Making a pocket knife

The blades and springs are first cut out of sheet steel, using blanking tools and a 50 ton press. These are then marked, drilled, nail nicked and straightened before hardening and tempering.

Blade blanking tool - these come in all shapes and sizes, according to each pattern. There can be as many as 5 or 6 such tools per single bladed pocket knife.

Blanking out the linings ready to have the holes pierced in them.

The assembled parts are then prepared on the bench prior to assembly.

After the blades have been hardened and tempered they are ground to an edge then cleaned up ready for assembly.

The cleaned parts are ready for assembly, they are the blade, spring, 2 linings, and 2 bolsters which have already been soldered on the linings, 2 rose wood scales and the wire used to rivet the knife together.

The assembled knife with wire sticking out both sides ready to be cropped off and "knocked up".

The assembled knife is then "knocked up" at the bench using a hammer and an anvil called a "stidy". All this is done by hand with the upmost skill so that the knife still "walks and talks", the term used to describe the opening and closing.

The assembled knives in a tray ready to be ground glazed and finished.

Using a Linisher with different grade emery belts, the cutler then grinds and shapes the knives to the required finish.

After a fiinal polish and sharpening the blade on a whet stone this is the finished pocket knife.