Recommendation? Hardware

[RuLEoF2]

Anyone know a good source for really small torx screws like the ones commonly used on folding knife handles?

I have a couple liner-locks that I want to swap the grips on. They have these tiny black flat-head torx screws holding them on. They could be 2-56 thread but I'm thinking that they're smaller and probably metric. Only about 1/8" long.

Thanks.

 

[Rich S]

Two suggestions for sources; Lowes has a nice set for about $6 and Harbor Freight has a great folding set for about the same price (which I like better). Most handle torx screws are #6, but I'd get a full set from #5 to #10 (both those mentioned are).

Rich

 

[RuLEoF2]

Two suggestions for sources; Lowes has a nice set for about $6 and Harbor Freight has a great folding set for about the same price (which I like better). Most handle torx screws are #6, but I'd get a full set from #5 to #10 (both those mentioned are).

Rich

You're talking about driver bits, right?

I'm looking for a source for the actual screws. I know I'm not offering much info but I was hoping someone might know where to get really small machine screws like that.

 

[gzb]

Just Google *folding knife screws*. Some good sources there...

 

[115Italian]

Why not try the company that produces the knife. The should be able to send you new ones

 

[RuLEoF2]

Why not try the company that produces the knife. The should be able to send you new ones

Yeah, I tried that. First they said "no problem" and offered to send some to me. Then came back and said they didn't have any and the model was discontinued so they wouldn't be getting any more. When I asked for the screw sizes and specs, they told they didn't have that info and said that they couldn't help me.

 

[wensynch]

The information on size of screws each company uses for its knives is unique to each company although they are generally the same fare. It's trade secret but don't say anything.

A torx head screw in 2-56 is the correct typical screw used in knives, or approximately. The screws are available with a couple of different heads, ie button, flat, socket, which have different bottoms which have slight difference in property. The 1st number is head diameter at 2mm with 56 threads at whatever length, it 1.5".

The top hits if you google torx 2-56 will find you the common source sites, mostly knives parts suppliers, where they can be had. Godspeed.

 

[RuLEoF2]

The information on size of screws each company uses for its knives is unique to each company although they are generally the same fare. It's trade secret but don't say anything.

A torx head screw in 2-56 is the correct typical screw used in knives, or approximately. The screws are available with a couple of different heads, ie button, flat, socket, which have different bottoms which have slight difference in property. The 1st number is head diameter at 2mm with 56 threads at whatever length, it 1.5".

The top hits if you google torx 2-56 will find you the common source sites, mostly knives parts suppliers, where they can be had. Godspeed.

I'm fairly familiar with screw dimensions. I'm in the aircraft avionics field so I work with hardware anywhere from 1/4-20 to 2-56 and even smaller from time to time. These screws have thread that look finer than any I've ever seen. Could be 56 thread but the they are definitely smaller than a #2.

I found a site called USAknifeMaker.com that looks promising. They have stuff down to 0-80.

 

[ATJ999]

Knife making websites. USAknifemaker, Jantz, Texas knife, knife kits, knives and knife making, and alphaknifesupply. All of those are .com

 

[tiguy7]

The information on size of screws each company uses for its knives is unique to each company although they are generally the same fare. It's trade secret but don't say anything.

A torx head screw in 2-56 is the correct typical screw used in knives, or approximately. The screws are available with a couple of different heads, ie button, flat, socket, which have different bottoms which have slight difference in property. The 1st number is head diameter at 2mm with 56 threads at whatever length, it 1.5".

The top hits if you google torx 2-56 will find you the common source sites, mostly knives parts suppliers, where they can be had. Godspeed.

Ordinarily, descriptions of screws do not mix metric and U.S. dimensions. #2X56TPI is a US size where #2 is the wire gauge with a shank diameter of .086", and 56 is the thread pitch in Threads per Inch or 0.454mm/thread.
A metric screw M2.00-0,40 has a 2mm shank diameter (.0787") and a pitch of 0.40mm/thread (63.5 TPI). See chart below.
#2 56 TPI .086"dia.
2mm 63.5 TPI .0787"dia.
Now you know the trade secret.

 

[gzb]

I'm fairly familiar with screw dimensions. I'm in the aircraft avionics field so I work with hardware anywhere from 1/4-20 to 2-56 and even smaller from time to time. These screws have thread that look finer than any I've ever seen. Could be 56 thread but the they are definitely smaller than a #2.

I found a site called USAknifeMaker.com that looks promising. They have stuff down to 0-80.

Your screws can be found there...^^

 

[RuLEoF2]

The information on size of screws each company uses for its knives is unique to each company although they are generally the same fare. It's trade secret but don't say anything.

A torx head screw in 2-56 is the correct typical screw used in knives, or approximately. The screws are available with a couple of different heads, ie button, flat, socket, which have different bottoms which have slight difference in property. The 1st number is head diameter at 2mm with 56 threads at whatever length, it 1.5".

The top hits if you google torx 2-56 will find you the common source sites, mostly knives parts suppliers, where they can be had. Godspeed.

Ordinarily, descriptions of screws do not mix metric and U.S. dimensions. #2X56TPI is a US size where #2 is the wire gauge with a shank diameter of .086", and 56 is the thread pitch in Threads per Inch or 0.454mm/thread.
A metric screw M2.00-0,40 has a 2mm shank diameter (.0787") and a pitch of 0.40mm/thread (63.5 TPI). See chart below.
#2 56 TPI .086"dia.
2mm 63.5 TPI .0787"dia.
Now you know the trade secret.

Ok... First, thank you both for your detailed responses. Very valuable info.

I was able to completely disassemble one of the knives, which was a real challenge because they used some pretty serious thread locker. I used a thread gauge to measure the threads and they are 56. However the diameter is actually bigger than a #2. I guess my bionic eye needs calibrated.

We use 2-56 screws at work so I measured one of those with vernier calipers. That measured at 2.14mm/.083". I then measured the diameter of the screws from the knife and they measured at 2.46mm/.097".

Does anyone know what that larger diameter would translate to as size #?

 

[tiguy7]

View attachment 744838 What you have appears to a #3X56TPI. In the #2 size, 56TPI is a coarse thread. In the #3 size, 56TPI is a fine thread. Here is a thread chart that I coughed up on a rainy day. All of the thread pitches are given in threads per inch, so the metric pitches are not whole numbers. The systems included are SAE (National Coarse, National Fine, and National Special), ISO metric, British Standard Whitworth, British Association, Lowenhertz (German), International metric fine, and French system. The second column is the major thread diameter in decimal inches.

 

[RuLEoF2]

View attachment 744838 What you have appears to a #3X56TPI. In the #2 size, 56TPI is a coarse thread. In the #3 size, 56TPI is a fine thread. Here is a thread chart that I coughed up on a rainy day. All of the thread pitches are given in threads per inch, so the metric pitches are not whole numbers. The systems included are SAE (National Coarse, National Fine, and National Special), ISO metric, British Standard Whitworth, British Association, Lowenhertz (German), International metric fine, and French system. The second column is the major thread diameter in decimal inches.

Bro... So sorry for not responding sooner. Apparently I'm not getting email notifications from the forum when I have messages. I just stopped in to for a visit and saw that I had one waiting in my inbox.

Thank you very much for the list. That's going to be a HUGE help trying to find these screws and will no doubt come in very handy in the future.