How to loosen your kleins, found out through trial and error.

[bobbo]

Seen a thousand techniques. After snow and rain of the winter my kleins got stiff.

I tried a bunch of ways. But here is my best.

drop them on the floor. Oil them and keep dropping on a concrete floor. The rust will leech at the pin. Drop on the free end and it will make them sloppy again. It may take 10 times, it might take a 100. But it works!

[BigClive]

I'm not so sure about the dropping on the floor bit. I used to spray mine with WD40 and then either let them sit overnight or just start forcing them open and closed until the rust started oozing out the pivot as you mention. After a bit of really stiff movement they would gradually work looser until they would literally swing open and closed themselves.

[US & CA Tramp]

I always liked dipping them in transformer oil. That always seemed to work well.

[Orgnizdlbr]

I always liked dipping them in transformer oil. That always seemed to work well.

thats what the old timers showed me 1000 years ago........

[US & CA Tramp]

thats what the old timers showed me 1000 years ago........

Are You Saying I am OLD!!!!!!

[Old Line Dog]

Seen a thousand techniques. After snow and rain of the winter my kleins got stiff.

I tried a bunch of ways. But here is my best.

drop them on the floor. Oil them and keep dropping on a concrete floor. The rust will leech at the pin. Drop on the free end and it will make them sloppy again. It may take 10 times, it might take a 100. But it works!

Yup, that's how I was taught to "open em up". Soak them in Transformer Oil for a day, then...not "drop" them," but throw them down on concrete, Head First...like 8-10 times. Soak em in transformer again...they "Fall" open...Really sweet.

[Orgnizdlbr]

Are You Saying I am OLD!!!!!!

Lol, no I'm saying I'm old😉!

[rob8210]

The oldtimers taught me to loosen mine in transformer oil, but I found 3 in 1 oil works just as good. My kleins fall open. Over the years I have had a few guys try to claim them! Works good on bolt cutters , cable cutters , and hand presses too!

[Gale19XX]

On the side of the kleins that has the visible circle that doesn't move when you open and close them, I was always told to hit the center of that. It never seemed to work for me.

Funny you mention this, last week I lost a pair of Kleins off an old boys truck I was using that day. The next day, I told him I lost them and gave him mine but told him they were kind of sticky. He promptly said "No Problem" grabbed them and slammed them off the garage floor about 3 times. I didn't see if it worked but he's got 25 years in so I'm gonna take his word for it!

[gumbo]

Seen a thousand techniques. After snow and rain of the winter my kleins got stiff.

I tried a bunch of ways. But here is my best.

drop them on the floor. Oil them and keep dropping on a concrete floor. The rust will leech at the pin. Drop on the free end and it will make them sloppy again. It may take 10 times, it might take a 100. But it works!

Remington gun oil. It's synthetic and very thin. Squirt it on and work the handles and the rust will just ooze out of the hinge pin side. Speaking of which, that is what will mess up a pair of Kleins the quickest is using the solid side as a hammer. Always use the side with the cutter indent, that is the solid part of the hinge. If you use the solid side it burrs up the moving part of the pivot and that can never be fixed.