How do you split a pinned knife?

sogflash

sogflash

Joined
Aug 28, 2011
Messages
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How do you split a pinned knife? It's a multibladed slip joint with one spring for each blade. I want to remove one blade, so I need to know how to do this without damaging the knife to badly. Anybody got some good advice?
 
Stick it on a drill press and just go far enough to remove the heads. After that they should just fall out if they aren't epoxied in.
 
If you remove the heads, the pins will still have to be driven out.
If the pins are flush with the bolsters, let me know and I'll tell you how to get them out.
 
The pins are flush with the bolsters. The pin that holds the back spring is also flush with the wood.
 
You will have to punch them on one side and file the protruding head on the other side. Then, punch them from the filed side and file the other side. Back and forth, until the flared heads are totally removed. The pins should go a little further each time.
I must caution you that you will probably ruin the knife during disassembly. Even if you don't, you probably will during reassembly.
Can you not find the same knife in a single blade version?
 
Is that the only way to do it? It's meant as a fun little project, but it won't be fun if the knife gets ruined.
 
There are other ways, but they are possibly even more destructive.
Your project is best left to a professional with the skill and equipment to do it properly.
 
There's a thread on another forum (AAPK site; link below) from a member there called 'orvet'; I think he's a member here too. I bookmarked it a while back, in part because of the interesting way he 'splits' a slipjoint (a Schrade 61OT, in this case), by driving a thin steel blade between the liner & blade, to cut the pins. For brass/nickel pins, I'd think it may work pretty well; for steel pins, I don't know. I've seen a video on YouTube of another traditional slipjoint with steel pins being split similarly, by another restorer; afterward, he drives out each of the pin remnants from the inside, salvaging the scale covers. That video is also linked below.

I have NO IDEA how universally effective this technique is (or isn't). If you try it, I'd make sure to 'experiment' with some expendable knives first, before trying to take down one of your favorites. I've never tried this at all.

http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/knife_forum/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=5236

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OElhlDk1G0w


David
 
I've done it not. I wasn't patient enough to wait for a cheap knife to arrive, so I started prying apart my knife.

The result were surprisingly good so I did another one!

It was nerve wrecking, but I'mn happy with the results. Both knives will be used a lot more now than before.
 
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