SAK is stiff

[ryan1835]

recently i found my old sak i don't know what model it is but all the tools on it are really stiff whats the best way to get rid of this?

wd 40 didnt seem to do much

and ill post a pic of it in the morning

cheers

[Zack]

A soak in the WD40 and then I nice hot bath might do it some good.  Maybe light some candles, but on some music, pour a glass of wine.....Wait, oh sorry about that.  Yeah just a bath.

[Anthony]

What company makes it? 

Upening and closing the tools under warm running water might do the trick...WD40 just makes a mess IMO.

[Gareth]

Yeah, a bowl of warn water and some fairy liquid (dish soap to those who don't know), soak for a while and then open and close the tools repeatedly.   Watch out for the blades as everything will be a bit slippery.

[Pacu]

u could soak it in 3 in 1 overnight in a ziplock bag.

[Benner]

Any other forum and this thread would have been deleted. 

[Bowman1911]

A soak in the WD40 and then I nice hot bath might do it some good.  Maybe light some candles, but on some music, pour a glass of wine.....Wait, oh sorry about that.  Yeah just a bath.

'Ya ever seen 40 year old virgin? Cue Lionel Ritchie

[Precise]

...well, when a SAK comes of age it's a natural process...

*cough* I'm disappointed there haven't been more lewd jokes.

Anyway...actual advice. Scrub the tar out of it using a toothbrush and toothpaste. Rinse. Scrub the tar out of it with white vinegar. Rinse alot. Left over vinegar is bad. Paper towel dry it. Spray or soak with your oil of choice. I like ballistol oil. Rub it down. Work the joints.

You may also want to pop off the scales first so you can clean them and clean under them real well. I *really* hate grit under the scales. It makes a nasty crunchy sound when you squeeze the scales....gets on my nerves.

This is my method. I'm no expert, but it works for me. Seems to work pretty well with the used SAKs I buy. Cleans the grit out of them that tends to keep em from being smooth.

[M.TEX]

 Warm water should do it.....

[stressmaster5000]

Some of the SAK's that I have come across that are very stiff have eluded my attempts to loosen them. The ones that are just dirty will respond to a good water cleaning but I am afraid that some have damage inside the joint area.

[bren10man]

Go to kitchen sink.  Fill with warm to hot water (where you can still stick your hands in it).  Use dish detergent (orange or lemon scented anti-bacterial Dawn dish detergent will work nicely!!, and it removes grease).  Open blades, use a blade opener if you have one.  Let it soak several hours to losen.  Use a tooth brush (M16 rifle cleaning kit "toothbrush" is what I use, as it has a wide head at one end, narrow head at the other).  Use machine oil, breakfree CLP, etc. to lube it. 

The above is the method I use after I buy a used SAK at a pawnshop.  I paid $28 at a pawn shop for the Champion I EDC now here in Korea.  It was NASTY when I got it, cleaned up NICELY after I cleaned it, and later, polished the scales and the large blade (scratched) with metal and plastic polish compounds with a Dremel tool.  Toothpick and tweezers were sanitized, either by boiling or anti-bacterial sanitizer.

[ryan1835]

i found out that my sak is a spartan

i left is soaking in warm water with fairy liquid in over night and scrubbed it its loosened a bit and by that i mean i dont need pliers to get the tools out

im going to give it an oil later hopefully it will be good to go by then


thanks for the help

[John]

Glad you got it sorted one tip for the future if it's a copy SAK then no need to wash as they stiffen up with use anyway and that's how you know it's come to the end of it's useless life hope that helps 

[ryan1835]

nah this ones a victorinox but ill keep that in mind