Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade
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Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade
This was a project of mine from back in 2016.
The silver dot on the ricasso in the pic below is me trying to figure out where to drill the pivot hole.
Rough assembly, for testing purposes. Everything good, everything straight, fast opening, no blade play, tight, solid lockup.
Finished blade.
Custom made release mechanism.
The finished product. Stainless steel liners, solid stainless steel bolsters, micrata handles, all-screw construction.
Pics of the lock-release lever (stainless steel).
And here's a video of the knife in action.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNB7qyhbMAM
And then this year I felt like changing things up a bit so I rebuilt it.
Aluminum button side handle, G10 opposite side handle, stainless steel cover plate.
Hope you enjoyed it .
The silver dot on the ricasso in the pic below is me trying to figure out where to drill the pivot hole.
Rough assembly, for testing purposes. Everything good, everything straight, fast opening, no blade play, tight, solid lockup.
Finished blade.
Custom made release mechanism.
The finished product. Stainless steel liners, solid stainless steel bolsters, micrata handles, all-screw construction.
Pics of the lock-release lever (stainless steel).
And here's a video of the knife in action.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNB7qyhbMAM
And then this year I felt like changing things up a bit so I rebuilt it.
Aluminum button side handle, G10 opposite side handle, stainless steel cover plate.
Hope you enjoyed it .
Last edited by Killgar on Sat May 14, 2022 7:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
Avatar- Ti-Lite Auto Conversion. Video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q79nia-_DzU
My youtube knife channel- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjSYCK ... 3s5HNcsL5A
Stiletto switchblade parts for sale- blades, bolsters, sears, rockers/buttons
My youtube knife channel- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjSYCK ... 3s5HNcsL5A
Stiletto switchblade parts for sale- blades, bolsters, sears, rockers/buttons
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- Posts: 4050
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- Location: Indiana
Re: Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade
Amazing amount of skill and effort.
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- Posts: 2222
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- Location: Forest Grove, OR
Re: Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade
Hear, hear! Unbelievable. Thanks for sharing this.
Fishtail Picklock
Re: Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade
That looks amazing, very nice work! When I saw what you started with I didn't think this was going anywhere, your finished knife is very impressive!
- natcherly
- Connoisseur dei Coltelli
- Posts: 6340
- Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2004 3:59 pm
- Location: Baghdad by the Bay
Re: Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade
Great work with nice touches such as the picklock release lever. Altogether outstanding!
Re: Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade
Impressive work!
Jim
Jim
Re: Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade
Thanks guys, I'm glad you like it .
I forgot to mention the dimensions- Blade length 4 and 1/2 inches, overall open length 10 and 3/8ths inches.
Here's a pic of the original version in my hand for some size reference.
I forgot to mention the dimensions- Blade length 4 and 1/2 inches, overall open length 10 and 3/8ths inches.
Here's a pic of the original version in my hand for some size reference.
Avatar- Ti-Lite Auto Conversion. Video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q79nia-_DzU
My youtube knife channel- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjSYCK ... 3s5HNcsL5A
Stiletto switchblade parts for sale- blades, bolsters, sears, rockers/buttons
My youtube knife channel- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjSYCK ... 3s5HNcsL5A
Stiletto switchblade parts for sale- blades, bolsters, sears, rockers/buttons
Re: Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade
Very nice "R&D" work . . . . . .Lock the lock trigger.
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- Posts: 650
- Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2019 2:08 pm
Re: Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade
.
Just phenomenal craftsmanship. I'm surprised "the agency" hasn't put you under contract.
...........or..... have they....?
----never mind. I don't want to know. It might not be healthy.
.
Just phenomenal craftsmanship. I'm surprised "the agency" hasn't put you under contract.
...........or..... have they....?
----never mind. I don't want to know. It might not be healthy.
.
Re: Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade
Thanks Jerry and button_man.
Just ignore the black helicopters hovering over your house Button_man.
Just ignore the black helicopters hovering over your house Button_man.
