Gaposis

[basser5]

I have a nice whittler that has a bad gap between the liner and back spring. ( I hate gaps!)

Can this be flushed, clamped and peened tighter without damage to the handles?

Can some of you fellas PM with prices?

Thanks

[glennbad]

The potential problem I see with that could be that when that stag was glued up, it may have been too tight (assuming there are bolsters on both ends). That would cause the liner to flex or warp like that, and not sit flat.

If that is the case, I think one would not properly be able to pull that together tighter and peen it without risking chipping the stag under pressure.

I have had this problem on a few builds, and have ended up pulling them all apart, as the gap was too great for my tastes.

At least, that is what is looks like to me...

Glenn

[muskrat man]

The potential problem I see with that could be that when that stag was glued up, it may have been too tight (assuming there are bolsters on both ends). That would cause the liner to flex or warp like that, and not sit flat.

If that is the case, I think one would not properly be able to pull that together tighter and peen it without risking chipping the stag under pressure.

I have had this problem on a few builds, and have ended up pulling them all apart, as the gap was too great for my tastes.

At least, that is what is looks like to me...

Glenn

what glenn said. the the handle was slightly too long it puts everything in a bind if that is the case the handle needs to be removed, shortened and everything reassembled. or there is a possibility they just didn't peen/spin it tight enough which seems to be common with fat uneven stag.

[orvet]

I agree completely!
There isn't much I can add to what Glenn & Kaleb said.
The only other remote possibility I have encountered is a piece of debris between the spring and liner. Not likely but possible. It is far more likely the stag is too long.

I just enlarged the picture of your knife and looked at the gap.
I am not sure if it is just an illusion caused by the camera, but it appears to me that the upper edge of the top spring has a bevel and is not flush with the bottom of the knife.

Is that what I am seeing, or it there another explanation for that?

[basser5]

Gentlemen thank you all for your responses!

I believe your assessment is correct. I flushed the knife with WD40 and i can see through the entire length of the gap. I can not pinch the gap closed with my hand.

Dale the "bevel" that we see is the lighting playing tricks, the springs are flush with the liners.

[Miller Bro's]

it may have been too tight (assuming there are bolsters on both ends)

Let`s see a picture of the entire knife

[basser5]

Handles and bolsters on gap side.

[Miller Bro's]

Thanks for the pictures

To me it looks like there is a gap between the bolsters and the stag handle, it does not look too tight

The knife is almost 40 years old, maybe the stag shrunk a bit over the years pulling it and the liner away from the spring causing the gap

But hey what do I know? I`m a newbie to all this

[ea42]

If I might add a thought; leave it alone! That's the first year issue of the NKC annual knives, with only twelve hundred made. It's very uncommon, so why risk messing it up over a gap? What you've got there is a piece of history, imperfections and all. Appreciate it for what it is, and consider yourself lucky to own one. Even if you attempt to spin that pin you'll likely not have the same spinner profile that Kissing Crane had and it'll stick out like a sore thumb when compared to other knives of its ilk.

Eric

[orvet]

I agree with Eric, knowing now what the knife is.
The etch and serial number fixes that to a very specific time in knife history.
Considering that I think it is best to leave it alone.

Eric's point about the difference in spinners is right on the money, I have several spinners and each leaves unique makings on pins and each shapes pin heads a little differently.

[djknife13]

I don't do repaires so I have nothing to offer on fixes, but I cringe every time I see a beautiful knife with opposing blades open on one spring. All I see is SNAP. A friend left a knife open like that and his wife was standing near it when it blew and it scared the crap out of her.