The Reset in Thirty Seconds
Put on a cut-resistant glove, hold the handle firmly, pinch the blade by its flat sides, and pull it straight out until you feel and hear a click. Then run the slider back and forward once.
If the blade is stuck part way out, flops loosely, or the slider moves and the blade does not, the blade has come off track. The pull above is the whole reset, and it fixes most of the OTF knives people describe as broken. The rest of this guide covers why it happens and what to do about the problems it does not fix.
| What you see | What it usually means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Blade stops part way out and flops | Off track | Pull it out to the click (04) |
| Slider moves, blade stays in | Off track inside the handle | Nudge it out and pull to the click (06) |
| Blade is out, slider will not bring it back | Off track in the open position | Pull to the click, then retract (07) |
| Slider will not move, or grinds | Lint or dried oil packed in the track | Clean and oil, then reset (08) |
| Weak or slow deployment | Short slider stroke, or dirt | Full firm stroke. Clean (08) |
| Side-to-side blade play | Normal on an OTF, within limits | Nothing, unless it rattles or grows (09) |
| Comes off track again the same day, after cleaning | Worn spring or hooks, or a bent blade | Send it in (10) |
Why the Blade Comes Off Track
A double-action OTF fires the blade with a spring and a carriage that rides inside the handle. The blade is not bolted to that carriage. It is held by a pair of spring-loaded hooks. When the blade meets resistance on its way out or in, a finger, a pocket seam, the edge of a table, the hooks let go rather than drive the blade through whatever is in the way. The spring's energy goes nowhere, the blade stops where it is, and the knife is, for the moment, inert. That is the design working. The spring is strong enough to carry the blade out, not strong enough to force it through an obstacle.
The same thing happens when the slider is moved slowly or only part of the way. The carriage needs the full stroke to build tension and release cleanly. A half stroke, or a thumb that eases off at the end, sends the blade out with too little energy to lock, and the hooks drop it. Lint and dried oil in the track add friction and have the same effect, which is why a knife that starts misfiring every week usually needs a cleaning, not a repair.
Before You Start
Four rules, every time. Wear a cut-resistant glove on the hand that touches the blade. Hold the blade by its flat sides only, never the edge, and keep the tip pointed away from you and anyone else. Never force anything. A blade that will not move by hand is jammed, not off track, and forcing it bends the blade or the hooks. And do not open the handle. The main spring is under tension, the parts inside are small, and disassembly voids the TEKTO warranty.
How to Reset an OTF Knife
TEKTO's reset video: the pinch-and-pull first, then the slider-forward sling.
- Put a cut-resistant glove on the hand that will touch the blade.
- Hold the handle firmly in your other hand, blade pointed away from you.
- Pinch the blade by its flat sides, near the tip.
- Pull the blade straight out, in line with the handle, until it clicks. The click is the hooks catching the blade. It takes a firm pull, not a hard one.
- Let go of the blade. Run the slider back to retract it, then forward to fire it, with a full stroke each way.
- If it fires and locks cleanly, you are done. If it comes off track again in the first few cycles, clean and oil the knife and try once more. If it comes off track after a cleaning, stop and go to section 10.
The video shows a second method as well: hold the slider forward and sling the blade downward with a flick of the wrist, so it seats on the hooks under its own momentum. It is quick and it works, but it has a loose blade moving fast in your hand. The pinch-and-pull does the same job with the blade under control, so start there.
Blade Stuck Halfway
This is the most common sight: the blade sitting a third of the way out, loose enough to wiggle. It is off track, and the fix is the reset above. Do not push it back into the handle. Pull it out to the click, then retract it with the slider.
If the blade is part way out and will not move by hand in either direction, it is not off track, it is jammed. Something is wedged in the track, or the blade is bent. Put a drop of light oil at the mouth of the handle, wait a minute, and try again gently. If it still will not move, leave it and go to section 10.
Blade Will Not Deploy
There are two versions. If the slider moves normally and nothing comes out, or the blade pokes out a fraction and stops, the blade is off track inside the handle. Push the slider forward. The carriage will nudge the blade far enough out to pinch. Then pull it to the click.
If the slider will not move, or moves with a grinding feel, the track is packed with lint and dried oil and the carriage cannot travel. Clean and oil the knife first, then reset it. A new knife that arrives this way has usually been fired against the inside of its box in transit. One reset puts it right.
