You will need a 2 mm standard bit and a 5/64th Allen wrench or a tri-wing screwdriver head to remove the screws from the handle. Use a little bit of lubricant and ensure it reaches all the nooks and crannies inside the knife, wiping out the excess oil before reassembling.

The most common problem with OTF automatic knives is the blade gets stuck and doesn't spring out or draw back in.

Use a lint-free cloth to clean inside the knife thoroughly and wipe down with a cleaning solution if desired.

The solution should flush straight through; you may have to repeat this process several times. All rights reserved.

To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time.

Pull the sides of the handle apart and remove the knife, slide and springs. My theory on why the ultratech is harder to close then open. Now, if you are allowed to open up your knife without voiding the warranty I recommend going to YouTube and doing a search for “cleaning and caring for a (“enter your knife name here”)”. This will eject it from the mechanism so that you can open up the knife to clean it.

If you’ve never cleaned your knife before, you may want to do some research on Contrary to some popular movie depictions, the spring doesn't have enough power to shoot the blade out and pierce through bone. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. However, as with any tool, there can be problems that arise in the mechanisms that allow the knife to spring out and pull back over time. 2. Reassemble and Enjoy your OTF: Go there and hunt bears, cut cheese, save damsels in distress or whatever it is that you use your Ravencrest Tactical OTF Knife for. Move the blade in and out several times to work the oil down into the mechanism and springs. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. If you have a light lubricant that you would prefer please feel free to use it. Did the knife fall … Goop Observe whether the knife has some substance on the blades. Sometimes this occurs when the blade is struck against something that doesn't move and it bounces back. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. In a worst-case scenario, as long as you haven't abused the knife, you can send it back to the manufacturer for repair. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. Cleaning and caring for your OTF knife is a very important part of owning one.

Lightly sharpen your knife about once a week.

Usually, it will poke the object and then bounce back halfway into the blade slot.

For this step just worry about getting the handle separated as well as separating the spring and slider so that they can be cleaned. ... For example, they can be used for every day carry for the purpose of opening up hard to open packages. Clean all Parts: We have tried many different kinds of light lubricants, and the one that seems to work out the best for us is the WD-40 rust proof spray as seen in our video. 4. You can order a replacement spring from the manufacturer or you can send it back to the manufacturer for them to service.

Try this before you freak out and think your OTF's defective. If this is the case simply re-clean all components and either use no lubricant, or try a different type of lubricant that will not restrict the blade path. Remove the Blade: The easiest way to explain this is to watch the video attached to this post. So, when discussing the caring for and cleaning of your OTF we are going to assume that you own one of our fantastic knives.”, If you don’t own one of our OTF knives then I would really recommend getting one.. how to clean a pocket knife. If the blade is loose, there is likely something broken in the mechanism. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow.

With proper maintenance, you may be able to fix your OTF knife on your own. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free.

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors.

Use compressed air to dry the internal components and lubricate the inside mechanism. If the blade is sticking, sluggish or completely stuck, then there may be issues inside the mechanism that need to be addressed.

Our mission is to build and develop tactical products that will serve their operators well for a lifetime.