Folder Knife Makers (Production or Custom) who use Proprietary Scale/Pivot Screws

RamZar

RamZar

Joined
Mar 3, 2013
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A few to come to mind. I'm sure there are others (please list).

  • MicroTech (Marfione)
  • Southern Grind
  • Guardian Tactical
  • Hinderer
  • Strider

I know some, like Kizer, have moved away from proprietary to standard screws.


  • Do you hold it against them if they use proprietary screws?
  • Do you purchase the proprietary tool?
 
Strider as well.

Personally, it would only affect my decision if the knife in question was going to be used far from home. Otherwise, open season.
 
I do hold it against them and don't purchase the tool. Admittedly, it's a very easy stand to take because none of them are making any knives I'm particularly interested in. ;)
 
Bought a Southern Grind (Spider Monkey) with the tool included as part of the price.

Probably would have bought it separately just to hold the knife's value if I resold it.

Haven't had to use it yet.
 
Proprietary fasteners are nothing more than screws for the stupid. They keep a dumbass's knife in operation.

For the rest of us however (who have a shred of sense and can likely disassemble and properly re-assemble a pocket knife) I think they are a negative. To then offer a $1.00 tool to the knife owner for $30-50 it becomes an obvious profit center, rationalized by the manufacturer as keeping said dumbasses out of the inner workings of mechanisms that are almost too sensitive, fragile and subject to malfunction to be mass-marketed in the first place.

Further, to make a PIVOT in such a manner and offer the tool at extra cost has a special place in hell.

When such connivance is combined with fragile blades and world-famously horrendous customer service, as in the case of Microtech, it is a deal-breaker for me. No thank ya.
 
Shirogorov has unique hardware.

Some Rocksteads also have proprietary hardware, the Higo X-IW comes to mind. The screws have "Rockstead" engraved around the screws.
 
Burger and Gareth Bull are two more top makers who use proprietary pivots.

Trevor Burger is so nice, he promised to send me a pivot tool for my new flipper.

Gazza at Gareth Bull can be so uncommunicative that you couldn't count on him selling you a tool much less giving you one to adjust the custom knife you just bought.

I had a pivot and screws fall out of a brand new Strider. When I complained that Strider requires a $25 fee to return any knife for service, the company promised to send me a tool for free.

Weeks went by and no tool.

When I inquired again, Strider said they didn't have any such tools, even to sell.

Some manufacturers provide tools with their knives that use proprietary pivots. Boker includes such a tool with its excellent, Chinese-made, Boker Plus Exskelibur Decade series.

But the tool doesn't fit the Decade series Exskeliburs. When the folder is off-center out of the box, you have to make your own tool to fix it. Boker USA has been non-responsive to complaints by phone and in writing on this forum.

I pretty much hate proprietary pivots and dialing for dollars with makers who may or not provide a tool to help you adjust your new knife.

It would be just fine with me if all folders used flat-head screw drivers to adjust their pivots, like Ernie Emerson's knifes.
 
A few of Enlan's knives use proprietary screws with a triangle socket which is different from the typical triangle-head screwdrivers I have seen. Some also use screws with three small holes that require the use of a special tool.

And I can vaguely remember at least 1 Ganzo knife using rivets instead of screws for the pivot (and making it impossible to disassemble).

Generally I don't really care whether the pivots are secured with proprietary screws or not, since it's only a problem when the knife develops blade play. And I don't abuse my knives hard enough to have them develop any form of play for a good amount of time.
 
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