Repair Question - AGA Maltese - FIXED!

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omega
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Repair Question - AGA Maltese - FIXED!

Post by omega »

This one has me stumped. Bought a 23cm 2007 AGA Brazilian horn Maltese lockback a couple of years ago. Stored it open under glass, where its sat unmolested since then. I was cleaning, dusting, etc. a couple days ago, and closed the knife check its action. Now it won't open. Button depresses with normal spring action, but the lockback release now appears frozen.

I gave it a good soak in a naptha bath, thinking that there might be some cruddy old lube or something gumming things up. Naptha does a great job of dissolving oils and lubes was my reasoning. Its still frozen in the closed position.

Any suggestions of things to try short of shipping the thing off to get it fixed? I have a half dozen of the 23cm & 28cm AGA Maltese knives that I just love and don't look forward to this issue popping up on the others.

EDIT: I just discovered I now have TWO 23cm AGA Maltese knives exhibiting this problem. Both are frozen closed. The second knife behaves exactly like first one mentioned above. Its getting to the point now where shipping them back to AGA is looking like a viable option. I wouldn't bother with just 1 knife, but with two.... I'm getting pissed.

Thanks.

Chris
Last edited by omega on Sun Apr 03, 2016 8:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
sammy the blade
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Re: Repair Question - AGA Maltese

Post by sammy the blade »

You might storing the rest open before it happens again, just a suggestion but I have no idea what the problem could be. Hope you get some help here though!
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omega
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Re: Repair Question - AGA Maltese

Post by omega »

Thanks Sammy.

These were displayed in the open position to begin with. It wasn't until I closed and attempted to fire them when they froze up in the closed position.
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Re: Repair Question - AGA Maltese

Post by john »

Hi Chris,
I can only guess that scales may have warped pitching the blade in the channel. Put some tape on the exposed blade; next press the button and try to pull the blade up with a pair of pliers. Then, carefully open and close the knife, but don't locket closed or you will need to use the pliers again. Try to pinpoint where the blade is sticking. If it seems to be sticking or if there is a lot of friction at the pivot pin you may try repairing this on your own. You can relieve the pressure by placing razor blades between the liner and the blade. You may want to try one on each side if that doesn't work you may want to try another two on the other side and if that doesn't work you may want to continue adding one razor blade at a time until the blade moves freely. You may end up with the smallest amount of blade play. If the blade playis too much you can always pien the pivot pin.
If pressure on the pivot pin is not the problem it maybe pitching the blade along the length of the knife. If that is the case you may need to spread the channel open just a hair. Be very careful.
Good luck and you may want to wait until Bill or someone else has a suggestion for you.
Now, I'm going to check my AGA Maltese.
John
Last edited by john on Sun Apr 03, 2016 11:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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omega
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Re: Repair Question - AGA Maltese

Post by omega »

Hi John! Thanks for the suggestions.

I have both pieces sitting in a naptha bath right now. I will try the tape/pliers extraction method later today to see the blades can be coaxed open. It does seem like the seers in these knives must be bound up/stuck. Just have to figure out how to coax it out of the blade's detent hole.

I PM'd Angelo at AGA about this and he was gracious enough to get right back to me, but his suggestions were not nearly as detailed as yours!

I never knew as a collector that I would be required to turn into Bill DeShivs one day. I just hate the idea of maybe breaking one/both of these knives messing about with them.
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Re: Repair Question - AGA Maltese

Post by Bill DeShivs »

I have no suggestions on this. I would have to see the knife first.
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omega
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Re: Repair Question - AGA Maltese - FIXED!

Post by omega »

Got em working!

Gave both pieces a long soak in a naptha bath (lighter fluid), Relubed them and let them sit for a couple of hours. Now working perfectly!

They were binding at the seers. For relube, used a light-visocity Safariland product designed for firearms.

Thanks Sammy, John and Bill! Now I can quit obsessing about my damn knives.
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Re: Repair Question - AGA Maltese - FIXED!

Post by sammy the blade »

Glad you got them working. I hate it when I take a knife out and fire it and there is an issue, usually it's been stored awhile.
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Re: Repair Question - AGA Maltese - FIXED!

Post by omega »

sammy the blade wrote:Glad you got them working. I hate it when I take a knife out and fire it and there is an issue, usually it's been stored awhile.
Well, at least it provided me the opportunity to give them all a little TLC. Got pretty much my entire collection spread out on the coffee table where wholesale degreasing, cleaning and re-lubing is underway. The challenge here is to get them all done before the wife gets home from work at midnight and has a fit about the mess and the naptha smell.

Which reminds me of a Foxworthy joke:

"You know you're a redneck if you have to move the transmission so your wife can take a bath!"


:mrgreen:
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Re: Repair Question - AGA Maltese - FIXED!

Post by john »

Im glad it opened without taking any drastic measures. The original lubricant must have dried out and solidified. I still haven't checked mine out, but now I know what to try first.
I like a happy ending.
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Re: Repair Question - AGA Maltese - FIXED!

Post by omega »

john wrote:Im glad it opened without taking any drastic measures. The original lubricant must have dried out and solidified. I still haven't checked mine out, but now I know what to try first.
I like a happy ending.
Yep! Exactly what appears to have happened. When I was done giving them all the Naphtha douche, I looked at the solution - it was all cloudy (normally clear) with lots of particulate matter suspended. The knives had definitely gotten crudded up with something. Since I rarely use lubricants, it pretty much has to be either the factory stuff or something that someone else introduced before I bought them. When I do use lubes, its either Safariland CPL or Militec-1. I discovered that KY-Liquid and Astroglide are too thick

The naphtha is available at Home Depot for $7.00 (USD) per quart - cheaper than Ronson Lighter Fluid and its the same thing, just packaged differently. Sold as VM&P Naphtha for use in thinning varnishes. WARNING: Naphtha vaporizes quickly when exposed to air - lots of ventilation required and for Christ's sake, NO OPEN FLAMES - unless you want to look like Wiley Coyote after the crate of Acme Dynamite explodes. Dispose of saturated paper towels and rags properly too.

Just of enough time left to ventilate the house before the wife arrives home and accuses me of running a meth lab or something due to the chemical smell.

:mrgreen:
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Re: Repair Question - AGA Maltese - FIXED!

Post by sammy the blade »

Hope you don't get busted by your wife!
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Re: Repair Question - AGA Maltese - FIXED!

Post by john »

Hi Chris,
I'll have to go to Home Depot and get some of that lighter fluid. It really does sound like it was some dried out lubricant keeping the knife from operating correctly. I recently purchased a knife and it looked like someone used motor oil on it The motor oil was dry. All I had to do was spray it with WD and then I wiped it clean. Another happy ending.
I hope you're home aired out in time for your wife's arrival. I need to do the same thing air out the house whenever I work with bone or horn sanding it sticks up the entire house my workshop is in my basement. I can't stand the way it smells either.
Well like I said before I always like a happy ending. I'm glad everything worked out for you.
John
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Re: Repair Question - AGA Maltese - FIXED!

Post by omega »

sammy the blade wrote:Hope you don't get busted by your wife!
Too Late .....

Her reaction to odors is predictable: "For Gawd's sake, Chris..... go do that in the bathroom, the patio, etc." - depending on origin.

Oh... another interesting "Naptha fact:" Apparently, the solvent is also used to make Hash Oil from marijuana. Don't give the Home Depot guy cause to turn you in by going in there reeking of MJ :P
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Re: Repair Question - AGA Maltese - FIXED!

Post by sammy the blade »

Guess there would be no problem keeping it from going out!
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