Advice wanted

[RickN]

Hello,
I have a beautiful case 10 dot 5392 stock knife that has a very lazy main blade.
This knife has never been used or carried and must have left the factory this way.
My question is... Is there anything I can do to restore good snap without effecting its condition or value?
Any help will be appreciated.
Thanks

[C-WADE7]

I’m sure somebody else will chime in with better advice but I would recommend lubricating the joints of the blade first with a quality oil and exercising the blade a few times and see if it helps. I have a newer stockman with a weak spring(always been that way) and that too could be the case for yours.

[Mumbleypeg]

I would contact Case repair and ask if they can fix it. https://caseknives.com/pages/warranty-repair You don’t say which “10 dots” version you have but I’m guessing you mean 1970, which means the 92 pattern tooling may have changed since it was made. So I’d contact them first to see if they can repair it as they may no longer have parts for it. Never hurts to ask. They do excellent work if they can fix it. Send pictures of the knife with the completed repair request, so they can determine what you have.

Be sure to specify you want that particular knife repaired and not a warranty replacement. To them a knife is a knife, not necessarily a collectable. If you don’t specify it has “sentimental value” they might just send you a new knife in its place.

Welcome to AAPK.

Krn

[Sharpnshinyknives]

Your could also try flushing the well on that end of the knife by holding it in running water for awhile. Then flush the water out with WD-40 and then oil the joint again with lube and work it several times. If that doesn’t work, then checking with Case is your only hope.

[Madmarco]

to AAPK, Rick!
You've received excellent advise from knifers with years of knowledge and experience behind them, if I were you I'd take it, those guys know!

[Dinadan]

My question is... Is there anything I can do to restore good snap without effecting its condition or value?

The advice you received is good ... if restoring the snap is the goal. If the knife left the factory with no snap to restore, then nothing you can do is going to help. I do have a couple of Case knives that just never had any snap.

[btrwtr]

If the back spring rises and falls as the blade is opened and closed the snap can likely be restored with very little trouble. If the spring doesn’t move then it would require more extensive work to repair and all the lubrication in the world won’t help. Can you tell us if the spring moves as it should when opening and closing the blade?