Adjusting-Maintaing the LoneWolf Paul Lock

[brownshoe]

With the buy out of LoneWolf, I thought some people may want to know how to adjust the Paul lock if you blade develops a little play and what they recommend for maintenance. I got the following instructions from them awhile back:

Thank you for your e-mail. We usually reply within 24 hours of receiving it, but for some reason we did not get the e-mail here on this end. In response to your questions,

1) The blade lock-up should be snug and not rotate. We do use Loctite 242 (Blue color) to install the screws to prevent them from backing out. In this case it sounds like we either didn't use enough or it did not cure properly. We would be happy to do this adjustment for you, or if you prefer, you can complete the adjustment at home using the following steps. [Note, there is a eccentric stop pin with screws on both sides of scale, this is what the directions refer to] First, remove both of the small eccentric screws. Knife should be open, pin will not fall out. Second, turn the eccentric pin counterclockwise towards the blade until snug, but not tight. There is a slot for a tiny screw driver in the face side (side with Paul on it). Third, replace the back side screw first using Loctite 242. Back side has no logo. Tighten the screw until snug. Fourth, replace the front side screw using Loctite and turn only until it stops. Over turning this screw will move the eccentric away from the blade again. Lastly, loosen the backside screws an 1/8th of a turn to allow the blade to pivot freely. Test action, blade should swing freely and button lock should work. If blade does not swing, loosen back screw, if button does not lock closed, loosen front screw. Then allow the knife to dry in the open position for at least two hours.

2) To clean the locking mechanism, we recommend putting a couple of drops of WD-40 in the back side of the mechanism, between the nut and the key. Allow the WD-40 to sit for a couple of minutes to allow the debris or sticky substances break-up and dissolve. Next, blow out the WD-40 using an air compressor or dusting air for electronics and keyboards. If you don't have any of these options available, then warm (not hot) water can be used to rinse out the WD-40. Make sure to dry the knife thoroughly. Lastly, re-lubricate the mechanism using a light oil. We use Hoppe's gun oil here in our factory.

 

[smcjoecohen@yahoo]

I have a Lone Wolf Defender w/a loose pivot. I called Benchmade but they told me they didn't have the tools to fix it. Where did you get this information? I don't see any screws on the Mechanism at all. There are #1 torx screws but they are on the steel liners not the Pivot. There is a tiny hole on the back side of the Pivot, it's very small, like the head of a pin or paper clip would be the only thing that would fit in there. I would send it to someone to fix I just don't know who so that's why I ask where you got this info.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Nice if you have it, but not all Paul knives have the eccentric pin adjustment as described in the OP. I think that only applies to current generation models by Lone Wolf, and even then, maybe not to all. I've collected multiple generations of Paul knives, going all the way back to the original models (2P, 2PW, 2PM, etc.) by Gerber back in the '70s/'80s, followed by the larger Model II in the '90s. I also have several of the Lone Wolf versions, including the smallest & most common model (I think it's called the 'Paul Pocket Folder'), a somewhat larger 'Slim Jim' model, and the Prankster.

 

[smcjoecohen@yahoo]

I collect Lone Wolf almost exclusively. They are the only knives I really want, don't know why. Anyway I have a lot of them, maybe 25 or 30. I've got 9 Harsey's, and the rest Paul's. I have every style except the Panther. They are all new so no problem there, I got one used, a Defender w/cocobolo scales. That is the one thats loose. It's one of my fav's too. I could swap the scales to the G10 which is new, but I was hoping I could fix it myself. I tried Benchmade but they were no help. That's why I was asking Brownshoe where that text is from. I would send it to someone just don't know who. The guy from knifemart said he had the tools but it was like $80 an hour, NO THANKS. I could just buy a new one, I want to fix mine.

 

[brownshoe]

I missed your request. The information comes from an e-mail and phone conversation I had with the original Lone-Wolf factory customer service rep. It fixes "looseness" in the lockup (i.e. in the open/close directions). The adjustment screws are the tiny ones right next to the pivot. The factory guy said that even if the knife is loose, the lock is still fully secure. I believe him. You can find the patent (look for the most recent one) and the drawings show how the screw adjusts the lockup. This new adjustment feature enabled Lone Wolf to produce the lock w/o having to hand fitting needed for the original design.

Benchmade is lying when they say they don't have the tools because all it takes is screw drivers. In addition, Benchmade claimed when the bought out Lone-Wolf that they got the tooling to make the Paul knives. They did make them for about a year or so. However, AGRussell in his catalog said recently that Benchmade is dropping the Paul lock line. It's a difficult knife to make correctly. When Benchmade bought out LoneWolf, the press indicated they would honor the warranties on the original line.