All About Pocket Knives

Scored this beauty of a Remington in a lot purchase.....had no idea the frame was all jacked up.

How do I fix this?

Scott - I am not a knife mechanic. But I think you will have to take the knife apart. Then lay the bent part on a flat surface like an anvil and lay another flat surface on top of the knife (blacksmiths have special hammers with oversize flat heads for this) and tap the top piece until the bent liner is flat. That is how I have fixed bent metal parts (but not knife liners!). It is amazing to me that the liner was bent like that and the handle not broken.

Disassemble it, measure liner thickness...and buy a sheet of brass in that size to make new liners with. Those ARE "pretty jacked up", but that's a nice old knife.

And while your at it get rid of those elastic handles and put some Mother of Pearl on there.

LOL.....first I'd have to figure out what to do with the sheet of brass.........funny, I assume I'd cut it, but
certainly have no tools to do that unless tin snips work...

SteelMyHeart85420 wrote:Disassemble it, measure liner thickness...and buy a sheet of brass in that size to make new liners with. Those ARE "pretty jacked up", but that's a nice old knife.

It wouldn't hurt to even go a little bit thicker with the new liner material. If the old ones are .025", you could go to .032". I have done this before if the liners are bent to try to prevent it from happening again. Then clamp the old liner on top of the new ones and drill thru the holes to make sure everything lines up. I cut the brass sheet with a jewelers saw instead of a metal snips to prevent bending the metal as snips are prone to do.

OLDE CUTLER wrote:

SteelMyHeart85420 wrote:Disassemble it, measure liner thickness...and buy a sheet of brass in that size to make new liners with. Those ARE "pretty jacked up", but that's a nice old knife.

It wouldn't hurt to even go a little bit thicker with the new liner material. If the old ones are .025", you could go to .032". I have done this before if the liners are bent to try to prevent it from happening again. Then clamp the old liner on top of the new ones and drill thru the holes to make sure everything lines up. I cut the brass sheet with a jewelers saw instead of a metal snips to prevent bending the metal as snips are prone to do.

Point was.....I HAVE NO CLUE HOW TO DO THIS>>>>>>LOL

Like others have said, the best way is to take it apart. You may be able to flex the liners out a little from the inside, but it's extremely dangerous to do so, you may crack the covers in the process. I wouldn't recommend that if you haven't done this before, just wanted to offer something different.

Glad Glenn posted. I was hoping Kaleb would also chime in. I had a really nice German Eye congress. When you opened all 4 blades at once you could see the center liner flexing and distorting. If you closed all four blades the center liner went back to normal. I suppose over time it would become permanently distorted? As I recall the problem was the center liner being too tight and binding and taking it apart was the best solution, but grit and grime can lodge between the center liner and the springs. You might try cleaning the knife in Dawn or something and even tapping gently with a utility knife blade in between the spring and liner. If you can relieve some of the tension on the center liner I think the sitation would improve some? You can buy suitable brass strips at Hobby Lobby and rough cut it with good tin snips.

Most of the time when I encounter a problem like this the hole placement in the liners is off slightly. Ever taken a knife apart and the center liner has oversize hole(s)? I think this is why, to mitigate the problems caused by a misaligned hole.

As Glenn noted you can sometimes pry them straight but it does risk damaging the handle slabs. My guess is there is a gap between the liner and back spring on the spine side of the knife (opposite of the picture shown)?

Is the butt pin visible from inside the knife? Some knives where the butt end of the spring rests on the pin instead of the pin going through the spring itself allows for the liners to distort and the pin to bend as the pin is peened down tight. A good way to fix this is to simply remove the pin and replace it. But when you replace it put two piece is metal of equal thickness to the backsprings inside the knife up against the pin so when you peen it these pieces of metal (old broken backsprings work fine) will support the liners and will help prevent the pin from bending and the liners from going all wonky.

I hope some of that made sense?

Scott, if it was me I would send it to Glen, or Caleb, or Eric, or Dale, or Tony, or White Buffalo, or Terry, or...……...

glennbad wrote:Like others have said, the best way is to take it apart. You may be able to flex the liners out a little from the inside, but it's extremely dangerous to do so, you may crack the covers in the process. I wouldn't recommend that if you haven't done this before, just wanted to offer something different.

Thanks....no idea how to take a knife apart....
Was hoping I could fix it as it sits.

Thanks for the insights fellas....

You will never learn any younger. Start with a clunker and work your way up - careful it's addictive.


viewtopic.php?f=38&t=13147

just bob wrote:You will never learn any younger. Start with a clunker and work your way up - careful it's addictive.


viewtopic.php?f=38&t=13147

Thanks Bob.....I live in a condo and have only limited hand tools and certainly no place for vices.

Sorry fellas......I didn't mean to act like I could really fix this, I thought jamming a flat head screwdriver in and twisting it might
fix it....

Scott, I have no doubt that you could learn the skills it would take to "fix" that knife but I also recognize that you don't have the space nor the tools to accomplish the task so if I may, let me suggest an alternate.
I have zero knowledge re: Remingtons so please pardon me if I say something stupid here. Does the knife have enough value to trade it to someone who will pay to have it fixed OR has the skills, tools and desire to do it themselves? I would hate to see that lovely old Jack tossed on the scrap pile.

TripleF wrote:

just bob wrote:You will never learn any younger. Start with a clunker and work your way up - careful it's addictive.


viewtopic.php?f=38&t=13147

Thanks Bob.....I live in a condo and have only limited hand tools and certainly no place for vices.

Sorry fellas......I didn't mean to act like I could really fix this, I thought jamming a flat head screwdriver in and twisting it might
fix it....

Give it a shot, not sure what you have invested in it or how special it is to you but worst case you crack a scale. Try to put most of the pressure as close to the bolster as you can to reduce the risk of this.

I have seen knives like this before. I assumed it was from a heavy guy carrying it in his back pocket and sitting on it, maybe for many hours like a truck driver; i.e. not due to liners or holes not being right ?
And, insert a screwdriver & twist might open the space some. So what if something cracks, it's gotta come apart anyway.
Scott be careful you don't jab the screwdriver into your hand because you don't have a vice. (What, a man with no vices !
If screwdriver sort of 'fixes' it please post an 'after' picture.
kj