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Blade Wobble And A Big Gap?
- Thread starter SteelSnob
- Start date
Well, I'm assuming sending it in for warranty isn't an option.
A lot of people will yell at me for saying this, I've seen it happen.
However you can put the knife between two magazines, and gently tap the bolster with a hammer. You wanna do this with enough force to actually do something to it through the magazine, but you don't really want to come down on it hard. Think of using a dead-blow hammer if you've ever done that.
If you have a pair of calipers that helps, because you can use them to measure the width of the bolster and the distance of the gap between the two bolsters where the blade is. Make sure this doesn't go down by more than a few thousanths of an inch.
I actually just got a Case Trapper with these very problems and that's what I did to fix it.
Problem that I've heard is that when you hammer on one end of the bolster, you put some stress on the spring pivot. Or something like that. It doesn't seem to matter if you only need to whack things back into place a couple thousandths of an inch.
A lot of people will yell at me for saying this, I've seen it happen.
However you can put the knife between two magazines, and gently tap the bolster with a hammer. You wanna do this with enough force to actually do something to it through the magazine, but you don't really want to come down on it hard. Think of using a dead-blow hammer if you've ever done that.
If you have a pair of calipers that helps, because you can use them to measure the width of the bolster and the distance of the gap between the two bolsters where the blade is. Make sure this doesn't go down by more than a few thousanths of an inch.
I actually just got a Case Trapper with these very problems and that's what I did to fix it.
Problem that I've heard is that when you hammer on one end of the bolster, you put some stress on the spring pivot. Or something like that. It doesn't seem to matter if you only need to whack things back into place a couple thousandths of an inch.
Well I wanted to get a refund but the dealer(knives ship free) is screwing me around and trying to charge me 20% to take it back or he says he can send me another of the same model but he refuses to check it for wobble so I contacted the manufacturer(GEC)and I'm waiting for a response. I'm thinking about just trying to do it on my own because I caught the dealer in big lie and he hasn't responded yet when I called him on it. I'll take this as a lesson learned and not deal with him again and either have GEC fix it or try it on my own.
Here's a picture of the knife
I'm wondering if that technique may crack the stag?
Here's a picture of the knife
I'm wondering if that technique may crack the stag?
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Well I wanted to get a refund but the dealer(knives ship free) is screwing me around and trying to charge me 20% to take it back or he says he can send me another of the same model but he refuses to check it for wobble so I contacted the manufacturer(GEC)and I'm waiting for a response. I'm thinking about just trying to do it on my own because I caught the dealer in big lie and he hasn't responded yet when I called him on it. I'll take this as a lesson learned and not deal with him again and either have GEC fix it or try it on my own.
Here's a picture of the knife
I'm wondering if that technique may crack the stag?
I think there's a reasonable risk in that. I would avoid it if you're worried about that.
I think I made a small hairline fracture in my Trapper's handles. Not too big though, but I kind of wish I had just warrantied the thing. I just got done sharpening and forcing a patina and didn't really want a brand new one though.
Morrow
Don't make this weird
- Joined
- Apr 11, 2007
- Messages
- 27,773
I think GEC will take care of you. I've talked to them before and was happy with the outcome. I only buy slip joints from dealers willing to inspect them before shipping. Some will even take pics of the knife and send them to you. I find this useful when buying knives with natural handle material...stag especially. I simply do not buy from dealers that can't do this for me.
EDIT: Bah...now I have to call myself a liar. I have recently bought slip joints from dealers that don't inspect the knives but this was out of necessity. Nobody else had the darn knife I wanted.
EDIT: Bah...now I have to call myself a liar. I have recently bought slip joints from dealers that don't inspect the knives but this was out of necessity. Nobody else had the darn knife I wanted.
The funny thing is after he sent it it out and I complained he told me something to the effect of we never take knives out of packages even on request because most collectors don't want knives disturbed in any way, now keep in mind gec don't come sealed in any way that's disturbable and I thought to myself, wait a minute he had pictures of my exact knife on his site. He did that so you can pick out the stag you want and it obviously had to be taken out of the package to take the picture
knives ship free from their site
In my bed room at home.
After catching him in that lie and his general refusal to propose any fair options I just said forget it. I won't be buying Northwoods or anything from KSF again.
In my bed room at home.
After catching him in that lie and his general refusal to propose any fair options I just said forget it. I won't be buying Northwoods or anything from KSF again.
Well, if you still want to fix it, but don't want to risk breaking the stag in half, try to find a buddy with a pin or something that you can set directly onto the bolster and then hammer that way.
Should avoid any unnecessary impact between the hammer and the stage. I forgot to mention my Trapper only has a hairline fracture because I was beating on part of the handle too in order to take care of the big gap I had between the lockspring and the brass liner.
Gotta say over all these years, I expected more from Case. I guess it was a display model though.
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2008
- Messages
- 36,647
As far as quality from GEC goes, it appears this seems to be a company who started to take hold, and began seeing more business. They had higher demand, and needed more skilled help. Did they find the skilled help, or did the workers get stressed out and forced to produce too fast, sacrificing quality? This is my mere speculation, which anyone can claim "lame answer CJ", if this is way off base. I have beein eyeing GEC's and really want some of these patterns, they just look great, but I have seen many discuss issues lately. Scalability (a business plan to grow the business without growing pains) is key for any young business, otherwise, you shoot yourself in the foot while running at full stride. I hope they get whatever QC issues under control. I still want to buy some of these. I will wait and watch. Time is on my side.
Bill DeShivs
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2000
- Messages
- 12,810
I can fix it. It is not a job for someone who is unfamiliar with pinning.
My other #25 in Zebrawood and 440C was pretty good and I believe it was a newer model but I could be wrong. It has absolutely no wobble,dead centered blade and everything was pretty good. The only noticable flaw was some pins being recessed at different depths.The Stag GEC has a gap and wobble but everything else is good. After hearing from some others I'm going to send it to GEC. EDIT upon further thought I realized the GEC in Zebrawood did have very gritty action and wasn't that sharp plus the backspring wasn't flush in half position but I suppose that's common for factory Slipjoints. EDIT END
Is that address on their site also their warranty and repair address?
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Morrow
Don't make this weird
- Joined
- Apr 11, 2007
- Messages
- 27,773
There is phone number on their site. Give them a call.....nice people.
Steel--
You have been dealing with Tom and he told me what is going on.
Here is our policy on this knife. Send it back. We will replace it or you can have 100% credit toward another knife. If you don't want credit, but a refund, that is where the restocking fee comes in. That is the policy on our site and it is the policy you agreed to when you purchased.
We WILL take care of it for you, but you have to send it back.
Yes, I take each one out to take a picture. if I notice any flaws, I send it back to GEC. I don't "inspect" them per se, just photograph them.
As far as when people ask us to inspect them before they go out, we generally let people we can try, but when the people who pack the knives inspect them, they don't always catch what the customer will catch.
I am sorry you got a substandard knife. We don't make them, but we will exchange it for you.
You have been dealing with Tom and he told me what is going on.
Here is our policy on this knife. Send it back. We will replace it or you can have 100% credit toward another knife. If you don't want credit, but a refund, that is where the restocking fee comes in. That is the policy on our site and it is the policy you agreed to when you purchased.
We WILL take care of it for you, but you have to send it back.
Yes, I take each one out to take a picture. if I notice any flaws, I send it back to GEC. I don't "inspect" them per se, just photograph them.
As far as when people ask us to inspect them before they go out, we generally let people we can try, but when the people who pack the knives inspect them, they don't always catch what the customer will catch.
I am sorry you got a substandard knife. We don't make them, but we will exchange it for you.