I understand the measurements are arbitrary and vary based on various factors.
What I was trying to get at is - how do to establish and execute consistency for my own patterns and spring tensions?
a few days ago, I visited my friend Tim Wright in Sedona who makes high end take-down folders. His precision is very very high and he demands consistency from his work. Tim showed me the force gauge he uses to measure the push spring on his lockbacks.
thank you for this
Sam Dean
You'll easily develop a feel for it over time Harbeer, however, I think the idea that you need repeat-ability here; while it makes obvious sense "on paper", to be misleading, and likely counter-productive. As Stacy mentioned, unless each knife, tang, blade, nail nick position, cam radius and levarage, are all different. Even if you want the "same pull" on all your knives (which I'd contend as also, not being as good as it sounds), this will create variances, no matter how specific your testing regime. Unless you're looking to do large batches of the exact same "model", I'd highly recommend, not to fixate so much on this. Much more important, are the nuances of the action, than some arbitrary pull force. I have pretty strong opinions personally, in that regard, and it attracts a certain, pretty loyal customer base, but even among those that like those specifics, a lighter, or heavier pull is either preferred, or even necessary, depending on the above variables, and more importantly, who it's going to.
I say all that, as someone, who you well know, doesn't consider himself a "service provider", never makes customer designs, or allow specific input, and the basic extent of my "order" process, is limited to a rough guideline on style, material preference, and then I make what I want to make, if you don't like it, take a hike. Still, if someone is older with weak hands for example, I want them to enjoy the piece I make for them, and it doesn't take much other than letting them open a personal knife, to see what they might need in that regard.
No need to box yourself in, or put numbers or quantifications on what's "right" to you. If you can make it snap, walk and talk, and feel smooth as butter, without being a nail breaker, you're on. If you can't, the number isn't the issue, it's some caveat of the complexity of all these minute interactions between 3+ contact points in motion, that change in each position. Just my opinion.
