Newbie Needs Help...

[tommy_boy]

I am new to autos, own a couple of them and was wondering how they should be stored. Should they be kept open or closed. I read somewhere that keeping them stored for long periods closed would weaken the spring. Is this true? Thanks, Tom.

[Vagrant]

I don't think it makes enough difference to worry about, however the vast majority of people prefer to store them open [or say they do].
The "emergency brake" on the original Otis Elevator [lift for any Brits] was
under constant tension for its entire service life with one exception.
If the cable broke the tension was released. As far as I know these always worked when there was a cable failure. There are probably other constant tension springs all around you that your saftey or at least your comfort depends on. Every time a car engine is off a large percentage of the valve springs are under compression, how often is this a problem?
Still it "feels right" to store them open and it certainly does no harm.
If you check the "help" section at AB/SKM their answer is "it doesn't matter. So do whichever you like. I think most people would say it was a bad spring if they stored it open and it failed, if they stored it closed and it failed they would say "should have stored it open". That's human nature.
I have had three spring failures out of hundreds of knifes, two of those failed WHILE closing [not while they were closed but in the act of closing].
The other failed on opening [pushed the button the blade opened and the spring departed]. Do whatever you're comfortable with, the statistics on those three failures prove nothing.

[J-man]

It doesn't really matter at all on any spring loaded knife the whole thing is a pointless arguement that will never end, Although the spring is less likely to change if it's stored closed because there is always force on it, but really it doesn't matter.

[Vagrant]

Speaking as an Industrial Mechanic virtually all the springs I see fail do so
while the machine is running. Not when it is just sitting there. This of course does the maximum amount of damage which is GOOD [at least for job security].

[JerrBear]

Mr. J-man,

Please explain how the spring is MORE likely to change if there is NO force on it?
I'm confused!

[Roccomo]

Mr. tommy_boy,


The debate goes on regarding this question. I've always felt that it was best to store autos open. Why? It just seems to me that by doing this your spring is always as new no matter how many years go by. Right or wrong..I don't know. I think the thing that kills a spring faster than anything else is the amount of work (opening and closing) it has to do. My couple of failures happened as I closed the blades. This is over 16 or 17 years and dozens of different switchblades. On the flip side of the coin, I aquired a 50's era imperial switch (cheapie) in 1988. It had been stored closed for probably 30 years- it was gunked shut. I cleaned it up real good and now that blade works as good as new. This blade is also stored closed (it's the only one I keep closed) and continues to work fine. I think the whole thing depends on the knife and what you think is best.

[Razor_54]

I personally like them in the open position for display purposes...I have a few in the closed positions for a couple of years without any sign if weakness in the spring..I guess it does not make a difference.....

[Zack]

For the most part, I store leafers open... in a display case. The coils, however, I store closed, mostly in sheaths... No problems in either league...

[Vagrant]

I've seen [leaf] springs made by blacksmiths in the 1700s that still worked fine. [Some were still in the flexed position].
Most people still prefer open storage, and it certainly does no harm.
If AB/SKM thought it made a difference they would point it out in the "help" section.