So how do these knives work?

[TPK]

Hi friends,

I'm sure someone out there has or has had a knife like this one before. I have bid on several of them just out of curiousity but have never been able to buy any. Seems they are pretty popular among collectors over here.

So my question is, how do these knives work? Is the lever on the side just a locking device or is it a release because the description says "spring assisted"? Follow up question..., if it is a type of switch blade, (which I don't know,) is it best to store them opened to take the pressure off the spring? Third & last question, why the metal band all the way down one side of the handle? This seems to be standard on these types of knives.

Thanks for the Info! I appreciate it!

Tom KGFG

[royal0014]

They are 'switch blades'
The lever is the push to operate switch.
Folded down is basically the safe position.
The band down the side is the spring ....

[TPK]

Thanks Chris! Appreciate it Buddy!

Wouldn't mind having one of them.

[RobesonsRme.com]

As to the how to store question; Do you put your car up on jack stands to relieve the pressure on the springs at night?

Charlie Noyes

[Samb]

Store it open or closed whichever makes you feel better. Not supposed to make a difference on the spring from what I understand. I store mine closed.

[1967redrider]

Tom, hope you can see from my pictures how this switch works.

The lever/trigger is attached to the spring on the outside of the handle, there's also a thicker spring inside of the blade well. When the trigger is pushed, the outside spring flexes and the pin locking the blade in place is pulled outward, allowing the blade to spring open, and then it locks in the open position. To close, you press the trigger which flexes the outside spring again and it allows the pin to move outward, releasing the blade which can now be manually closed and locked, with resistance against the blade from the blade well spring. You can see a circular hole in the blade below where a tang stamp would normally be in my 4th picture, just above the bolster.

Hope this helps!

[Modern Slip Joints]

During 1972 in Europe I saw that type of cam lever lifted plunger lock on both manually opened and spring opening German knives. Since spring knives were and still are illegal in Washington I brought home a couple that open manually. In mine the slip joint spring that holds the cam in position is not as long.

Drifting off topic common modern spring assisted folders are not illegal spring knives in Washington but knives that open with centrifugal force from a flip of the wrist or drop out the front with only gravity are. Laws don't necessarily make sense.