How Important is Disassembly?

[BK14]

Liking the responses everyone! I went quite a few years in the hobby without tempting a disassemble. However my knives get pretty nasty and having the confidence to disassemble has been good for me. Most of the time, all it takes is a blade removal. There have been times where I’ve done a reprofile and gotten shavings in the pivot and being able to remove the blade is great. That all being said, this doesn’t stop me from enjoying my slipjoint collection one bit.

 

[Velitrius]

So for me it isn't ease of disassembly that is a deal breaker, it's whether or not the manufacturer is using a thorough cleaning as a cop out to the warranty.

I laughed out loud at this! (Ooops... LOL'd, to you youngsters)

Thorough cleaning is pretty much what I've grown up doing... to my firearms, car parts, gutters, and (shocker) knives.

Some manufacturer telling me that I voided the warranty by getting the guts and feathers out of my knife? No longer "my" manufacturer.

 

[W. Anderson]

I think if the same question were applied to firearms the poll would be 100% in a certain direction. If A knife can be designed to be dissassembled by the end user for maintainence, It should be, just like any other tool, or your bicycle.

 

[austonh]

Prefer not to disassemble unless absolutely necessary. Hence, my preference toward knives with stainless steel lock inserts. I can clean and lube all without disassembly.

 

[G. Scott H.]

BK14, I'm pretty much in the same boat as you. I own quite a few old school permanently assembled folders (slip joints, traditional style back locks, etc.) and that fact doesn't keep me from buying or using them. On the other hand, I don't think I'd be interested in a more modern style folder that wasn't disassemblable. The old pinned knives are great and I appreciate them, but time and tech has moved on, making maintenance and tinkering easier, which is a good thing to me.

 

[Wowbagger]

I think if the same question were applied to firearms the poll would be 100% in a certain direction. If A knife can be designed to be dissassembled by the end user for maintainence, It should be, just like any other tool, or your bicycle.

Ha, ha,
that's good for us old timers but I meet so many people who have taken their stuff apart who SHOULD NOT . . . God no . . . and then just fly down the highway or otherwise tempt physics . . .
To the newer generations who didn't grow up with people who can actually do this kind of thing I say : Don't go faster than your angels can fly !

 

[Mo2]

Deal breaker if I can't disassemble. It's a tool, it needs to be serviced. Some don't have the skills to try even if it's easy. they can use the mfg warranty to do it or a knife service. For me it's easy and I have all the tools and oil I need to do it.

Ultimately something can get in there. And lubrication in the right spot in the right amount requires disassembly... Tho everyone is different in the way they use there own stuff. Alot of folks don't have a guide how to do any of that stuff or believe it's not needed. I mean if it works for them to not take it apart that's cool. Not my stuff.

Lots of knives can't be taken apart at all tho. I'm not a fan, but that's life. I'll pass on them.

Knives that can be taken apart but are annoying to take apart really piss me off. Free spinning back spacer screws or pivots are a real problem and so is red loctite. I also prefer screws with a bit larger than T6. AND DON'T get me started on proprietary screws. They suck no matter how easy they are or tool provided. It really sucks when they don't even provide a tool for there sucky screws.

 

[SW-EDC]

Why would I want to take apart my knife other than adjusting the pivot? This is why I have fixed blades.

 

[gadgetgeek]

I figure if gunk can get in, it can get out. Disassembly is not a factor for me. There are a couple of knives I'd like to adjust, but they are what they are. My knife is highly unlikely to fail due to a lack of cleaning.

 

[shinyedges]

I laughed out loud at this! (Ooops... LOL'd, to you youngsters)

Thorough cleaning is pretty much what I've grown up doing... to my firearms, car parts, gutters, and (shocker) knives.

Some manufacturer telling me that I voided the warranty by getting the guts and feathers out of my knife? No longer "my" manufacturer.

Agreed, it's the personal responsibility thing. Because some idiot may lose a screw everyone has to have dried blood and bits of critter in their knives? Hell no.
I'll take my $ elsewhere.

Those who can't competently take a knife apart can send it in, don't penalize me for someone else's stupidity. Medfords video on cleaning made me laugh out loud.

 

[GermanyChris]

If it's a modern I won't buy it if it cannot be disassembled or if disassembly voids the warranty.

 

[DocJD]

I much prefer a knife that never NEEDS disassembly or warranty work / customer service . But when I do really need repairs , it's great to be able to either DIY or send it back without pain . "Burns my toast" to discover a knife is basically glued together or has crap fasteners .

 

[abcdef]

Option three here.

 

[GatorFlash1]

I keep mine well lubed and clean with Breakfree CLP and I can't remember the last time I ever had to disassemble a knife.

 

[22-rimfire]

I think if the same question were applied to firearms the poll would be 100% in a certain direction. If A knife can be designed to be dissassembled by the end user for maintainence, It should be, just like any other tool, or your bicycle.

I take apart my Glocks, but I have no interest in taking apart my rifles generally other than the obvious things like taking a bolt out or taking grips off a handgun. I suppose I would feel differently if I was an AR shooter. The Mini-14 satisfies that itch. I've never had the need to take apart a knife. I can imagine that I will strip screw threads and I don't want to deal with that.

 

[GermanyChris]

I take apart my Glocks, but I have no interest in taking apart my rifles generally other than the obvious things like taking a bolt out or taking grips off a handgun. I suppose I would feel differently if I was an AR shooter. The Mini-14 satisfies that itch. I've never had the need to take apart a knife. I can imagine that I will strip screw threads and I don't want to deal with that.

AR shooters like to take them apart because they treat them like barbie dolls, dress them all up with unneeded gadgetry because it looks cool, run to the range so the boys can check it out, then come home take it apart clean it and move stuff around.

 

[PoorUserName]

Folding knives can be a lot more difficult to clean than a fixed blade knife, and have many time the places for dirt and rust to sit unnoticed.

I took the scales of a folding knife i have and found rust underneath, I might not have see it, until the damage was a lot worse, It was easy to remove and re-coated in oil.

 

[22-rimfire]

Different strokes for different folks with the AR's. If folks like to take apart their knives, I'm comfortable with that. Just don't see the need.

 

[Peter Hartwig]

I like the option to be mine. Some I take apart semi regularly, others I don't find the need unless there is a problem. I don't want to have to automatically send it in for an easy fix. I also prefer it not to need some convoluted tool to do the job, or at least for that tool to be readily available.

 

[22-rimfire]

I like the option to be mine. Some I take apart semi regularly, others I don't find the need unless there is a problem. I don't want to have to automatically send it in for an easy fix. I also prefer it not to need some convoluted tool to do the job, or at least for that tool to be readily available.

10-4. I think most of us have a torx driver set to use if we need to as they aren't just used in knives.