Frame lock knives

Spend a creative weekend crafting two custom folding knives, even if you’re new to knife making. With expert guidance you’ll shape and heat-treat the blades, fit the titanium frame locks, and add personal touches. Leave with a pair of smooth-working, one-of-a-kind pocket knives you built yourself.

We will explain the techniques, equipment and little tricks (especially for heat treating stainless steel) that will get you started making your own knives from stainless steel. You get get hands on experience working with Titanium,  cutting, shaping and finishing

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A frame-lock knife is a type of folding knife in which part of the handle frame itself serves as the locking mechanism.
Here’s why it stands out:

• Strong and Secure – The frame is made from titanium, so the lock bar is thick and robust. When the blade opens, the frame flexes inward and firmly blocks it from closing, giving excellent strength for hard use.
• Slim and Lightweight – Because the frame doubles as the lock, there’s no need for an extra liner or bulky hardware. That keeps the knife lighter and thinner in the pocket while still feeling solid.
• Simple and Reliable – Fewer moving parts mean less to go wrong. The design is easy to maintain and clean, which is especially handy for outdoor or everyday carry.
• Smooth One-Handed Operation – With practice, a frame lock opens and closes easily with one hand, making it practical for work or everyday tasks.

These qualities make frame-lock knives a favorite for custom makers and collectors alike—they offer a satisfying blend of durability, elegance, and user-friendly design.

This course goes for two and a half days and is over 20 hours long.

First Evening - Design

• Understanding the design of a frame lock
• Choose blade profiles and handle shapes
• Drilling initial holes

Day 1 –  Rough build

• Morning: Cut and rough-grind both blades. Cutting the lockbar and mill spring.
• Late Morning: Countersink and tapping holes, and fit the titanium frame parts; begin hand-finishing the first knife.
• Afternoon: Heat-treat and temper both blades,

Day 2 – Refinement and finish

• Morning: Post heat treat blade grind, make pocket clip, sandblast parts.
• Late Morning: Fit pivots, washers, and locks; fine-tune the action.
• Afternoon: Shape handles, add personal touches, and complete final sharpening and assembly.

By the end of the course you’ll head home with two smooth, pocket-ready frame-lock folding knives and the knowledge to keep making more on your own.

You do all the work yourself, no prior experience using tools necessary. Our job is to guide, instruct and help you recover from any mistakes.

Cost includes tuition, insurance, materials, use of tools, workshop consumables, safety gear.

You’ll need to bring lunches, appropriate clothing and enclosed footwear, and make sure long hair is tied back.

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