Can gaps between the springs/liners grow?

[Bladenoobie1]

I have a old boker barlow that I recently received and I accidentally introduced some small hair line gaps between the liners and the spring around the small blade. The gaps are only there at the upper portion and aren't that large. That said, can these small hair line gaps spread and get wider overtime?

Thanks,
Julian

 

[glennbad]

If I read what you are describing correctly, that is usually indicative of the blade pivot loosening up. Are the pins sunk in the bolster?

 

[Bladenoobie1]

If I read what you are describing correctly, that is usually indicative of the blade pivot loosening up. Are the pins sunk in the bolster?

Well the pins are flush with the bolster. It is still completely solid and tight with no play though. I just wrapped up the bosters and squeezed them a bit with pliers and the gaps are gone. The pin came out probably 1/32 of an inch or less and I have since sanded it flush. A quick question. Are bolsters typically drilled straight through and the pivot pin fit in, or is one bolster counter sunk on the inside and the other bolster completely drilled through? Reason I ask is that when I squeezed the bolsters, the pin only stuck out a tiny bit on one end and remained flush on the other.

 

[glennbad]

That tells me that one bolster side hole has loosened a bit, which is the reason that when you squeezed it together, it went proud on that side. It sounds like the other side is tight. To your question, typically both bolsters are drilled through and the pins peened on both sides. An exception to that would be Schrade's swinden construction, but that is a different animal altogether.

 

[Bigfattyt]

Next time, try to peen the pin with a small ball peen hammer or smooth hammer before sanding, this can prevent the knife loosening again.