Recommended Maintenance

 1Hand Knives recommends that you clean your OTF knife every 30-45 days. It only takes a few minutes and will ensure your knife functions every time you need it.

Keeping the blade on your 1Hand Knife clean is very important. When using your knife, do your best to wipe off both sides of the blade before retracting the blade into the handle. For any substance that might stick to the blade (tape residue, tree sap, etc), use rubbing alcohol and a clean cloth to remove it. It’s important to remember any dirt, grime, or sticky substance on your blade makes its way into the internal mechanics of your knife which may cause opening and closing issues.

  There are two recommended methods to clean the internal mechanisms of your 1Hand OTF Knife. Both have been proven to be effective without the need to fully disassemble the knife.  

Both options require you to Remove the glass breaker from the end of the knife by inserting a small rod (small screwdriver works well) into the holes and turning counterclockwise.  

Use an aerosol lubricating synthetic oil such as CLP cleaner lubricator from a quality suppliers like Break Free or Lucas Oil. With the glass breaker removed and the blade deployed, spray the lubricate into the expose glass breaker hole to flush the dirt and grime from the knife mechanism. Cycle the blade deployment several times. You will need remove the excess oil from your knife. We have found the best way to do this is to use canned air to blow the excess oil from your knife. With the blade deployed insert the straw of the canned air into the glass breaker hole and giving it several light shots of air. Cycle the blade action and wipe excess lubricate from the blade. Repeat cycling the action about ten times wiping off the excess oil from the blade each time. Reinstall the glass breaker screw and clip. You may need to repeat cycling the knife and wiping off the excess oil until the action is working without issue again.

Use canned air designed to remove dust and lint from electronics.  Use the straw from the can to direct the air stream into to the screw hole of the glass breaker. Do this both with the blade extended and retracted multiple times. After this step has been completed, you will need to use a synthetic based, light weight oil to lubricate your knife. Drop a few drops of the lube in the glass breaker hole and open and close the knife multiple times. Do not over lubricate, but ensure there is enough lube for all the moving parts. You will need to cycle the knife multiple times wiping the excess oil off the blade each time. Once you have done this about ten times, the mechanism should open and close without issue.  Reinstall the glass breaker with the clip and you are complete.