John Wilson's KITH WIP - folder COMPLETE

What would knifemaking be without hand sanding?

I go to 600 grit on every part of the knife.
 

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Here she is with temporary pins.

The next and final step will be countersinking the bolsters and peening the final pins.

I think I’m going to put some TruOil on the scales and let it sit tonight.
 

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Great work, John. As you already know, I am watching this thread with great anticipation.
You may have mentioned it somewhere, but I am unable to determine if the grind on the blade is a hollow grind or a flat grind. Can you help me out on that one please?
 
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Great work, John. As you already know, I am watching this thread with great anticipation.
You may have mentioned it somewhere, but I am unable to determine if the grind on the blade is a hollow grind or a flat grind. Can you help me out on that one please?

Johan, it is a flat grind.
 
The final assembly

I have had some challenges with my pins being visible on my folders. I discovered the problem. The pins and holes on this knife are 3/32”. To set the pins, you counter-drill the hole with a #41 drill bit to about half the depth of the hole. This creates a tiny step inside the hole.

The purpose of the step is for mechanical hold. When you peen the pins they swell to fill the hole. With a clean, straight bore you are dependent upon a friction fit. However, with that step in there your pin effectively becomes a rivet. The pin swells to fill the larger #41 hole, encapsulating the 3/32 hole and pivot section of the pin between the two counterdrilled bolsters.

I mentioned the problem I’ve been having with visibile pins. The #41 drills I’ve been using were in fact mislabeled 3/32 drills. I didn’t realize this until I started measuring them with a micrometer because the #41 drill passed through my 3/32 hole without so much as the slightest interference. My thought is that the pins could not expand before because they were a slip fit in the hole with no room to expand during peening. Maybe you guys have a better explanation. I’m all ears. But with a new (verified!) #41 drill the pins are invisible as they should be.

The Finished Knife

Thoughts- overall I am happy with it. I need to get more accurate on the fit of my scales at the bolsters. Process-wise, I don’t feel I have the most efficient process.

But here she is, my 5th ever slipjoint folder. Whoever gets this as knife as part of the KITH, please know that satisfaction is guaranteed. If you don’t like it send it back to me and I’ll make you another knife.

Blade and Spring : AEBL
Scales: Yellow Bok Burl
Liners: .050 410 stainless
Bolsters: 1/8” 416ss
Pins: 3/32 416ss
 

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Such a fine job sir! Very impressive. pocket knifes i feel are the gate way knife and for me personally such a joy to just look at play with great as a gift what ever the occasion
 
The final assembly

But here she is, my 5th ever slipjoint folder. Whoever gets this as knife as part of the KITH, please know that satisfaction is guaranteed. If you don’t like it send it back to me and I’ll make you another knife.

Blade and Spring : AEBL
Scales: Yellow Bok Burl
Liners: .050 410 stainless
Bolsters: 1/8” 416ss
Pins: 3/32 416ss

John, that is a thing of beauty. Only your 5th ever. My God man you exude knife making! Why I bet when you sweat you sweat knife pins! OK enough of the funnies! That is flat out, and straight up an awesome folder!! 5f7.jpg
 
Cliff, that’s very nice of you to say but there is not a single step in this process that I honestly feel I have my arms completely around yet. To me it still feels like Christmas when things go right.
 
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