Automatic folding knife with a button: types of mechanisms and selection rules

The incredible popularity of such switchblades can be explained quite simply and in one word – spectacular! Precisely with “!” familiar because it really is. The frontal knife has won the hearts of all men on the planet. It is also simply called “frontal” or “miscarriage”. The names have a certain slang vocabulary, words that are hard on the ear, they already speak of something aggressive and incomprehensible. But during this article we will try to understand the appearance of such names for this unique blade. He is to the liking of both “knife addicts” and mere “mortals”. Indeed, the blade is ejected directly from the handle itself, and it looks quite beautiful.

An example of a switchblade.

History of origin

This section is covered in darkness. Having studied many sources and realized that in fact there is no single explanation for the origin of this blade. Some sources write that such a mechanism is already a couple of hundred years old, while others say that they appeared in the mid-20th century.

It is known for certain that such products appeared at the beginning of the 20th century and were especially popular among US sailors. The front cutter was convenient for them due to its ease of throwing out the blade.

When, during a storm, you hold on to the mast or anything else with one hand, and you need to cut the cables. It was at such moments that an automatic folding knife was simply necessary.

Front switchblade from the early 20th century.

Then the Second World War played a huge role in the production of all blades, including switchblades. After the war, there were quite a lot of disabled people, and an automatic switchblade, which could be operated with one hand, helped such people a lot.

But also this frontal knife has gained enormous popularity among bandits of various stripes. This was a mandatory attribute of the criminal element. This is where the names mentioned above most likely came from and they have stuck to this day. But as time passed, laws changed and so did the rules of trade.

The “Pirate” blade is a modern replica.

In 1987, there was a revolutionary breakthrough in the manufacture of front switchblades. American Mr. Ron Miller came up with an innovative spring mechanism for the blade.

And they were adopted by the American army. And a visiting master named Charles Oke made an additional contribution to blocking and unlocking the blade. In those days they called their products “Black Knife”.

An interesting fact is that at one time Mr. Ron never patented his invention. And today, all companies producing such a product consider it their duty to launch a line of frontal flow products.

But, unfortunately, there are quite a lot of fakes, original good blades “walking” around the world. Let's try to understand this issue in more detail in order to protect our readers from such a bad purchase.

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Operating principle

The main criterion when operating a product with a retractable blade is high-quality manufacturing of internal mechanisms and impeccable assembly.

All moving parts must fit together precisely to ensure smooth operation of any automatic folding knife.

In this case, we will try to consider the operating principle of the most popular samples from Microtech and Ultratech:

• The knife models are not important here, but what is important is that they use mechanisms that eject the blade when the spring is stretched. It itself is made in such a way that it has a lock at the end, and other forces will be applied to it to hold it in different positions;
• the entire mechanism is located along the handle, the blade moves along a special “shaft”. The frame has two locking locks when opening and closing the product. It is tightly secured in the handle;
• When the blade moves, the spring mechanism stretches or folds back. By moving the button (lever) forward or backward, the release lock opens or closes, which holds the blade by the shank;
• Thanks to the force of the spring, the blade is thrown back or taken back, and then fixed.

Microtech frontal ejection blade, disassembled.
In fact, everything is not so difficult. If you disassemble an automatic knife, then a person who understands at least a little mechanics will quickly figure out what’s what. It’s quite difficult to describe in words, you need to see it once in your life and everything will fall into place.

Advantages and disadvantages

As you know, there is no perfect blade. And any knife created by man can have both disadvantages and advantages. The main question is what more? Let's look at the advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages

the blade can be quickly brought into working condition;

if only one hand is free, you can use it with ease;

Structurally small in size, you can carry it in any pocket.

Flaws

the handle determines the width of the blade, a design feature;

complex preventative cleaning of a knife; over time, like any object, it can become filled with dust and small debris, and it can be difficult to disassemble;

a dubious drawback, but it occurs in cases where the blade is made of poor quality. The likelihood of it folding.

If you are more meticulous, you can find some other points. But it seems to us that the advantages are much more significant. And I would definitely like to note that proper care of the mechanism guarantees the reliability of the blade. If you take the best specimen and do not carry out preventive cleaning on time, it can fail at any moment.

