New knife & patents

[tr4252]

Mr. Vargant,

My first scratch-built knife is nearly done, and a couple of things occurred to me that I thought I might ask you.

I came up with some unusual design details, and wonder if any of them are actually innovative or just a re-invention of things people have designed before. The pushbutton release I worked out has a really low profile, allowing for much thinner scales. It's more complicated than the 2 piece type on a typical stiletto, but I think the thinner scales are worth the extra work. Also, I think the pivot arrangement I came up with might be original.

So, has everything under the sun already been invented where automatic knives are concerned, or should a guy check out the possibility he actually invented something? If the answer is yes to the second question, how do you go about it? A couple of times employers have sent me to patent attorneys with gadgets I'd designed; it looked pretty expensive. Can an average guy do this kind of thing without making a major project out of it?

By the way, when I first joined this forum and started asking questions about knife details, you suggested putting a ball bearing in the pivot, among other things, which is just what I did on this knife. The blade is made from the same 1095 steel as I used for the springs (mostly because I have a lot of it, also due to being influenced by the opinions of people like Pushbutton and yourself). What do you think?

Sorry this is so long, just one more thing. I'm borrowing a camera next weekend to photograph this knife. The first and only thing I submitted to Blade Pictures (First Switchblade Project), I was helped by another member. Can you assist me in getting some pictures posted, and is this much of an imposition?

Thank you,
TR

[Vagrant]

I'll overcome my basic intinct to say it's all been done before, and say that it's possible you have come up with something new. I don't know of any easy way to do a patent search. There's the hard way; Go to the patent office and spend days and days [and days, etc] looking through knife patents. [I'll be boiled in oil for this but Bill Ruger used to do this and I'm sure some of his designs were at least influenced by EXPIRED patents]. Even if it's old it may be patentable if the original patent has expired. The easy way is expensive -Get a patent Attorney to find out for you. This may not be as bad as it sounds, most Attornenys will do a 1/2 hr. consultation for a fixed fee [$100 is common]. If he thinks the idea has merit and is patentable he might negotiate fees from there on. [If he's really convinced he might do things in retun for a percentage [or know who will]. The problem with this is the costs are high and you can end up giving away over 50% in return for the expenses involved. I wish I knew a better way. Carbon steel is my favorite but for a massmarket, be able to do it in stainless. [I just found an Al Mar Mini-SERT that I lost a year ago, it spent the time in a recess in my jeep. It was soaking in water/ice and assorted other junk. The Beautiful Black Nitride mirror polish is history but the blade has only a few pits and fired on the first try, stainless has its place and under this conditions carbon steel would have been one solid lump. [We all try not to do this to our knives but s#it happens!]

[Bill DeShivs]

You can do your own patent search on the Internet. Search for "US Patent Office."
Bill