All About Pocket Knives

I keep seeing ads for mosaic pins, and they really look like a neat addition for a knife. But I have a few questions:

1) Are they simply cosmetic or are they functional as back spring pins ?

2) How the heck do ya install the buggers, without mashing up the design ?

3) If you sand them along with the scales, do you need to go back and "pick" out the detail after your done ?

Inquiring minds want to know !

Toejammer wrote:I keep seeing ads for mosaic pins, and they really look like a neat addition for a knife. But I have a few questions:

1) Are they simply cosmetic or are they functional as back spring pins ? No since you can't peen them without losing the design

2) How the heck do ya install the buggers, without mashing up the design ?ream your hole .oo1 bigger and glue them in, not peen them in

3) If you sand them along with the scales, do you need to go back and "pick" out the detail after your done ? Not if they were made properly

Inquiring minds want to know !

I'm sure others will be along shortly to add to the above answers. Good Luck!

craig covered it

It worked for me.
This is the only knife I tried it on.
I used them on the pivot pin and peened and sanded them just as you would with regular pins.
Just need to let them stick up more before peening.
They will get mashed up but after sanding the design will come back.
This knife works and functions perfectly.

JW

Thanks guys !

@knives are quiet - I had a feeling they would work ok for pivots. After sanding, yours look pretty clean. Did you have to pick out any debris ?

Toejammer wrote:Thanks guys !

@knives are quiet - I had a feeling they would work ok for pivots. After sanding, yours look pretty clean. Did you have to pick out any debris ?

No not that I remember.
I did this knife awhile ago.
I think I just wiped the knife down after sanding with WD 40 or similar.

JW

http://allaboutpocketknives.com/knife_f ... 37&t=22987

knives-are-quiet wrote:

Toejammer wrote:Thanks guys !

@knives are quiet - I had a feeling they would work ok for pivots. After sanding, yours look pretty clean. Did you have to pick out any debris ?

No not that I remember.
I did this knife awhile ago.
I think I just wiped the knife down after sanding with WD 40 or similar.

JW

http://allaboutpocketknives.com/knife_f ... 37&t=22987

Works for me, thanks !!

The only problem with the above method is that you are only left with a pressed fit instead of a true peened where the head is peened over and acts like a nail head. Any side to side movement of the blade will be easier to cause loosening @ the pivot. Under most use of just opening and closing it will not be a problem, but if there is any prying or twisting of the blade it can loosen easier than if the head created by peening was there. It will work, just not the best method in my opinion. But, most knives with a mosaic pivot pin won't be used much for heavy cutting anyway......so....

I only use mosaic pins in fixed blades.
You may be able to get a press fit with one in a folder, but if you truly peen the pin you won't get the design back, especially if it is a small diameter with an intricate design.

I only use then on handles of fixed blade where a prying motion is not a problem.
I don't peen them, I use a tight fit and a very good epoxy to hold them in.