Need a few opinions about an issue with my white owl

johnwaynesandw

johnwaynesandw

Joined
Mar 18, 2005
Messages
2,753
About a month back I bought a Northfield white owl. When it arrived I noticed the main blade seemed weak/lazy. I loved everything about the knife except the lazy main blade. I wanted that walk and talk of my 47 or 73. The pen blade on the white owl is even good and acceptable to me, but not the main blade.

I search for a while to find one in genuine stag that I liked. It was even better since it has a SN. So once the WO arrives and I notice the lazy back spring I call Chris. She is such a great lady who said send it in we will fix it.

The WO arrived today and the spring may seem a touch better (it may have been a 2 out of 10, and now 3.5-4 out of 10). The blades seem stiff when open and secure, but I can open the blade slowly up 99.9% of the way open and the spring still does not snap it open.

I also noticed the SN was now upside down. So I call and speak with Chris again who said send it to her and she will get it fixed. I asked if the back spring could be worked any more or if that is the nature of the knife such as the conductor and white owl). She explained that they could not tighen them up more without damageing them.

So this leads me to my question. Should I send the knife in just to fix the SN since they can do no more with the back spring? If this was going to be a user knife I would not care, but seeing the spring is not to my likeing I will put it in the box and maybe save it till I get older and need a lighter pull (as I have come to learn I may be blessed enough to live long enough to need a weaker spring). Will the upside down SN be looked at as a fraud even though I have the tube that states the SN?

Thank you in advance,
John
 
Without holding the blade (just pushing) how low does it get before opening on its own? Same question for closing?

Many people keep the blade pinched or under control all the way open/closed and if you do that, I have seen plenty that will stop at a given spot. But if you just push them, they will find their own action.

I haven't seen many older blades that had the joint tightened tight enough to cause binding, but it is showing up more now on the current releases. Nearly every time it has been resistance in the joint instead of a weak backspring. I think recently they have tightened the joint significantly more to alleviate any blade play since it has been getting a lot of press.
 
knifeswapper said:
Without holding the blade (just pushing) how low does it get before opening on its own? Same question for closing?
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I can open it about 99.99% of the way pushing on the tang that rests on the back spring while closed and the action still does not take over and open the blade to 100%.

As for closing, it has improved. Before I was could close it 95% or greater before the action would kick in and shut by the spring. Now I can close it to about 75% and it shuts itself.
 
johnwaynesandw said:
I can open it about 99.99% of the way pushing on the tang that rests on the back spring while closed and the action still does not take over and open the blade to 100%.

As for closing, it has improved. Before I was could close it 95% or greater before the action would kick in and shut by the spring. Now I can close it to about 75% and it shuts itself.
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So it is just a bit tight if the spring will close it from 45 degrees. They can fix it by loosening the joint I suspect. Have you tried oiling it real well at the joint and working it for a few minutes? (in case compound is causing resistance) How about pinching the joint spread a bit?
 
knifeswapper said:
So it is just a bit tight if the spring will close it from 45 degrees. They can fix it by loosening the joint I suspect. Have you tried oiling it real well at the joint and working it for a few minutes? (in case compound is causing resistance) How about pinching the joint spread a bit?
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I have tried a bit of oil and working it even first thing this morning in hopes that it will get mroe action. It seems to be getting slightly better, but nothing to write home about. Now if I push open from the tang, I can press it 7/8th of the way and it will snap open. If the blade is open and I go to close it even the smallest amount, the blade will stay in that spot and I have to open it that last .01% to fully engage the back spring.

Maybe it just needs to be worked more.
 
scattershot said:
As much as you guys pay for those knives, you should send it back until it's perfect.
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This is what keeps going through my head, but it is a production knife. I am just not sure where to draw the line in what is acceptable. I know the walk and talk is not what I was expecting when I paid well over $100 for this knife.
 
johnwaynesandw said:
This is what keeps going through my head, but it is a production knife. I am just not sure where to draw the line in what is acceptable. I know the walk and talk is not what I was expecting when I paid well over $100 for this knife.
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I'd be miffed if it was my $100+ on the line. At least you have the option of sending it back. Don't "settle" for anything less than your expectation. If you did, it'd bug you everytime you look at that knife.

