How To Repair A Switchblade Knife

Out-the-front knives, or OTF knives, are a popular choice for their reliability, durability and convenience of deport. Nonetheless, as with any tool, there can exist problems that arise in the mechanisms that allow the knife to jump out and pull back over time. Other issues affect most knives with extended use and, luckily, there are easy means to gear up these issues.

folding knife on table

OTF automatic knives are unique in their design considering their springing mechanism is susceptible to weakening over time. It may also autumn victim to dirt and crud that enters through the bract slot and gets stuck in the springs, causing them to lock up. With proper maintenance, you lot may be able to set up your OTF knife on your own. In a worst-example scenario, every bit long as you haven't abused the knife, you lot tin send information technology back to the manufacturer for repair. First, you should try some of these home solutions.

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automatic knife being released

Blade Is Stuck

The almost common problem with OTF automatic knives is the blade gets stuck and doesn't spring out or draw back in. Sometimes this occurs when the blade is struck against something that doesn't motion and it bounces back. Reverse to some popular moving picture depictions, the leap doesn't accept enough power to shoot the blade out and pierce through os. Commonly, it will poke the object and then bounce back halfway into the blade slot.

If the blade has come off its rails in this way, carefully pull the blade out all the way, and information technology should lock back into identify. Slide the mechanism lock back and along a few times to make sure it stays dorsum on track. This reset should gear up the problem.

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In fact, if yous're going to clean your pocketknife, you should deploy it confronting an inanimate object, like a pad of paper, and so it comes off the track. This will eject it from the machinery so that you can open upward the pocketknife to clean information technology. If you've never cleaned your knife before, you may want to practise some research on how to make clean a pocket knife.

If the blade is sticking, sluggish or completely stuck, then there may be issues within the mechanism that need to be addressed. If the blade is loose, there is likely something broken in the mechanism. If the bract remains stock-still, in that location is ordinarily something jamming the mechanism.

Lubricating the Knife

To remove junk that can build up in the mechanism and springs, lubrication is one of the first easy solutions you tin can endeavour. Use a lite lubricant, like a gun or knife oil which includes rust preventative, and put a few drops on the lesser of the bract where it meets the handle. Move the bract in and out several times to work the oil downwardly into the mechanism and springs.

If this doesn't work, endeavour flushing out your knife with a cleaning solution by removing the drinking glass breaker from the end of the knife. The solution should flush directly through; you may have to repeat this process several times. Employ compressed air to dry the internal components and lubricate the inside mechanism.

Knife Bound Replacement

If none of the to a higher place solutions work, it's time to wait at the springs. You lot will need a 2 mm standard fleck and a v/64th Allen wrench or a tri-wing screwdriver caput to remove the screws from the handle. Pull the sides of the handle apart and remove the knife, slide and springs.

Use a lint-free textile to clean inside the knife thoroughly and wipe downwardly with a cleaning solution if desired. Utilize a fiddling bit of lubricant and ensure it reaches all the nooks and crannies inside the knife, wiping out the excess oil earlier reassembling.

Accept a look at the spring. If it's over-stretched or broken in the eye, it needs to exist replaced. You can gild a replacement spring from the manufacturer or you lot can send it dorsum to the manufacturer for them to service. Follow the instructions for your specific OTF knife on how to reattach the new bound to the mechanism.

Reattach the handle together and try the mechanism a few times to ensure the blade is in good working order again.

holding knife and touching the blade

Blade Is Tedious

A irksome blade comes with normal use over fourth dimension. The all-time way to sharpen your OTF automatic knife is to use a paw sharpener at home. Lightly sharpen your knife about once a calendar week. If yous have a serrated knife, take your knife to a local knife dealer who can use a specialized sharpener for your bract.