All About Pocket Knives

I'm rehabbing an older Case 6232 and have run into a conundrum. The pivot holes for the springs and blades take a 3/32" drill bit (butt end--I'm using it like a pin gage) snugly. However, the holes in the bolsters and liners, both at the ends and in the middle for the spring pivot, are all significantly smaller--I can't get an 0.086" drill bit through them, though an 0.082" fits with a small amount of clearance. Of course, I didn't keep the old pins (silly me!) to compare--presuming they hadn't deformed in the removal process.

Anyway, why would there be such a discrepancy? Did Case really have that much slop in the blade pivot? That seems...wrong, somehow. I'm tempted to drill the bolsters out to 3/32" and use a 3/32" pin, at least at the blade pivot, but I thought I'd ask first, before doing something irreversible.

Thanks!

Brent

The pivot pin hole is usually larger on manual folding knives.
The backspring holds the blade in place.

use 5/64" pin stock

Yes, use the pin size that goes thru the spring and the blade pivot hole.

The pin will swell when you peen it to the size of the hole on the bolster.

Good luck!

Thanks for the suggestions! Just to be really sure I'm understanding: Here is a sketch of what I think is being proposed. Do I have it right?

Of course, the pin would be peened to fit the bolster.

I would worry that this would allow more friction on the blade pivot pin, and more wear down the road.

I also worry that, in the process of assembly, all that squish room would allow the pin to bend inside the blade pivot holes, and I end up with something like the second photo.

And my nomenclature is perhaps not perfect, but hopefully you get the idea.

Thanks, all!

Cut and peen the pin stock after you assemble everything. I cut the pins to leave about 1/2 to 3/4 of the thickness of the pin outside the bolsters. Inside the bolsters, next to the blades, you need to insert "slackeners" so that you don't over tighten the pins. After you remove the slackeners, if there is any wobble, give the pin heads a couple of light taps, and repeat until any wobble is gone. Then, you can proceed to file the peened heads flush with the bolsters. There is a good video here somewhere on the whole process. I use feeler gauges for slackeners. Practice first on inexpensive knives. And, remember to taper the pivot holes before you proceed to the steps above.

Only an option here that I was shown by an old time knife repair person. Use a 5/0 pin reamer that is about .072 at the bottom and about .095 at the top and ream the holes where a standard 3/32" (.092) pin will go through them all. For a while I wasted a lot of time trying to turn down pins and make then fit. Mine were usually slightly tapered at one end which is a huge no no. It is much easier and better just to ream the holes. No one can look at your knife and tell .002 difference. Here is one shown.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/262043706698?h ... SwgQ9V4OFy