Members lightingale Posted October 18, 2013 Members Report Posted October 18, 2013 I have a swivel knife that I got used in a lot of old leather tools. It's small and perfectly sized for my hand, so I got a lovely new ceramic blade for it. It looks like a Tandy swivel knife from the 80s, and unfortunately, it grinds and catches terribly when you try to swivel the yoke. It's metal on metal grinding inside the swivel mechanism. I've been cutting a lot of tiny, intricate script, and the catching is a big problem. Any suggestions on how to lubricate/fix it? Quote
Members hornm Posted October 18, 2013 Members Report Posted October 18, 2013 Use graphite. the type sold for door locks etc. Keep in mind though that the swivel innards may just be toast so..... Horn Quote
King's X Posted October 20, 2013 Report Posted October 20, 2013 With some of the old swivel knives that I get, I have soaked them in CLR to remove any rust. Taken an old tooth brush to it will definitely help depending. I then rinse it really good and allow them to dry. I will then use drops of machine oil and remove the excess with a towel. Be careful when you use it on leather for the first time. Be patient. Quote
Members lightingale Posted October 20, 2013 Author Members Report Posted October 20, 2013 (edited) Thanks for your suggestions! I went out and bought dry graphite lubricant, and it made a significant difference. It's not perfect, but it's usable now. If it starts catching again, I'll try King's suggestion of CLR. The knife is older than I am, so it would not surprise me if there's some rust inside. Edited October 20, 2013 by lightingale Quote
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