Avatar- Ti-Lite Auto Conversion. Video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q79nia-_DzU
My youtube knife channel- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjSYCK ... 3s5HNcsL5A
Stiletto switchblade parts for sale- blades, bolsters, sears, rockers/buttons
My youtube knife channel- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjSYCK ... 3s5HNcsL5A
Stiletto switchblade parts for sale- blades, bolsters, sears, rockers/buttons
Re: Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade
You should be very proud of your work, so clean and finished. I'd love to see a coil fired version.
- JimBrown257
- Posts: 2053
- Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2012 10:50 am
- Location: Michigan
Re: Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade
Lol, that's awesome. And that bolsterless swivel bolster seems so obvious but I don't think I have ever seen it before. Did you come up with that?
Re: Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade
Thanks XBMX.
And thanks JimBrown.
To answer your question about the lock release design Jim, it's my own design, I didn't get the idea from anywhere except my own imagination, but I can't say if it's never been done before. Considering how long folding knives have been around I have to assume everything has been done before at some point.
I have since noticed a cheap switchblade, by the Colt brand I think, that uses a lever on the button side to push the lock up, with the blade pivot being the pivot for the lever. But I had no knowledge of such a lever-release before I did mine.
Another detail I forgot to mention is that the pivot barrel for the lock release lever on my knives also act as a blade stop when the knife is closed to prevent the blades edge from hitting the spring. The lever pivot goes all the way through the knife and is secured on the button side by one of the bolster screws on the first knife, one of the handle screws on the second (below). And of course the outer edges of the blades have been dulled.
And because I believe that anything worth doing once is worth doing twice, here are pics of the second boot knife conversion I did. I went with a slightly different design, one that was easier to make. I had an idea of producing such knives for sale, but the quality of the boot knives was too erratic for the idea to get off the ground. I bought several boot knives and either the grinds were really bad, or the blades were warped, or both. I guess I just got lucky with this one below.
I had planned on drilling more holes in the fuller to lighten the blade a bit, but I wore out a carbide bit drilling just one hole, so I scrapped that idea. It wasn't worth the cost.
And that's the last boot knife/switchblade conversion I've done, I swear . I've since moved on to other switchblade projects.
And thanks JimBrown.
To answer your question about the lock release design Jim, it's my own design, I didn't get the idea from anywhere except my own imagination, but I can't say if it's never been done before. Considering how long folding knives have been around I have to assume everything has been done before at some point.
I have since noticed a cheap switchblade, by the Colt brand I think, that uses a lever on the button side to push the lock up, with the blade pivot being the pivot for the lever. But I had no knowledge of such a lever-release before I did mine.
Another detail I forgot to mention is that the pivot barrel for the lock release lever on my knives also act as a blade stop when the knife is closed to prevent the blades edge from hitting the spring. The lever pivot goes all the way through the knife and is secured on the button side by one of the bolster screws on the first knife, one of the handle screws on the second (below). And of course the outer edges of the blades have been dulled.
And because I believe that anything worth doing once is worth doing twice, here are pics of the second boot knife conversion I did. I went with a slightly different design, one that was easier to make. I had an idea of producing such knives for sale, but the quality of the boot knives was too erratic for the idea to get off the ground. I bought several boot knives and either the grinds were really bad, or the blades were warped, or both. I guess I just got lucky with this one below.
I had planned on drilling more holes in the fuller to lighten the blade a bit, but I wore out a carbide bit drilling just one hole, so I scrapped that idea. It wasn't worth the cost.
And that's the last boot knife/switchblade conversion I've done, I swear . I've since moved on to other switchblade projects.
Last edited by Killgar on Sat Jan 15, 2022 7:44 pm, edited 4 times in total.
Avatar- Ti-Lite Auto Conversion. Video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q79nia-_DzU
My youtube knife channel- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjSYCK ... 3s5HNcsL5A
Stiletto switchblade parts for sale- blades, bolsters, sears, rockers/buttons
My youtube knife channel- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjSYCK ... 3s5HNcsL5A
Stiletto switchblade parts for sale- blades, bolsters, sears, rockers/buttons
-
- Posts: 4050
- Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2016 7:18 pm
- Location: Indiana
Re: Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade
Most impressive, like to see your next project too.
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