Locking knife with movable scale

A folding knife comprising a blade which is movable from a closed position to an operable open position, a first scale in the form of an elongated plate having a blade-end portion and a back end portion position on one side only of the blade and a second scale also in the form of an elongated plate positioned only on the other side of the blade, the first scale plate and second scale plate lying in spaced-apart parallel planes, which scale plates are spaced apart a distance to accommodate between them a back spring-biased element pivotally mounted on the first scale, the blade pivotally mounted on the first scale and the second scale pivotally mounted on the back end of the first scale for pivotal movement to a selected angle with the first scale for cleaning or for movement to a closed position for operation, the first and second scale plates as spaced-apart permitting the blade to be pivotally moved to its closed position or to its operative open position when the scale plates are in their closed position.