Types of locks

A switchblade must have a very reliable mechanism for fixing the blade in the working position. It doesn’t matter whether it’s an automatic cutter with side ejection or a knife with frontal ejection of the blade. The reliability of the mechanism should be as good as possible. There are several types of blade ejection and retention devices:

• Lock-back. This type is found quite often in classic American knives. A special spiral holds the notch in the butt of the blade, which allows you to securely fix the blade;
• AXIS-Lock. The mechanism is patented. In the groove of the handle, a spring rod moves forward or backward, depending on the position of the blade. The complexity of the mechanism makes the knife difficult to clean, but it is considered one of the best;
• Liner-Lock. Along the handle there is a plate in the “cocked” state. During opening, the pressure of the plate moves it towards the heel of the blade and secures it;
• Clasp-K. The locking part is made in the shape of a metal ring. By turning it, it is easy to fix the blade;
• Balisong . A simple mechanism used in butterfly knives. There is a lock at the end of one half of the handle;
• Slip-J. The castle is mid-priced, but popular among tourists. The blade is fixed with a spacer, which acts as a spring.

An example of the operation of the “Liner-Lock” lock.
The types of locks presented are some of the most popular among products with a retractable blade. It is also important what materials the handle is made of, the pins themselves, spring mechanisms, plates, etc. This point must also be taken into account.

Mechanism for transforming the sofa “Italian folding bed”

This transformation mechanism belongs to the double-folding mechanisms, just like the American clamshell. A double-folding mechanism is a mechanism that is brought into working position in two steps.

The principle of operation of the mechanism

To unfold the Italian folding bed from the sofa to the bed, you need to pull the upper part of the back of the sofa towards you (usually the back has a special loop for this purpose).

• In the first step of unfolding, the back of the sofa, together with the pillows, tilts forward and then lies down and rests on the seat of the sofa.
• At the second stage, the inner part of the sofa structure rotates around its axis, this is reminiscent of the unwinding of a rolled mattress. After this reversal, the support legs are revealed; the previously hidden ones were hidden and folded inside the structure, and the resulting sleeping area of ​​the sofa rests on them.

Due to reinforced springs, the mechanism can be folded and unfolded without significant effort.
Advantages of the Italian folding bed: this mechanism is the most reliable and durable of folding beds, this became possible thanks to the use of reinforced metal pipes in the frame of the mechanism, the sofa when folded has a compact size, when unfolding there is no need to remove the pillows from the seat of the sofa, Italian folding beds have the most a thick and comfortable mattress for sleeping; in addition, the frame uses slats and belts that create an orthopedic effect.

Disadvantages: lack of storage space for linen, high price

In terms of ease of use and orthopedic properties, this type of mechanism is most suitable for a sleeping sofa for daily use.

Features of operation

There is an opinion among ordinary people that a frontal knife is a disposable product, but this is not true and we will dispel this myth a little later. Due to its design features, the shape of the handle tends to look a little like a prism. And, accordingly, the blade cannot be larger than the product itself when folded.

The purpose of such knives is more suitable for EDC (everyday blade) and in some cases for tactical use, but not often. With a front-feed cutter, you can perform a variety of everyday tasks. But in reality, it is not designed to perform heavy and complex tasks.

Alas, even the best automatic folding knife has a slight play in the blade. Even the most “branded” models can’t escape the design feature. Automatic folding knife, does not like sand, cutting carcasses, or high humidity.

If the product has undergone some serious testing, it should be disassembled, cleaned and lubricated. All this can be done at home. But ask yourself, will you succeed? If you don’t want to take risks, find a master who will undertake all the operations.

Be careful, there may be such a model.

But often people prefer to do it themselves, because it’s so interesting to disassemble and assemble your pocket “favorite”. Let's try to give a little instructions, and then it's up to you to decide:

1. When you begin to disassemble a knife, be sure to make sure that you have all the appropriate tools. The screwdriver bits fit exactly into the screws on the handle.
2. When disassembling it in half, be careful, the spring may jump out at the most unexpected moment. And searching in the corners of your room can end in disaster.
3. After cleaning and blowing, you need to lubricate the parts. Choose a proven one, the best recommended one is a weapons grade one.
4. When assembling, it is recommended to set the blade halfway. This will make it easier to assemble the knife.

To perform these manipulations less often, do not throw your blade anywhere. Do not use it with abrasive materials or leave it on dusty surfaces. Follow him, and he will help you out in difficult times.

