All About Pocket Knives

I just got a 5OT (lockback) that has a proud backspring in the open position. Is there any fix for this? The knife works ok, but the protrusion is noticeable. The spring is flush in the closed position.

Thanks for any help.

How does the spring sit in the closed position?

And it locks up solid?

Has it been like this since you owned it?

The spring is flush in the closed position, and lockup is solid. The knife was like this when I got it today.

It sounds like it was never fit properly, tang to lock bar. If it was a kick problem, the spring wouldn't sit flush in the closed position.

Could it be a second that made it out of the factory? Pics would be nice, thanks.

As a lockback the 5OT has an internal spring, what you are noticing is the lock bar.

The springs in the 5OT are usually the 2 flat springs placed side by side as seen in this picture of an LB-5. The LB-5 used both types of springs. The upper style was used first and the flat springs later.
As far as I am aware the 5OT never used the first type spring.

It is not uncommon to see the lock bar stand proud on a 5OT. They were stamped out and sometimes a lock bar would get bent. I have seen a few that way. If it was that way when you got it then it was one that got past QC or one made in the last days when they were not too particular.

You can file it down a bit or take it apart and file the lock notch in the blade for a better fit or file the lock lug that sits in the notch. But it is impossible to be more specific without seeing the knife.

I know this topic is 2 years old, but I just have recently seen a 3OT (which is just a smaller version of a 5OT) that had the old style bar spring and keeper. If the 3OT had the old style spring, it would not surprise me to find an a 5OT with that same style bar spring with keeper.