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Posted: 12/6/2013 2:01:44 PM EDT
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I finished it today. It was an interesting project. I made a friction folder last year and a prototype framelock with 1080 for the lock side but never completed it. This is the first completed framelock I have made. Its also the first time I have worked with D2 and I am curious to see how my heat treating turned out.
Details Steel: 1/4" D2 Blade Length: 3 1/2" Overall: 8" Handles: .200 titanium and .190 G10 Finish: Blade is etched and stone washed, lock frame is soaked in oxyclean and scrubbed with scotchbrite pad Parts: 1/4" chainring bolt for pivot, 1/4" standoff, 3/16" stop pin I am really happy with how it turned out. The lock is pretty stiff but it is still very functional. There is some stickiness in the lock but over time I think it will break in with use, it is already getting better. I did most of this work without a mill. The only time a mill was used was for the thumb recess. The two things I would like to improve are the lock face and the lockup position. I want to carbidize the lockface to make it wear less but that will have to wait until I buy a carbidizer. I also wanted the lockup to be earlier than it is. I wanted it around 30% and it ended up around 50%. I have a stop pin that is a little larger that I could use to get the lockup where I wanted it but I really like how it locks up as is so I will leave it this way for now. Thanks for looking! 
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| Looks good... Is there any side to side blade play? If so, that will make your lock stick. Also, if you change the size of the stop pin, it will change where your detent holds the blade closed. With folders everything being flat and parallel is key. Also, how thin is the lock relief? I take mind down to around .050. Be sure to bend at the relief and not at the lock face. You want the lock bar to be straight. There are a whole lot of little things that make a good folder. |
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There is very little play when closed but when fully opened there is none even before i bent the lock over. It is very solid. My relief is around .06 so the pressure may just be forcing it in and galling a little. I have already accounted for the detent if I have to enlarge the stop pin. The larger pin would only be less than about a 32nd bigger so I can take a little off the blade where it contacts the stop pin to bring it back into position.
I am contacting someone to carbidize the lock face for me before I enlarge the stop pin. I think that will be better. Its great as it is but I would like the longer life of the carbidized lock. |
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Frequent user over on USN and BF, and registered just to say very cool design. I would love this in a Stainless or semi in CPM 3V. what was the time invested on that lockside?
You know I have to say the lock up looks super solid, and I prefer EDC blades to have a little more than 30%. Functionality on a chisel grind is great, easy to use, easy to sharpen. |
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One word: stunning! I love the organic frame/handle, only thing I would change (for my own taste) is the blade design. With the handle/frame looking as they do, the blade needs (screams for) something a little more "exotic" to go with it. To me, mate this handle/frame with a blade design like those of DJU/American Kami (*) and it will be pure perfection!
(*) to be specific, either the Type 4 Hawk or else the SHTF folder |
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Thanks for all the comments guys. I carried it all day today and used it a few times. I have been opening it alot to break it in. Today it feels so much better and the lock is right around 50-60%lockup. It feels very solid.
As far as blade play. Now that I have had more time with it, I wouldn't really call it blade play. I have had a few framelocks that had blade play from slack in the pivot or bad fitting of the frame and this is not that kind of play. When it is closed there is less than a 16" of an inch between the blade and the frames and it takes a lot of force but i can push the blade almost to the frame, but again a lot of force. I checked my other knives including a zero tolerance 0550 and they do the same thing in the closed position only they are a lot easier to move. I probably have 20 hours in this knife. With just a few being on the blade. Most of the time is invested in the lockside and the lockup area. The finish was done with a small wheel on a grinder and a dremel. The G10 was scorched with a torch after I textured it to give it that micarta look. I love DJ's blades. His styles are a mixture of fantasy and utilitarian design. I like more of a traditional blade style and I love recurves. The recurve was added at the last minute on this blade. I had the blade finished and thought "I would really like a recurve if this is gonna be mine", so I recurved it. |
Oh, I will admit, the knife is 'pure sex' and I like how the elements of the handle are carried over into the blade (around the thumb hole). Perhaps if that element was carried into a little more of the blade, it just seems a little "dis congruous" right now, like the blade and the handle were perhaps made by two different artists. But I cannot get over staring at the Ti handle, it has me mesmerized.... IM coming your way 
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Smithy, you mentioned that there is movement when it is closed? I have this on about 85-95% of my framelocks. ZTs, Hinderers, and some others. I would not really call it blade play unless you get that same play when it is in the open and locked position.
