Kershaw Speed Safe owners, if you please...

hardheart

hardheart

Joined
Sep 19, 2001
Messages
8,968
Please open your knife and push against the liner lock. Not in the direction to disengage it, push it the other way. After a Random Task, 3 Whirlwinds, a Scallion, and a Chive I'm looking for someone else to provide me with alternate results from their own test. Maybe they shouldn't round the edges-the liners look like they're blanked out(except for the Ti of the Random Task and the frame lock of the Chive, but the results were the same-a little worse actually). I can't offer a reason why it happens, but it's disheartening.:(
 
Nothing happens when I do this. I've done it before with my Boa, Ricochet, and Scallion, and the liner just sits there and doesn't move. It's all good for me, could you describe what's happening when you do it? The ones I've had are solid as heck, but I've read a fair number of threads on bad lockup, loosening pivots, and other such nightmares, oh well....
 
Nothing scary happens here, either. Could you elaborate on what's happening with yours? I think I'm missing something...

Zero
 
Man, I am super unlucky with Kershaws! My first was the Random Task. The liner didn't even touch the lock face on the tang, it was a hair too short and not enough spring in it. The Whirlwinds, Scallion, and Chive all had the same problem. If you pushed on the liner(frame on Chive), it moved all the way across and touched the other side. Not alot of force, either. It really couldn't have been use, as 2 of the Whirlwinds were checked at the display case, the third was returned without seeing any use(online order), Scallion was also left at the B&M, and I bought the Chive, flicked it a few times, checked the lock, and then gave it away this afternoon. I owned it all of 2 hrs. The store is a 45 min. drive from home, and I don't feel like making the trip just for a $35 knife. I have a Vapor II, it works just fine. I want a Double Cross, maybe it'll be ok, since it isn't Speed Safe.
 
That sucks. Have you informed Kershaw of this problem? I'm sure they'd like to know about it, especially from someone who has looked at six of them. I was probably one of a small handful of people who's torsion bar developed a crack, and they took care of me immediately.

I looked at my Scallion again after reading your description, and it makes contact with the tang surface about 1/3rd of the way across. It stops moving about 3/4 of the way across.

I hope you find one acts properly (if you still want one!). They're great little knives...

Good luck,
Zero
 
Sorry, but you sure do have bad luck with KO kershaw's. I lost my whirlwind in the yard somewhere, can't find it. But it was a great knife for cutting large vines and other fiberous plants, serrated edge worked great. No problem with the lock. Just checked and the Random Task and the Mini Task lock up thight, no clearance at all, solid. The chive also locks up well, but I can push the lock across with enough pressure. But then it is a small light use $30.00 knife, also a great one IMHO. I think I will replace the Whirlwind with a Boa, look out yard plants, here I come. Oh yea, I do live in a jungle.
 
I have an Avalanche. When blade "locks" open, there is blade play (it rattles). Pushing on the liner lock forces the lock to center on the back of the blade and eliminates the blade play, but if I then wiggle the blade, the lock springs back to its original position just slightly on the blade back. In other words, the lock does not have sufficient spring tension to move it all of the way behind the blade by itself to effect a solid lockup. This one will go back to Kershaw for repair. Anyone with experience in returning knives to Kershaw?
 
My Chive also will cross all the way if I push it. I don't think this weakens th lock-up at all. My Vapor II has kick-ass lockup. The bead blast looked ugly, so i took it apart and hit everything with 600 grit silicon carbide paper and Flitz. Now it has a mirror polish and could pass as a custom Onion. I like it so much that it replaced my waved CQC7 in my carry rotation.
 
My Boa's been my #1 EDC for about a year now and no problems at all. Previous to the Boa, my #1 EDC was my Ricochet for about a year as well with no probs. That'd piss me off too, though, if I had that problem with that many knives...
 
Originally posted by jki
I have an Avalanche. When blade "locks" open, there is blade play (it rattles). Pushing on the liner lock forces the lock to center on the back of the blade and eliminates the blade play, but if I then wiggle the blade, the lock springs back to its original position just slightly on the blade back. In other words, the lock does not have sufficient spring tension to move it all of the way behind the blade by itself to effect a solid lockup. This one will go back to Kershaw for repair. Anyone with experience in returning knives to Kershaw?
Click to expand...

Exactly what happened with my Random Task, except I could get the liners to touch. I was gonna send it back, but I ended up losing it while setting up a food booth at a festival for my parents. If I'm not mistaken, don't the Avalanche and Random Task hve the same handle? The others didn't have blade play, but the lock up seemed sluggish, with the liner making contact without really forcing it's way into the blade.
 
My Kershaw Vapor 2 locks as solidly as a bank vault, but it's a frame lock, not a liner lock. Sounds like Kershaw had a batch of knives slip out onto the market with poor quality control. Too bad.
 
Chive - my favorite Speed Safe.

Love it. (mostly a toy, though)

Dan
 
Both my Boa and Scallion open and lock solid. No problems.

hardheart: I have found that many times, on this forum, a person has a major problem with one brand of knife and speaks at length about the problem. Quite often, to my surprise, they have never emailed or called the manufacturer about the problem. I am assuming that you have called Kershaw about your problem with their speed safes. What did they say? Historically they have been known to take care of legitimate problems in a professional manner.
 
I had to tweak my random task a little to avoid the problem of a shifty liner. If I pushed on the blade too much while cutting, the liner would go "ping" and not engage as tight. I also had trouble w/ the pivot loosening. I loc tited the pivot, and set it at just the right pressure, then took the liner out and bent it over. Works ok now.
 
I called a couple of times and got the voicemail for Donna in warranty. I'll try again Monday.
 
I had a problem with the spring on my Boa, and they took care of it promptly.
Actually I had them put a black blade in my multi handle, looks sharp!!!
Mine locks up great. The lock will not move in the opposite direction. The only thing with mine is a "popping" noise/feeling when closing it. I have noticed this on several Boas and assume it is not unusual...???
Anybody?
Rob
 
Originally posted by hardheart
I want a Double Cross, maybe it'll be ok, since it isn't Speed Safe.
Click to expand...

I've got Double Duty. It's liner goes all the way to the right when opened. :(

Maybe I should have sent it back to Kershaw, but...
... it's - after all - quite a cheap knife.

I've bent the liner little bit with pliers (talkin' about the strenght & width of the liner...)

It will do to me like it is.

Tuhkis
 
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