All About Pocket Knives

I picked up this Remington R3 folding hunter double lockblade recently at a fleamarket for about 1/2 of what I was expecting it was worth because of...........what I refer to as "crow bar syndrome", that is the owner using it to pry who knows what with it. As you can see, it has a very noticeable bend in the tip of the clip blade. I thought to myself "that will be easy to fix" when I bought it, but after some consideration now I am not so sure. On the one hand, if the tip was soft enough to bend from this misuse, then it should bend back easily. On the other hand, if the tip snaps off when I attempt to straighten it, then I am left with a real piece of junk. It does not appear to have been used much, except for the abuse that caused the tip to bend. Is this a Camillus made knife, and are these known to be soft?? What do you knife mechanics think of my chances of straightening it? I am thinking if I do try to straighten it, I would clamp the tip of the blade in wood lined vise jaws and pull on it lightly and give it a few taps with the plastic tipped mallet. Or should I leave well enough alone and use it as is?

No advice from me OC, but a very knice knife but for a slight bend. Is the 2nd blade for sawing bone and the tip as a skinner? Unusual but I like it.
Now I do have experience in bending them in the 1st place.

Coincidentally I just bought a Remington R3 through eBay for my collection. The one thing different about mine is it has laminated wood sides. Mine came unused in its original leather pouch and box. The leaflet writes Remington Arms Company warrants it for the [original] purchaser's lifetime excluding "Knives that are misused, abused or rusted." I think you'd not qualify on both counts. It also writes return it to Camillus Customer Service for repair which should eliminate anyone's doubt that they were made by Camillus. The leaflets packaged with all of my Camillus made stainless Remington write their blades are 440 stainless. Since they do not write a letter suffix I presume they are 440A. Older leaflets also write they are "tempered to a Rockwell hardness of 56-59."

One of my early stainless Case knife purchases through eBay arrived with its master blade bent so bad that to get it inside the handle I had to bend it back to straight while closing it. So much for the seller's claim that its condition was like new, had never been used or sharpened, etc. I repaired it by griping the blade with needle nose vise grips and bending with another pair of pliers. I had to bend it many times moving both pairs of plies to different placs on the blade before it was straight. I was surprised how far I had to bend it past straight for it to take a permanent change of shape. Before starting I thought bending the blade that far would snap it but if it broke I could send it to Case for a new blade. When I was done I could hold a machinest's ruler against the side of the blade while holding it up to a light and not see light between the two. Multiple internet sites state Case's "Surgical Stainless Steel" is 420 HC. I have not seen hardness figures for Case's blades.

I suspect what worked on my Case will work on your Remington. I also suspect the method you described would put a kink in the blade at the top of the vise. However, it was my first knife repair and a more experienced member might reply with a quick simple way so it would be prudent to let your thread run its course before starting.

Good Luck.

Safest option is to heat, straighten and re heat treat the blade. Or gamble with a 50/50 chance it could snap off. If I was going to attempt straightening without heat I would first try tapping it with a light hammer with the blade laying bend down on a block of steel or anvil, without something to back it up it will likely break. Another option is to put the bent area is a vise and gently flex the handle end of the blade until you get it straight. Like I said though, heatless blade straightening is only about a 50/50 proposition.

doglegg wrote:No advice from me OC, but a very knice knife but for a slight bend. Is the 2nd blade for sawing bone and the tip as a skinner? Unusual but I like it.
Now I do have experience in bending them in the 1st place.

The second blade has a bone saw, and the hook on the tip is sharpened on the inside edge for use in opening up the animal without the danger of piercing internal organs with the tip of a knife blade.

I agree with MM.

Annealing and re-heat treating would be the best but that would either require some knowledge and equipment or too much money to be cost effective.

I would opt to use a ball-peen hammer to try and bend it back. Back the tip of the knife up with a hard flat surface and gently tap the bowed area with the ball end. Bending it in a vise I would think it would be more likely to break. I've broke at least one blade like that.

Hope it works out if you attempt to straighten it. Let us know what you do and what your results are.

I too bow to the knowledge of Muskratman. That is the correct way to straighten a blade.

I have straightened a few with a few gentle taps from a brass ball peen hammer. BUT, it's a crap shoot as to whether it will straighten without breaking if you try that method.

Mike