AKC F-16 Disassembly

If you don't take it apart, you won't have problems getting it back together.
Is there a reason you need to disassemble it?
 
Bill DeShivs said:
If you don't take it apart, you won't have problems getting it back together.
Is there a reason you need to disassemble it?
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I don't own one but if there was an easy way to take it apart I was going to buy one make a new blade for it out of a sawzall blade and put that in it
 
The original blade is better than any you could make out of a sawz-all blade.
 
Bill DeShivs said:
The original blade is better than any you could make out of a sawz-all blade.
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I highly dought that sawzall blades have to cut through metal they're designed to be bouth tough and hard not to mention high carbide content, 440a shouldn't really be used for actual blades I could probably break it with my hands if it was a thin enough piece, and could definitely brake it in a vice
 
Whatever you say.
But, you have a LOT to learn.
Sawzall blades are made of relatively soft steel, with carbide teeth brazed on. There are high carbon blades, but they don't have the proper qualities for a knife blade.
If you are going to make a blade, buy the proper steel from a knifemaker's supply, make the blade, and send it off for heat treatment.
If you do this, and actually make a good blade, it will still be in an economy, die cast zinc handle.
The F16 is an inexpensive knife that works well. Don't try to make it something it isn't. There are many D/A OTF knives available with premium steel and machined aluminum handles.
 
Aerosmith101 said:
I highly dought that sawzall blades have to cut through metal they're designed to be bouth tough and hard not to mention high carbide content, 440a shouldn't really be used for actual blades I could probably break it with my hands if it was a thin enough piece, and could definitely brake it in a vice
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Do you know who you are showing your ignorance to? That is Bill F'ing De Shivs...
Have a little respect Man, he is a legend

Russ
 
Aerosmith101 said:
440a shouldn't really be used for actual blades I could probably break it with my hands if it was a thin enough piece, and could definitely brake it in a vice
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Hi,

Even a child can break any razor blade / utility knife
because they're thin enough
but that doesn't mean those steels shouldn't be used for actual blades
 
Bill DeShivs said:
Tip- don't.
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This thread is years old, but I want to record this for anyone with curiosity about disassembling an akc f16

First of all, you all seem very knowledgeable, not a shred of doubt. I don't want you to think I'm trying to butt heads or step on your toes, but why would you discourage anyone from disassembling a knife? Maybe they want to understand the mechanics, give it a deep cleaning and oiling, hell the reason I'm here is to find a way to disassemble it because it got dropped in sand, now the internals are all gritty.. should I stop here because of your Tip:don't master knife maker? Does this knife forum have to pass through your judgement first?

Here's how this knife comes apart, discharge it onto something soft so you don't damage the blade, knife should be in neutral position. Remove the 6 Allen screws, separate the top. Take note of the orientation of your spring and carrier, gently remove this part, the firing springs are connected by small eyelets, take care not to damage them. Remove the pin holding your blade in the main housing, slide knife forward, careful not to cut yourself especially if it's double edge. There are 2 small plates with springs which lock the blade into open and shut position, carefully slide those upward, do not lose the springs, note the orientation they go in and out. The knife is now disassembled, clean it out as you wish, do not add too much oil when re-assembling, which is the reverse of taking this apart. These knives do not like too much oil.

Hope this helps, reading the other posts about sawzall blades doesn't make sense. There is NO guide anywhere online about this knife's internals. Just wanted my 2 cents where it was asked.
 
There's one in every crowd...
There are dozens of threads on here that say- "I took my knife apart to "clean" it, and now I can't get it back together." That's why.
In your case- the knife probably needs to come apart. In the OP's case, he didn't even HAVE the knife so he really didn't need instruction on how to take it apart.
 
