Kershaw - Putting round pegs in round holes

E

E-M-P-I-R-E

Joined
Dec 9, 2008
Messages
151
This is something that has really pissed me off over the years, and siting down now trying to take my Kimura apart in killin' me more than ever. Kershaw for some reason loves, when designing a picot screw, put a torq screw on one side and a round slick disk on the other recessed down in a round hole. Between the round peg in a round hole and the fat that they thread lock the hell out of their pivot screws, it is all but impossible to take some of their knives apart. Leeks are like this, storms are like this, and not the kimura is like this. I will admit that on many models, like the blur and offset they got it right. However, that dos not make up for the fact that they messed up big time on many of their knives.
 
E-M-P-I-R-E said:
This is something that has really pissed me off over the years, and siting down now trying to take my Kimura apart in killin' me more than ever. Kershaw for some reason loves, when designing a picot screw, put a torq screw on one side and a round slick disk on the other recessed down in a round hole. Between the round peg in a round hole and the fat that they thread lock the hell out of their pivot screws, it is all but impossible to take some of their knives apart. Leeks are like this, storms are like this, and not the kimura is like this. I will admit that on many models, like the blur and offset they got it right. However, that dos not make up for the fact that they messed up big time on many of their knives.
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"round pegs in round holes":confused:

I have to seriously disagree with you here! When it comes to Kershaws, and I have plenty, they do pivots right! Almost every single Kershaw I have has a hex shaped nut-head on one side of the pivot and a torx-screw on the other. I love Kershaw's pivots!

Regards,
3G
 
3Guardsmen said:
"round pegs in round holes":confused:

I have to seriously disagree with you here! When it comes to Kershaws, and I have plenty, they do pivots right! Almost every single Kershaw I have has a hex shaped nut-head on one side of the pivot and a torx-screw on the other. I love Kershaw's pivots!

Regards,
3G
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Yes, i acknowledge that Kershaw does get some pivot screws right with their hex nut in a hex hole......but that does not excuse the fact that o many models they screw it up big time.
 
E-M-P-I-R-E said:
Yes, i acknowledge that Kershaw does get some pivot screws right with their hex nut in a hex hole......but that does not excuse the fact that o many models they screw it up big time.
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Care to name a few of those, the models that they "screw up" that is?
 
3Guardsmen said:
Care to name a few of those, the models that they "screw up" that is?
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sure:



E-M-P-I-R-E said:
This is something that has really pissed me off over the years, and siting down now trying to take my Kimura apart in killin' me more than ever. Kershaw for some reason loves, when designing a picot screw, put a torq screw on one side and a round slick disk on the other recessed down in a round hole. Between the round peg in a round hole and the fat that they thread lock the hell out of their pivot screws, it is all but impossible to take some of their knives apart. Leeks are like this, storms are like this, and now the kimura is like this. I will admit that on many models, like the blur and offset they got it right. However, that dos not make up for the fact that they messed up big time on many of their knives.
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I've had that problem with the Shallot. The pivot on the S110V shallot was press fitted, and didn't spin. The ZDP Shallot on the other hand, was free flowing, and impossible to get apart.

I agree, it's a real pain when people don't design their knives to be taken apart. Ironically enough, Benchmade knives seem to be the easiest to take apart, and they say it voids the warranty.
 
Empire, my bad, I missed those (Storms & Leeks) in your opening post. I don't have any more Leeks, and never had the Storms, so I no longer have any Kershaws with 'bad' pivot screws. The Skyline, Groove, and JYD series have excellently designed pivot screws.

Regards,
3G
 
Go to the Kershaw forum and ask them how to take them apart. It is very easy if you think about it. One method is to open the knife and place sideways pressure on the blade in a manner of your choosing and comfort. Then proceed to loosen the pivot screw while pressure is still being applied. There are at least three or four other methods that work well also. The pivot screws are held with locktite. Heat loosens locktite. Take it from there. The S110V Shallots are not press fitted. None of the Shallots are. Kershaw is not screwing anything up. You are just not asking any questions before making assumptions about Kershaw. You can use the search function via Google or man up ten bucks so you can use the forum search to answer your questions.
 
SOLEIL said:
Go to the Kershaw forum and ask them how to take them apart. It is very easy if you think about it. One method is to open the knife and place sideways pressure on the blade in a manner of your choosing and comfort. Then proceed to loosen the pivot screw while pressure is still being applied. There are at least three or four other methods that work well also. The pivot screws are held with locktite. Heat loosens locktite. Take it from there. Kershaw is not screwing anything up. You are just not asking any questions before making assumptions about Kershaw. You can use the search function via Google or man up ten bucks so you can use the forum search to answer your questions.
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I am very familiar with loctite and how to heat it o get it to release....and i have always used heat to release the loctite. I would imagine that it would be nearly impossible to take apart their loctite(ed) pivot without the use of heat. On to the next point. You do not think that a knife manufacturer should design their knifes in such a way that i do not have to half way disassemble my knife and the contort and bend it in weird ways to get it apart?
 
I have to side with the OP. Can you get them apart? Of course you can! It's just an annoyance compared to disassembling a D-shaped pivot. I often do cleaning and maintenance jobs on customer's knives and it takes about twice as long taking apart the free-floating pivots. It still doesn't take long but it's time that could be saved if they made the slightest of hardware changes.
 
If they are so difficult to work with then why buy them? You have access to easy solutions but you continue to complain. I would consider myself blessed if a simple take down was the extent of my daily challenges. I own many knives from many makers. They all tear down a little differently. Sometimes it just takes a little effort. No big deal.
 
I just use the duct tape method. A couple of wraps around your left thumb or index finger, adhesive out, will do it. Stick to the back of the pivot screw. I have loosened them up without heat using that method.
 
E-M-P-I-R-E said:
You do not think that a knife manufacturer should design their knifes in such a way that i do not have to half way disassemble my knife and the contort and bend it in weird ways to get it apart?
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Disassembling a knife to take it apart? :confused: No, that's just crazy.
 
1. Why take it apart? I like taking junkers apart, 'cause I love to tinker, but the good ones I generally leave alone. (On most or all of the knives I've seen with a round-headed post, the post has a flat spot machined the length of the post, this corresponds to a flat area in the pivot hole of the liner/scale. My only complaint is the attachment of the clip at the pivot on some models, but that's fodder for another thread.)

Buy a Dremel tool, a carbide saw bit, and very carefully cut a slot into the round headed pivot pin. A flat-blade screw driver can hold then it still.

thx - cpr
 
I just changed the blade from a composite blade Leek and put it on a red smoke handle and had no problem with taking it apart. My shallot was very easy to work with as well to loosen the pivot. I just put my finger on the obverse pivot and screwed away.

I also wonder why you are taking it apart- could you clarify? Shouldn't have to disassemble often so a little inconvienience should not be that bad (I have hundreds of knives and can count on one hand how many I have taken apart).
 
A.P.F. said:
I just use the duct tape method. A couple of wraps around your left thumb or index finger, adhesive out, will do it. Stick to the back of the pivot screw. I have loosened them up without heat using that method.
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Another trick in the books for pivot removal. Thanks

You can remove the pocket clip, place a small piece of cloth (patch) between the clip and the back pivot, screw down clip as much as possible with patch in between. Not to much as to strip any screws. This stops pivot spin every time.
 
CUTS LIKE A KRIS said:
I also wonder why you are taking it apart- could you clarify? Shouldn't have to disassemble often so a little inconvienience should not be that bad (I have hundreds of knives and can count on one hand how many I have taken apart).
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Why does it matter. It doesn’t change the procedure.
 
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