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- Dec 1, 2012
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- 1,379
It may seem like a daunting task to take apart a $400 folder, but in reality it is not. Newer designs like the 25 move toward more user-friendliness. As Chris encourages his customers to take his folders apart for maintenance, the 25 can be taken apart like a sandwich. The new pivot Umnumzaan is similar, the 21 a hair more involved and the old-pivot Umnumzaan more complicated. That would be a different thread.
Once it is laid down on on the lock bar side, you can disassemble it from the presentation side, clean it and reassemble it one piece at a time without lifting it off the table. That allows less mechanically-inclined users to clean and reassemble the unit without failure, and you should try it. Life is a learning experience.
There are a host of videos on YouTube, but in simplicity, when you take it apart, lay the pieces down just as you took them off. If one side of a washer is on the bottom, lay that bottom on your rag. Wipe it off while remembering which side was down, and lay that side down again. That way it will go back exactly as it came apart. You can even take a Sharpie and put a small "u" on the top side of the washer to remind you which side will be up when you reassemble it. Won't hurt anything.
Wipe everything off with a soft rag, use WD40 to clean it if needed. Wipe it well off.
On reassembly, use the CRK grease you were supplied with sparingly. It is expensive, but there for a reason. It should last you 4-5 reassemblies at least. Put some on both sides of each part involved with the pivot, and some on your finger tips to lube around the pivot surface that goes through the blade (and lock side slab if you took it out as well) after you put it back into the lock side slab and start your reassembly.
Once the knife is back together, it is important to not over tighten the screws, especially the small ones. Put one Allen wrench in one side of the screw (generally the longer side) and hold it still, then use the other wrench to tighten the small screw into the longer female side. Twist them until they stop turning, give them a hair more of a twist as you'll feel they do not want to go any further, and stop. Maybe a couple of degrees. The more you do it, the better feel you'll get for it.
As is cleaning the knife itself. The more you do it, the easier it gets. After once, really. The fear of the unknown will be past you, and it will be something you do occasionally and possibly enjoy.
Once it is laid down on on the lock bar side, you can disassemble it from the presentation side, clean it and reassemble it one piece at a time without lifting it off the table. That allows less mechanically-inclined users to clean and reassemble the unit without failure, and you should try it. Life is a learning experience.
There are a host of videos on YouTube, but in simplicity, when you take it apart, lay the pieces down just as you took them off. If one side of a washer is on the bottom, lay that bottom on your rag. Wipe it off while remembering which side was down, and lay that side down again. That way it will go back exactly as it came apart. You can even take a Sharpie and put a small "u" on the top side of the washer to remind you which side will be up when you reassemble it. Won't hurt anything.
Wipe everything off with a soft rag, use WD40 to clean it if needed. Wipe it well off.
On reassembly, use the CRK grease you were supplied with sparingly. It is expensive, but there for a reason. It should last you 4-5 reassemblies at least. Put some on both sides of each part involved with the pivot, and some on your finger tips to lube around the pivot surface that goes through the blade (and lock side slab if you took it out as well) after you put it back into the lock side slab and start your reassembly.
Once the knife is back together, it is important to not over tighten the screws, especially the small ones. Put one Allen wrench in one side of the screw (generally the longer side) and hold it still, then use the other wrench to tighten the small screw into the longer female side. Twist them until they stop turning, give them a hair more of a twist as you'll feel they do not want to go any further, and stop. Maybe a couple of degrees. The more you do it, the better feel you'll get for it.
As is cleaning the knife itself. The more you do it, the easier it gets. After once, really. The fear of the unknown will be past you, and it will be something you do occasionally and possibly enjoy.
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) Does it come with two Allen wrenchs as opposed to the single one sent with the 21's?
