Blade Peek

[Chris Pizzini]

I've been collecting for a couple of years and I'm learning something everyday. Blade peek... What causes blade peek? What is the best way to correct if it can be?

[Railsplitter]

I assume you are talking about the tip of the blade sticking up above the liner with the blade closed.

If that's the case then you can fix that by filing the kick down gradually. The kick is the section of the tang that contacts the back spring when the blade is closed.

There are some risks involved. Go slowly and check the position of the closed blade often. You don't want to remove too much of the kick. Also, there is a risk of creating blade rap. That's when the edge contacts the back spring upon closing causing a nick in the sharpened edge.

[Doc B]

I too assume, that's what your referring to. Before you file down the tang...check to make sure there isn't lint in the bottom of the well, that has packed down, preventing it from proper closure. I almost filed on a tang, when I first asked this question...and it was only lint. If it's not lint...I believe the combination of sharpening and tang wear may contribute to it. I'd guess that one of the most common causes is a tipped blade being reprofiled, leaving a new "tip", that appears higher than the original. Many times it can be corrected by filing the tang, to get it to seat deeper. On multi bladed knives...you may want to think it out...before you file it. Will dropping the tip cause the nail nick to disappear? Will dropping the blade expose or hinder access to other blades? Will it cause "blade rap", where the blade hits the backspring, creating a dinged edge? Just a few of my observations.
BTW welcome to AAPK

[knife7knut]

To correct the problem you must first determine what is causing it.There are a number of reasons for the occurrence;some are relatively easy to correct and others are not.
If it is caused by the blade being sharpened improperly then it can sometimes be corrected by filing the bottom of the tang down slightly to allow the blade to sit lower in the well.This usually only works on a blade that has a pointed bottom on the tang. It is difficult if not impossible to do this with a rounded bottom such as those found on most secondary blades.
If it is caused by excessive wear on either the back of the tang or the back spring(due to differential heat treatment)then the only way to correct it is to disassemble the knife and build up the back of the tang with weld and re-grind it to fit. Unless the knife is a very rare specimen and/or it holds some sentimental value the cost to do this would likely outweigh any value the knife might have.And bear in mind if this is done it makes the knife a repaired item and not original which affects the value dramatically.
Someone on another forum asked a similar question in regard to a relatively rarely Schrade automatic.I opined that it was probably worth having it repaired by an expert repairman although someone else had voiced exactly the opposite opinion.

[Mumbleypeg]

Assuming your knife has a blade tip which extends above the blade well, the common term for this is that the blade sits "proud" . Likewise if the back spring sits high, not smoothly aligned with the back of the knife, it's said to sit "proud" .

Pictures of your knife and the condition you're describing as "blade peek" would help clarify, but if it is the blade tip sitting high (proud), you've been given good advice already. I've personally seen them with excessive lint and gunk packed into the blade well, and others that were improperly sharpened. Not uncommon on older well-used knives.

Ken