referring to fig1 - 4 of the drawings , a folding knife 10 of the invention can be seen having a blade portion 11 and a handle portion 12 . the blade portion 11 has a blade element 13 with an end point 14 , back edge 15 and oppositely disposed cutting edge 16 . a shank 17 of the blade has bifurcated handle engagement shank portions 18 a and 18 b with respective pivot apertures 19 a and 19 b therewithin , each of the shank portions 18 a and 18 b have different angled engagement surfaces 20 with the shank portion 18 b having a tapered outside edge 21 with a right angular end edge 22 . an angularly disposed return edge 23 terminates at a joining end edge 24 extending between the respective bifurcated end portions . the shank portion 18 a has an outside tapered edge 25 with a right angled end edge 26 . a corresponding return edge 27 has an angularly disposed surface effacing the hereinbefore described return edge 23 and terminates in the corresponding adjoining end edge 24 , as noted . it is important to note that the return angled edge surfaces of the shank portions 18 a and 18 b are at a precise angular inward inclination away from one another indicated for engagement with the handle portion 12 as will be described in greater detail hereinafter . the handle portion 12 is comprised of a pair of independent handle elements 28 and 29 , best seen in fig1 , 2 and 3 of the drawings which are pivotally secured to the respective shank portions 18 a and 18 b by pivot pins 30 a and 30 b respectively . each of the handle elements 28 and 29 have elongated compound shaped spring plates 31 and 32 respectively , best seen in dotted lines and independently in solid lines in fig6 and 7 of the drawings . the spring plates 31 and 32 have engagement end portions 33 and 34 and are secured to the respective handle elements 28 and 29 by multiple fasteners f positioned along their longitudinal length . in operation , as shown in open “ used ” blade extended and locked position as seen in fig1 , 2 , 5 and 6 of the drawings , the spring plate end engagement portions 33 and 34 are registerable on the respective effacing shank portion &# 39 ; s angled surfaces 23 and 27 and the handle element pairs 28 and 29 are engaged with one another for use . a spring plate portion 35 interlocks the free ends of the handle portions 28 and 29 as best seen in fig2 of the drawings preventing handle translateral movement therebetween . the respective engagement surfaces of the end engagement portions 33 and 34 impart a co - lateral force on the incline return surfaces 23 and 27 of the shank portions 18 a and 18 b due to their angular inclination thus maintaining a secure lock position in the open configuration . referring to fig4 of the drawings , it will be seen that the handle portions 28 and 29 have been closed midway in which the spring plate end engagement portions 33 and 34 fully engage the respective shank portion end surfaces 22 and 26 imparting a positive positioning thereto at right angles to the blade . upon closure , as seen in fig3 of the drawings , the handle portions 28 and 29 are respectively engaged over the back of the blade edge 15 and cutting edge 16 of the blade 13 . in this position the spring end plate portions 33 and 34 are now in contact with the corresponding outer surfaces 21 and 25 of the shank portions 18 a and 18 b which due to their angular inclination as previously described will force the handles 28 and 29 together , holding the handles tightly closed on the blade 13 as described . the spring plate 32 has an extending blade stop 40 inwardly of its end engagement portion 34 that prevents the blade 13 upon full closure of the handle 29 thereon from engagement with the cutting edge 16 by spaced contact therewith indicated generally at 41 . correspondingly , the handle portion 28 is held tightly against the back edge 15 of the blade 13 with the spring plate 31 resting along the back edge 15 of the blade as best seen in fig3 of the drawings in dotted lines . if will be evident from the above description that the improved dual handle fighting knife 10 of the invention provides for a unique multiple handle retainment positionings wherein the spring plates 31 and 32 engagement configuration with the angular orientation of the shank portions 18 a and 18 b corresponding registration surface pairs 23 and 27 when in open position and 21 and 25 when in closed position and 22 and 23 when in transition position . the handle pairs 28 and 29 and blade 13 will always be in retained resistant relation to one another that is novel only to a dual handle folding knife 10 of the invention with the above described critical improvements and structural configurations as defined .