Fix for sticky liner lock?

M

mgdavis

Joined
Jul 23, 2005
Messages
14
The title says it all. I know this has been posted on before, but the search function isn't working for me right now.
My girlfriend bought herself a CRKT M-16T. She really likes it, but when you open it hard the liner lock gets stuck, to the point that it's difficult for her to close. It's just that knife, the three other M-16's I've had didn't do this.
What can I do to keep the lock from binding?
 
This is one of the complaints that comes up on occasion with titanium liner locks. Titanium tends to stick to dissimilar metals. Yours sounds like it could be needing looked over by CRKT so:

Option one is to return the knife to CRKT with your complaint.

Option two is to open it hard and spine tap it on a block of wood several times holding it so that the blade can't flail back on your fingers and cut you. This may set the lock so to speak and allow easier opening. Also, this sticking may work itself out over time but then again depending on how bad it may not. On occasion, spine whacks vs spine taps can actually indent the lock face so be aware that it may take a whack to take the stick point out.

Option three is to take the knife apart and lightly polish the contact area of the lock face but this is usually something only a knife maker or manufacturer should do. For sure manufacturer for a warranty item.

Hope that helps.

STR
 
I have the same problem with my M16-13. STR has some good suggestions that I may opt for myself, but the knife is only a couple of weeks new and I might just work it free with daily usage. If this does not work it's option 3 for me.
 
If the lock is not too sticky,you can try this,on the back of the blade,that makes contact with the lock,in the closed position,"write" on it,with an ordinary pencil.The graphite deposit,can be all the difference.
 
That pencil trick works and I forgot to mention it, good heads up there VCM. In my experience this has to be repeated and slows down the break in. I'd use the knife for a few to see if use wears it in first if its brand spankin' new. If not then try the pencil on the tang where the lock mates to it. After 20 or more openings and closings you will probably have to repeat that but if it makes it less painful to close then you can just do that until it breaks in good I guess down the road and you no longer need it.

I should have added that if you have recently oiled the pivot check the tang to make sure it and the lock face are dry. If they get oil on them it can make the lock stick really bad rather than make it slippery like you might expect.

STR
 
I have a M16Z, I knocked it off the flipper against some wood to knock some debris out of the lock, this move the lock right across the tang past full engagement. It sticks bad as well.

-Cliff
 
Cliff.

If you look inside the knife to the lock, detent ball side, does it have any indication of being adjusted at the factory? It may have a hash mark or an indent in a round or square look near the lock face if so. If so it has been adjusted before for lock play and that is your stick point right there.

Usually it takes a pretty good whack to indent even a thin lock enough to allow it to travel clear across the blade if its a fairly new knife, but they are usually not guilty of sticking too bad once they have that much wear to allow that kind of travel. Did the lock travel in pretty far to begin with?

It kind of makes me wonder if the lock is one of those like we have seen in the recent Strider with a small contact area and that your whack indented it. If the whole lock contacted the blade it would be very difficult to make it travel that far from a whack.

STR
 
Good call on the lock, the tang of the knife is sloped as usual but the liner is squarish and thus only mates with the tang on the far side, the contact point is less than a quarter of the thickness of the liner, the CRK&T runs their liners fairly soft. What is worse is that there is a big gap between the blade and the handle so the liner when it moves far to the right will actually move off of the tang because the handle isn't flush with the blade to stop it.

-Cliff
 
I don't guess that knife is still under warranty huh?

People ask me a lot, especially here lately, what I mean when I say the Sebenza is the 'best engineered' folder around. This is another standard Chris has set to make note of. I'm surprised more makers and manufacturers don't do this. I see Buck is now.

If you notice, on your Sebbie the washers are two different diameters. The smaller one goes on the lock side so it doesn't interfere with the operation of the lock and the larger one on the non lock side where it fits in such a way as to stick out past the contact point of where the lock and blade meet. It is engineered in such a way as to fill that gap you are talking about between the blade and handle. The washer is positioned such that it is prevents the lock from leaving the blade tang by acting as physical stop in the event that the lock travels that far. In a word, ingenious. The whole knife is that way. Everything is thought out and done for a reason. Its an awesome little knife through and through.

Another reason you have to love it IMO.

STR
 
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