420 stainless steel, one-handed opening, folding knives.

A folding knife is a knife with a blade that may be moved between open and closed positions with one hand. A blade is connected by a fixed pivot pin to a casing having the usual two handle or cover pieces providing a casing with a space for receiving the blade in the closed position. A substantially V-shaped slot extends through one of the cover pieces in close proximity and partially surrounding relation to the pivot pin.

In addition to a circular opening for the pivot pin, the blade tang includes a linearly elongated, through slot communicating at one end with the circular opening. An actuating member, having integral head and stem portions, extends through the V-shaped slot in the cover piece and sliding engages the slot in the blade tang, and into a blind V-slot in the inwardly facing surface of the other cover piece. The head of the actuating member may be manually engaged by the operator and moved from one end of the V-shaped slot to the other as the stem portion engaging the tang slot moves the blade about the pivot pin between open and closed positions.

History

Folding knives are surprisingly old; there are examples in Roman history, and they were quite popular when pockets were in vogue from about the 1600s on. But not all folding knives are Western folding knives. Western folding knives look like oversized pocket knives, with brown handles and blades with only one sharp side that are as long as five inches; when folded out, a Western folding knife's blade will lock into place.

Design

The folded-out design is based on the Bowie knife, the tool crucial to the taming of the American West. But a One Handed Opening Folding Knife is handy for anyone who doesn't want to deal with a knife sheath hanging on his belt; folding knives fit neatly into your pocket.

The spring folding knives use is called a lock back spring. It's been in use for over a century, and allows you to fold your knife and put it in your pocket, yet also use it in the same manner as a straight knife when it's open.

Lock back springs like those on folding knives operate vertically, and snap into a cutout in the tang of the blade. You can release the lock on your folding knife by pressing the spring on the back of the knife handle. Though it's secure and strong, a folding knife's lock back spring normally requires two hands to operate, a drawback in some situations. But you have the security of knowing that your folding knife will never open by itself in your pocket.

Folding knives, like Bowies and others knives in the same family, have a blade on one side while the other side is dull. Western folding knives are designed this way to make it simple to bring leverage to bear on whatever you're cutting. This makes a Western folding knife an excellent choice for hunting, cub scouts, boy scouts, camping and it's a good all-purpose utility knife as well.

Caring for your Folding Knife

One Handed Opening Folding Knives, just like any knife, need to be taken care of. Depending on the material the handle of your folding knife is made of, you may want to polish it, buff it, or just clean it. The blade of your folding knife, needs much more care. It should be regularly oiled and wiped clean; and the spring should be cleaned and oiled at the same time. If you use your folding knife in messy situations, such as butchering while hunting, you should clean it after each and every use.

If you sharpen your folder, you should do so every time it is cleaned. Keep it away from moisture when you're not using it. The blade of your folding knife should always have a thin layer of oil on it to repel water and humidity.