Rebuild, send back, or throw away?

rockpool · **on:** June 10, 2011, 05:12:21 PM

Hi all - this is my first post here, so be gentle, but I hope to get some good advice from you.

Here's my first SAK - a Victorinox Ranger bought in France around 25 years ago - it's been in and out of my pocket for all that time, the scales are long gone, and the aluminum dividers are rotting away. Bushes fell off in the 90's, yet it still serves me well.

I managed to pick up new scales for it on eBay (boy, cheaper than I expected - a pack of 5 pairs for $5!) - I'm considering whether to strip it down and cannibalize a couple of eBay reject SAKs for dividers and bushings, and rebuild it using the original tools, or, just to glue new scales on and continue as is.

Yes, I know in reality I should throw it away and use one of the others I have lying around, but I've had this one so long now there's a lot of sentimental value.

So, any advice? Try my hand at a reconstruction, send it back to the factory, or, something else?

Simon.

https://picasaweb.google.com/hunt.simon/20110610MyFirstSAK#

82brutus · **Reply #1 on:** June 10, 2011, 05:17:44 PM

Try your hand at modding and replace the liners with brass liners. It has a lot of good years left in it and if it's your favorite companion, then restore it and make it even more special to you.

rockpool · **Reply #2 on:** June 10, 2011, 05:22:26 PM

brass liners eh? Sounds interesting - I suppose I'd have to cut them myself, I mean, no one would supply them, or, would they?

MultiMat · **Reply #3 on:** June 10, 2011, 05:34:39 PM

First up G'day & welcome mate

.

Now that poor old SAK

. If it works as it should

I say give it a damned good clean up & whack the new scales on it. It will probably keep going like a trooper for years to come

.
See how that goes & if you are not happy........ out comes the drill

Pacu · **Reply #4 on:** June 10, 2011, 05:43:55 PM

chunking is never an option

even past its prime it still can serve a few more years...or break it out and share its war stories with friends.

sergemaster · **Reply #5 on:** June 10, 2011, 09:46:16 PM

Amici,
I agree, give it a good clean and try to mount some new scales on it and see how it goes, if not, you really don't have much to lose if you do give it a try with a mod of your own...

Cheers,
Serge

ironraven · **Reply #6 on:** June 11, 2011, 06:21:30 AM

Replace the scales, rebuild with new parts, or recycle with the aid of a modder (who can be you). Throwing away a SAK... it's like throwing away finger.

AimlessWanderer · **Reply #7 on:** June 11, 2011, 08:45:50 AM

The nearest an old SAK should get to being thrown away, is becoming a donor for parts for modding - but then you'd lose an old friend. I'd follow the advice of those above and try to clean this up as is, or break it down to replace the damaged items and build it back up.

I know it sounds silly, but if you're not confident in breaking it down and rebuilding it - especially if it's lost the pin bushes - you could try sending in under their lifetime warranty. Make sure you tell them it's had an active life in your pocket for the last 25 years, and tell them what you told us about it's gradual decline. They'd probably not fix it up though, most likely you'd just get a new one in return

Keep us informed of what you do, and how you get on

ICanFixThat · **Reply #8 on:** June 11, 2011, 04:49:34 PM

Liners are in very rough shape. You can't put new scales on if the bussings have fallen off... in fact I don't know how it's even staing together (oxides no doubt), but it can't be very tight.

I think you have no choice but to take it apart find new liners and bushings to get it back in shape.

harryf3 · **Reply #9 on:** June 11, 2011, 11:38:30 PM

Even without the bushings the pins still have some kind of head that keeps the external liners in place. The exposed part of the pins (the head anyway) is a tad thicker than the pin body.

The pin which holds the backtools is fine and this also helps to keep everything in place.
I think all you have to do is to make or find new external liners.

Here a very useful reading about this:

http://www.britishblades.com/forums/showthread.php?99738-A-new-handle-for-an-Alox-Farmer-SAK&highlight=alox+farmer

No need to make perfect external liners like the ones Stew made. You can make them with simple tools.

New bushings will help the new cellidor scales stay in place but I think that the proper glue will eventually do the job anyway.

stack · **Reply #10 on:** June 12, 2011, 12:59:49 AM

You should restore it.

Ashley · **Reply #11 on:** June 12, 2011, 03:44:11 AM

If it was me I'd find someone who could restore it.

I have never tried but don't think I could fix one.

rockpool · **Reply #12 on:** June 13, 2011, 03:43:15 PM

Have ordered rod, have got scales, and bought a bunch of SAKS on eBay to rescue parts from - I'm even tempted to buy one of those bargain buckets of 100 TSA confiscated knives to see what I find.

It will be a shame to destroy some perfectly good SAKs to get the dividers I need, but hey, I'll get a whole bunch of spare tools out of it which I may need if I ever break something, or I guess I could make a franken-knife...

Ashley · **Reply #13 on:** June 14, 2011, 12:18:05 AM

Sounds like you've made the perfect decision!

rockpool · **Reply #14 on:** July 23, 2011, 03:49:37 PM

Well, it took some time, some problems with Paypal causing delay in shipping new rods, and me travelling, but finally my old SAK is back together and looking good!

It does not quite have the "snap" of a new knife, but I was trying to use as much of the old one as possible - I am pleased to have it back though.

And, in the interim, I seem to have become a bit of a collector, I've gone from 2 Victorinox knives to about 30 since I first posted here, including some Champs and Swisschamps - All I was trying to do was get some scrap off eBay for parts to rebuild my first SAK, unfortunately most of the ones I bought, after a few hours in the ultrasonic cleaner and a quick buff with Plast-X and a dremil were too nice to destroy...

More pictures in my album of the dissassembly/reassembly process for those interested...
https://picasaweb.google.com/hunt.simon/20110610MyFirstSAK?authuser=0&feat=directlink

ICanFixThat · **Reply #15 on:** July 23, 2011, 06:26:16 PM

That's great!

... yes SAKs really will last a life time so if one is looking for a user there are many good deals out there.

ironraven · **Reply #16 on:** July 23, 2011, 10:59:52 PM

We can make him faster, stronger... well, working. Yes can make him working. Good job!

82brutus · **Reply #17 on:** July 27, 2011, 10:05:28 PM

Very nice job Rockpool. Glad you rebuilt it. It gives it character.

Sparky415 · **Reply #18 on:** July 27, 2011, 10:58:44 PM

Quote from: rockpool on July 23, 2011, 03:49:37 PM

More pictures in my album of the dissassembly/reassembly process for those interested...
https://picasaweb.google.com/hunt.simon/20110610MyFirstSAK?authuser=0&feat=directlink

That's a great set of pictures Rockpool

It's very satisfying to fix things yourself, Nice job