Materials and tools

The choice of metal for the blade and handle of the knife, as well as elements for decorative overlays, is carried out according to two principles:

• searching for the best options from available resources - suitable for hobbyists who have not previously encountered making knives and have decided to create their first product;
• studying the properties of materials and purchasing everything necessary is designed for craftsmen with a serious approach to their work and possessing good plumbing equipment.

The blade is made from carbon or high carbon steel, so Damascus is perfect. The higher the percentage of carbon content, the stronger and harder the material, therefore, it is more difficult to process, but the product will be the most durable and of high quality. The choice of metal for the handle of a homemade folding knife should not be approached with great pretentiousness; almost any material will do, including duralumin, bronze, and stainless steel. The raw materials for decorative overlays are also chosen according to the taste of the master; they can be made of hard wood, durable plastic, carbon fiber, or metal.

It is preferable to have professional tools for plumbing work:

• drill press or drill;
• angle grinder (grinder);
• vices and bench clamps;
• belt sanding machine.

You can get by with hand tools, the minimum required:

• metal files with different notches;
• hand drill and drill bits of different sizes;
• sandpaper of different grain sizes;
• hacksaw for metal.

In addition to these basic tools, you will need auxiliary ones:

• scissors, paper, cardboard and pencil to create a drawing and template;
• burner, oil and oven (a regular oven will do) for hardening the steel.

If the workshop is not equipped with special equipment, the choice of materials for the knife is made taking into account these conditions, that is, it is necessary to select the easiest metals to process for the blade and handle. The design of the handle, and especially the type of locking mechanism, is designed for the same reasons.

Types of structures

In fact, the automatic knife has two types of design. Their peculiarities lie in the fact that the first mechanism performs only one function, and the second two. That's the whole difference.

An example of two “semi-automatic” knives.

1. A variant of a knife with one functionality, it has a lever on the handle, and when folded the spring is always “cocked”. By pressing it, the blade, under the force of a spring mechanism, is thrown out and fixed. But you need to return it to its original position manually. So to speak, “charge for release.”
2. Systems that include two operations: ejecting the blade and returning it to its place are in much greater demand. According to experts, of all knives with frontal blade ejection, they occupy almost 90% of sales on the market. The design has two springs in the handle: one for ejection, the other for folding. This option is simply more convenient.

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Principles for choosing a good knife

Choosing the right front knife is quite a difficult matter; the situation on the market is such that almost half of the products are Chinese fakes. But you shouldn’t be afraid, because you have helpers in us. Let's try to determine the main criteria for choosing an automatic folding knife:

1. Automatic and semi-automatic products must be purchased from trusted manufacturers; such products are designed for a very large number of cycles - opening and closing.
   Price tags for “branded” manufacturers start from 20 thousand rubles. Take a closer look at “Boker”, the price is more affordable and the quality is good.
2. If you are interested in the option from Chinese craftsmen, also give preference to factory-made products. Don’t look at what “brand” is printed on the blade. It's rare, but you can buy a decent blade, especially from Chinese replicas.
3. Pay attention to the material of manufacture, steel grade, type of lock, again the manufacturer, how the handle is made. Check the “play” of the blade when opening, it will definitely be there, but it should be minimal.

Budget version of the Boker blade.
Mini-conclusion: purchase an original “brand” product, and your soul will be at peace with the quality. But not all people are so rich as to invest in a knife for 30-40 thousand rubles, and over time find out that it doesn’t suit him, doesn’t like it, or something else.

Therefore, a good option would be: to begin with, purchase a normal Chinese replica for 2-3 thousand rubles, and having already felt it and understood whether you need the original, draw the appropriate conclusion.

Offers from European manufacturers

Undoubtedly, the leader in the production and quality of flow cutters is Microtech. The switchblade from this company is the best product on the market. There is an opinion, but it has not been proven in any way, that the founder of this company, Anthony Marfione, was inspired to create front-facing knives thanks to Korean copies of German Bonsa knives.

Front panel from "Benchmade".

Only he did everything the other way around. Taking cheap Korean replicas, he began to produce blades of very high quality.

We don’t know whether this is true or not, but the fact that Microtech is ahead of the rest is unambiguous. The American one is practically at the same level.

In fact, these two companies can be called the flagship for the production and distribution of retractable blade knives throughout the world. But there are several more companies that should not be ignored: the Italian Fox Knives, the American Smith & Wesson, the German Boker and again the Americans Hogue.

All these competing companies supply the market with pretty good products, so we recommend that you take a closer look at them.