Blade Will Not Retract
The blade is out and the slider pulls back without bringing it. The blade is off track in the open position: it came out, but the hooks did not catch. Pinch the flats and pull outward until it clicks. If the blade is already at full extension the click comes with a tiny bit of travel. Then retract it with a full stroke.
If the blade starts back and stops part way in, it came off track on the way home. Pull it back out to the click and retract again, firmly, in one motion.
Weak, Slow or Gritty Action
An OTF that fires but does not snap, or that drags on the way back, has one of four things wrong. The slider stroke is short or hesitant: move it the full distance in one firm motion and the blade will lock. The track is dirty: lint, pocket dust and dried oil are the usual cause, and the cleaning guide takes ten minutes to fix it. There is too much oil in it: oil attracts lint and turns to paste. A drop or two is the dose. Or the wrong oil: grease and heavy oils slow the carriage, especially in the cold. Use a light oil such as Rem Oil and wipe off the excess.
Blade Play
A little side-to-side and up-and-down play with the blade out is normal on a double-action OTF. The blade rides on a carriage inside a channel rather than turning on a tightened pivot, and it needs clearance to move. What is not normal is play that has grown since you bought the knife, a rattle with the blade retracted, or a blade that does not lock straight. Those point to worn hooks or a bent blade, and that is a job for section 10.
When to Send It In
Stop and contact TEKTO when the blade comes off track after a cleaning and a correct reset, when it is bent or will not travel freely by hand, when the slider is loose or does not return, or when anything is cracked or missing. Do not open the handle to look. Email support@tektoknives.sbs with your order number, a photo and a line about what the knife is doing.
TEKTO's Limited Lifetime Knife Warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship, with repair or replacement at no charge for parts or labor and a $19.99 shipping fee. Damage from disassembly, modification or misuse, prying, pounding or throwing, is not covered, but TEKTO repairs damaged knives at its Maine workshop as well. Ask support about a knife that falls outside the warranty.
TEKTO OTF Knives
Four double-action OTFs. Every one resets the way this guide describes.
-
-
-
-
A5 Spry Mini
Regular price $179.99Regular priceUnit price per
People Are Asking
Why did my OTF knife suddenly stop working?
Almost always because the blade has come off track. The hooks that hold the blade to the firing carriage release when the blade meets resistance, including a slow or partial pull on the slider. Pull the blade out by its flats until it clicks and it will work again.
How do I fix an OTF knife that will not deploy?
If the slider moves and the blade does not, push the slider forward to nudge the blade out, pinch its flat sides with a gloved hand and pull straight out until it clicks. If the slider will not move at all, clean and oil the knife first. The track is packed with lint or dried oil.
Is it normal for an OTF knife to misfire?
Occasionally, yes. Every double-action OTF is built to drop the blade off its carriage rather than force it through an obstacle, so a misfire now and then, especially from a short slider stroke, is the design doing its job. Misfiring every few days means the knife needs cleaning. Misfiring after a cleaning means it needs service.
Can I take my OTF knife apart to fix it?
No. The main spring is under tension, the parts are small and easy to lose, and disassembly voids the TEKTO warranty. Every fix on this page is done from the outside. Anything that cannot be fixed from the outside is a job for support@tektoknives.sbs.
Why does my OTF blade wobble?
A small amount of side-to-side play with the blade out is normal. The blade rides in a channel rather than on a tight pivot. Play that has grown, a rattle when the blade is closed, or a blade that does not lock straight are not normal and point to worn hooks or a bent blade.
Will oil fix an OTF knife that misfires?
If the misfire comes from dirt in the track, yes: a light oil such as Rem Oil, compressed air and a few cycles of the blade clear it. Oil will not put a blade back on track. That takes the pinch-and-pull reset. And too much oil causes misfires of its own, because it holds lint.
Should I keep using an OTF knife that keeps getting stuck?
No. Reset it and clean it once. If it comes off track again after that, stop using it and contact TEKTO. Each misfire after the first is wearing the hooks and the spring a little more.
How do I know if the spring in my OTF knife is broken?
The slider feels loose or does not spring back, the blade creeps out instead of firing, or the knife resets cleanly and comes straight off track again. None of those can be fixed at home. Send it in.
