Boy Scout Knife Hard to Open?

[LeCastor]

I have the "Boy Scout Knife" and I find all of the implements hard, if not impossible, to open. The only part that I find usable is the blade. I have tried to open the can opener and screw driver and practically tore my thumbnail off!

 

This is the knife I'm referring to:

 

http://www.scoutstuff.org/bsa/camping/knives-accessories/knives/boy-scouttm-knife.html

 

For the most part, I leave this knife at home as it's heavier than my other knives...and I can't use 3/4 of it! Has anyone else had this problem?

[shortridge]

How long have you owned it? Any knife can be hard to open if it's not used regularly.

[LeCastor]

I received this knife as a gift over ten years ago and have never been able to open 3/4 of it. Believe me when I say I'm no novice to breaking in knives. This one is insanely difficult to use.

[perdidochas]

Open it, and work it back and forth a few hundred times.

[qwazse]

I find my Swiss Army knives get that way over time. Cleaning the hinges with a little sewing machine oil or WD-40 and q-tip sometimes helps.

 

I've recovered "buried" knives (from previous homeowner?) while mowing lawn. A day's soak in baking soda and another day in white vinegar sometimes helps.

[perdidochas]

Use a coin or screwdriver to pry it open.

 

Also, check to see if there is a burr or irregularity in the metal.

[le Voyageur]

 

 

I suggest putting said knife in a shadow box, and hang it on a wall. Then buy one that works....

[Scoutfish]

Could just be the knife. Like cars and trucks ...a company can be very dependable and build high quality vehicles...but you still get one every now and then that is a lemon or wasn't made right.

 

I have several Leatherman utility knives. One works like a Cadillac. One is a hatefull timg that never worked good from the first day. Got it as a gift, so I never took it back to wherever it came from. It doesn't want to open either. Blades don't want to pull out except one.... and it practically falls out as soon as you touch it.

 

Could be a mar in the casting or cut. Could be a burr in the metal. Could be the hinge rivits are pressed too tight or the pivot holes are not cut square and line up evenly. Could be anything.

 

I think the shadowbox idea is a good one. Then go out and buy another knife.

[jrush]

You could always pack some abrasive into the knife and spend an episode of your favorite show working the implements open and closed. You can use toothpaste, valve grinding compound, the slurry from an oilstone, etc. Then, clean the abrasive out, put a drop of oil into each joint and you should be good.

[SeattlePioneer]

Oil it and work the blades using needle nose pliers or a table knife to move the implements. If that doesn't work, take it back to a Scout shop for replacement under the BSA lifetime guarantee.