Products from Russia

In this case, you can only shrug your shoulders and remain silent. We do not have any Russian manufacturers of knives with frontal blade ejection. But I would like to note that some factories produce automatic products with side ejection and push-button knives.

Blade from the Titov mechanic's workshop.

Let's mention them: “Company LLC PP Kizlyar”, “Zavyalova’s Forge” and Zlatoustovskaya. The only mention was found on a specialized forum about the Titov Mechanic’s Workshop, which produces knives with frontal blade ejection in small quantities.

I can only say to this company: “Bravo guys, keep going!”

European manufacturers are quite easy to find in any specialized store, as many as you like.

Rating of popular products

Making ratings is a rather thankless task, we will try to voice information from users of these knives. That is, we will not award any places, but will simply announce the blades that people liked the most:

• Benchmade Black Infidel . The blade will not pass under our legislation, so have special documents for it. The center button will allow you to work both left-handed and right-handed. Blade strength is 60 or higher HRC. Overall length 9 inches (almost 23 cm), quite bulky but very reliable;
• MICROTECH "UTX-85 2-TONE TAN" . A fresh new product on the market, but it has already managed to win its fans. The handle is made of anodized aluminum alloy, the blade is 7.9 cm long, with a hardness of 62 HRC. A knife for everyday carry, and there will be no problems with the law;
• MICROTECH "TROODON SATIN" . And again we have an American, reviews are pretty good about him. Blade length is 7.9 cm, hardness is 62 HRC, butt thickness is 2.4 mm. The price tag is steep, almost 50 thousand rubles;
• Boker Plus Lhotak Falcon . Reasonable price, only positive reviews. Handle made of anodized aluminum alloy, blade 8.5 cm long, hardness 59 HRC, spine thickness 3 mm, folded length 12.5 cm. Knife for everyday carry. The company is German, and the manufacturer is Taiwan;
• Fox Concord, Black Aluminum . The price category is budget. Made in Italy. Blade length 8.5 cm, folded length 12 cm, spine 2 mm, Out-the-Front Double Auto lock. Quite an interesting inexpensive option that deserves attention.

The result is quite interesting, there are knives worth 50 thousand rubles, and there are also for 5 thousand rubles. The audience for front switchblades is quite wide. And with different financial capabilities. So you can find a tool to your liking, for the appropriate amount in your pocket.

Classification by purpose

There are five main groups of knives: for tourism and hunting, weapons, universal, kitchen, special.

The first group of knives serves a wide variety of purposes. As a rule, the product may be needed for attacking an animal, skinning, skinning a carcass. You should carefully monitor the presence of serrators and other elements that can cause additional suffering to the animal. It is unacceptable to purchase models with a blade length of less than 14 cm. Daggers have the best penetrating properties. The handle should be made of materials with good friction characteristics.

A travel tool must first of all be durable. If necessary, it can be used as a lever or an ax. Handle with pronounced finger rest. The optimal length is at least 10 cm. Machetes are used to cut down trees and reeds.

The second group includes several subspecies. Weapon models include:

• fascine - for sapper work;
• cleaver - the largest combat knife;
• ballistic - with a detachable blade inserted into the handle;
• throwing - often classified as sports equipment;
• for self-defense;
• bayonet knife;
• combat - the main goal is to defeat the enemy during a combat operation.

Universal models are used to simultaneously perform several tasks, which are available. Types of knives in this group include:

• multitools - a folding universal model with a large number of tools;
• office - the main purpose is cutting paper and opening envelopes, richly decorated models made of second-grade steel;
• EDC knives for everyday carry are lightweight and convenient; mainly folding products are used for household purposes.

Kitchen models are used for preparing and serving food. Most often you can find interesting types of knives, the names of which are based on the function they perform:

• dining rooms are an integral part of setting the festive table;
• oysters;
• for bread;
• for meat;
• electric - with a pair of serrated blades fastened together;
• cleaver - resembles a small hatchet;
• cutting blade - a thin and long blade;
• for removing bones;
• for cleaning vegetables.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=R8PQ7FWxbqA

Is it possible to make an automatic folding knife yourself?

