In praise of peening...

[neillcurrie]

I recently got a Leatherman PST in trade. It needed some TLC. I decided to pull it apart, attend to any mechanical issues, and buff it all nice and shiny again. The screwed pivots suffered some wear/damage, as I don't have the correct tools for disassembly (if anyone wants the old ones, PM me your address, and I'll put them in an envelope to you) so I bought a length of 3/16" Brass from the local hardware store and peened all the joints.
I have to say that careful peening with accurately sized stock in decently sized holes leads to a wonderful feeling. There's zero play or wiggle throughout the entire tool, and it's possible to dial in just the perfect amount of friction for closing and opening. It's a feeling of precision and quality that is just slightly above even what one experiences from even a new Leatherman, from one with conventional fasteners that is.
Of course, one can further tighten the peened joints at some point in the future (if ever needed). Drill out a joint, to replace a tool, just like with a SAK. There's a slight decrease in section with a peened Leatherman as the rivets stick out less than threaded fasteners, and this aids pocketability a bit as it slips in or out of a pocket freer than with the relatively snaggly stock fasteners. The PST also looks cool with the peened Brass heads
All in all, I am very pleased with the operation.

[ducttapetech]

Nice job!! That looks sweet!!

Nate

[colt 1911]

Yeah, that looks pretty good !!


Sak's  rule !

[eddie1115]

This is excellent!  Seems like the ultimate way to make the tool your own.  Maybe I'll try this down the road when the peening skills get better

[bdAmmo]

Nice job . Great looking PST!

[zoidberg]

Awesome, well done.    If they haven't been claimed I'll take those fasteners please.

[neillcurrie]

Awesome, well done.    If they haven't been claimed I'll take those fasteners please.

Sure, pm me your address. The cat already batted one somewhere☺

[zoidberg]

Bad kitty cat.    PMed, thanks mate. 

[neillcurrie]

Bad kitty cat.    PMed, thanks mate. 

I'll look around her favorite non-human areas for the teeny-tiny bits she batted away.
Amazing how the items occupy 1/4 of a cubic inch in a house that's roughly 2300 sq ft for about an hour, and she still found them!!

[neillcurrie]

And here's a simple pocket sheath I made for it yesterday.
Just as I tuned the opening of the PST by carefully peening to a preferred tightness, so I tuned the sliding of the PST in the sheath by making it slightly undersized, then stretching it to a perfect fit overnight with a can of commercial Leather Stretcher and a suitable screwdriver. I've since found out that a mixture of Rubbing Alcohol and water does the job too.
It stays in the sheath till inverted and is then easily shaken out into the other hand. Merely invert it and it stays put.

[Nhoj]

That's a cool idea!

[lowtech]

The old PST came to teh right place! Nice work. I hope I can do the traded SOG justice.

[Sparky415]

Lovely work 

[neillcurrie]

The old PST came to teh right place! Nice work. I hope I can do the traded SOG justice.

Thanks, a good rubbing down with various grits of wet-or-dry, and the HP logo is no more also 

[zoidberg]

They have arrived safe and sound, thank you very much. 

[collim1]

Excellent work. The PST is still a very capable tool,  I carry mine quite often. I love my Wave but it won't pocket carry like a PST.


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[WWW]

I could not agree more! My P4 had some issues, one of them was the blade hiting the scale. A few hits from the hammer and it was pure perfection, my Micra on the other hand...