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Lion steel Sr-2a stupid mistake

S

Shankshank

Joined
Oct 12, 2012
Messages
10
I am relatively new here and I have bought a few knives in the past. I've owned several spyderco's kershaws and coldsteel knives. Recently I have wanted to get into knives with a custom feel. I bought a lion steel sr2 aluminum and I love it. It's fit and finish are incredible. A few days ago I got sand in my pivot and I was unable to blow it out. Seeing people on blade forums have disassembled this knife and assembled it again, having disassembled knives before, I thought I could do it. I did get the sand out but I put a bend in one of the washers and when I got the knife back together it's just as smooth as before the sand got in and lock up is the same and centering is still perfect but it is stiff, not as easy to open and I can hear the Teflon rubbing against the blade even when the blade is well oiled. Will this go away and it will be easier to open again through break in? Or should I try to get some new washers? Any info on the subject would help me greatly.

-spencer
 
I had an issue with the teflon rubbing and making noise like that as well. Try to loose the pivot as much as you can without taking it apart again and use a lube in a spray can to really get in there. Mine went away on my SR2-Ti after I did this.
 
Are you sure the sound you're hearing is the washer, or perhaps the detent ball travelling on the blade? I've noticed more noise from that, likely due to the higher hardness of the blade steel than I've often encountered, along with the resonant nature of the solid aluminum handle.

A drop or two of Nano-Oil often alleviates any friction-related problem. Also, see if you can lift the lock bar off the blade while moving it, to see if it is indeed the washer or the detent. That'll help you isolate the noise.
 
Thanks for the replies guys, I tend to obsess over these things like I'm sure a lot of us do, I lifted the lock bar off the blade and the noise is still there, so you all think just proper oil and break in will fix my stupid mistake?
 
Likely, although cleaning sand out of your pivot is far from a stupid mistake. Leaving it in would have chewed up those washers.
 
I'm just mad that I damaged the washer. Any idea why lion steel uses such a soft Teflon rather then phosphor bronze washers?
 
Shankshank said:
I'm just mad that I damaged the washer. Any idea why lion steel uses such a soft Teflon rather then phosphor bronze washers?
Click to expand...

I couldn't give you an answer as to why, but I would guess that Gianni would send you some new washers or direct you to someone who could.
 
Spencer ..... how did you reassemble the knife? Best way to do it is to make a pin (sizing down a wooden dowel or something) the same diameter as the pivot hole and same length as the blade tang thickness plus the washers. Insert the dowel through the blade pivot hole put the washers on each side. If the dowel is the correct length, the washers should stay there and be perfectly even with the ends of the dowel. Now insert the blade into the handle. When lined up with the pivot holes in the handle, push the dowel out and insert the pivot pin/screw. This should prevent any pinching of the washers and ensure they are perfectly aligned. Can't tell you the exact dimensions of the dowel you need to make, as I have yet to have the need to make one .... but, per Gianni .... this is the best way to reassemble the knife. So, you may want to take it apart again and use this method. Hopefully the washer(s) are not already too deformed.
 
I don't quite understand, how do you line up the blade with the pivot if the wooden pin is still there? I must be missing something.
 
Shankshank said:
I don't quite understand, how do you line up the blade with the pivot if the wooden pin is still there? I must be missing something.
Click to expand...

It is similar (not exactly) to the method of reassembling a CRK Sebenza (reg, classic and 21). The wooden (or any other material you make it from) pin is in there to hold the washers in position on the blade tang. When you slide it into the handle, you will be able to see the pin when it is lined up with the pivot pin/screw holes in the handle. It is then in the correct position. Use something (nail, paperclip or the pivot screw to start pushing out the pin you made. When it is out, insert the pivot pin/screw.
 
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