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I know this is an old post and that internet forums have always been a real celebration of douchebaggery. But what REALLY irks me, even moreso than the obligatory forum troll, who can just be ignored, or the over-zealous moderator who can't even handle having less power than a teenage babysitter without it going to their pathetic head, is the "you don't" guy. Seriously. That is not an answer to a question beginning with "How do you…" or "How can you…" You're having a different conversation.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you can't warn someone that something's a bad idea, but does everyone have to respond in the most condescending, narcissistic, douchey way possible? I'd be shocked if I saw someone say, "Well, I wouldn't recommend it because… But, if you still want to, here's the answer to your question…"

Some people just want to be different and if they're asking how to do something, they've apparently decided to do it. It's extremely insulting and disrespectful to assume they haven't already informed themselves and made a decision on whether they should or not. Just because it's something you wouldn't personally do doesn't mean it's a dumb idea. Most people don't want or need a supervisor in their life.
 
Bill DeShivs said:
There's one in every crowd...
There are dozens of threads on here that say- "I took my knife apart to "clean" it, and now I can't get it back together." That's why.
In your case- the knife probably needs to come apart. In the OP's case, he didn't even HAVE the knife so he really didn't need instruction on how to take it apart.
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You don't know or decide who needs what. If you didn't want to provide it, fine. But he has every right to ask and for others to answer. It's really no one's concern why he wants to know.
 
Perhaps I do.
After professionally repairing knives for 50+ years, I may have a little more insight than most people.
You'll do well here, I can tell.
 
Where would we be if no one ever took chances? How many awesome knives wouldn't exist if no one ever risked ruining a knife by taking it apart, tinkering with it, or modifying it?

No one is born an expert knife maker (or repairman), we learn by doing, through trial an error. I am by no means an "expert", but I learned by taking knives apart, tinkering with them, and modifying them.

I say, as long as it's your knife, you paid for it, and as long as you don't hold anyone else responsible if you ruin it, then go for it. Who knows, you might end up the next Paul Panak, Butch/Rainy Vallotton, or Grant/Gavin Hawk, just to name a few. Everybody has to start somewhere.

As for myself, if I had never been willing to take chances with knives, and do things I had no experience doing, I never would have gone on to produce any of the knives pictured below, or several others. I continue to learn, to experiment, and I'm always coming up with new ideas. I can only wonder what I'll be producing in the future.

Like I said, we all have to start somewhere.

LNtvUjx.jpg


RYftR8L.jpg
 
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Wow K killgar ! I didn’t realize you’d made/modified so many switchblades - they look great!

Have you made any from scratch yet (folder or fixed)?
 
scdub said:
Wow K killgar ! I didn’t realize you’d made/modified so many switchblades - they look great!

Have you made any from scratch yet (folder or fixed)?
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Thanks scdub :) .

I haven't made any completely from scratch. The closest I've come are the two knives on the right in the bottom picture. I made those out of fixed-blade boot knives. The liners, bolsters, and handles I made from scratch, the lock-release mechanisms I designed and made from scratch, and the button/blade-release mechanism on the second from the right knife I designed and fabricated. And of course I had to modify the blades. Here's a link to a thread about them where you can see the progression from fixed-blades to switchblades if you're interested- https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/my-latest-creations-lots-of-pictures-updated.1425637/

And here's a video of one of them-



But I consider my greatest knife accomplishment to be my 2nd Generation Cold Steel Ti-Lite conversions (I call them Auto-Lites). I'm particularly proud of the custom safeties that I designed and fabricate (pic below). You can read about my G2 Auto-Lites in this thread- https://www.bladeforums.com/threads...el-ti-lite-6-switchblade-conversions.1883963/

0EMkDJu.jpg


And here's a video-



And it all started by taking apart a Frank Beltrame stiletto switchblade back in 2015 :) .
 
Aerosmith101 said:
Has anyone ever disassembled an AKC F-16 if so what are some tips for disassembling it?
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its actually a very simple otf, i took mine apart and deep cleaned it because me and my friend were at the beach and got sand tree sap and water in it but please make sure you know what went where and look at it before taking anything out, as long as you have the bigger side on the table nothing should fall out. The button falling out was a bitch but thats the only problem i had.
 
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