"Curry Lockspike Captain" lockable boat knife - duff

Robert Wilson

Robert Wilson

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The "spring" retaining the knife blade has failed/displaced, making the item dangerous to use/carry; the blade just flops in and out.

I bought this good-looking, robust-looking, very-pricy item three years ago (from well-known online chandler), used it for about three months since when it has languished in a drawer on shore. It has spots of rust inside, but is otherwise virtually as good as new. That is apart from the locking-spring)

Anyone else have this problem?
Any ideas as to the remedy?
 
Yes, it has just happened to an (unbranded) SS multitool I won as a crossword prize from a sailing magazine. As I do not win many crossword prizes, it is a disproportionate loss. The remedy would involve grinding off the rivets and fabricating and fitting a new spring, and I don't think even my parsimony is that extreme.
 
Hydrozoan said:
Yes, it has just happened to an (unbranded) SS multitool I won as a crossword prize from a sailing magazine. As I do not win many crossword prizes, it is a disproportionate loss. The remedy would involve grinding off the rivets and fabricating and fitting a new spring, and I don't think even my parsimony is that extreme.
Click to expand...

Much as I hate throwing good things away, I agree with your conclusion! :(
 
[EDIT: Apologies...on initial reading I thought sarabande's link was to people who repair these but I see he's saying they're the manufacturers so I'm perhaps repeating a suggestion. Here's the link to Currey website though: https://www.captaincurrey.com/index.php?route=information/contact )

Before I inexcusably thread drift...have you tried contacting currey? There's no mention on the currey website of a 25 year guarantee as there is with a Leatherman but..
* People who charge a premium price for a "classic" product sold on its name might be very keen to preserve its reputation
* Other knife companies (well, Leatherman at least) do offer lengthy guarantees: I had a similar thing happen to my little Leatherman after I'd owned it for 11 years. I sent it back, they sent me a new one.
* There's always the consumer rights act (which hopefully you won't even have to mention), although after 3 years I believe the burden is on you to prove the problem was down to a design or manufacturing inadequacy.

Definitely worth an email I'd say: Let us know what they say.

With apologies for a bit of thread drift...I have a currey lockspike bosun: My first ever bit of sailing kit which I bought for a trip crewing in the med in 1988. It's still as good as new although I find my Wichard shackler and spike more comfortable to hold so the currey is rarely used. I see from their website that they've been making these things for over 70 years.

Who on here has got the oldest then?
 
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Robert Wilson said:
The "spring" retaining the knife blade has failed/displaced, making the item dangerous to use/carry; the blade just flops in and out.

I bought this good-looking, robust-looking, very-pricy item three years ago (from well-known online chandler), used it for about three months since when it has languished in a drawer on shore. It has spots of rust inside, but is otherwise virtually as good as new. That is apart from the locking-spring)

Anyone else have this problem?
Any ideas as to the remedy?
Click to expand...

Ive had one for about 30 years ( earlier version of the "Bosun" I guess). Lives on the boat. No bother but I suppose it does not get a great deal of use.
 
I cannot match 1962! I have a Deckhand. Owned it since mid 80s. I ground the tip to be more rounded. Used it a lot, primarily as a shackle key. I have replaced the lanyard. No issues with it - its a bit small to attack a halyard, for which we have something much more meaty. I think we have a selection of 4 deck knives which I keep scrupulously sharp - but never needed any in anger.

Jonathan
 
I have had a Witchard since 1983 sharp serrated blade shake key and marlin spike with a soft luminous grip, excellent bit of kit.
 
Pirx said:
This inexpensive and nameless knife has been sailing with me since about 1962.

http://nickpix.org.uk/knife/
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I can't beat 1962, but my genuine Currey Deckhand (without spike) was bought in 1965 and is still here aboard the current boat, albeit unused for many years due to a similar failure to the OP's; the spring that forms the back of the knife has no pressure to hold the open blade hard in place, being faintly bent outwards half-way along its length.

After over 50 years I don't have much to complain about.

It is the same as this one:

s-l1600.jpg
 

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Barnac1e said:
I can't beat 1962, but my genuine Currey Deckhand (without spike) was bought in 1965 and is still here aboard the current boat, albeit unused for many years due to a similar failure to the OP's; the spring that forms the back of the knife has no pressure to hold the open blade hard in place, being faintly bent outwards half-way along its length.

After over 50 years I don't have much to complain about.

It is the same as this one:

s-l1600.jpg
Click to expand...
That is exactly the failure with mine. For the life of me I can't understand the physics of that failure. All seems to be well fixed, so how does a piece of s/s "kink" ?
Strange powers at work...…:confused:
 
I wonder who makes my £10 copy from the Army Surplus store in Exeter. According to an ex-RM friend looks and feels exactly the same as the military issue one.
 
Robert Wilson said:
That is exactly the failure with mine. For the life of me I can't understand the physics of that failure. All seems to be well fixed, so how does a piece of s/s "kink" ?
Strange powers at work...…:confused:
Click to expand...
The "kink" on mine lies level with the "C" of Currey. The spring is clamped at the shackle key end and flexes up and out at the other end where the knife blade will have some sort of cam that engages with it as it opens and is forced into the open position by the spring tension. Clearly the spring is either too thin or of poor quality. If so, it is a 50 year-old failure of design or specification.

I'll now stick with my Victorinox Swiss Army Knife. Better quality by far.

.
 
Barnac1e said:
The "kink" on mine lies level with the "C" of Currey. The spring is clamped at the shackle key end and flexes up and out at the other end where the knife blade will have some sort of cam that engages with it as it opens and is forced into the open position by the spring tension. Clearly the spring is either too thin or of poor quality. If so, it is a 50 year-old failure of design or specification.

I'll now stick with my Victorinox Swiss Army Knife. Better quality by far.

.
Click to expand...
Ah, but you won't have that natty tool to enable you to take boy scouts (OOOPs! 'scouts of any all gender') out of horses' hooves. ;)
 
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