Blade(s) delete on a Spartan?

[hariph creek]

I have this old Spartan kicking around and I would like to mod it.
My goal is to make it one layer with both openers and the corkscrew. Something to stay in my luggage for trips with my wife whether flying or driving.
I think I understand the disassembly and reassembly process pretty well thanks to this Forum and YouTube. I just wanted to see if there are any incompatibility issues with how these tools fit together?

[Enginears]

Don Pablo goes into a couple different ways to do it and has good pics. https://forum.multitool.org/index.php?topic=73874.0

[hariph creek]

Hey thanks, I will look into it.
I guess it is actually a tourist. Same difference though, just 84mm, instead.

[hariph creek]

I read through it. I think I  followed the logic? Since I just want a single layer with both openers and a corkscrew on the back. Why not just just ditch the center liner, blades, and their back spring. Then take the awl off the opener layer and replace it with the corkscrew.
Is there something special about the blade back spring that brings the whole knife together?

[Enginears]

I think the issue is due to the thickness of the two layers. If you tried to use the corkscrew on the opener layer it would be quite a bit too thick. I have not done it, but maybe the outer face of the tang of the corkscrew could be filed or milled until the thickness matched the opener layer.

[hariph creek]

Good thought. Just eyeballing it, it looks to be the same thickness at the tang, as the awl. I will break out the calipers when I dig into it.

[ComboTool]

I think the issue is due to the thickness of the two layers. If you tried to use the corkscrew on the opener layer it would be quite a bit too thick. I have not done it, but maybe the outer face of the tang of the corkscrew could be filed or milled until the thickness matched the opener layer.

Yes, the blade layer (and thus the corkscrew) is thicker than the opener layer so you will have to file it. I know it's been done here but I can't find an example thread at the moment.

[Helvetica Bold]

I found some tiny .4mm brass washers with a 2.5mm hole on eBay (couldn’t believe it to be honest that all the dimensions were so perfect) but if you can get those you could just use the blade layer spring and put a spacer on the cap lifter. You could also make a spacer or thin the split ring eye spacer to .4mm as suggested in that other thread. They eye might be a bit thin to be practical then but you could always grind that off if you didn’t like it. :0)

[ComboTool]

The bottle opener tends to sit high in the closed position when used on a blade backspring. Not impossible but definitely not very elegant.

[hariph creek]

Yes, the blade layer (and thus the corkscrew) is thicker than the opener layer so you will have to file it. I know it's been done here but I can't find an example thread at the moment.

I am looking at it right now and both of the back springs and the tangs of the awl and corkscrew appear to be the same width.
Having been said. I could easily reduce the width of the corkscrew tang, if necessary.

[hariph creek]

I found some tiny .4mm brass washers with a 2.5mm hole on eBay (couldn’t believe it to be honest that all the dimensions were so perfect) but if you can get those you could just use the blade layer spring and put a spacer on the cap lifter. You could also make a spacer or thin the split ring eye spacer to .4mm as suggested in that other thread. They eye might be a bit thin to be practical then but you could always grind that off if you didn’t like it. :0)

I plan on eliminating the split ring eye. It would be no problem to repurpose it.

[hariph creek]

The bottle opener tends to sit high in the closed position when used on a blade backspring. Not impossible but definitely not very elegant.

I read through this topic from Don Pablo. I plan on keeping the opening layer in tact with the opening layer back spring.

[hariph creek]

Just in case it was missed above...
I actually have a TOURIST. My title is wrong. The TOURIST is same tool set as the Spartan, only it's 84mm instead of 91mm.

[Enginears]

Good thought. Just eyeballing it, it looks to be the same thickness at the tang, as the awl. I will break out the calipers when I dig into it.

Keep us posted. I haven’t had functional calipers at home since getting into Sak mods. I am curious how they measure.

[hariph creek]

Will do!

[Don Pablo]

Hey, just happened across this topic.
Does your tourist have the old thick or new thin blade?

[hariph creek]

Hey, just happened across this topic.
Does your tourist have the old thick or new thin blade?

I have not taken it apart yet. It does not appear to have the spacer built into the outer scale on the big blade side. (If I am understanding your thread in this subject, linked above.) So I am guessing older, thick tang blade?

[Don Pablo]

I have not taken it apart yet. It does not appear to have the spacer built into the outer scale on the big blade side. (If I am understanding your thread in this subject, linked above.) So I am guessing older, thick tang blade?

Yes, I believe so. It's been a few years, so I think that just means you need to find or make 0.4mm brass spacers for the can opener and bottle opener? I made mine with 0.4mm brass sheet.
I'm interested as well to hear about your caliper measurements when you disassemble.

Are you going to try grinding the spring so you can put the bottle opener where the main blade goes?
Now I'm wondering what it looks like ungrinded on a 84mm SAK... Could be slightly different to a 91mm SAK.

[hariph creek]

Yes, I believe so. It's been a few years, so I think that just means you need to find or make 0.4mm brass spacers for the can opener and bottle opener? I made mine with 0.4mm brass sheet.
I'm interested as well to hear about your caliper measurements when you disassemble.

Are you going to try grinding the spring so you can put the bottle opener where the main blade goes?
Now I'm wondering what it looks like ungrinded on a 84mm SAK... Could be slightly different to a 91mm SAK.

Why not just keep the openers with the opener spring?
The 84mm looks to be a little more uniform than the pictures of the 91mm. Springs seem same thickness. Backside of both springs looks near identical too. Same step down for awl and corkscrew. The key ring loop appears to be built into the small blade spacer, too.
I will get EXPLODED! pics, when it is apart.

[Don Pablo]

If that works on 84mm, then awesome. 

On 91mm at least, the corkscrew tang is significantly thicker than the awl, so that throws a spanner into the works for using the opener spring...

[hariph creek]

I think the same. We will see.
It appears the corkscrew spring does "step down" a little further than the awl spring. May have address as necessary when the time comes.
I was going to get started on this today. The fridge quit working yesterday. I have a bad back and over did it trying to diagnose it. Looks like maybe next weekend for the TSA Tourist.

[Don Pablo]

Ah, that sucks. Always happens at the worst time.
Rest up!

[Helvetica Bold]

Wish I had an 84mm blade with back tool spring to try some options but only have non-backtool one at the moment! It’s a bit of hack but is bending the opener spring a bit an option maybe?