Breaking in a folder?

patrickb

patrickb

Joined
Dec 29, 2003
Messages
339
I recently picked up a carbon fiber William Henry Kestrel. Compared to some other WH knives I've toyed with in the stores, the action on my Kestrel is a bit stiffer than I anticipated. I've only owned & carried the knife for two weeks now, so I don't think it's gunked up with lint and/or dirt (not yet at least). To be fair, I haven't compared it to another Kestrel, but have checked the action on some of WH's larger folders (Monarch, Lancet) and all were Titanium, not carbon fiber so its not exactly apples to apples.

Does the knife require some break in time before it smooths out? I asked a local cutlery store owner and he indicated it felt fine and simply needed to break in and will smooth out over time. Does this sound right? Will repeated opening/closing smooth things out a bit?

-patrick
 
I haven't handled one personally but i would expect some kind of bushing between the carbon fibre and the blade, such as a teflon or phosphor bronze washer. The Titanium ones may not have had a washer and could have been smoother to start with.

Give it a while to loosen up by opening and closing it for a while. If it fails to loosen up use a few drops of the recommended lubricant on the pivot to see if it helps.
 
Just like a quality semiautomatic pistol needs to be broken in, so does a knife with tight tolerances.
 
I had a Spyderco Native SS that was very tight the first time, and gradually loosen.
Use lube, and simply break in the knife. That will smooth things out.
 
Looks like us TZ'ers are everywhere. :-)

I have no specific experience with that knife. But I have definitely found that folders loosen up a bit with time. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

If it really bothers you drop a touch of some approved lube in there and work in well.


Christopher
 
...will become noticeably smoother in operation after a short break-in period. I believe this is a trait of all mechanical devices having metal-to-metal interfaces in their makeup.
It's simply a friction thing! :-)

Larry S.
 
i recently read that folders have to be "masturbated" for a while, then they'll inevitably soften up. my personal experience leads me to agree!
 
Nice to bump into you over in these parts :~) Thanks for the tip.

Best,

Patrick
 
Nice to bump into you over in these parts :~) Thanks for the tip.

Best,

Patrick
 
......I prefer "knifsturbation" personally! And don't forget to switch hands occasionally!! :-)

Larry S.
 
Patrick,
I have the Kestrel in jigged bone, and mine has gotten 'smoother' over time. I did use a little CLP on the pivot when new, tho'...

Fred
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top