a knife in the UK it has to be under 3" and non-locking. But, it gives me the want to try making one!

So this is my first attempt at a slip joint, and it's a 80th birthday present for my Dad. 

From this;

Some of my own damascus (80 layer!) for the blade and spring (old handsaws and 1095), 1.6mm brass liners and stainless pins (with a bushing). 

 

To this, with Rosewood scales & Stainless bolts. (another nod to the future owner - My Mum's name is Rose);

 

It's not perfect. I did my best to get the steel flat without a surface grinder, but the liners ended up a tiny bit out of parallel so it *just* bites as it closes and doesn't snap shut  The walk and talk from halfway to fully open is good, but I also fudged the closed position, so the spring is a fraction below the liners (flush at open and half). I learned a lot, and number two should be a vast improvement. 

Critique welcome. 

Looks great. Well done and I'm sure your dad will love it.

Very nice, I like it and of course your next blade will be more to your liking and the next and the next . . . 

Critique eh? Try photographing on different backgrounds till you find the color, texture, distance and lighting that shows your work off best. The straw color basket is a dark subject on a light background that is busy with shadows. Try a pale to medium pale green soft fabric, say a blanket with a telephoto from a distance. You want the light from an angle or it will reflect straight into the lens and cause glare.

The telephoto will let you put the subject in crystal focus while the background remains in softer focus and just enough angle on the light so it only forms high lights not glare. OR use a diffuser say a single ply of tissue over the flash or aim the flash at a white reflector above the subject so there are no shadows. A bright overcast day is usually perfect diffuse lighting. Ever get those? 

I don't believe your knife would benefit from shadows in a photo but I may be wrong, I'm not there to see.

More please.

Frosty The Lucky.

 

For a first folder, I will say you done better than good and I'm pretty sure your dad will love it.

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s.
Semper Paratus

 

Very nice work, particularly for a first outing.  I like the pattern welded steel a lot.  The only thing that I would change is the star drive screws but that may just be my personal preference.  I think brass rivets would give a cleaner look.

Back when I was a criminal prosecutor I had an interesting discussion with a police officer who wanted to charge someone with carrying a dangerous weapon.  IIRC, the local ordinance was 3" and the knife in question was very close to that. It was slightly over when measured from the tip to the handle but less when the edge was measured.  I refused to bring the charge because I felt that it was ambigous whether the "blade" should include the unsharpened portion.  And I personally thought that the ordinance was kind of dumb anyway but I didn't say anything about that.  The officer was just trying to stack charges IMO.

I agree with Frosty about the background in the photos being too busy.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

I just saw this post and it is already a couple of months old but its no reason not to join the praise.

If this is your first then I may can well imagine what the second one will be like.

 What really impresses me is the design and the cutting edge....and not to forget your own 80 layers Damascus blade....handsaws and 1080....

Very, very well done, mate.

Cheers

Thanks, your comments are much appreciated

That's a sheet of 1095 at the bottom.

To stop it all warping and splaying out everywhere, I sandwiched it between two sheets of stainless. no borax, only a mist of WD40 before it went in the forge. 

 

I ended up with WAAAY more steel than this needed. Mainly, Pappy was Happy