lock while blowing out the handle slot. This will ensure that the dirt around the tang of the blade is blown out through the gap between the tang and the lock. To clean the knife more thorough-
Tools: Proper tools are critical to good folder maintenance. Make sure you invest in micro screwdriv- ers, Torx drivers and hex wrenches before you go to work. Blue (non- permanent) Loctite applied to your folder screws will keep them from backing out and loosening with time.
ly, get a bottle of rubbing alcohol and some cotton swabs. Flatten the ends of the cotton swabs with pliers or a tap from a hammer so they will fit into the handle slot more easily, and then dip them in the alcohol and swab out the handle. Pay particular atten- tion to the area around the tang of the blade and the recess under the lock- ing bar of liner-lock knives. If your knife is a lockback type, use a tooth- pick to clean out the locking notch on the back of the tang. Dirt buildup in this notch can keep the lock from en- gaging completely and compromise its function. Really dirty knives can be cleaned by running them under hot tap water while scrubbing with a soft-bristled toothbrush and some dish detergent.
Lube It Up Once your knife is clean, you
handle slot and the lock mechanism itself, preventing the knife from open- ing and locking properly. To avoid this, you should inspect and clean your knife frequently. Carrying your knife with a pocket
clip or in a belt pouch gets it up out of the pocket and makes it less prone to attracting lint and dirt; however, you still need to check it and clean it regularly. For quick cleanings, an air compressor or the canned air avail- able at computer supply stores can be used to blow dirt out of the handle slot and lock mechanism. For best re- sults, open the blade until it is about 90 degrees to the handle before blow- ing it out. For lockback knives, turn the handle slot down and depress the
should lubricate the blade pivot. The lubricant you use is up to you, but whatever you choose, use it spar- ingly. Oil attracts dust and dirt and can actually cause your knife to be- come dirty. I lube my knives with a Teflon-based gun lubricant with a long applicator tube that allows me to precisely control the amount of lube dispensed. Alternately, you can place a drop of lube on a toothpick and use it to apply the lube exactly where you want it. I place one drop on each side of the blade tang and allow it to flow into the joint. Opening the knife a few times then works the lube into the piv- ot and the contact surfaces on the side of the blade. For lockback knives, I put a small
drop on the back of the tang where it contacts the lock bar. I also test the movement of the lock bar to ensure
that it pivots smoothly. If not, a small drop of oil at the lock-bar pivot usu- ally does the trick. Liner-lock knives sometimes fail to
open smoothly because the ball bear- ing for the detent mechanism galls or scrapes against the side of the tang. If you open the blade partway and look into the handle near the blade, you can see the protruding ball bearing in the liner. A drop of oil right on the ball usually solves the problem and smoothes out the action.
Avoiding The Grind Normal cleaning and lubrication
should give your tactical folder a smooth-operating action. If exposure to sand or grit has scratched the mat- ing parts — or if you just want to “slick up” the action to make it smoother — you can “lap” it. Just like lapping the locking lugs of a rifle, this process uses a very fine polishing compound and the normal operation of the knife’s ac- tion to polish the mating surfaces. To lap a folder, I use jeweler’s rouge
— a fine polishing compound avail- able from most hobby shops. Scrape the bar of rouge with a knife to get some fine shavings and drop these into the pivot area, adding a few drops of oil to create a slurry. Then open and close the blade of the knife for a few minutes to let the slurry polish the contacting surfaces. Thoroughly flush out the slurry
with warm, soapy water, blow the knife dry with compressed air and lu- bricate normally. If necessary, repeat the process until the desired smooth- ness of operation is achieved.
Tighten Up If your folder is assembled with
screws, keeping them properly tight- ened is critical to proper performance of your knife. To do this, you need to invest in the right tools. There is a big difference between regular screwdriv- ers and micro screwdrivers, and there is also a significant difference between hex-head screws and torx screws. Us- ing the wrong tool can easily strip the screw heads and make tightening and repairing your knife very difficult. The assembly screws on quality
Lapping a folder: Jeweler’s rouge and a few drops of oil can be used to “lap” the action of a folder, polishing the mating surfaces to smooth the action.
WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM
Pivot lubrication: Lubricate the blade pivot of your folder sparingly with quality gun oil. An applicator tube makes it easier to control the oil and get it where it needs to go.
folding knives are usually installed with Loctite or a similar thread- locking compound to keep them from backing out. As such, they usually don’t need much maintenance. How- ever, pivot-pin screws and clip screws take a lot more abuse and are prone to loosening. If that happens, they should be removed completely and re- installed with fresh Loctite. With Loctite, you can custom
tune the tightness of the pivot pin and the knife’s action. To do this,
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