Kershaw accidentally opens

dipbait

dipbait

Joined
Feb 9, 2008
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I have a Kershaw Chive that has opened up several times while in my pocket. I use the safety also. One time I slid my jeans on , not knowing that it was open , and cut my leg seven inches. Not a deep cut but still , it could have been. This is unaceptable. I quit carrying it.

My question , has this happened to any of you?
 
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I've NEVER heard of this happening to anyone with any model Kershaw. How on earth did you manage to open it in your pocket, especially with the safety on? It takes a fair amount of direct pressure just to open the blade, and with the lock on....I'm heartily confused.
 
Pivot may be too loose allowing the blade to pop open due to a jar or knock against something. It opened with the lock on? I would check the screw and tighten it a little if need be, as the lock may have slid off allowing the blade to open.
 
I've had that happen. The safety screw kept loosening up. After happening twice I dumped all my AO's.
 
Thanks for the heads up. This is one reason I do not EDC my Kershaw assisted openers, because of the potential for th safety loosening up. They are still great knives, but the risk is too high for me.

This is why I carry axis based knife (mini-grip) as my EDC. It opens as fast as the AO knife but safer and easier because I don't have to undo the safety first before opening, and I control the opening 100%.
 
Opening the blade doesnt take much pressure at all. It flies open with the slightest pressure. I like that , just not unintetionally

I use the safety , it doesnt stay on. It doesnt take much to disengage the safety. All one has to do is reach for change. Never thought about tightening it. Ill give it a try.
 
outdoor_guy08 said:
Thanks for the heads up. This is one reason I do not EDC my Kershaw assisted openers, because of the potential for th safety loosening up. They are still great knives, but the risk is too high for me.

This is why I carry axis based knife (mini-grip) as my EDC. It opens as fast as the AO knife but safer and easier because I don't have to undo the safety first before opening, and I control the opening 100%.
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Ive never handled an axis lock knife. Ill look into one.
 
Funny, I've had my griptilians open in my pocket, but never my kershaws.

Regardless, the grip's bite was enough to change the way I edc: Now, if I clip to my pocket, I make certain the blade is up against a seam. However, mostly, I've gone over to in-pocket dangler sheaths to hold the knives upright and closed. A quick dip in the pocket, and there is my knife. Also hides the clip from paranoid sheeple.

If I'm going to need my knife in ASAP mode, it's in my hand, or clipped in my sleeve.
 
Just for the record, other Kershaw openers like the Mini Cyclone have no safeety, but are much harder to deploy. I can not imagine it opening unless you WANT it to open, especially if you use the pocket clip. Not only that, but it has an on/off switch.
 
sorry to hear that your knife opened accidentially. Is the knife better now that you have tightened it up.
 
Brutus013 said:
Just for the record, other Kershaw openers like the Mini Cyclone have no safeety, but are much harder to deploy. I can not imagine it opening unless you WANT it to open, especially if you use the pocket clip. Not only that, but it has an on/off switch.
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I dont use the clip. Reason is I lose knives that way.
 
All it takes is a dab of loctite on the saftey screw and it will no longer be a problem. The blade opening at the slightest touch is a dangerous way to carry as it may open in your pocket:eek:;) It only takes a slight tightening and some loctite on the pivot screw to keep it from loosening up on you.
 
berzerker said:
Funny, I've had my griptilians open in my pocket, but never my kershaws.
I've gone over to in-pocket dangler sheaths to hold the knives upright and closed. A quick dip in the pocket, and there is my knife.

If I'm going to need my knife in ASAP mode, it's in my hand, or clipped in my sleeve.
Click to expand...

I dont know what an in-pocket dangler sheath is. Ill google it.
 
berzerker said:
Funny, I've had my griptilians open in my pocket, but never my kershaws.

Regardless, the grip's bite was enough to change the way I edc: Now, if I clip to my pocket, I make certain the blade is up against a seam. However, mostly, I've gone over to in-pocket dangler sheaths to hold the knives upright and closed. A quick dip in the pocket, and there is my knife. Also hides the clip from paranoid sheeple.

If I'm going to need my knife in ASAP mode, it's in my hand, or clipped in my sleeve.
Click to expand...

Good points. All knifes, regardless of make or lock type, can open if the blade snags on something.

This is probably why some prefer tip down configuration versus tip-up.

I've EDC'd a Gerber EZ-Out for ~8-9 years, and I just noticed it's a tip down carry configuration. My other knives are all tip-up configuration. Regardless, I have never had a knife open on me in my pocket. This is because I grip the knife with my thumb on the handle in the pocket, and index finger on the clip, as I remove the knive. So even if it were to accidentally snag open, my thumb would still be safe, but I may poke my pocket with the tip of the blade.

But it just goes to show, you have to be aware as you pull your knife from your pocket. But I do have the fear that assisted opener knives could pop open in my pocket. That's why I do not edc those types of knives.
 
dipbait said:
I dont use the clip. Reason is I lose knives that way.
Click to expand...

How do you lose them? Just from the knife getting caught on something and falling out of your pocket? I can't imagine the knife just falling out of your pocket if it's clipped on.
 
Brutus013 said:
How do you lose them? Just from the knife getting caught on something and falling out of your pocket? I can't imagine the knife just falling out of your pocket if it's clipped on.
Click to expand...

The clip snags on stuff . Ive lost two knives that way.
 
Brutus013 said:
How do you lose them? Just from the knife getting caught on something and falling out of your pocket? I can't imagine the knife just falling out of your pocket if it's clipped on.
Click to expand...
I've had my clip slowly rise up over the top of the pocket as I bend, sit, etc. This is especially noticeable in pants like jeans, where the pocket is near the thigh where the bending occurs a lot. So it is possible to have the knife fall out all of a sudden unexpectedly if you're not paying attention.

I've never had this problem in cargo pants / shorts style, as the pockets are more to the side and the bending action does not affect the pocket as much.
 
I think I would talk to Kershaw about returning that knife. Sound like something is amiss. Their Customer Service is pretty good.
 
I just looked at my Chive and noticed that the clip can not be changed to tip-down configuration due to the safety. Maybe a redesign is in order, to allow the safety, and tip-down carry, so even if the blade swings open, the tip down removal will minimize any injury.
 
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