How to soften the pull on a nail breaker.

Bladenoobie1

Bladenoobie1

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Jul 20, 2012
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I received a older bone boker barlow today. It's condition is great, blades are completely full, and I got it for a great price. Only issue is that the small pen blade is a freaken nail DESTROYER. It's painful to pull out that small pen blade and I was wondering if there are any methods in "softening" the spring. I thought I remember reading some methods somewhere but I can't remember them.

Thanks,
Julian
 
There have been a few threads on here about this. I can't remember any of them, and don't have any saved, but if you dig a bit you should be able to find them. Maybe someone else can link them.
 
Hey Julian,

There are a few methods I've heard about... first, tape the edge and work the bade back and forth vigorously while oiling the joint (flushing it with water and soap, wd-40, etc., as well)--that helps if there is rust, dirt, etc. Second, leaving it open over night, with the blade left between the half stop and either closed or open (assuming you have a half stop)... lastly, I read about filing the squared part of the tang (which makes a hall stop), thus smoothing out the action (the push of the tang on the back spring). Can't say I've tried the last one.

BTW, I'm down the road in SoPas. Howdy neighbor.
 
I'm sure most of the dirt or rust is all gone, it's just these gator springs. Will leaving the half stop partially closed or almost open keeping tension on the spring put the spring at risk of snapping? I've read that method of softening the pull, I just don't want to ruin the knife though. As it stands though my right index finger nail is all chipped at the tip and I can no longer open the small pen blade :rolleyes:
 
As said, clean it out, and work the blade a bunch.

I have had this work many times!
 
Tape the blade and get wood or copper or whatever softjaws for a vise and work the blade a whole bunch. If you wear leather gloves you can do this a *lot* in short order. Flush with oil, compressed air is invaluable, yadda, yadda. Read that thread.

As you do this, realize that rounding the squarish corners on the tang is a lot of what happens. Therefore, try to work it the most on the corner which rubs when you first open. You've got to kind of hang the knife off the edge of the vise almost closed and work it there. You want the first part of the pull to lessen, not the part which holds it open as much.
 
Using a slip joint knife with a strong back spring , in my experience, is more a matter of technique than engineering.
 
Aias said:
Hey Julian,

There are a few methods I've heard about... first, tape the edge and work the bade back and forth vigorously while oiling the joint (flushing it with water and soap, wd-40, etc., as well)--that helps if there is rust, dirt, etc. Second, leaving it open over night, with the blade left between the half stop and either closed or open (assuming you have a half stop)... lastly, I read about filing the squared part of the tang (which makes a hall stop), thus smoothing out the action (the push of the tang on the back spring). Can't say I've tried the last one.

BTW, I'm down the road in SoPas. Howdy neighbor.
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Howdy. Thanks for all the help guys. I tried doing the dry bar method, but the only thing I acheived was making a tiny gap between the springs and liners. I was able to squeeze it back together though with my pliers so no harm done. Bending the spring maybe lowered the pull by at most, half a point. Still bear spring status. I pulled out the blade though and opened and closed it in during my down time. Probably a total of 100-150 times. The spring was probably a high 8-9 at the start and now its maybe a mid to low 8. Still tough to open but it doesn't rip or break my nails.
 
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hello! if you do it i recommend doing it just in the open position and carefully not to change the curve of the tang (second picture green is ok red is not) otherwise its possible that the force of the spring doesnt close the knife anymore (first pictore if x gets too small or minus). however consider that it is possible that either way you do it its possible that the spring rides deeper when the knife is closed after the adjustment.
brgds b
 
Tried the file method on an Arthur Wright that was IMPOSSIBLE to open without a tool and it worked like a champ, thanks. The blade does sit a little lower when closed, but is fine when opened (which is when it actually matters anyway). It is nice to finally have a functional little lambsfoot rather than more junk in a drawer! Thanks again y'all.
 
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