Hey all,
Not a huge poster here by any means, but I do appreciate the community here and had an idea where I could give back a bit for all you've given me over the years.
So, as some of you know, the 560 line can have a bit of a variable detent feel knife to knife, causing weak or excessively stiff flipper action. By no means is this a safety issue for most of them, and its really hard for Kershaw to set these up to someone's personal feel from miles and miles away, and I wouldn't expect them to be able to. It would be a constant battle. Even Rick Hinderer's warranty and repair says they won't do this type of thing, so its not like people don't try for this from the manufacturers.
After tearing one down today, I noticed that the "closed" stop pin has two steps in it. The smaller diameter ends fit in the ti/g10/cf scales and the middle portion has a larger diameter. By changing this dimension, you can effectively tune the engagement of the lock bar detent ball into the detent "pocket" in the blade. The larger the pin, the more it pushes the blade toward the open position and softer the detent. The smaller, well you get the idea.
I was thinking of making a pass around kit that has a selection of pins, from an average stock pin size, and then let's say 5 steps either direction from there. I'd simply ask for a small contribution to cover cost of material and heat treatment for what pins you used, and a list of what sizes so I can replenish stock for the next person. There are also other ways to accomplish this, but this allows trying the feel of each before you're stuck with anything and it feels exactly as you want, not what someone thinks you want.
Obviously, this would also be fully reversible as you'd retain your stock pin.
These would likely be made out of S-7 tool steel, as I know a few manufacturers use that for blade stop pins. I could do any alloy, especially since this pin doesn't get slammed like the pin on something like a Spyderco Military, where it takes the energy of the blade being flung into it all the time. This only defines the closed location, I haven't seen anyone really slam a frame lock closed like an axis lock or ball lock so I'd be fine with something like 420 too. Would be vacuum heat treated to proper spec for impact use, regardless of which alloy. Can do either a lathe finish, or tumbled. Its a pain to bead blast pins, but I guess I could do that too.
I know that most feel great out of the box, but this is that extra step that sometimes keeps these from being just perfect.
Currently I'm recovering from a nasty surgery, so this is just planning and determining if this is something you'd appreciate or if I should just one off the pins for mine. I'll be on crutches for at least another 2 months, and thus not machining anything other than maybe a proof of concept. Certainly not 50 little pins though.
Let me know what you think! Not trying to step on KAI toes here, just trying to help solve an issue that they really can't be expected to fix for each persons taste.
Not a huge poster here by any means, but I do appreciate the community here and had an idea where I could give back a bit for all you've given me over the years.
So, as some of you know, the 560 line can have a bit of a variable detent feel knife to knife, causing weak or excessively stiff flipper action. By no means is this a safety issue for most of them, and its really hard for Kershaw to set these up to someone's personal feel from miles and miles away, and I wouldn't expect them to be able to. It would be a constant battle. Even Rick Hinderer's warranty and repair says they won't do this type of thing, so its not like people don't try for this from the manufacturers.
After tearing one down today, I noticed that the "closed" stop pin has two steps in it. The smaller diameter ends fit in the ti/g10/cf scales and the middle portion has a larger diameter. By changing this dimension, you can effectively tune the engagement of the lock bar detent ball into the detent "pocket" in the blade. The larger the pin, the more it pushes the blade toward the open position and softer the detent. The smaller, well you get the idea.
I was thinking of making a pass around kit that has a selection of pins, from an average stock pin size, and then let's say 5 steps either direction from there. I'd simply ask for a small contribution to cover cost of material and heat treatment for what pins you used, and a list of what sizes so I can replenish stock for the next person. There are also other ways to accomplish this, but this allows trying the feel of each before you're stuck with anything and it feels exactly as you want, not what someone thinks you want.
Obviously, this would also be fully reversible as you'd retain your stock pin.
These would likely be made out of S-7 tool steel, as I know a few manufacturers use that for blade stop pins. I could do any alloy, especially since this pin doesn't get slammed like the pin on something like a Spyderco Military, where it takes the energy of the blade being flung into it all the time. This only defines the closed location, I haven't seen anyone really slam a frame lock closed like an axis lock or ball lock so I'd be fine with something like 420 too. Would be vacuum heat treated to proper spec for impact use, regardless of which alloy. Can do either a lathe finish, or tumbled. Its a pain to bead blast pins, but I guess I could do that too.
I know that most feel great out of the box, but this is that extra step that sometimes keeps these from being just perfect.
Currently I'm recovering from a nasty surgery, so this is just planning and determining if this is something you'd appreciate or if I should just one off the pins for mine. I'll be on crutches for at least another 2 months, and thus not machining anything other than maybe a proof of concept. Certainly not 50 little pins though.
Let me know what you think! Not trying to step on KAI toes here, just trying to help solve an issue that they really can't be expected to fix for each persons taste.
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