Repairing the Liner Lock?

[Xan]

Hi everyone. I bought a Damascus steel folding knife off eBay with a liner lock which, as you can see in the photo, is a little damaged. The result is that the knife blade is loose when locked in position. All I have out here (I'm abroad on a placement) is a couple of standard toolboxes, so how would I go about fixing this without risking any damage to the blade?

Also, on an unrelated note, are there any knife-makers on this forum who take requests for stainless Damascus knives?

[Ed Caffrey]

WOW! I hate to say it, but that is one poorly made knife! The only way that I can see that being "fixed" is to make a whole new liner for the lock side......since whomever "built" that thing used peened pins instead of screws, it's likely that both liners would have to be replaced....in other words, a total "rebuild".
It looks like the lock bar has already been peened (stretched) to the point where that would no longer be possible to do any more there.......

That thing is just a mess.

[Don Robinson]

Wow, Ed. I looked at that and was kind of speechless, so I didn't know what to say.

I'm glad you said that instead of me.

[Ed Caffrey]

Hopefully nobody takes my comments as being rude....that's not what I intended. I was just shocked when I saw the pic, and tried to be as gentle, yet as honest as possible.

In my opinion that knife is not "fixable".... if it were me, I would got back the the Maker and see what he/she says.

[Don Robinson]

But Ed, my friend, what if I told you I made that knife 60 years ago?

[Ed Caffrey]

I'd still say it's unfixable, and that it's time to retire that one!