OD-1 prone to problems?

B

Brutus013

BANNED
Joined
Nov 30, 2006
Messages
1,834
I've owned a few Kershaws, and most of them have had absolutely no problems. However, the OD-1 has given me considerable trouble. When I first bought mine, I was in love. I loved the size and shape, the steel was good, and the flipper design is my favorite of all the flippers and assisted systems I've tried.

However, the ball detent seemed very weak. Upon closer inspection, there WAS no ball detent. The ball bearing was missing. So I sent it back and got a replacement, just as I expected from Kershaw's customer service.

Again I was in love, until the replacement gave me trouble, too. I went to flip it open one day and the flipper folded but the blade only opened about half way. I took it apart and noticed the flipper had come out of the blade, so I reset it and it worked ok for a day or two until the problem happened again. The piece that is supposed to sit in the cutout in the blade and flip it open was made too short (it's hard to explain, but I posted pictures when it happened, and if you take yours apart you can probably figure it out), but I didn't want to send it back to Kershaw and deal with the wait, so I just went to the House of Cutlery and bought another. This knife had the exact same problem, though, and after about a week it was again unusable.

Have other people had these same problems consistently with the OD-1, or have I just gotten unlucky with the three I got?
 
Never had any trouble with the opening action or components on mine when I owned one. The detent was fairly weak though. A hard start/stop wrist flick could fully open the blade without much problem.

To get two with the very same issue on the flipper internals does seem like pretty bad luck.
 
Being able to flick it open didn't bother me, but stabbing myself in the palm when I go to grab my knife does, haha.
 
Brutus013 said:
Being able to flick it open didn't bother me, but stabbing myself in the palm when I go to grab my knife does, haha.
Click to expand...

This happened to me so many times it wasn't even funny :( Finally gave it away to a friend who wanted it. Too bad, because other than that, it was a fantastic knife!
 
I haven't had any of the problems listed...at all. I've had bad luck before, though. Sorry to hear you're having these issues.

Oh, and you can also adjust the blade detent retention yourself by bending the lockbar in or out. It's really fairly easy to do. (just don't overdo it)
 
Well, maybe it's time for a fourth go, then, haha. Maybe a year between OD-1s is enough time for bad luck to run out.
 
i dont have the od-1 but an od-2. it works great w/o any problems.

i have never heard of this series of knives having problems but it seems strange that all three of yours had the problem.

have you tried taking it apart and checking the inside?
 
seelow123 said:
i dont have the od-1 but an od-2. it works great w/o any problems.

i have never heard of this series of knives having problems but it seems strange that all three of yours had the problem.

have you tried taking it apart and checking the inside?
Click to expand...

Like I said, I took it apart which is how I found how what happened. I found the thread I posted back when it first happened:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/704805-My-OD1-just-broke...?p=7718188

Those pictures show what happened to the flipper, the little bar that is supposed to keep it in place was machined too short, and so it didn't hold the lever in place and it was able to slip. Same problem happened on the third knife.
 
seelow123 said:
so it was just bad luck i guess.

what knife did you get to replace the od-1?
Click to expand...

I had Kershaw send me a Junkyard Dog, if I remember correctly, a knife I was very satisfied with. The flipper might not be quite so nice, but it still works very well, and the size/shape of the knife/blade and the quality of manufacturing made up for it. It was a few more weeks until I bought the third OD-1 and had the same problem again, and it was the last one I bought.
 
Brutus013 said:
I had Kershaw send me a Junkyard Dog, if I remember correctly, a knife I was very satisfied with. The flipper might not be quite so nice, but it still works very well, and the size/shape of the knife/blade and the quality of manufacturing made up for it. It was a few more weeks until I bought the third OD-1 and had the same problem again, and it was the last one I bought.
Click to expand...

ah man. the more i hear about the junkyard dog, the more i want it.
 
Go for it! Won my first one in a contest in this subforum, that one got used real well, held up really nicely. I had Kershaw send me another because I wanted a nice, clean, new one to start the process over with, haha.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top