All About Pocket Knives

I am a newbie to knife collecting particularly to folders. I know I’m displaying my ignorance here, but I have acquired a Frost Cutlery Comanche that I could open, but cannot close. I know it is a bolster lock knife, but no matter how I push on this knife I cannot get it to close. I have been Uber careful when manipulating it but I cannot get it to budge. Any suggestions for the new guy? - pictures are attached.

Looks like this video shows that bolster lock at the end...

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE_jBu2 ... pableYaris[/youtube]

Bad Primer wrote: ↑Wed Dec 20, 2023 6:33 pm I am a newbie to knife collecting particularly to folders. I know I’m displaying my ignorance here, but I have acquired a Frost Cutlery Comanche that I could open, but cannot close. I know it is a bolster lock knife, but no matter how I push on this knife I cannot get it to close. I have been Uber careful when manipulating it but I cannot get it to budge. Any suggestions for the new guy? - pictures are attached.
IMG_8034.jpeg

Welcome to the forum. I sympathize with your problem. I had two knives with bolster locks in a collection of 470 knives I bought 9 years ago. Nearly sliced my thumb trying to get that thing closed. I think that is the fatal flaw of that design. You have to put a LOT of pressure on that bolster to get it to move and that can be dangerous giving how close it is to the cutting edge. All I can tell you is that you need to keep pushing in what ever direction that bolster will move and you will probably need to push on the blade to move it from the locked position. I would use the edge of a table to get that movement started once I got the bolster to move a little. It doesn’t move much to get it to unlock so a little movement is all it needs and that is why pushing on the blade with the table edge worked for me. I haven’t seen the video on this so there might be an easier way. The difficulty of closing that is why I sold mine and never bought another one. I wish you well.

Thank you so much! The blade is very sharp. Despite my usual “”Act before I think” behavior I saw how dangerous this could be I am careful with this. I have been using a thick towel to handle the blade which eliminates slicing injuries and am careful about the possibility of stabbing myself by how I push by on it.

I am going to look at the video. As I write this I haven’t done so yet. Hopefully that will allow me to close it somehow.

Please know how much I appreciate the thoughts and advice from everyone!

Welcome to AAPK. Doubtful watching a video on how to close it will make it useful. FWIW my recommendations in order of preference:

1. Send it back for a refund.
2. Send it to a competent repairman. There are several who are members here on AAPK.
3. Break off the blade and throw the whole mess into the garbage. (It is dangerous as is.)

JMO

Bolster locks are a tricky mechanism. Buck Paradigm model has a good one, if that’s what you want, but they're not cheap.

Ken

...nobody has suggested penetrating oil ? I didn't get the sense that it had been tried yet, but that would be my 1st goto on the bolster hinge point.
And if you go with Mumbley's advise, replace #3 with "give it to Swedge".

Kidding, good looking knife even as is.

If it doesn’t close you could always make a sheath for it pretend its a fixed blade!

I bet once you figure the “trick” to close it you’ll not find it so difficult. All require a bit of caution. Was closing a little antique German pen knife the other day and about sliced the tip of a finger off. The little bugger has a closing snap like a bear trap.

The knife looks nice. Dangerous though. I'd give it to someone I didn't like

I have not read all the responses so if I am repeating what has already been said, I apologize. That is the Cargill bolster lock mechanism. I have collected Cargills for several years and have many of the bolster lock knives. The best advice I can give is that when you are pressing down on the bolster make sure you are not also pressing down on the liner. The liner does not move. Roll your thumb across the top of the bolster while pressing down and you should be just fine. That is assuming it is properly lubricated. Here is a bit of info regarding the Frost/Cargill bolster lock and a pic of an original cargill with the bolster lock.