The answer is clear - you can. But for such rather cunning manipulations, you definitely need a special tool, ingenuity and a little mechanical skill. If one of the components is missing, quit right away, otherwise, read on and try to understand the manufacturing principle:

1. Make a drawing; for this it is better to take a ready-made folding knife and trace its contours.
2. You will need a blade; you can make it yourself from a metal plate, or alternatively take it from an old unnecessary knife. The second option is simpler. We adjust the width of the blade to the size of the handle; it will be made of two overlays. The material for them is better to use hard plastic.
3. The next step is to put everything together, clamp it with clamps and drill a through hole to secure the blade to the handle. After drilling all the necessary holes in accordance with the drawing, we use brass or bronze linings to secure the linings.
4. You need to rivet the blade to the handle, the clamp and the working part are adjusted to each other by cutting out suitable sockets. The fixing element is inserted into the handle.
5. A spring of suitable size is secured with a bolt. And if everything was done correctly, then when you press the latch, the spring will push the blade out.

Read more in the article: “Do-it-yourself folding knife.”

If everything works as it should, you can take care of more reliable linings made of any metal. The product will look like it came from a store. A little imagination and you will get a unique product.

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Sofas without transformation mechanisms

By definition, such sofas do not contain transformation elements and are not capable of folding out. Sofas without mechanisms are used to create seating for two or more people. You can offer this option for a sofa in a small living room. Less often they can be found as a sofa for sleeping. Although for people who are not overweight, using a sofa in this capacity is quite acceptable.

Sofas that cannot be folded out can be used as separate sofa modules. By using several similar modules, especially of different sizes, you can change the shape of a sofa made up of modules.

A monolithic sofa is suitable for the hallway, for the living room and will decorate the kitchen or dining room. Often this type of sofa can be found in public places.

Pros: there is no mechanism, which means there is nothing to break. The service life of monolithic sofas is longer than the service life of folding sofas.

Cons: no mechanism, no possibility of converting the sofa. Monolithic sofas are not suitable for organizing sleeping places, especially if you need to sleep two or more people.

Blade Specifications

Different grades of steel are used to make blades. The material must be durable, corrosion-resistant, hardened. Most often, manufacturers of modern knives use carbon steel, less often they use damask steel, laminated steel, or Damascus steel. In budget samples you can find stainless steel material marked “stainless”/“rostfrei”. To provide the blade with additional protection, coatings made of titanium nitride, boron carbide, as well as Teflon, phosphate treatment or bluing are used. The main grades of steel for the production of folders are shown in the table.

Despite the impeccable properties of steels of various grades, heat treatment imparts the final characteristics to blades. Thanks to this process, inexpensive materials acquire the required properties (strength, hardness, wear resistance) and cope well with the assigned tasks.

Incorrectly processed expensive steel will not protect the blade from various defects.

When choosing a folding knife, you need to pay attention to the shape of the blade. Due to the fact that the blade folds into a handle, technologically it can only be made in several options:

1. Flat-curved blades have high strength and good sharpness. They are suitable for cutting soft, wide materials, but are difficult to sharpen properly. They come with two working blades.
2. It is easy to edit and sharpen flat-concave blades. They have side ribs, which are important for high-quality shallow cuts, but the mechanical strength of the blade is not very high.
3. Asian knives often use chisel-shaped blades. They are characterized by excellent chopping and cutting properties when working with materials of small and medium thickness.
4. The wedge-shaped blade is distinguished by a high-quality cut, but the blade is quite fragile. There are difficulties with sharpening, but this drawback can be corrected with the help of a lead.
5. A durable pentagonal blade with good cutting and ruling characteristics is also used to assemble folding samples. The blade is difficult to sharpen.

Ball Bearing Lock

Patented development of the Spyderco knife company. The blade is locked using a small ball. It acts as a load transmitter from the blade to a special spacer that separates the dies.

Knife Spyderco Manix 2 LTW Plain edge Black C101PBK2

Buy knife Spyderco Manix 2 LTW Plain edge Black C101PBK2

In 2010, this knife model received a prestigious award in the industry - “Most Innovative Design”. The award was presented by Blade magazine. And, it is worth noting that despite the fact that almost 10 years have passed since that very moment, the Spyderco Manix 2 LTW Plain edge Black C101PBK2 knife is still popular among buyers - and not without reason. It is very lightweight and the materials it is made from are premium.

We have listed the most popular and common types of knife locks. In fact, there are a little more of them, plus, almost every major knife company has its own developments. It is difficult to answer the question “Which type of knife lock is best” - each has both pros and cons. When choosing the right variety, rely on the goals and future scope of the purchase. It is important to monitor the serviceability of the locking mechanism - this is the key to the long and high-quality service of your tool.