All About Pocket Knives

I just received a COBRATEC ABALONE TRAPPER HIDDEN RELEASE 154 CM STEEL today. It does not fire as it should. It actually takes two hands to get it to open. The bolster is incredibly stiff but once tripped has a good action and the blade is sharp.

Any ideas of how to get this knife to work as advertised?

Mine was stiff as well. I flushed it with oil and just kept exercising it about 100 time and has smoothed up. I would even open it and just move the bolster slide repeatedly to keep from firing it every time. Good luck.

C-WADE7 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 23, 2024 1:59 am Mine was stiff as well. I flushed it with oil and just kept exercising it about 100 time and has smoothed up. I would even open it and just move the bolster slide repeatedly to keep from firing it every time. Good luck.

thanks that is what I'm doing. creating a very sore thumb however

Hey Chance!

I suggest you apply a drop of Quick Release oil to the blade pivot and a drop beneath the bolster that slides.

Other lubricants will likely work too, but QR oil is proven to smooth out even the stickiest of moving parts and attaches to the metal for long lasting lubrication, and, is used and sworn by many of today's prominent knife makers including Paul Panak from, www.burnknives.com , who makes some of the coolest autos we will ever get to see in this lifetime.

It can be found online at plenty of locations, but your best bet is probably direct from, www.latama.net , and who knows, you might even purchase a knife while you're there.

Both these sites are safe for browsing, and Latama for purchases.
The "Burn" site isn't as secure cuz it's strictly for browsing, purchases are via email and/or phone call ONLY.

Should you choose to follow what I suggested, shortly afterward you'll be gleefully enjoying some click therapy on your cool new Cobratec, I guarantee it!

I have zero affiliation with Latama and/or Burn, I'm simply trying to help out a BladeBrother, just like I was helped when I landed here.

I almost forgot, to AAPK!

It is a beautiful knife but the opening mechanism just isn't working for me. I returned the knife at my expense.

Too bad about the action. It looks like a great knife. But I have several complaints about how stiff it is on another forum, which is enough to prevent me from buying it.

Sorry you sent it back, they are great knives with solid action. They are stiff out the box, but good lube and holding it a different way will solve the problem. After a few days of use mine smoothed out, fires much easier, and if you turn the knife in your hand 90 dregees so your thumb PULLS the bolster down instead of trying to slide it sideways, it works much easier and doesn't make the thumb so raw. YRMV.

Recently picked up and AKC World, hidden bolster, stiletto. And I’ve got a similar issue with their hidden bolster. The angle and leverage needed to push the bolster, forces my hand in a position that blocks the blade from coming out. It’s goofy.
Otherwise, the thing fires off strong and locks up tight as a drum. It’s just the angle required to activate the release.
Perhaps the release just needs to loosen up a bit, ‘cause I’ve seen others use it with no issue in YouTube demos. Or maybe it’s a combo of my arthritic thumbs lacking the strength to work it, and my fat thumb pad, blocking egress!
But I’ve been holding back from buying the Cobratec, because the hidden bolster seems to function the same way as the AKC.
BTW, the AKC X-treme hidden bolster is a very well made knife, Chinese manufacture, but the QC on this one was great. It’s a truly nice knife. And Grindworx is currently blowing them out—they have both the D2 steel, and the 440 C version, 9” and 11”— some are marked down 50%. A good price for that knife.