Are these knives still made?

[jbkebert]

I was going through some things and came acrossed a couple of these knives. The two that I found were given to me by my grandpa. It brought back fond memories of thinking these were the best knives ever made.

When I was a kid you could get them anywhere it seemed. The local auto parts store gave them away as well as the local western auto. The little dime store had a couple boxes of 25 or so and you could buy them for a dollar or so. So a couple reasons I want some more. They are great in a little survival kit stashed in your daypack or glove box, you name it. They are small light weight and darn sharp. The other reason is no reason at all I just want a few. So can anyone direct me to a supplier where a guy could buy a few.


Thanks for any help.

 

[BRad704]

I can't help you find any to buy, but THANK YOU for that pic!!! I am just like you and had many of them growing up. There was a thread about "different ways to open knives" and that's what made me remember these things.

Its good to see I'm not the only one that ever had one...

 

[JohnM]

Haven't thought about those things in ages.
I have a box full of super valuable junk too, with a couple of those in it.
Seems like the only ones I ever saw had advertising on them, so they must have been cheap to buy.
It's possible they might still be on tool racks in some hardware stores.

 

[jbkebert]

Too bad those days aren't still around. The bank used to hand out paring knives. I am sure these are some cheap promotion item but I always liked them.

 

[mustang_steve]

Hey, a slide knife! I had one of those when i was a kid too.

They weren't sold in the area I grew up in due to a county ordinance against front opening knives, but were still legal to posess and carry, so I ended up getting mine from the roadside of all places. I was walking to the local fishing hole and I found something on the edge of the road...a blue slide knife. I forgot what company's name was on it, but I kept it for about a year, and lost it.

 

[Zoogster]

I bet a high quality version of the mechanism could be easily made.

One that solidly attached the slide portion to the blade in a way that could take lot of force and reinforced the blade significantly near the top where torque would be transmitted during use.


These are cheap promotion versions, but I think it would be a easier for the average person with limited tooling to implement such a design in creating a quality locking knife than creating more common modern strong locking mechanisms.

A high quality hinge, maybe a spring (to bias it closed for CA law, not bias it open like a "switchblade") and a blade could readily be turned into a legal folder.

Thanks for this pic, I am now inspired.

 

[jbkebert]

A high quality hinge, maybe a spring (to bias it closed for CA law, not bias it open like a "switchblade") and a blade could readily be turned into a legal folder.

This little knife has really brought back some fond memories for me. I was laughing earlier looking at a scar on my right hand. From one of these little knives. I was trying to convince my buddies that I had a stiletto. So I tried to conceal the slide and jam it forward as fast as possible to make the effect even better. Well I got opened up like a fish impressing no one mostly not my folks. Think I got 5-6 stiches and a tanned hide. Silly childish thing but makes me laugh now.

 

[jbkebert]

Thanks for the term slide knife. Could not for the life of me think of it. I googled the name and found them. Well sort of a printing company that sells them at $1.54 each plain or $1.78 printed minimum order of 250. I considered ordering a box with my business name and info on them but $500 seems a little steep.

I'll have to keep looking but thanks again for the info.

 

[Zoogster]

This little knife has really brought back some fond memories for me. I was laughing earlier looking at a scar on my right hand. From one of these little knives. I was trying to convince my buddies that I had a stiletto. So I tried to conceal the slide and jam it forward as fast as possible to make the effect even better. Well I got opened up like a fish impressing no one mostly no my folks. Think I got 5-6 stiches and a tanned hide. Silly childish thing but makes me laugh now.

Interesting, thanks for sharing.

I imagine a quality one could be safer though, with the blade riding in a track, a quality hinge, and that would actually allow centrifugal force to help assist in opening like a typical modern folder.
You could also have the part that slide into the handle latch close, making a stronger lock than most folders that exist today.



I already anticipated the legal arguments based on California knife definitions, and it is no more a "switchblade" than any other folder that can be opened with a flick of the wrist but is exempt due to a "bias or detent".
As long as it had a very weak spring that biased it to close, even if it could be overcome with the force of rapid movement, it would be a legal folder and have the required "bias" to close and not be a gravity knife or switchblade.


This means you could take the blade of almost any fixed blade and attach a hinge and make such a knife to create a legal folder with a strong lock.
Obviously the handle would be about as big as the blade to close it, but that is actually shorter than a more modern folder, where the handle actually has to be longer than the blade to completely cover it when closed because of the pivot area.

The benefits would be reduced size folded for a given blade size, and a strong locking mechanism requiring less tooling than most knives today that most people could make easily with basic hand tools.

 

[smallbore]

Haven't seen anything like that around in ages.

 

[Ron James]

A G Russell sells a quality version of such a knife, called the I believe, the funny knife. It will cost you more than a dollar. Check out
Smoky Mountain knife works, At one time they had them, don't know about now.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Funny Folder

The A G Russell Funny Folder can be seen here and also here.

As you can see from these pictures, the Funny Folder uses a significantly different opening action: instead of a hinged side piece and sliding blade, the Funny Folder uses a double swivel (like a gimbal); the blade & sides swivel out together, then the sides pivot on the other axis back over the frame.

Interesting mechanism. I may have to get one of those.

 

[bikerdoc]

Still made? I think so, I got one called a FLIP IT at a small country bait and tackle shop couple years ago.

Handy things to have around.

 

[nipsip]

Have not seen those in years. How about this one.

 

[jbkebert]

We hit pay dirt. http://www.bladematrix.tv/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=28845

Thanks bikerdoc!