SAK "snap"

[P35]

I received a 84 mm Tinker from Tim at Felinevet in today's post. It is in pristine condition , with only a bit of pocket wear showing on the scales. My question is, it just doesn't have the snap of most of my other SAKs. When you open the blades/tools there isn't that nice snap. Is this common in 84 mm knives? The only other 84 mm knives I have are Pocket Pal and a couple of alox Bantams, they are nice and "snappy". It's not a problem, just wondering
Thanks
James

[nuphoria]

If it's a fairly old one then it's likely to be less snappy really. I don't know if it's an 84mm thing as such 

[P35]

If it's a fairly old one then it's likely to be less snappy really. I don't know if it's an 84mm thing as such 

thanks
it seems to have seen little use, from the condition  of the blades and tools

[Mike 56]

Try cleaning in the sink with some hot water using a pipe cleaner. Open and close the blades while cleaning. Dry well with blow dryer. Then hose it down good with WD40 then your time removing the excess WD40 with q-tips and rag. If this does not work at least you will have a very clean SAK.
Mike

[stressmaster5000]

I received a 84 mm Tinker from Tim at Felinevet in today's post. It is in pristine condition , with only a bit of pocket wear showing on the scales. My question is, it just doesn't have the snap of most of my other SAKs. When you open the blades/tools there isn't that nice snap. Is this common in 84 mm knives? The only other 84 mm knives I have are Pocket Pal and a couple of alox Bantams, they are nice and "snappy". It's not a problem, just wondering
Thanks
James

Most all of my 84mm SAK's have nice snap just like a Victorinox should have. Its probably just wear and tear or maybe its a cleaning thing and you should do as mentioned above.

[kieMac]

I noticed this before on my Grandfather's Elinox Waiter, but with a cleaning it seemed to go away (it was worst during closing, actually).

[Craig]

Had a lack of snap on a second hand climber, cleaning it got it working as it should

[P35]

after applying a liberal dose of Breakfree CLP and letting it soak in,   the Tinker is MUCH better. Thank you all for your replies

[Chako]

Yes, they do get gummed up.

Get yourself a cheap inexpensive ultrasonic jewelry cleaner. You don't need a real good unit, even though they do work better.

A bit of soap and some water, and a few cycles in the cleaner tub, and that does wonders all on its own.

[Ben X]

Yes, they do get gummed up.

Get yourself a cheap inexpensive ultrasonic jewelry cleaner. You don't need a real good unit, even though they do work better.

A bit of soap and some water, and a few cycles in the cleaner tub, and that does wonders all on its own.

I have disassembled a SAK that was not snapping at all and all gummed out, then scrubbed all the metal parts bare, reassembled, and like new snap follows, even with 20 year old parts. The moral? Far more often it is dirt. Unfortunately some of it is truly impossible to ever get out  But all of the stuff mentioned certainly helps a lot.

[Neil]

Toothbrushes are your cheap and cheerful friend here

[DaveK]

Toothbrushes are your cheap and cheerful friend here

I agree, but your breath can smell a bit funny after a while.

[bren10man]

Victorinox enclosed brochures show cartoons, and state/show:

1. clean in warm water.  I clean or let soak in warm, soapy water.  i use toothbrush and pipe cleaners to remove garbage.  i prevent lint from working its way into the knife by using a pouch, even in the pocket.

2. oil the pivot part of the blades

3. work back and forth.

[shadeone]

something that works for me upon receiving old alox knives in the mail that are gummed up:

first, physically look at the knife ends where the blade meets the backspring between the liners... take a dental pick and make sure to make this area shiny. now the trick here is to open the blade/tool just a little bit so that the backspring gets pushed away and creates a little cavity in which you can get in there better. do this from both the outside and then open the blade/tool all the way and peer down inside the scales and get inside there too..

after all this, follow all of the stuff listed above with the warm water and liquid soap... put some drops on the end and allow them to run down into the area between the backspring and tool and open and close it with the soap in there. now run the whole thing under water while opening and closing it to get rid of the soap.

after this, breakfree clp or any other oil in that area, open and close a few times and you should be good to go! i had a soldier that actually required me to push the blade closed but after doing this method, it snapped like new again..

keep in midn though some knives may be beyond a simple cleaning and impossible to repair. i have a farmer that was used to help remove the rear quarter windows in my car for a repair and upon using it, tweaked the blade to the side ever so slightly and pushed the liners apart by a VERY tiny amount.... now it opens fine until about the last quarter of the way and then you have to force it and it feels quite gritty...

you could also send it back to Ibach and have them repair it...

shade

[gustophersmob]

something that works for me upon receiving old alox knives in the mail that are gummed up:

first, physically look at the knife ends where the blade meets the backspring between the liners... take a dental pick and make sure to make this area shiny. now the trick here is to open the blade/tool just a little bit so that the backspring gets pushed away and creates a little cavity in which you can get in there better. do this from both the outside and then open the blade/tool all the way and peer down inside the scales and get inside there too..

after all this, follow all of the stuff listed above with the warm water and liquid soap... put some drops on the end and allow them to run down into the area between the backspring and tool and open and close it with the soap in there. now run the whole thing under water while opening and closing it to get rid of the soap.

after this, breakfree clp or any other oil in that area, open and close a few times and you should be good to go! i had a soldier that actually required me to push the blade closed but after doing this method, it snapped like new again..

keep in midn though some knives may be beyond a simple cleaning and impossible to repair. i have a farmer that was used to help remove the rear quarter windows in my car for a repair and upon using it, tweaked the blade to the side ever so slightly and pushed the liners apart by a VERY tiny amount.... now it opens fine until about the last quarter of the way and then you have to force it and it feels quite gritty...

you could also send it back to Ibach and have them repair it...

shade

I must admit that I'm surprised you can even tweak a Farmer's blade like that, it is such a robust knife. 

[Neil]

You can and although it is fixable it can be a pain in the bum to get just right again 

[shadeone]

this specific knife was already a beater and my window project was a pain in the butt... lets just say i did things to that knife that i wouldnt DARE do to a brand new one... i broke my own rule of never using a blade as a prybar haha... the cap lifter on the other hand i regularly use to get in the door crevice on my car when its frozen shut and pry it open.   theshorter tools seem to have more prying power

shade