All About Pocket Knives

Just picked up a couple of Camillus (beaters)main blades are standing proud. What makes a blade become proud? One way to bring it down into the well I believe is to grind off a small portion of the kick. Right? Also picked up a Keen cutter three blade with a back spring broken. Not sure how to go about finding the right thickness and material to replace the back spring. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated thanks in advance. Are we having fun yet?

Filing the kick might work but may create more of a problem than cure. Really depends on the knife and what exactly is wrong with it.

As btrwtr said, there are different causes.
I have found lint & dirt packed into a blade well, so that the kick could not touch the backspring. Clean the knife thoroughly and oil up the blades, and everything is good again.
Sometimes it is caused by worn blades. The edge of the blade that sits in the well has been sharpened away until it is gone. Filing down the kick (just a tiny bit, it doesn't take much!) will allow the blade to sit lower, but often low enough that you can't reach the nail nick.
I have also seen people replace blades with one from a different brand/model knife, and that can cause all sorts of problems.
To make backsprings or blades, you can order some steel stock from most any knife makers supply company. Even Amazon carries some:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085J146XL/re ... K4NTJPQSA6

Aside from crud in the well of the knife, I have often found that blades that stand proud and won't snap all the way closed are caused by blade tangs that are excessively worn, thus affecting the way the spring provides tension against the blade.

Does the blade snap closed, but still sit proud? If so, then it may be a worn blade as was already mentioned.

Missed the broken back spring question. You can get steel bar stock, like 1095, and make a new spring. You'll have to be sure to harden and temper it properly for it to function correctly though. Make sure to drill any holes before you harden it though. You can do that and then thin it down to the proper thickness after.

glennbad wrote: ↑Fri Jul 09, 2021 1:58 am Missed the broken back spring question. You can get steel bar stock, like 1095, and make a new spring. You'll have to be sure to harden and temper it properly for it to function correctly though. Make sure to drill any holes before you harden it though. You can do that and then thin it down to the proper thickness after.

Good information glennbad. Could you tell us what your tempering process might be?

I'm just starting out working with springs/blades, but I'm sure others have more experience or better technique.

When I've made springs, I temper by the following method: Once the spring is hardened, I have a thin brass bar stock I use. I sand the spring to get the scale off, and put the spring on the brass strip. Then I use a torch to heat the spring from below, spreading my torch back and forth, so that the spring doesn't get too hot in one place. I am shooting for a straw color on the spring. Once I reach that, I stop the heat, and set the spring(still on the brass) aside to cool. Once cool, I lightly sand the spring to show the shine, and then repeat the torch process again 2 more times.

This is not my process, I saw it online, and it seems to work well for me. Some people use toaster ovens or regular ovens, that may be the way to go, but this is my method, such as it is.

I have made thousands of springs.
Using 1095, heat evenly to cherry red and hold at temperature for 30 seconds. Quench immediately in Canola oil.
Check for hardness. A file should skate off of the steel.
Sand the spring to clean metal. Heat evenly with a small torch flame to just past blue. Allow to cool. Instant spring!
You need a heat-reflective surface to evenly heat items. Soft firebrick is ideal.

Bill DeShivs wrote: ↑Sun Jul 11, 2021 3:34 am ...
Using 1095, heat evenly to cherry red and hold at temperature for 30 seconds. Quench immediately in Canola oil.
Check for hardness. A file should skate off of the steel.
Sand the spring to clean metal. Heat evenly with a small torch flame to just past blue. Allow to cool. Instant spring!
...

That is the method I have used...... seems to work well.