Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-09-07
THE P%0CKETKN|FE
Many Machines and Processes
Used In Its Making.
ART IN FORGING THE BLADES.

To Become an Adept In tho Delicate
Work of Temperine Edge Steel Ne
cessitates a Long Course Of Training
and Years of Experience.
The labor of making a pocketknife
is. as usual in every industry that is
carried on by the aid of a great deal of
machinery. much divided. Each blade
must 90 through six separate proc
~esses-trst. forging; second. laying
serted into the handle and through
which the blade is riveted: third.
marking or stamping with the name
of the manufacturer: fourth. "choil-
Ing" or filing Il depression in the neck
of the blade between the sharp edge
and the heavier part or tang" fifth.
tempering: sixth. grinding.
All this applies to the two ordinary
blades of a knife. Nail blades are SUBJ
jected TO still another process-namely.
the cutting of the file. which is a de-
partment of work in itself.
Should we inspect the material room
of a knife mandatory we should find
heavy iron presses. which stamp out
from sheets of brass or iron the metal
scales and lining. The bright tips on
the end Of the knife. called holsters"
are pressed out of German silver IN
der another heavy weight. which does
r., rrN~l- S1 0p~ llor u,,oo cE ~ nc, ~,
from sheets of steel. used only for this
purpose. long strips that are afterward
fashioned under Il press into springs
for the back of the knife.
The rod of steel from which the
blades are made is taken from the ma
terial room to the forge. Here one end
is put into a bed of hot Goals. the bel.
lows are pumped. and the end is soon
red.
The skilled forger then hammers the
blade into shape upon his anvil. and
so accurate is his eye and SO exact his
hand that the blade does not deviate
a hairs breadth from the little brass
pattern that is before him and to
which each blade must correspond ey
actly.
The blade is next dipped in water
and becomes as hard and brittle as
glass. But the edges are rough. 1t is
nearly uniform in thickness and is a
light gray in color
Again the forger's skill is brought
into play in the tempering. Laying
the blades on II copper plate over the
fire. he watches them as they change
their hue with the degree of heat. frs,
to straw color. then to darker straw
and now to the dark purple which de
notes that the proper degree of hea1
has been obtained. They are plunged
into cold water as fast as they reach
this point.
If the blades were allowed to remain
longer over the fire the steel would
change to a light blue and become 81
soft that the blades could be ben
easily. This is perhaps the most i'm
portunt process in the manufacture.
The blades are taken next to thu
grinding room. The grinder must alst
depend upon the accuracy of his eyt
and the training of his hand. for as b.
presses the blade on the rapidly re
volving stone. turning it on both side:
and grinding all it's edges. he prac
tically finishes it. though afterward. il
the cutters room a higher finish /!
given it.
From the wheel room" the blades
60 TO the cutters room. where the.
find the other parts of the knife ant
where all the parts are put together.
Each workman here is at work upol
a particular lot Of knives. all Of on
pattern. Upon his work bench are til
various parts OF the knives. prepared
by other hands-the center scales tina
separate the blades. the outer bras
scales of lining. with the German sill
yer holsters. which have been secured
to the ends by a heavy drop hammer
the wood. ivory or pearl scales. tn
springs and the wire rivets.
Each brass lining, with its covering
is put in u wise. and holes are drille'
In it for the rivets. A brass wire |
thrust through the middle of the han
die toward the back. This secures tn
spring. and it is then broken off wit
nippers and headed down with a ham
mer. This holds the scales and springs
Another riyet through the bolster sc
cures one blade or two blades If tn
knife has more than one blade hum
at each end.
The several parts are now put to
gether. The next process is "haftng
or finishing the covers Of the handle
which IN done on a leather wheel coal