503 not snapping shut cleanly

[guitar1580]

Hi folks, haven't been on for a while. My 2002 503 lockblade does not seem to click all the way closed, no matter how much I clean and lube it. The blade seems to slow down and stop a fraction of an inch short, as they do when they're full of pocket lint. Any ideas on the cause & remedy for this condition? It's the first time I've had a Buck knife act up on me. Any help greatly appreciated.

JT

[fishinfs]

In my experience - and you'll find numerous other references to this in various forums - it's probably because there's still polishing media stuck in the joint; this seems to be a Buck shortcoming, although they're great knives and it's easy to fix.

Clean thoroughly with hot water and dish detergent - work the joint a lot - and dry. Then, soak the joint in WD-40 a few times and repeat. Rinse and dry again, a few drops of oil, and you're done.

Good luck.

[guitar1580]

Thanks fishin, that does usually work, but I had already tried all of that, several times - except with Kroil instead of WD40. Are you a Buck collector? I have lots of Buck knives, and I agree about always having to clean out the hinge point after sharpening.

Anyway, I called Buck, after reading about the lifetime warranty info on their website, and the rep. said it's probably just a weak spring, and to send it in for a free warranty repair, so that's where it is at this point.

This is the first time I've ever sent one back, out of dozens of Buck knives. I've definitely lost more than I've worn out or broken. Will update after it returns.

JT

[guitar1580]

Got my 503 back today. It snaps shut wayy harder than it did before. I think they called it the "bed spring?" that needed replaced. They sharpened it up very nicely too. Very happy with the Buck service dept.

Good to have it back too. The 503 is one of my favorite sizes for the pocket, when I don't want to carry the 112 on the belt.

JT