Crooked Jag

Asha'man

Asha'man

Joined
Jan 22, 2001
Messages
897
Hey all,
Well, I just got my first bali today, sort of a late Christmas present. It is the vaunted Jaguar! :) But there is a problem...... Here's the deal: when it's open, if you look down it from the latch end, the blade goes off in a different direction than straight. If straight out from the handles is 90 degrees, this is about 80, maybe 85 degrees. Here is a link to a couple of pics I took, not great but you can see the problem. Now, I realize that a Jag is not the highest quality bali you can buy, but this seems kinda ridiculous.

Anyway, is there a way to fix this, like a repin or something, or is this just my knife and the way it's going to be? I like it otherwise, and am probably going to find myself sucked into the world of balis like all you guys. :D This just bugs me, though; I'm used to owning knives of at least good to great quality and this is just not right.
Thanks for any info you guys/experts can provide to a poor bali beginner.

Asha'man of the Crooked Knife
 
that is a factory second. If you didn't buy it as a second, ask for your money back. Simple. Or, you can always send it for some of Mer's special treatment.
 
Yeah, I'll say you got a lemon and you really should send it back for an exchange first.

If that's not possible, I'm not sure if adjusting the handle alignment or repinning it would do any good. If the blade stays in that position all the time, the culprit is probably a crooked pivot pin hole in the blade. You'll need to take the bali apart to tell for sure. Only way to fix that is to drill it out straight with a larger bit, a very tricky proposition if you don't have a mill or a really good drill press with a vise. Then re-pin with larger tang pins, after you drill out the handles to match. Which, by the way is all part of Eric's rehandle work.
 
Well, I got it from 1sks.com. I like it a lot and everything, and it doesn't really affect anything, except cosmetically. Is the pivot pin the little deal in the blade that the handles clamp around? If it is, I think that is indeed the problem. I looked at it closer and it appears that one side of that pin is ever-so-slightly longer than the other. This longer side pushes the blade over, since there is plenty of room for the blade to wobble. :rolleyes: I suppose I could file or Dremel it down just a smidge..... Does Mer have a going rate for a sort of "stabilization treatment" or is it all dependent on the work done? I don't think I could justify spending a whole lot of money (plus I don't have any - that's a factor, too :)) on a whole rehandle and everything. But if he (you, if you're reading this, Mer) just has a basic treatment, I might be interested. Thanks for the help, guys!

Asha'man
 
OK, based on your latest post, I'll take it the blade isn't "stuck" in that position, but rather wobbles to that extreme angle. If that's the case, try the "Handle adjustment" tips here first:

http://www.balisongxtreme.com/baliplanet2/tips/10-31-99.htm

You've hit most of the steps in your reply. Hope this works out.

Still, I think you have one with enough defects to warrant an exchange. And once you start this process, that Jag is your to own.
 
I would return it and ask for another one. There a few possibilities of the cause of the problem: pin diameter is too small for the holes in the blade, the holes that the pins go through are drilled at an angle, needs washers to shim the blade. I don't think the length of the pin is the problem. The minimum fix for any of the problems I see requires that it is taken apart.
It may be a good learning experience for you to try and fix it, but I would return it because even if you didn't pay a lot for it, you should still get something better than that. That shouldn't have even made it out the door.
Just my $.02!
Mike
 
The problem with the inexpensive imported knives is they slam jam 'em out the door. "Q.C. What's That?"
Jags are ok for starters. You could always refer to it as your little crippled cutter. Screwing around with it will ultimately prove to be more than a hassle.
Its just one of those things in life, like the toast hitting the floor butter side down. If you can't return it, you can always throw it in your tackle box and use it to cut bait.
 
No doubt about it IMO.., that guy should go back in a heartbeat! You are right.., the "Jag" is certainly not a high quality knife Asha'man.., and all the advice you've got here is good.., but that is a significant defect and I'm sure 1sks will exchange it for you!

Good luck.., and send it back!

Let us know what happens....



"Hunters seek what they [WANT].., Seekers hunt what they [NEED]"
 
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