Half Stops

[carvin don]

I like 'em. I know some patterns like congress and trappers have 'em, do the half stop blades require more work to make than the non-half stop blades?

[rmfnla]

I like 'em, too.

The half-stop on my GEC #23 is really useful for getting my finger out of the way after disengaging the liner lock.

Seems to me they only require grinding a flat on the front of the blade, unless I'm missing something (wouldn't be the first time!).

[justold52]

rmfnla I think your not a tool & die man from what you said.

Most blades are stanped out by useing 2 dies on a press (know as tooling dies). A male end and a female end. The shape of the paice that gets stamped by the male (top die) comes down in a press and joins in with the female die (bottom die). This cuts the slab or roll of steel to its patern. You now have a rough shape of the knife that needs to get ground to fished size. Like you said grind the flat for the stop or step. Here is a photo of a stamped out blade. I hope this helps.

The 2nd photo on the upper right corner to add a 1/2 stop the end would not have that raduis on it but it would have a flat end.

[rmfnla]

Actually, I used to be a licensed mechanical engineer with a specialty in metallurgy & special processes, so you'd think I would know better!

I haven't "driven the train" in years and I keep thinking of knife-making as being done completely by hand.

Thanks for the reminder!