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The Folding Knife (& Switchblade) Forum The materials, techniques and the designing of folding knives.

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  #1  
Old 08-30-2013, 02:29 PM
harkblade harkblade is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 3
Question from a newbie

I'm brand new to KN and based on what I have observed regarding the quality and integrity of this site I know I am in the right spot to confidently ask my question regarding switchblade knives.

I am 61 years old and recently retired, and in exploring my new found freedom I am exploring interests that I have had for many years but neither had the time nor money to pursue. The reason for my question is because I now find myself with plenty of the time and still not much of the money.

I have always been intrigued with the art and the style of the traditional Italian Stiletto switchblade but never could afford a quality knife and did not want to even waste a small amount of money for a knife that is simply one notch above a toy or only good for opening letters. As a result, I have never even owned a cheap China made $15.00 knife. I would rather not own any rather than waste good money on junk.

I have recently been researching switchblade knives on most all of the on line stores and still cannot seem to find a quality knife that I can afford. The best quality knife that I can afford at the moment would be one that is Taiwan made and etched Milano on the blade.
However, I read that the safety button even on these better quality Taiwan Milano knives will even become loose and sloppy with extended use, making even these an unattractive choice for a knife.

Due to the nature of my work history I am extremely mechanically and technically talented and have yet to come across anything that I could not fix or improve upon by altering in some fashion or method.

So as a result, the thought crossed my mind that possibly I could purchase one of the inexpensive $18.00 switchblade knife kits and build one of my own; and in the process of constructing this knife, I could re-design or improve the safety mechanism in some way that would improve the function and longevity of the safety switch. I could also install my own custom, highly figured exotic wooden scales for a decorative and personal touch.

The questions I have are the following:

Question #1. Is all the metal work in these kits stainless steel which I could polish to a very high luster, or is it just some kind of cheap stamped low gloss metal that could not be polished to a high luster?

Question #2. Do you feel that one of these kits could possibly be mechanically improved upon by someone with above average mechanical skills and be brought up to a level of a fairly decent functioning custom knife of more value........or now would I simply have a nice looking but still cheap clunky toy or letter opener afterward?

I welcome all your comments and advice.

Thank you!

Harkblade
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  #2  
Old 08-30-2013, 03:13 PM
NorCal Nate's Avatar
NorCal Nate NorCal Nate is offline
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: Kneeland, CA
Posts: 374
I would think stamped or not you can make it shine.

And if you buy a knife kit and modify it it's still a knife kit...
I think if I were you I'd buy a kit just to see how they are built then make your own from scratch.
Congrats on retiring!
~Nate
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Old 08-30-2013, 06:46 PM
jmccustomknives jmccustomknives is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Alabama
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I've never checked, but the knifekit.com guys probably carry a do it yourself kit. You don't want to get into building one from scratch. Fixed blade knives are hard enough, folders raise the difficulty so an automatic would be very difficult. Ok, I've never built one and it isn't on my bucket list but the curve for learning knife making can take years just to master the basics. Unless your willing to invest the time and money (like any hobby it can be done cheaply but it tends to grow) your better off getting the kit or like nate said, get a decent one and give it a good spit shine.
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Old 09-08-2013, 10:23 PM
harkblade harkblade is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 3
Thanks for your replies. They have been very helpful.
I have been doing more research on switchblade knife kits and switchblades in general and have been told by several that the kits and most all of the lower priced switchblade knives offer little in the way of anywhere near decent quality. I see some knives even being advertised as simply novelty items that may have little use beyond that of a letter opener.
One collector told me that nearly any switchblade or kit in the "cheap" category is going to be just that....cheap. Several reported that a common weak point on less expensive knives will be found in the slide safety switch, which will become sloppy and loose with extended use and eventually will become no longer reliable. They said to get beyond this you will need to get into knives in at least the $100.00 range and above.
Another collector told me that this is exactly why he now only collects spring assisted knives. Stating that spring assisted knives are much simpler in construction with fewer parts, in many cases no safety switches to mess with, many can function as fast as a switch blade, and lower priced spring assist knives can be of very high quality; where in switchblade knives one will usually need to part with some significant bucks to get into the higher quality knives.
As a newbie to this I don't have enough knowledge or wisdom to know if all this is true or not, so your input is welcome.
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