Folder Maintenance

T

Tye Possum

Joined
Nov 16, 2009
Messages
215
Hi there, so I'm going to order a Spyderco knife (this one) in a couple days but having only ever had more traditional slipjoint knives, I'm not exactly sure how to keep it working well. As far as I know since traditional knife blades are normally pinned into the handle, blade play is either there or not and although there may be a difficult way to get the blade tighter, usually you just get what you get. Also having to open the blade with two hands anyway, there's no need for super quick deployment.

On these modern folders, they have adjustable pivot screws, I guess to allow you to make it the perfect deployment speed for you.
I was wondering, first of all whether they tend to come perfect from the factory, as in no real need for adjustment accept for people who want it crazy fast or something.

Do they loosen up over time? I've never really noticed slipjoint blades loosening but can't really see how they could, being pinned and all, but modern folders aren't pinned (or at least not the one I'm getting).

How do you adjust the pivot screw? Do you need special screwdrivers? I've also heard some things about degreasing or cleaning something in that area. Is that necessary and if so how do you do that?

Also, I use mineral oil on my knives usually, to lubricate the pivot area, but would that be a good idea for lubricating a modern folder? I use it because it's food safe, affordable and easily obtained so unless it's unsuitable for this purpose, I'd prefer to stick with it despite some other peoples preferances.

As you can probably tell, I know nothing about modern folders so any help would be appreciated.
 
Generally, with quality knives, they should come just about perfect from the factory. Some people do like to loosen the blades a bit so they fly open faster, but if you get too loose you'll get blade wiggle. its a matter of finding the "sweet spot"

The action on a folder will usually break in over time, and open smoother/faster. Sometimes this can be attributed to the pivot screw loosening over continued use.

Most folders use torx screws, so you will need to get a special one to be able to adjust the pivot and tighten the clip, or take the knife apart for cleaning/maintenance.-- You'll want to do this occasionally to keep dirt and dust from getting in the pivot and wearing away at the inside of the knife.

Lubricant is a fairly opinionated issue, I have found that Militec-1 works very well on my knives. It is a pretty popular choice on these boards. I really dont know how food safe it is though... mineral oil should be fine for the most part though.

hope that helps
 
IMO adjustable pivot screws will almost never come perfect to your desire/expectations, that's why they're adjustable, so you can tinker with it till it's perfect. Most knives with adjustable pivots would use torx screws, they're very cheap and you can easily find it online or at a local hardware store. The pivots sometimes do loosen over time, some more than others, though you can use loctite thread sealer to seal the pivot so that it won't loosen over time.

I never disassemble my knives unless it is a major issue of rust or gunk inside the pivot or handle, a toothbrush + soapy water is usually all you need to clean out a dirty folder(remember to dry it properly or blow all the water out with compressed air) I only clean them when the opening action is more gritty and less smooth, which is about once every few months or so. Mineral oil is perfectly fine for the pivot and blade.
 
Roger999's advice is excellent. Most folks' knives don't need d/a for cleaning... we're just not that hard on 'em. Running water, a toothbrush, and a can of computer air will work just fine for the occasional cleaning. On a backlock like the endura, the biggest area to worry about is the lock well where the backspring drops into the blade tang. Just keep it clear of debris and blow out the inside of the knife and you should be fine under normal conditions. Anything really bad can usually be flushed out with warm running water and the toothbrush.

If you want to do any adjusting, you'll need torx sizes 6, 8, and 10 for most torx screws on folders. Husky makes a nice set. I prefer the Benchmade blue box set personally. They're well made and inexpensive.

Mineral oil should work fine for a food safe lube.
 
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You have received very good advice above. The Endura G10 is an exceptional model. I was really impressed when I held one.
 
Thanks a lot, that's everything I need to know. I'll have a look around for those torx drivers.
 
Ya I found a set with the ones I'll probably need at Home Depot. Actually they called them star bits which threw me at first but I found out that they're the same thing so I guess I'm all set, and tomorrow I order the knife.:D
 
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