MUSKRAT hELP

[knapper]

Guys, I recently found a knife I had stored and lost since 1977. It is a mint Kutmaster Muskrat. I bought 2 from a trapping supply house that was going out of business in 1977. One I wore out over the years. The knife in question was stored because though new, every time one of the blades is closed it gets stuck on that side liner. The other blade closes like normal. Even under magnification, I can see no difference between the two blades that could be causing this. Any Ideas? Many thanks in advance........... Dennis

[FRJ]

Knapper, there's guys here that can help you with that. I think it's called crinking the blade. It's a solvable problem no matter what you call it. You may have to be patient but there are some mechanics here that will steer you in the right direction. Sorry I cant help.
I have a muskrat just like yours. Nice knife.

[philco]

Crinking is the correct term. It's a technique in which the blade is bent slightly near the tang in order to properly fit it into the bladewell. It's done by securing the knife then tapping the blade on one side with a small hammer just enough to slightly bend the blade. Somewhere I've seen a video of AAPK member EA42 (Eric) demonstrating this skill, but for the life of me I can't seem to locate it now.

[orvet]

Is the knife hitting the liner, or is it just sticky when you close or open it?
If the knife is hitting the liner, then crinking is the answer.
If knife is just sticky in the joint and not wanting to open and close properly then the cause is probably hardened lubricant in the knife joint.
I have seen new knives, 20 to 40 years old in which the lubricant was hardened so badly that you had to use pliers to open and close the blades. If this is the case, squirt some lighter fluid into the joint and allow it to work for a couple minutes then begin opening and closing the blade. This will break loose the hardened lubricant. Then lubricate the joint with a good knife oil.

[muskrat man]

pretty much like already has been said, crinking will probably help. kutmaster 'rats were bad about that, i think most of the ones i have had over the years did that to some extent.

[FRJ]

They didn't allow a lot of room for blade tips even with the extra liners.
Those blades have to come down just right.

[knapper]

Dale, the blade is hitting the liner badly. Won't close without pushing it clear. It has been this way since new. I bought the last two of these in a going out of business sale. Didn't notice until I got home. Been stored and lost ever since. I think I gave $3 each for them in 1977. Should I secure the knife in padded jaws and strike the blade ahead of the tang?

[orvet]

Personally, I am not a big fan of crinking blades on assembled knives. It may be that I'm just not very good at it, but I have had too many blades snap on me to get very enthused about the process.

Kaleb, (muskrat man) may be more successful at this than I am.
He is probably done more of them than I have. You might see if he could crink it for you. I'm sure his price would be reasonable.