I worry about this everytime I place an international online order. Thank goodness I haven't been too disappointed with anything yet.
 
Some of the guys have washed out their knives with very hot, running, water and dish soap, blown compressed air (Dust Off) or compressed WD-40 in the joint, and then worked the blade several minutes and then oiled the joints one last time and that seems to have worked for them. It's worth a shot.
 
I agree with ED. Give It the best cleaning you can. Put a piece of tape over the edge to prevent an accident. Get the water as hot as you can stand. Use dish soap and pour it in, work the blade as long as you can. Use qtips to wipe gunk. The air or wd40 is a great tip. Then do it again. When all done lube it and check the action. I had one come from GEC that was lazy like yours. Now the snap is hard and perfect. Give it some time and keep cleaning it. The smallest amount of gunk or compound really screws the action up.
 
Well gave her a good HOT and soapy washing while working the blades. I then blew the knife out with Remoil and worked the action. I then lubed every where generously working the action. I can see some improvement and smoothing of the action. Still not close to what I was expecting in the walk and talk, but maybe if I keep working the main blade it will at least get on par with the pen blade.

I thought about cleaning with this method, but the knife looked very clean. I guess there was some compound between the liners and spring. We will see how she turns out after the weekend of working the main blade to see if I send it in for the upside down SN.
 
How did they manage to put the Serial Number upside down? Did they put a new bolster on it the first time you sent it in and then re-engraved the serial number upside down?
 
If they have to adjust the pivot or take the knife apart they have to re-buff and re-engrave. All I have seen have the serial number applied where it will stand correct if you place the non-primary pivot on the table, standing straight up.
 
knifeswapper, you are correct. Chris explained that they buffed the bolster which removed the SN. Now the SN reads right if the main blade is open and pointed down (as stuck in a table).

The more I think about it, the more I want to send it back. It appears the gaps between the liners and back spring are larger than when I first sent it in, but that could be from the cleaning I did earlier and removing any leftover compound. I can see a good bit of light on both sides of the back spring at both ends. I'm still not really happy about the walk and talk of the main blade. I am just wondering if my expectations are too high for a production knife, but I got the same if not better walk and talk and better fit and finish in a $12 RR barlow.
 
Iust a thought but is the softer pull to do with the lack of a half stop ? I have an Owl and as some of the previous posts have said after washing in warm soapy water and applying just a couple of drops of oil from a Boker oil-pen all is fine, after all this is a small penknife not a tactical knife.
 
johnwaynesandw said:
The more I think about it, the more I want to send it back. It appears the gaps between the liners and back spring are larger than when I first sent it in, but that could be from the cleaning I did earlier and removing any leftover compound. I can see a good bit of light on both sides of the back spring at both ends. I'm still not really happy about the walk and talk of the main blade. I am just wondering if my expectations are too high for a production knife, but I got the same if not better walk and talk and better fit and finish in a $12 RR barlow.
Click to expand...

I have found the less enthusiasm you feel for a knife, the more you will find that you do not like about it. Really, you bought the wrong pattern if you want a big snapper. My suspicion is that you are going to keep wasting money sending it back and not being satisfied when it returns; because that is your inclination if you are still finding things that don't look right. You asked, so I will answer - I expect you are being too particular. But I am not holding the knife in my hand, and you are the one that gets to decide where your money is spent. But if the way a number is set on the bolster of a work knife bothers you - it is a fairly good indicator of your general attitude with a knife.

Not to be tacky, but you might be happier if you stuck with the RR's that are cut / ground / assembled by the latest technology and no man hours spared on the finishing. Or finding a maker that actually has a goal of making perfect knives. But once any given person gets to the point of making the comment (and it happens often) comparing the RR's to the Case / GEC / Queen knives; there is no response that will comfort the respective knife owner.
 
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