Hints and Tips thread.

[KTesh]

Perhaps we should have a thread of Hints and Tips that so many seem to need.  A FAQ of sorts.

E.g.  How do I...
Remove/replace scales?
Fix a warped scale?
Send my knife in for servicing?
Clean and Care For my knife?
Tell how old my knife is?
Find a labeled picture of an E-X-P-L-O-D-E-D SAK?

What is...
This knife?
This tool?
The Average Lifespan Of A Red Shirt in TOS?
The Ultimate Answer To Life, The Universe, And Everything?
The Airspeed Velocity Of An Unladen Swallow?
 
Etc... Etc... Etc...

I'd be willing to spend some time on this, occasionally, but I can't modify my posts after a short period of time.  Perhaps a Moderator could come up with something?

[Reinier]

Forty-two.


Somebody had to do it

[enki_ck]

And you guys wonder why we don't make some threads stickies. Nobody reads stickies.

OK, here are a few.

Applying new scales: http://forum.multitool.or...ex.php/topic,12903.0.html

Multitool TLC: http://forum.multitool.or...dex.php/topic,1559.0.html

The Average Lifespan Of A Red Shirt in TOS? On an away mission? 10 minutes.

The Ultimate Answer To Life, The Universe, And Everything? 42, everyone knows that.

The Airspeed Velocity Of An Unladen Swallow? African or European?


And as for changing something. You can go to the main page of the forum, and on the bottom there is a list of all members currently online. Mods are blue. Pick one and sand a PM with your request.

[jrp316]

I'll throw one into the bowl that I haven't seen anywhere: get a plastic cotton swab stick (the hollow variety, usually the cheapos) or a coffee stir straw. Dip it into whatever oil that you use to lubricate your knife springs and cap one end with your finger. The size of the stick/straw is usually perfect for slipping into the gap between the spacers to get a drop or two of oil into the spring contact points. You can get the oil where it needs to go and not completely cover your knife in the stuff doing it.

[KTesh]

And you guys wonder why we don't make some threads stickies. Nobody reads stickies.

Problem is, I don't read stickies in other forums...

[enki_ck]

And you guys wonder why we don't make some threads stickies. Nobody reads stickies.

Problem is, I don't read stickies in other forums...

You should. There is a lot of useful info in other subforums, especially for SAKs in the Mod Squad.

[AHB]

And you guys wonder why we don't make some threads stickies. Nobody reads stickies.

Problem is, I don't read stickies in other forums...

You should. There is a lot of useful info in other subforums, especially for SAKs in the Mod Squad.

AND of course the general forum rules..

[PTRSAK]

African or European swallow?

[Outback in Idaho]

And you guys wonder why we don't make some threads stickies. Nobody reads stickies.

Problem is, I don't read stickies in other forums...

You should. There is a lot of useful info in other subforums, especially for SAKs in the Mod Squad.

AND of course the general forum rules..

Always read the stickies.

Most the time have even tried searching before I posted.

[Ombudsman]

African or European swallow?

 

[colt 1911]

I'll play,  PEN TRICK

[KTesh]

I'll play,  PEN TRICK

Thanks for that one...  I'm going to have to use that one (more often than I'd like to admit).

[PTRSAK]

Okay, a serious one...

I find that the brass rod I buy from the hobby shop is in a fairly soft if not annealed state.
Easy to peen, but not the strongest for pins.

By putting it in the chuck of a cordless drill and bending it in a curve with the drill running, it work hardens the brass making for stiffer pins that wear less and don't swell all the way down when you peen the ends causing tight pivots.



This 1.6mm rod for 58mm SAKs I bend it through my fingers as it gives better "feel" for how much hardening is happening. Thicker rod I use a piece of wood with a hole drilled in it.

The rod will heat up as you work it so don't go burning yourself and blaming me!!

You can feel the difference,  before working the rod can be bent easily but after it has some "spring" to it.

[Wootz]

I stick the pen into the beak of the small pliers at a 90 degree angle, works well too.

[jrp316]

A sewing needle is a good tool for removing unwanted crud in your knife. The tip will easily get the gunk out of the nail nicks and the tiny crevices; the head of the needle makes a good sideways scraper that won't scratch the knife up.

[Landrew]

It would be nice, if someone with lots of free time could compile some of this great stuff.  Unfortunately it takes forever sometimes to sift the jewels from the sand.

[Outback in Idaho]

Are there any date codes on Victorinox & Wenger knives?

[colt 1911]

Are there any date codes on Victorinox & Wenger knives?

http://victorinox.saam007.com/91mmtools.php

http://www.e-webtechnologies.com/sak/Victorinox_Stampings___Trademarks_-_Update_12FEB08.pdf

[BradGad]

Performance of the not-so-great wire stripper notch can be improved by opening the small knife blade and bottle-opener/screwdriver/wire-stripper at the same time. Pass the wire over the knife edge to partially score the insulation before putting it in the notch... then angle the blade to bend the wire and pull. 

On most 91 mm models, these two blades are positioned together and it's easy to use them together.

[KTesh]

NEVER!  NEVER!!  NEVER!!! Soak your SAK with it's standard red scales in rubbing alcohol...  it appears they are sensitive to it.

I just used a 91% Isopropyl Alcohol to sterilize my knife, and my brand new scales now look like they were original to the knife (3 years), with a really nasty scrape. You can imagine right now I feel like a horse's... backside.

 

[Outback in Idaho]

Keep the the bail down on your Wenger knife before closing the blade. 

[PTRSAK]

NEVER! Soak your SAK with it's standard red scales in rubbing alcohol...  it appears they are sensitive to it.

Keep the the bail down on your Wenger knife before closing the blade. 

Yep,  there's two that I learned for myself not so long ago.   

[AimlessWanderer]

Keep the the bail down on your Wenger knife before closing the blade. 

I learnt that the hard way on my Case Scout Jr 

[GigaHz]

How does that Case compare to a Spartan?

[AimlessWanderer]

How does that Case compare to a Spartan?

More like a Mini Pioneer ... of sorts



84mm long-ish, but not very high which means rather slender tools

[kkokkolis]

When cutting metal with the metal file, don't keep the tool's edge perpendicular to the material but give an angle of 30-45 degrees. It is easier to start this way. Once you make an indent you move to 90 degrees.
Every few minutes allow the blade to cool a bit (and your muscles to rest) when the material is hard and thick.
With the wood saw start one way (pull or push) for the first strokes.
Of course these modes might suit better my hands and I don't claim they are universal.

[Landrew]

Not sure why any newer knife would use a bail. It seems like a completely outdated idea.

[colt 1911]

How does that Case compare to a Spartan?

More like a Mini Pioneer ... of sorts

(Image removed from quote.)

84mm long-ish, but not very high which means rather slender tools

Thats a cool knife, is it new ?

[colt 1911]

 I seen it on amazon, not cheap, nice looking knife.

[PTRSAK]

Not sure why any newer knife would use a bail. It seems like a completely outdated idea.

Retro is the new, new thing. 

And IMO the main reason the put a keyring on now is because it's cheaper to make.

Besides, a bail is much more comfortable in your pocket.