How To How can I open up a Buck Canoe?

E

ErikMB

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Jul 27, 2017
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I managed to damage the spring on a little Buck Canoe knife. It doesn't go down all the way. I believe it is simply bent.

It's a cheap little $10 knife, not really worth sending back to them, but it's special since my daughter and I have a matching set from a vacation together.

I think, to fix it, all I need to do is open one side, remove the blade, bend the spring back into shape, and close it back up again.

I don't see any little pivot pin in the bolsters. I am wondering if there is a different design used by Buck on these. Does anyone have any ideas?

I've sanded the bolster to see if I could see a pin, I have put it in a c-clamp for a week, pushing the spring back to normal shape (which helped but not all the way), I have banged on the bolster with a punch where I thought the pin ought to be (which left a lot of ugly dents in that shiny brass), and cleaned and oiled it like crazy to be sure that the issue was not having something in the way that keeps the spring from going down all the way. The knife is clean, there are no obstructions. I just managed to bend the spring. I suspect that I heated it up by playing with it during too many Zoom meetings and it cooled off in a slightly raised position. Just a guess.

Anyone know how to open this up?
 
The pin and the bolster are probably different materials. A light etch (mustard?) might reveal the pin.
 
Bill DeShivs said:
Post a picture of the knife, please.
Click to expand...
Here you go.

I think I almost see the pin in that close up. That could help a lot. I forgot to coat it with mustard to get some contrast. I'll go do that after posting this.

Anyway, you'll notice that the spring is raised just a little. It doesn't look like much but it results in the pen blade being a floppy in the closed position. It's also not very secure in the open position.

How can this be repaired, supposing I cannot open the knife?
 

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Leave the bolsters alone.
The proper way to repair the knife is to remove the backspring.
Cut the rivet head off the center pin and drive it out. Alternately, you can hammer a utility knife blade between the liners and backspring to cut the pin-but I prefer to drive the pin out.
You will probably find the backspring worn. Bending it a little can compensate for this.
Look carefully at the underside of the pin hole on the spring to make sure it isn't cracked.
Reassembly is done by opening the blades and compressing the backspring in a vise until the proper size pin can be inserted. Peen the pin and polish it.
 
Bill DeShivs said:
Leave the bolsters alone.
The proper way to repair the knife is to remove the backspring.
Cut the rivet head off the center pin and drive it out. Alternately, you can hammer a utility knife blade between the liners and backspring to cut the pin-but I prefer to drive the pin out.
You will probably find the backspring worn. Bending it a little can compensate for this.
Look carefully at the underside of the pin hole on the spring to make sure it isn't cracked.
Reassembly is done by opening the blades and compressing the backspring in a vise until the proper size pin can be inserted. Peen the pin and polish it.
Click to expand...
Yes! That makes sense!

I have made some knives where I use a clamp to squeeze the backspring into place so I can drive a pin through.

I don't know why I didn't think of that. Duh... ;-)
 
Bill has it. No need to remove the bolsters and blade. Remove the pivot (center) pin and increase the spring tension a bit. I usually drill the pin out partway first and then punch it the rest of the way. As he commented, check that the issue isn't a broken backspring. They often crack at the center hole.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Bill has it. No need to remove the bolsters and blade. Remove the pivot (center) pin and increase the spring tension a bit. I usually drill the pin out partway first and then punch it the rest of the way. As he commented, check that the issue isn't a broken backspring. They often crack at the center hole.
Click to expand...
I just returned to my desk after doing exactly what you guys suggested.

Turns out it is a crack at the center hole, exactly as you described, Stacey.

I also managed to whack my finger. I see a blood blister forming. A bit distracting for a software engineer who types all day long. šŸ¤£

Can this be repaired? Would JB Weld work? I can do the tiny craftmanship thanks to all those years making model airplanes and toy soldiers but I am wondering how this can be repaired.

I also removed the ugly plastic scales so I can put on something nicer, maybe something sentimental my daughter picks out. First, though, I need to figure out how to repair it.
 

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You'll have to make a new backspring. JB Weld won't work- it's just glue.
Welding will ruin the temper. It's easier to just make a new spring out of 1095, 1070, 1084, O-1 etc.
 
Well, you could send it to me, and I would charge $90, plus $11 shipping to make/install your spring. Or, you can make your own.
Or, you could buy the above knife and get your parts.
 
Erik, I think you missed Hubert's point. Buy another identical knife and take it apart. Use the good spring to replace the broken one. You will also have other extra parts if something else breaks in the future.
 
My experience with Buck knife disassembly is to remove the center pin and the bolsters are keyhole on each end. The pivot pins have a flared head on each side. I'll bet the problem is a bent/broken pivot pin.
 
Oops. I guess I missed the pictures. At any rate, the 2 Buck 3 blade Cadets that I took apart came apart easily once the center pin was removed.
 
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