Kiwi Stag stuck closed

[DanR217]

My stag handled Kiwi has been stuck closed for some time. I figured it was something I did, so I never sent it in for warranty. Tonight I decided to get it open, no matter what. I took the scales off and noticed some dried red loc-tite. Did a bunch of other stuff, marked up the handle pretty good, but finally got the blade open. Turns out the loc-tite had melted and ran onto the blade, sticking it to the inside of the handle. Damn loc-tite is some strong stuff... Anyway, my question is if this has happened to anyone else?

edit: I should add that this knife sat in a uhaul for a few days in Fresno in the 120 degree heat. Got an email from a Spyderco rep saying that the blade getting stuck closed is my fault. Sorry, I didn't realize the handles were slathered in loctite or that it would melt...

 

[brownshoe]

How do you know it is loc-tite? How do you know it was loc-tite applied by spyderco? Loc-tite drys pretty quickly and will not re-liquefy. It also only cures in an environment w/o air; the blade is exposed to air. Are you sure it is not something else that was in the Uhaul?

 

[DanR217]

There's locktite under each handle scale, my guess is they put it on to secure the scales before they drill the holes for the screws. I know it's loctite because of the unique semi-sweet/semi rubbery smell, and the fact it's bonding things very tightly, it was very tough to remove the scales. Loctite DOES re-liquify, it melts at high temperature which I why I said it was in a uhaul that likely got very high in temperature. A way to break the bond of loctite is to heat up whatever is being bonded. The space between the blade and handle, before the plunge line, is tight enough that if loctite got in there it would create an environment without air. I know it wasn't something else in the uhaul, it was in a sealed plastic bag.

 

[DanR217]

Just checked the contents of the bag, there was a tube of red loctite in there. Cap is on good, but the cap could have come loose in the bag. Mystery solved, sorry Spyderco.

On another note, how are the handles held onto the back spacer on the Kiwi? The pivot pin is an actual pin, not a screw, but I'm wondering what holds the back end together?

 

[The Deacon]

I'm pretty sure the tread locker is applied to the screws after the holes in the handle are drilled and tapped. At least that seems to have been the case on both of mine, although whoever put them together was a lot more parsimonious with it than the person who assembled yours. Either that or, as you mentioned in your last post, it's possible the loctite was yours, since whatever they used on mine is closer to yellow than red. Like your Kiwi, the blades of mine are very closely fitted, so it would not take much to make them difficult to open and close.

As for the handles, they're pinned. Am guessing the lanyard tube does double duty as the rear-most pin, but I could be wrong. It's also possible there's a pin just above and ahead of the lanyard hole. I know for certain there's one hidden under the scales slightly behind and above the hole for the rearmost scale screw.