Ontario RAT 2 Disassembly and Blade Centering

My Ontario RAT II showed up and was a little stiff and a lot of off center so I had no choice but to break it down. This is a low budget, relatively high quality, knife that has cemented it's reputation and place in the knife community. My example was not quite up to snuff so I decided to disassemble it and try to work out the kinks. The stiff blade was simple enough but the centering now that was another story. Using the most common, and only method, I could find, I made a valiant attempt but to no avail. So despite the resounding love this knife has garnered I sent it back for a refund. However, I am not opposed to purchasing another one and most likely will sooner than later.
Music
Artist: Holding Onto Hope
Album: Of the Sea
Song: Between Failure and Fraud
Used with permission from comeandlive.com

[@lesliebarber4233]

I have a Rat 2 and, after owning it a few years the action started to get kind of "crunchy" so I ended up taking it apart and cleaning it thoroughly. That helped the action greatly, however now the knife was so far off centre the blade was hitting the inside as I folded it. After working with it on and off for a few days I think I found the trouble. At the pivot point there is a brass washer and a teflon washer on each side of the blade. What was happening was that one washer was catching on the blade lock, not allowing the lock to fully detract, thus forcing the back of the blade over too far and putting it off centre. The lock was detracting enough that I could get the blade closed, but it was not detracting fully, as designed. To fix this I ground off part of the washer, re-assembled the knife and now, though it's not 100% centred at least the blade now has clearance on both sides, so is not being damaged when I fold it. Still a few tweaks to do on the action, but the main problem is now solved and I can now open and close the knife with one hand. I hope this helps anyone with the same trouble.

[@realist2417]

I believe the clip should be on the other side for a right hand tip up carry. Check Nick Shabazz etc. It is mounted on the side with the pivot screw that doesn't turn. It comes out of your pocket ready to deploy. #AmIRite?

[@rockets4kids]

What's up with the gap between the liner and scale visible at 0:34? Is that how it came from the factory?

[@FourFifteenConcepts]

I can honestly say I don't remember. I may have already loosened the screws at that point but it's been a while. If I recall outside the blade centering everything else was fine so I would chalk that up to me getting ready to work on it and getting a head start on the screws.

[@DiogoDC123]

you messed up. the small screws have nothing to do with blade centering on this knife. its actually the one big screw that controls blade centering.

[@jabuhrer1]

Scale screw tension affects blade centering on this knife, and many other knives.

[@winburna852]

@@jabuhrer1 I have the same problem with this knife. The liner lock is way too far towards the center, thus pushing the blade the way he has shown in the video.

[@mohddanial7181]

Yeah right

[@r.b.m2370]

People like you make me so angry. You took a brand new knife ,disassembled it, couldn't figure it out so instead of sending it to warranty you sent it back for a refund and now somebody else is going to have to get stuck with that, what an A-hole move. Way to go!

[@FourFifteenConcepts]

More or less a-hole than commenting on a 6 year old video that nobody cares about? I'm guessing most people make you angry your majesty.

[@justinvu5635]

FourFourteen Consepts you put it LEFT handed tip up carry

[@justinvu5635]

Btw this is not a hate comment 😀

[@FourFifteenConcepts]

Oops. I returned it so now it really doesn't matter. Good looking out.

[@chrishalliday748]

You guys are nice.

[@ellisgarvin]

WARNING: this is a video of a guy failing to center the blade. He tells you at the end that he returned it and bought a different knife, but he still has the audacity to make you sit through a slow, unedited 10 minute video to find that out, since he has no respect at all for your time.
I tried the method he shows here and it didn't work for me either. The problem on my Rat II is that the liner lock was pushing the blade really hard when it was closed. To fix this I disassembled the knife and bent the liner lock back a little bit with my hands, so that it's not pushing so hard. It still locks up at 100% so there is no danger of the blade slipping and closing on my hand. My blade still isn't centered but at least it's not touching the liner. Good enough for me on this fun, cheap little knife.

[@ellisgarvin]

So you couldn't center it and you returned it to Amazon? And you tell us that at the end of the video?? Bro, did you really just make me and 7,537 other people watch a 10 minute video of you failing to center the blade? So far you have wasted 1,256 HOURS of human attention that could have been spent on something productive. You do not appear to have any consideration or respect for other people's time. You do realize that people hate TH-camrs who do this, right?