Pinned or Screwed, which do you like?

B

brownshoe

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What do you guys think of screws instead of pins as fasteners on custom slipjoints?

In a recent thread on the custom forum, the utility of screws for the pivot and handles was touted. It allows for easy adjustment of the pivot when it gets loose and replacement of the scales if they crack. Pivot adjustment can be made by tightening a screw w/o having to pound down or pry open a pin which often results in having to refinish a bolster or possibly replace a bolster that's been engraved. A cracked scale can be replaced w/o any disassembly.

Personally I don't like the looks of screws on a slipjoint, but that's just prejudice. I do like the idea of a knife that is easy to repair since my customs are users. What are your experiences with pins and user knives, have you needed adjustments with the pivot that would have worked better with a screw?

I have experience with a loose pivot. One custom slipjoint got loose (two blade trapper, nickel silver and ATS34 blade and spring) and I sent it back to the maker. They jammed a small washer in and repinned it resulting in (a) slight gap in the liner/backspring due to the washer and (b) noticable pins when they were once hidden. However the knife is tight and strong. I asked for the repair to be domed pins for strength and easy adjustment, but this wasn't done. A pivot screw may not have helped because I think the real problem was a milled nickel silver liner that was too thin (or nickel silver wasn't strong enough) for hard use. That's why the washer was put in for the repair. Needless to say, even though the repair was free, I wasn't happy with the repair, because I was willing to pay for a better job (i.e. replace the liner.) Kind of made me a little shy of nickle silver vs. steel liners although I have had no problems with nickel silver liners in production knives.

Most if not all of the custom slipjoints posted here are pinned. Any of you Bose, Cover, Ruple, Davidson, etc. custom users had trouble with loose pivot pins or replacing pinned scales?

Are screws really better? Logically it seems they are.

Do the asthetics of pins trump the utility of screws?

Inquiring minds want to know :)
 
I saw that thread over in the custom sub forum. I can understand the utility of having screws in there, but to me they're a turn off on a traditional pocketknife. They just don't look right. If I had a traditional pocketknife from Don Hanson I might be able to get over the screws though. ;)

I have limited experience in carry and using custom pocketknives, but I haven't had any problems with the ones I have.
 
My custom knife collecting days are long gone, but if I was going to consider one, no way I'd go for screws. I'd pass it right by. If pocket knives could last through a couple generations of users with carefull use pined together, theres no reason for screws exept to pass off more CNC made products.

Pins all the way, with brass liners.
 
I suppose if you want to buy a screwed up knife then it's ok. :D I think they are kinda girly, unless ofcourse it's from Don Hanson III, then it's ok
 
Slightly off the custom topic but there are some e.g.s. of screw use on traditional folders. The Miller Bros in Meridien CT patented a screw on handle back in the late 1800s. Personally, I prefer a skillfully peaned pin on a folder.
 
I'll tell you what, I for one am so sick of buying an expensive knife only to find the blade wobbles back and forth. It happens more times than not. I would love to see, and purchase a nice knife with a brass flathead screw on it.
 
Pinning is a traditional way, and stainless pins are a lot stronger then the old style.
So the folder is going to be a lot stronger than the older ones.

There is an art to pinning a slipjoint together, a lot guy's use screws, because
they can NOT pin the knife together with out problems.
Hiding the pivot pin is very hard to do, and still get the knife to work smooth.

Pearl scales are really hard to pin, because they can break very easy
when being pinned to a knife. That is why you will see more screws than pins in that type of knife.

Yes changing the scales on a screwed knife is easyer, it's just not the look.
If the scales get broke on a pinned knife, the knife can be cut apart and fixed. It's just a lot harder to do.

I will never use screws in my slipjoint folder knives.

Slippies pinned, never screwed. If you are wanting a traditional look?

This is just my thoughts, and opinon.

T.A.Davison
knife maker
 
If you can afford a custom then you should be able to cover the cost of having it repaired if a scale cracks or tuned up it gets a bit lose.

The only way I could see buying something with screws is if the bolsters were hand engraved and the screw heads got the same treatment. Similar to what you see on high end shotguns. Otherwise, pins.
 
duckman1 said:
I prefer pinned. I never had a problem with a pinned knife from a custom maker.
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Hopefully not, that is what you are paying the extra money for.
The extra qulity in the fit and finish of a custom made knife.
And I think that is the qustion here, Custom knives, pinned or screwed??
Cause I think most factory slipjoint knives are pinned, right?
I just like pinned, when you are talking traditional slippies. :thumbup:

T.A.Davison
knife maker
 
bigal2me said:
Hopefully not, that is what you are paying the extra money for.
The extra qulity in the fit and finish of a custom made knife.
And I think that is the qustion here, Custom knives, pinned or screwed??
Cause I think most factory slipjoint knives are pinned, right?
I just like pinned, when you are talking traditional slippies. :thumbup:

T.A.Davison
knife maker
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Wow, you have some really nice knives on your website:thumbup:
Very, very nice work, I am going to have to bookmark it to see how many views it will take to push me over the edge and place an order!
 
davmgt said:
Wow, you have some really nice knives on your website:thumbup:
Very, very nice work, I am going to have to bookmark it to see how many views it will take to push me over the edge and place an order!
Click to expand...

Thanks man.
That takes years and years of hard work to get to.
Much appreciated.

Todd
 
bigal2me said:
Pinning is a traditional way, and stainless pins are a lot stronger then the old style.
So the folder is going to be a lot stronger than the older ones.

There is an art to pinning a slipjoint together, a lot guy's use screws, because
they can NOT pin the knife together with out problems.
Hiding the pivot pin is very hard to do, and still get the knife to work smooth.

Pearl scales are really hard to pin, because they can break very easy
when being pinned to a knife. That is why you will see more screws than pins in that type of knife.

Yes changing the scales on a screwed knife is easyer, it's just not the look.
If the scales get broke on a pinned knife, the knife can be cut apart and fixed. It's just a lot harder to do.

I will never use screws in my slipjoint folder knives.

Slippies pinned, never screwed. If you are wanting a traditional look?

This is just my thoughts, and opinon.

T.A.Davison
knife maker
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You are right on the money Todd. Screws are an easier way of doing it and sometimes they work loose.
 
There is no way I'd own a custom slipjoint constructed with screws of any kind, color, or composition:barf::barf:
 
kodiak said:
Man, you guys have had some great luck. I'm jealous.
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Or...you have had some bad luck. I don't have years of collecting experience with "expensive" slip joints but, from what I have seen and handled, I would say that a wobbly blade is the sign of a poorly constructed knife. I know if I put one together and it was wobbly, that sucker would be coming back apart to see what is wrong. A properly constructed knife can be pinned because you WON'T have to take it apart.

....or I am just spoiled.:D
 
bigal2me said:
It's NOT LUCK, you earn ever bit of it.
If you know what I mean.

Todd
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Yeah,I know what you mean Todd...
It'd be pretty odd to hear someone say,as he admired a custom slipjoint,that you or any other accomplished maker made,and say ,"He got real lucky,on this one"

More like,"this guy makes a great knife"
I'd say,the luck part would be more in posessing the knowledge and skill to be able to perform the labor of love,that you guys do,and call your craft.
-Vince
 
Stainless steel bolsters and liners are much better than nickel silver. It will hold a pivot pin better without it showing after lots of use because it's a much harder material.
If a scale is pined on properly it will never work its self loose. If a head is spun or peened on the scale side and peened into a countersunk liner on the other side it can't come loose. If someone is using the knife hard enough to bend a liner then they should probably be using a fixed blade knife. That's my story and I'm stickin to it.
 
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