Shields on slipjoints - purpose?

J S Machine

J S Machine

Well-Known Member
I notice just about every maker has some sort of shield on their slipjoints. What is the purpose of this shield? I have heard that it is on the side of the knife thst denotes left and right handed, but I don't know if that's the case.

Also, how in the world do you cut the handle material out to accept the shield? I can easily make the shield piece, but I have no clue how the handles are cut.
 
That's a darn good tutorial, thanks for the link Josh.

JS, I think the purpose is mainly just because they look cool. Some are big enough to have the owner's initials, promotional slogan or maker's mark engraved into them. My EDC, a Queen Mountain Man lockback has a nice round shield with their logo. (Mine has stabilized birdseye scales but the shield is the same as the one in the link) The shield is oriented so it's upright and "readable" when the knife is closed and sitting on its spine. I don't know if that's the traditional way or not, but it makes sense to me.

You could also use them to hide a pin or bolt, I recall seeing that technique on fixed blade knives.
 
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Thanks for the link guys. You think a wire EDM machine could produce an interesting shield? I'm about to give it a shot 2thumbs
 
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