Tightening up a Craftsman Schrade.

S

Sword and Shield

Joined
Apr 3, 2004
Messages
3,536
I picked up a Sears Craftsman 4-blade utility at an antique mall today, and this knife just whispers "Schrade" to me. Unfortunately, there is a hint of wiggle in two of the blades. Is there any way I can tighten this up? I know some OTs used a keyhole method for pins that made peening worthless, but what of this one?

They also had a Craftsman version of an 8OT, but considering the clip blade was 25% snapped off, I passed on it.
 
If it is made by Schrade, a 4 blade knife is not that common and might be best left to a professional restorer. Failing that, this is why they make 3 lb. sledge hammers. :D

Don't know if this will help you, but this is a schematic of a Schrade Old Timer taken from the Schrade Handbook:

Dismantled.gif
 
Can you post a picture of the knife? There are several ways camp utility knives are put together. Yours could havecast bolsters with the tommy on pegs, but most are shell bolsters with exposed pivot pin and shackle.

Codger
 
Just throwing in about $.02 here, in addition to what Codger (THE FOLDER GUY :D ) has mentioned.....

Sometimes you may be able to file the "Run Up/Back Square" area just a bit, to help it meet flush with the backspring...especially if it's worn. It may slightly change the way the blades sit when open, but it might help.

A closeup picture would be good, for sure.

Bill
 
El Lobo said:
Just throwing in about $.02 here, in addition to what Codger (THE FIXED GUY :D ) has mentioned.....

Sometimes you may be able to file the "Run Up/Back Square" area just a bit

Bill
Click to expand...

The runnerup/squareback? That would be the tang? I guess it depends on the angle of the dangle, and if it is in conjunction with the function. I took his wobble to be to and fro, as opposed to a bobble up and down.

"Do you blades hang low, do they wobble to and fro, can you tie 'em in a knot, can you tie 'em in a bow, can you sling 'em on your shoulder like a continental soldier, do your blades hang low?:D
(adaptaition of an old fixed blade soldier's song, great for marching, but don't know if it will fix a folder)

C O D G E R
 
Is this available on vinyl??

It sounds familiar...but may have lost something in the translation.

Bill
 
Meester Lobo; This is the second time you've had trouble with translation (traducion).

El Rey Del Cuero
 
Paul,
Good buddy, oh pal, oh pal.....

If you can be on here mocking my ability to decipher the mysterious unknown languages often spoken here and in email.....can I ASSume that you've had that virgin boil my new sheath with cow brains, and chew it until it's reached the proper texture?? Send it on, dude! :thumbup:

Apologies to Sword and Shield for the slight detour this post has taken...but a man has to defend his translations, you know?

Wolfeman
 
I have often been able to fix wiggle on blades but I usually end up leaving marks on the bolsters or liners, I hope you get your knife to be fine, always good to revive an old knife.

Luis

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He he, Commercial: these are relatives of mine, they do a good job too:

Opaui Translators

Opaui is the past participle of the Nahuatl (Aztec) verb opau, which means "to digest on another's behalf." Like mother birds do for baby birds. Like translators do for their clients...
Click to expand...

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I was reminded of these dialogs from "The Court Jester", Danny Kay, 1956:
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Hawkins: I've got it! I've got it! The pellet with the poison's in the vessel with the pestle; the chalice from the palace has the brew that is true! Right?
Griselda: Right. But there's been a change: they broke the chalice from the palace!
Hawkins: They *broke* the chalice from the palace?
Griselda: And replaced it with a flagon.
Hawkins: A flagon...?
Griselda: With the figure of a dragon.
Hawkins: Flagon with a dragon.
Griselda: Right.
Hawkins: But did you put the pellet with the poison in the vessel with the pestle?
Griselda: No! The pellet with the poison's in the flagon with the dragon! The vessel with the pestle has the brew that is true!
Hawkins: The pellet with the poison's in the flagon with the dragon; the vessel with the pestle has the brew that is true.
Griselda: Just remember that.

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King Roderick: The Duke. What did the Duke do?
Hubert Hawkins: Eh... the Duke do?
King Roderick: Yes. And what about the Doge?
Hubert Hawkins: Oh, the Doge!
King Roderick: Eh. Well what did the Doge do?
Hubert Hawkins: The Doge do?
King Roderick: Yes, the Doge do.
Hubert Hawkins: Well, uh, the Doge did what the Doge does. Eh, uh, when the Doge does his duty to the Duke, that is.
King Roderick: What? What's that?
Hubert Hawkins: Oh, it's very simple, sire. When the Doge did his duty and the Duke didn't, that's when the Duchess did the dirt to the Duke with the Doge.
King Roderick: Who did what to what?
Hubert Hawkins: Oh, they all did, sire. There they were in the dark; the Duke with his dagger, the Doge with his dart, Duchess with her dirk.
King Roderick: Duchess with her dirk?
Hubert Hawkins: Yes! The Duchess dove at the Duke just when the Duke dove at the Douge. Now the Duke ducked, the Doge dodged, and the Duchess didn't. So the Duke got the Duchess, the Duchess got the Doge, and the Doge got the Duke!
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Trust me the chalice with the palace has the pellet with the poison. The flagon with the dragon has the brew that is true. I know where of I speak since I have the flagon with the dragon in my hand and indeed shall imbibe from it . ARRRGHHH I could be wrong. LT PS I always was in love with GLYNIS JOHN (spelling?) ( the actress ). I cannot believe someone else out there remembers this great movie. LT
 
