Bringing a Canadian Flair back to life. Part 1

WH867 · **on:** January 04, 2009, 10:23:00 AM

First a big thanks to Bob(J-sews) and Kwakster for their help with this project

.

I picked up a few MTs at a flea market earlier this year. Among them was a rough looking Flair. It was pretty dirty and had a lot of minor rust spots on it. Mostly from neglect as the tools show almost no wear. While inspecting it further after I got home I noticed a little stubby thing inside one handle that did'nt look quite right. Never having seen a Flair in person before I was'nt sure what it was. Just that it looked like something was broke.
So my next step was to contact somebody that was sure to have a Flair(Not to mention 1 of almost every other MT ever made)

. I sent J-sews a pic and he told me it was what was left of a broken corkscrew backspring. He sent me a pic of what it is supposed to look like.
He also mentioned that I might want to contact Kwakster to see if he could help because I had said I was afraid that if I sent it into leatherman that they would replace the Flair with a different MT model. When I cantacted Kwakster he said he didnt think he could help because his co-worker had tossed out all their Flair parts. But a couple days later I got a PM from him saying that he had found 2 different type Flair springs and was going to send them to me. I think he might have went way out of his way to find them for me. I am very appreciative of that.
Here's a few pics to end part 1. Pic 3 is the one Bob sent me and Pic 4 is the 2 different spring types from Kwakster.

Mike, Lord of the Spammers! · **Reply #1 on:** January 04, 2009, 10:25:56 AM

Looks like it's off to a good start

WH867 · **Reply #2 on:** January 04, 2009, 10:39:53 AM

After my usual procrastination a few months later I finally contacted Bob again to see about borrowing the LM tools to make my project a little easier and neater. I recieved the tools this week. Tonight was tear down time. I took the Flair completely apart to clean everything. Steel wool and a Dremel tool with a wire brush cleaned everything up pretty good. I had to enlist the help of a LM Crunch to hold the spring in place while getting the other tools and pin back in. I probably had a couple hours total getting everything done.
I did a search on The Wascana Energy logo on the Flair and found out that it is a Canadian company. The guy that I got it from at the flea market deals in airport confiscations so thats how it ended up in Ohio.
I will end with a few more pics from during and the end of the project.

NeitherExtreme · **Reply #3 on:** January 04, 2009, 01:35:03 PM

Very nice!

Good work bringing back an old & rare MT, and thanks for taking us along with the pics.

hawkchucker · **Reply #4 on:** January 04, 2009, 02:04:30 PM

Nice job. I actually like my Flair I used ot a bunch at my party over New Years. Good to see it back to working status!

Benner · **Reply #5 on:** January 04, 2009, 06:11:28 PM

Kwakster really is great isn't he. He goes to great lengths to help the members out here and we are really appreciative of his efforts.

Thanks a lot pal.

DaveK · **Reply #6 on:** January 04, 2009, 06:54:23 PM

Dennis - well done

Since I started collecting these things, by far the most satisfying aspect has been when I've managed to restore something that otherwise was trash! In fact, I have literally just fished another "phoenix" SAK!

I'm really pleased you managed to save a Flair too, as there seem to be so few of them about now.

Did you happen to determine what the other backspring was for btw? It's not from the Flair is it?

EDIT: It's part of the lock mechanism from a Supertool 200! That was bugging me

Medic82 · **Reply #7 on:** January 04, 2009, 10:00:26 PM

Nice post and nice job

I always like people that take the time and make an effort too restoring a tool to it’s former glory. Nice job

WH867 · **Reply #8 on:** January 04, 2009, 10:47:16 PM

Quote from: DaveK on January 04, 2009, 06:54:23 PM

Dennis - well done

Did you happen to determine what the other backspring was for btw? It's not from the Flair is it?

EDIT: It's part of the lock mechanism from a Supertool 200! That was bugging me

Thanks Dave, Good thing you found out what it was for because I had no idea. Kwakster sent me 3 of the correct type Flair spring so if anybody else would happen to need one let me know.

Neil · **Reply #9 on:** January 04, 2009, 11:26:38 PM

Well done getting it sorted

Always nice to see one less old tool hitting landfill

Neil

Poncho65 · **Reply #10 on:** January 05, 2009, 03:22:01 AM

Great project and great end result WH

Good to see an old LM getting a new life

the Flair is a quirky little LM isn't it

J-sews · **Reply #11 on:** January 05, 2009, 03:23:22 AM

Great work Dennis! It must be very satisifying to have breathed new life into a great tool. And that goes for the full clean-up as well. Tearing a tool completely apart is the only way to get the crud out from every nook and cranny.

Smitty44 · **Reply #12 on:** January 05, 2009, 06:21:31 AM

Great job,great pic's,and great friends,life is good!!!

MultiMat · **Reply #13 on:** January 05, 2009, 01:07:01 PM

I really enjoyed this post Dennis , top stuff mate

. Great to see you brought the "Libararchie " of MT's back to its former glory.

mwelch8404 · **Reply #14 on:** February 08, 2009, 09:00:18 PM

I think they made a huge mistake naming it the Flair. Now, if they had named it what I always called it, the Yuppiman, it would have sold billions.

J-sews · **Reply #15 on:** February 08, 2009, 10:01:15 PM

Quote from: mwelch8404 on February 08, 2009, 09:00:18 PM

I think they made a huge mistake naming it the Flair. Now, if they had named it what I always called it, the Yuppiman, it would have sold billions.

An obvious oversight in the marketing department

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