All About Pocket Knives

I am working on my first custom tl29. I plan on removing the screw drive and lock. The back spring for the main blade has a divot from use and has no snap. My question is can I use the good back spring from the screw driver for the main blade? Also how can I polish up the blade and bolsters without power tools. All I have is a Dremel and have used 400 grit and a polisher in the Dremel but can't get a good finish. Thanks in advance.

Yes, it is possible to use the other spring for the blade. They can (and do) have slight differences between them. You should put them together and examine them to see if the length is the same. Also, you should mic them to make sure the thickness is the same.

To get a higher polish finish, you have to use finer grits of paper. 1000-2000 is readily available at most stores like walmart or auto parts stores. IMO, the dremel is not an adequate tool for polishing blades. It can be done, but it's tough to get the finish even and blended. Make sure you are using a polishing compound with the wheels.

Thanks for the tips. Should I start with courser paper than 400? Can't get rid of the patina.

I have found most of the time when there is no snap to a blade the tang is rounded down.
Compare the tang of the spear blade to the tang of the S/D blade. If the spear blade tang is rounded down, that is probably the problem, not the spring.

It there is a substantial divot in the spring, then chances are good (in my experience) that the blade tang is worn down a lot more then the spring.

A new spring might help a little, but I doubt it will snap like it is supposed to.

If you can, please post a picture of the spear blade tang and the S/D blade tang side by side.
That should tell the story of the spear blade tang is worn.

Is there a way to adjust a liner lock on a tl 29? I have one that won't lock up.

0078 wrote:Is there a way to adjust a liner lock on a tl 29? I have one that won't lock up.

Get a good pair of pliers and twist the liner over so it will lock again.
Sometimes people bend them out of the way so they don't lock and that can make them difficult to adjust properly if they bent them too far down inside the blade pocket.

Might I suggest you mock up the spring / blade setup using the liners and some scrap pin stock also. Wou don't need to peen the pins, the spring tension will hold the whole mess together. You should be able to tell wether or not you'll have good snap, and if it's worth the bother to try it. Also, I've had instances where the screwdriver spring sat higher on the blade tang when open than on the screwdriver tang, even when it was flush at closed position. Weird stuff TL-29's .......