Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade

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Killgar
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Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade

Post by Killgar »

This was a project of mine from back in 2016.


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The silver dot on the ricasso in the pic below is me trying to figure out where to drill the pivot hole.
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Rough assembly, for testing purposes. Everything good, everything straight, fast opening, no blade play, tight, solid lockup.
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Finished blade.
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Custom made release mechanism.
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The finished product. Stainless steel liners, solid stainless steel bolsters, micrata handles, all-screw construction.
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Pics of the lock-release lever (stainless steel).
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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.

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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
sammy the blade
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Re: Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade

Post by sammy the blade »

Great job!!!
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djones
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Re: Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade

Post by djones »

Amazing amount of skill and effort.
Fishtail Picklock
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Re: Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade

Post by Fishtail Picklock »

djones wrote: Wed Dec 08, 2021 10:55 am Amazing amount of skill and effort.
Hear, hear! Unbelievable. Thanks for sharing this.
Fishtail Picklock
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big_slim
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Re: Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade

Post by big_slim »

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!
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natcherly
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Re: Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade

Post by natcherly »

Great work with nice touches such as the picklock release lever. Altogether outstanding!
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jim d,
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Re: Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade

Post by jim d, »

Impressive work!

Jim
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Killgar
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Re: Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade

Post by Killgar »

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.

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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
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jerryk25
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Re: Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade

Post by jerryk25 »

Very nice "R&D" work . . . . . .Lock the lock trigger.
button_man
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Re: Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade

Post by button_man »

.

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.

.
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Killgar
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Re: Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade

Post by Killgar »

Thanks Jerry and button_man.

Just ignore the black helicopters hovering over your house Button_man. 8)
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
XBMX
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Re: Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade

Post by XBMX »

You should be very proud of your work, so clean and finished. I'd love to see a coil fired version.
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JimBrown257
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Re: Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade

Post by JimBrown257 »

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?
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Killgar
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Re: Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade

Post by Killgar »

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.


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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.

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And that's the last boot knife/switchblade conversion I've done, I swear :wink: . 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
sammy the blade
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Re: Converting a Boot Knife Into a Switchblade

Post by sammy the blade »

Most impressive, like to see your next project too.
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