Kershaw accidentally opens

[STR]

I have seen it once. It was a few years ago and a Wal-Mart purchase from a guy that used to be my next door neighbor. If yours is like the last one I saw it could be a combo of all three of the following things to look for.

1)pivot tension probably way loose, more so than is necessary for easy opening.

2) blade is off center when closed so the lock for the blade tip at the tail of the folder on the Chive and Scallion designed to keep it from opening is ineffective since the blade slides to the far side of it and simply gets around it by being off center.

3) combine both of these with crumpling up of your pocket in either a big step up like getting into a truck (the case last time for one I saw, a Scallion though, not a Chive) as would happen when pulling your jeans on and what happens is the excessively easy open blade due to the pivot side to side play makes the pants just have to bump the flipper, the blade play allows the off centeredness of the blade and the the lock doesn't work, so the blade flicks open exposing the cutting edge or the point to enable it to bite you.

In short the last one was operator error from the end line user not noticing the things he needed to notice to maintain the folder and keep it safe At least that was my opinion then and I still feel that the end line user shares in the responsibility of using a knife safely, just as one shares in the proper use of a firearm.

In this case with my old neighbor it should be noted that he had disassembled the folder several times for cleaning and spring replacement leading to this which in my mind anyway takes the factory out of the equation since any loctite applied to the screws by the factory to keep them set, as well as the factory tension set by Kershaw for the proper function of the pivot action was all lost once he took it apart.

I am not saying you have done this ok? Just saying it was the case in the only other type situation I've seen similar to yours. If your knife has any of the above going for it fix them and see if it doesn't improve your folder. If none of the things associated with the last one apply, I'd send it to Kershaw after calling customer service and let them check it over.

STR

 

[liljon140]

I have the kershaw Scallion. It opened in my pocket a few times. I also acidently cut the safty lever in half when closeing it as someone else here stated they had done. I also broke the tip off the knife and after a little reprofiling the safty would not work even if it was cut in half. I prefer the roling lock that the Buck Rush uses it is quicker to deploy and harder to disengage in ones pocket. I carry a Benchmade auto stryker now for edc as I lost my buck and just to cheep to go buy another for $50 when I have a perfectly good benchmade that loves to be used.

 

[steelscout30]

I only have one assisted opening knife, a Kershaw Needs Work that I purchased recently. I've had no problems with it, but I can imagine some instances where this particular design might fire open in the pocket due to the fact the flipper protrudes from the rear of the knife. You could bang this on a car door, or against your work bench, but aside from that, I think the probability of opening this knife accidentally is about equal to that of being struck by lightning.

 

[dipbait]

I only have one assisted opening knife, a Kershaw Needs Work that I purchased recently. I've had no problems with it, but I can imagine some instances where this particular design might fire open in the pocket due to the fact the flipper protrudes from the rear of the knife. You could bang this on a car door, or against your work bench, but aside from that, I think the probability of opening this knife accidentally is about equal to that of being struck by lightning.

Give it time.

 

[steelscout30]

That's probably the truth, but until then I'll be careful, and even if it happens, I like my Needs Work too much to put it away anyways.

 

[SPXTrader]

Give it time.

How much time? And you are guaranteing this will happen?

I've carried Kershaw SpeedSafe models for years, and never had one accidental open in my pocket. As to the poster that said these designs are junk, I think Ken Onion might disagree with you. I know I do.

 

[Ozy]

I'm....not....sure about this Kershaw business.

 

[sawyersam]

I have four Kershaw Leeks and love the design which fits perfectly in my hand. But I have had the spontaneous opening problem at least twice usually caused when something bumped it hard. No cut flesh, but I did have to patch a pocket in my favorite pants. I really don't like the safety feature because it defeats the quick one hand opening operation.

 

[2brothers]

I've never understood the combination of the AO and a safety. AO is for quick deployment of the blade, but disengaging the safety takes a lot longer that using a convention one hand opener. Why make a fast to deploy knife that you have to deploy slowly in order to carry it safely?

"Speed Safe assists the user to smoothly open the knife with a manual push on the blade's thumb stud or Index open system."
It is not about knife racing.

AO was a cool novelty when I bought my first one (the original Random Task) but I don't see the value in most cases. .

There would be many that disagree with your novelty statement.

I've had this problem too with my 0300, wish it could lock closed somehow. Try not putting the knife in the corner of your pocket but straight in the middle that way theres less change of the flipper getting caught up.

