All About Pocket Knives

I know curiosity killed the cat and maybe I should quit while I'm ahead, but I am trying to find what a jigging machine looks like that jigs bone handles for knives. I've looked on Google images and did a web search but no pics. I have in my mind it works something like a router table but don't know. I also know a lot are done by hand.
Culpepper conducts tours through their facility it would be a great education to go through there. Anyone have any idea?

Don't know but your curiosity is catching and it made me curious. Found this.

"Jigged Bone is basically bone that has a jigging pattern applied to it. The jigging machine has a saw blade that cuts into the bone, creating a pattern and allowing for more grip on the handle."
http://faq.customtacticals.com/materials/bone.php


And this is a drawing of a Colt jigging machine.

That drawing sure doesn't look like a router table. I didn't expect it would be anything near that big. Thank you for posting that.

I would bet it's more like a planer than a router bench send the material throw and the blade or blades make it almost self feeding---it's not to high tech that's for sure you can drag a circle saw across a piece of lumber and put chatter marks on it and that's basically what they do to the bone---I still think jigging has nothing to do with grip some patterns have better grip than others for sure but they were trying to make it look something like stag----

I doubt that Colt jigging machine looks anything like what's used today. I posted it because it's old and it looks neat (to me). What I would like to see is pictures of the jigging machine(s) invented and used by the Rogers Bone folks.


Edit: Since Culpepper currently makes jigged bone knife handles (among other materials) and jigs their own bone, I called them this morning to see if I could get a picture of their jigging machine. NO! In no uncertain terms, I was told that will not happen. They built the machine and consider it proprietary information and will not supply a picture of the equipment used in the manufacture of their knife handles.

jerryd6818 wrote:I doubt that Colt jigging machine looks anything like what's used today. I posted it because it's old and it looks neat (to me). What I would like to see is pictures of the jigging machine(s) invented and used by the Rogers Bone folks.


Edit: Since Culpepper currently makes jigged bone knife handles (among other materials) and jigs their own bone, I called them this morning to see if I could get a picture of their jigging machine. NO! In no uncertain terms, I was told that will not happen. They built the machine and consider it proprietary information and will not supply a picture of the equipment used in the manufacture of their knife handles.

That's interesting wonder where Case gets their bone & and if they keep it a secret too---kinda like breweries and distillers they all got their ways of doin things--

Case's jigging machine is shown in their "How It's Made" segment on pocket knives (from the Science Channel television show). If I recall correctly from discussing this with a friend in the past, it is shown at around 2:00 into the video. Bone slabs are shown being hand-fed into the machine, which reminds me somewhat of an old jointer, and while being moved through, the machine quickly vibrates/shakes, imparting the pattern into the bone. They, of course, do not show the actual cutting mechanism, but is nonetheless interesting, and perhaps may be of some help to you.

Actually, here is the video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSz5P8Ak4_g

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-7OTcCRcjM[/youtube]

That is a neat video. Thanks for posting that. Good to see what the jigging process looks like. Is all of that process done in house at Case or are parts of the processes shown done at other companies?

That's interesting wonder where Case gets their bone & and if they keep it a secret too---kinda like breweries and distillers they all got their ways of doin things--


A few years ago at the guild show in Louisville I met the husband and wife Culpepper team (nice people). I asked about saw cut bone and they told me they were just in the process of doing a huge order for Case and would have a lot of seconds and left overs shortly. Also they had over runs for sale and among them were some Case handles. I remember seeing some of the alpine ones with the pine trees on them. I doubt Case gets all of their bone from them but surely some.

I was somewhat disappointed in how automated the manufacturing process was until I saw the sharpening process. Whoever does that on the belt sander is an artist. Not sure I could do that without some sort of guide to hold the angle right.

Thanks WHY,I mean WNY and Jerry( The video king). Very interesting subject,which seems pretty much top secret . Gec reveals their entire process....except the bone and jigging procedure.

Can't sleep.