Lock-Back Spring Question

[Kirby Bletcher]

Hi guys,

Its been a while!

Iv been wanting to try something different with my lockback springs and haven't had much luck. I want to use coil springs instead of my usual leaf spring set up. I think it would be nice and easy to cut of some coil spring stock instead of making and heat treating my own leaf spring. I don't care to use the work hardened stainless springs the all the knife suppliers sell so this seems to be the next logical step.

Has anyone on the forum tried it with any success? Most of the spring stock I found has not been stout enough for a knife. I did talk to another maker that I know uses the music wire springs but he had to buy about $500.00 worth from a manufacture and unfortunately he is not willing to let go of any. I guess if I could find 5 makers that want to try it Id be in pretty good shape although I'm sure the price has gone up like everything else.

Any help or direction would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks very much!

Kirby

[Don Robinson]

Hi, Kirby.

I made dozens of lockbacks years ago. After the first one I made all the rest with coil springs I bought from MSC. They weren't expensive, and worked great.

It was so long ago I can't tell you what spring I used, but just try one that will fit inside the frame and cut it to length.

[dennie]

Brownells offers small quantities of music wire to wind your own springs, and pre-wound music wire springs in about 14 or 15 inch lengths that you cut to size. Dixie Gun Works also offers a wide variety of bulk spring kits. Between the 3 kits, I very seldom need a spring I don?t have on hand or can make.

http://www.brownells.com/

http://www.dixiegun.com/

dennie

[KNAdmin]

Hi Kirby,

We developed our own coil spring line. You can find them here: http://www.knifekits.com/vcom/index.php?cPath=60_85_187

We've torsion tested them against all of the major competitors. Ours provide 10-12% more torque per size over the nearest design and offer up to 50% more spring life. Several of the worlds largest knife companies use our models in their autos.

Alex

[Kirby Bletcher]

Thanks for the help guys.

I got some springs at MSC after talking with W.C. Davis, he gave me all the specs for the springs he had made. Iv been experimenting with it a little and so far no good. I cant get the spring to snap closed the way I can with a leaf spring. Could have something to do with my pivot in relation to my lock notch or where the spring tension is on the lock bar or may be a little of both. I'm going to play around a little more and if it don't go I'll finish this one with a leaf spring and come back to the coil spring later.


Thanks again for the help!

Alex,

The springs I was looking for were compression springs to be used in a lockback opposed to the coil springs that were in your link. I think they are used for auto's? May be there is a way to use them in a standard lockback that I'm not familiar with?

Thanks all the same!

[Don Robinson]

The compression spring will work great if you get the leverage designed right on your backspring/pivot.