I've been carrying my 0300 in the back corner of my front right pocket for almost
a year now. Tip down, facing foward. It has never attempted to come open on me.

As for the OP, take STR's advice and check those items. It is not something
permanent. It can be fixed.

mike

 

[svrider3]

As for the OP, take STR's advice and check those items. It is not something
permanent. It can be fixed.

mike

Agreed.

I've been EDCing AO Kershaws since the Random Task and have never
had one open accidentally. Not saying it can't/won't happen, but it's
never happened to me.

 

[sixfoot7]

any way A/O is nice if you don't leave the country and get it confiscated (illegal in CANADA) 1st chive lost that way

Incorrect.

Don't know why or where you had it confiscated, but not illegal here.
Have not had a single AO open by itself ever, EDC them almost daily. As a matter of fact only one knife has opened in my pocket, and it was not an AO. (My fault, pivot a little loose.)

 

[audiopile]

Have carried several speed-safes for a bunch of years -starting I think with the 1520 -eventually went on to a 1580 Boa - one particular sample of that knife I carried and used multiple times per day for 4-5 years straight. Carried in watch pocket of jeans ( before I discovered that cutting the bottom out of 'em vastly improved this carry mode) - never kept it on safe/locked. Towards the end of this time it somehow ended up half open -sorta half out of the pocket - cut two fingers -knife was sharp enough i didn't realize I'd done it for a few min. ( wonder where that blood came from -DUH!). Still really like this design - but removed spring and had STR install a ball detent to keep it closed ( and a low rider clip of course). Have never been able to figure out what the h#$l I did to accomplish this and there sure as h#$l was pilot error involved - but it did happen - once out of 5K,7K or 10K operations?
Knives got a lock/safety- best use it.

 

[88Azazel]

any way A/O is nice if you don't leave the country and get it confiscated (illegal in CANADA) 1st chive lost that way

I hate to say it but it sounds like someone just liked your knife and decided to take (rob you of it) it from you because assisted openers are not illegal in Canada.

I've carried a Kershaw Whirlwind everyday since around 2001 and it's never opened by itself in my pocket on me before. Sounds like a mechanical problem with the knife to me. Like others have said you should send it to Kershaw and explain to them what happened. You'll might get a new knife.

 

[Dave28210]

This may be a bit off topic, and I am not trying to "steal the thread"

I have never had any trouble with Kershaws deploying other than the times I tell it to, but I have had several Kershaw knives that have gotten pretty bad surface rust in a short period of time. Has anyone else had this problem, or do I just have corrosive sweat?

(Not to bash Kershaw, the leek is great, and other models....Plus with any issue I have had, their warranty/service department is awesome and takes care of their customers.)

 

[killyourself038]

Incorrect.

Don't know why or where you had it confiscated, but not illegal here.
Have not had a single AO open by itself ever, EDC them almost daily. As a matter of fact only one knife has opened in my pocket, and it was not an AO. (My fault, pivot a little loose.)

how about places where you can't smoke weed in the street like montreal?

 

[killyourself038]

I hate to say it but it sounds like someone just liked your knife and decided to take (rob you of it) it from you because assisted openers are not illegal in Canada.

you might be right, but the person at the booth told me to go inside the customs station cause they told me I could turn around or turn it in because assisted open knives were not allowed in Quebec.

 

[A.P.F.]

you might be right, but the person at the booth told me to go inside the customs station cause they told me I could turn around or turn it in because assisted open knives were not allowed in Quebec.

Hmmm...that is news to me, but then I have come to expect many strange things from Quebec. AO knives are not prohibited under the Criminal Code of Canada.

While we are on the topic, I have never used a Kershaw AO safety and have never had a Kershaw AO open accidentally.

 

[88Azazel]

you might be right, but the person at the booth told me to go inside the customs station cause they told me I could turn around or turn it in because assisted open knives were not allowed in Quebec.

That could be.... Quebec is quite a different place! Sorry to hear that you lost your knife!

I have come to expect many strange things from Quebec.

Amen to that!

 

[bitter1]

I have a Kershaw S30V Blur and carry it quite often and it tip up and have never had it happen to me.

 

[Redrummd]

You could try the Kershaw Mini Mojo as the safety is practically a part of the blade bump used for opening it. It is always "on" so ther is no forgetting it.

In addition it has a positive blade lock that you have to lift UP to close the knife. It is probably the safest A/O design.