Heading wildly off topic, and into the abyss that is the Schrade Forum...for LT...and all of us...

Bill
 
No camera, but maybe I will be able to convince my scanner to work tomorrow.

As for the knife...

Clip master blade, swedge, long pull. Marked "CRAFTSMAN/USA some 5-digit # ending in 43. Hooked can opener, no patent number or markings, bottle opener, pen blade. Handles are sawcut black delrin, brass pins and liners, NS bail. Shield simply has Sears in a box, followed by CRAFTSMAN.

I've seen plenty of shell-bolster Imperials, and this isn't one of them, unless it's the strongest darn shell ever made. It snaps like a bear trap, just has some lateral wiggle.
 
Nice maguffys Woofer thankyou, even a photo can spruce up voltage. Please lets concentrate on not staying on the subject. PS. Sorry Sword and Shield, Don and any one else for using your post as a vehicle of response of nonsense. Your posting is excellant and I am not trying to demean your statements or questions. LT
 
Sword and Shield said:
No camera, but maybe I will be able to convince my scanner to work tomorrow.

As for the knife...

Clip master blade, swedge, long pull. Marked "CRAFTSMAN/USA some 5-digit # ending in 43. Hooked can opener, no patent number or markings, bottle opener, pen blade. Handles are sawcut black delrin, brass pins and liners, NS bail. Shield simply has Sears in a box, followed by CRAFTSMAN.

I've seen plenty of shell-bolster Imperials, and this isn't one of them, unless it's the strongest darn shell ever made. It snaps like a bear trap, just has some lateral wiggle.
Click to expand...
Then if they are solid, and pegged, only disassembly to get to the pins is likely to tighten them. But you will harm nothing by placing the knife, one bolster at a time on a hard surface between two pieces of soft, smooth leather (a sheath belt hanger comes to mind) and gently tapping with a small flat hammer. You may get good results, or none, but it should not be destructive. Worst case is it becomes a display item. Best case is it helps some. Being a Craftsman, it carries a lifetime warranty. Getting a Schrade replacement from them might be a trick, but impressing upon the department manager the importance of the replacement might bring effort and results.

Codger

Codger
 
You mean... somewhere in the Sears vaults, they may have another one of these, Codger? What are the odds? Anyone know the last time Schrade made these?

I'm going to try the taps and see what happens. I've a steady hand and a good dead-blow hammer.
 
It is not that hard to tighten up a keyholed Schrade or replace bent pins which i have done. You simply insert a thick scraper blade between the scales and pins and tap it with a hammer untill you've cut the pins and once apart drill holes through the bolsters for the new pins and fill the keyholes with solder now just cut some dremel bits for the pins and reassemble the knife with your pins tapped through and file them down even with the bolsters and polish them with emery cloth and finish up with metal-glo and when properly done you will not be able to see the pins at all! OOPS forgot to mention that you have to insert a feeler guage between the liners and blade while peening to prevent overly tight blades
 
Interesting! But... how do you keep the pieces from swarming once you have cut the pins and keyholes? You could wind up with a pile-o-parts quite easily. And when reassembled, do you not have to reset the kicks? I wouldn't try this trick on a knife of any value. Just driving the thick scraper into the brass between the blades to cut the pins sounds damaging to me. Thanks for the tip though. I may well be mis-imagining the results of so many pieces being loosed from their original factory jig-placed positions, trying to accurately drill out new pin holes, and reallign it all for reassembly without a jig. I guess one never knows til they try it.

Codger
 
You dont have to cut the middle pin just the ones on the blade ends unless you are going to rehandle so after cutting these you simply twist the handles apart in opposite directions and the blades will fall free and aligning the holes is'nt hard either because i drill them from the inside and there is no need to worry about the kicks because as long as the pins fit through the blades and holes with close tolerances it works as well as it did when it left the factory new. one thing though like i said when i am finished polishing these it is impossible to see the pins and i dont leave any file marks so it does leave me wondering sometimes whether or not some of the old mint knives we find on auctions are really mint originals. I use all of my old repaired walden knives but what if others are passing old schrades,remingtons,case and others that have been repaired?
 
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