I have to say, I can not peg my favorite part of the knife. I am digging all of it. thicknesses, grinds, finishes. I messaged you about ordering. would like two, one all Ti, and one g10 like the one pictured. I could not tell at first look this was G10 due to the treatment and texturing!! The cool thing is that that finish looks like it should age well over time. I love knives that break in, and the finish just gets better over the years of use!! What about incorporating an extra body screw and standoff as the blade stop? would not need it but adds the idea extra strength and potentially you will have less frame play over time when people flick it open. How has the heat treat held up to use? |
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Quoted:
Smithy, you mentioned that there is movement when it is closed? I have this on about 85-95% of my framelocks. ZTs, Hinderers, and some others. I would not really call it blade play unless you get that same play when it is in the open and locked position. I have to say, I can not peg my favorite part of the knife. I am digging all of it. thicknesses, grinds, finishes. I messaged you about ordering. would like two, one all Ti, and one g10 like the one pictured. I could not tell at first look this was G10 due to the treatment and texturing!! The cool thing is that that finish looks like it should age well over time. I love knives that break in, and the finish just gets better over the years of use!! What about incorporating an extra body screw and standoff as the blade stop? would not need it but adds the idea extra strength and potentially you will have less frame play over time when people flick it open. How has the heat treat held up to use? Thanks. I have thought about another stand off. there is room for another standoff directly behind the lock relief and I could make the stop pin double as another, as you said. So far so good, I have whittled through a few small branches, opened a few packages and cut lots of paper and shaved lots of hair. My aim hardness was around 60-61 HRC for the D2. I also cryo treated the steel right after air quenching between plates so I think it will perform well. |
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Have you had a chance to measure the RC on it?
I was actually going to pick up a carbidizer from USA knifemaker supply for some Ti fixed blades I would like to put out but honestly I do not know if it is quality or not. On the framelock side, I imagine that if you applied that same finish to a presentation side it would make a great grip surface. I am interested to hear how it holds up to some major use!!! I love the edge d2 takes on!! |
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I don't have the ability to test hardness yet. The only blades that I sell that I do myself are the 10xx steels because I have testes and am comfortable with my heat treat. On future iterations of this knife in air hardening steels they will be heat treated by peters heat treat who does a great job.
I too am excited to see how this steel performs as well. This is my first experience with D2. I have some A2 on order also that I will be experimenting with. I hope to narrow my steels down to 2 steels. Aldo's 1084 for high carbon and either cpm-3v or A2 for air hardening. I have a little bit of D2 left that I will be making some Dustwuns out of, then I will probably not use it anymore unless it just surprises the hell out of me. I think A2 or CPM-3V will be better performing steels than D2. |
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Thanks guys. I have used it a lot. I really like D2. I think a knife that will do a lot of cutting but nothing really into hard materials it is a great steel. The only thing I don't like about it is that it chips. I think for the cost I would use A2. I am making a small batch of fixed3blades in A2 and will be testing its performance. If a does well I will move away from D2 and cpm3V altogether. I love 3v and D2 but I just think that A2 will have most of the good qualities of both and be less prone to chip than D2. The only downside to A2 in my book is it will still rust fairly easy but that is fine with me.
"""" Here is the prototype of the fixed blade for the A2. This one is done in 1/4" 1084 and I managed to get an accidental hamon to show! It is about 7 1/2" overall and I will make a few tantos and a few spearpoints. The batch will be in 1/4" A2 and heat treated by peters heat treat, blasted and, I will have a black oxide treatment put on them to turn them black and protect them from rust. I am also posting a picture of a small tomahawk I did called the FPL. 3/8" thick 1075. 9" total, 2" edge, 4 1/4" spike to edge. Natural micarta handles. I made it for myself and plan to make more out of 1/4" cpm3v when the suppliers get it back in stock. Thanks for looking. 
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