Replacing Teflon Washers With Bronze

Paladin2443

Paladin2443

Joined
May 26, 2003
Messages
275
FWIW........

I just finished replacing the teflon washers in my X-Ray & Mini X-Ray Vision.
Both patients are doing well following surgery. They're resting and soaking up some BreakFree.

The pivot bushing on the X-Ray miked @ .214", and .136" on the Mini. The factory teflon washers are .010" thick, so I doubled up on the bronze washers that I bought from http://www.knifeandgun.com/catalog/folding_knife_parts_186662_products.htm in order to equal the original thickness. A rat-tail file was used to ream out the undersize holes in both replacements, followed by a light polishing with some worn #600 emory paper to take down the high spots and then a light buffing.

I hope this helps someone, :D
 
Great job. I'm always glad when somebody has the initiative to modify a mass-produced product to better meet their needs. I just wish more people were willing to do so, which would pressure manufacturers to design for user serviceability.

Lut us know if the swap has made a big difference.
 
I subscribe to that old theorem........Necessity is the mother of invention.

I emailed SOG and asked them for TWO LOUSY WASHERS and they refused to give them to me! They wanted me to send the knife in! I have a hard time believing that a twenty-first century knife company would treat a customer like that. They pissed me off so much that I'm posting my experience and my solution. What good is their damn warranty......anyways? Anyone want any more help with it? Post your question here.....assuming I'm not breaking any rule of the Forum. :D
 
Originally posted by Paladin2443
I subscribe to that old theorem........Necessity is the mother of invention.

I emailed SOG and asked them for TWO LOUSY WASHERS and they refused to give them to me! They wanted me to send the knife in! I have a hard time believing that a twenty-first century knife company would treat a customer like that. They pissed me off so much that I'm posting my experience and my solution. What good is their damn warranty......anyways? Anyone want any more help with it? Post your question here.....assuming I'm not breaking any rule of the Forum. :D
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No broken rules here!!! I LIKE hearing about it. I modified both of my Visions. The Ti version got traded (Skinwalker? had it last), my NV (BTW I lost the washers for that, and need to replace them ;) ) I did rainbow blade, and jewelled rainbow liners...:D


... as for not sending washers, I suspect they want to make sure they got it right...
 
I feel your frustrations Paladin!

Seems that I'll be ordering washers real soon for my necessary upgrading. However I'm also looking for Trox screws...so my search continues....

It's so difficult to find parts that fix knives on the net.

By the way, I've explained how impossible it is for my to ship my knives to SOG due to our very stiff knife and weapons laws, SOG still insist that I send them in! And for washers that I can replace in 10 minutes flat.:confused:

I like SOG but will be looking for alternatives in the future.

Sean
 
Sean......

I wish you well in your endeavor! I too really like my SOGs, but not their company's policies! :mad:


I made a mistook in my first post......I didn't use rat-tail files to ream out the washer holes, I used chain saw files, just a tiny bit smaller than the holes I was trying to enlarge. Chain saw files have a consistent diameter, and their filing grooves are very fine.....making them ideal for this purpose. I stacked four washers and held them in three fingers of one hand while I carefully enlarged the hole, checking frequently using the pivot bushing to make sure I wasn't increasing the hole size too much.

Good luck,
 
Other than the washers, I'm looking for some torx screws together with thumb studs to save on my postage.

I've the same washer problem with my Buck Strider and have mailed Joe from Buck about it. So far, the response has been quite fast and good. Although, I've not confirmed any replacement parts with Buck yet, Joe has been responsive and very willing to help.

So far, SOG's customer service has been crap. Even after I explained (twice) to them about how difficult and impossible it is for me to send my knives to them (very tough customs laws and regulations and shipping charges), they still refused to help. I offered to pay for the replacement washers but still no sales and that's after I clearly stated that I understand that stripping the knives will void me of any warrenties! :mad:

Confirming the washer sizes was the only thing they's done for me (after several emails) and I'm grateful for that. But I STILL can't understand why popping a few plastic/nylon washers into an envelope and posting it to me is so darn difficult. Hey, afterall I don't expect them to be free.....

It's no doubt that SOG has got wonderful knives with good steels and all, but they've lost me as a customer due to this. All of my friends are also shocked at their attitude.

I am not an unreasonable person and can try to understand. However, no explainations was given even after I literally beg them for the washers.... :confused:

Sean
 
Originally posted by Sean Hawkins
...So far, SOG's customer service has been crap. Even after I explained (twice) to them about how difficult and impossible it is for me to send my knives to them (very tough customs laws and regulations and shipping charges), they still refused to help. I offered to pay for the replacement washers but still no sales and that's after I clearly stated that I understand that stripping the knives will void me of any warrenties! :mad:

Confirming the washer sizes was the only thing they's done for me (after several emails) and I'm grateful for that. But I STILL can't understand why popping a few plastic/nylon washers into an envelope and posting it to me is so darn difficult. Hey, afterall I don't expect them to be free.....

It's no doubt that SOG has got wonderful knives with good steels and all, but they've lost me as a customer due to this. All of my friends are also shocked at their attitude.

I am not an unreasonable person and can try to understand. However, no explainations was given even after I literally beg them for the washers.... :confused:

Sean
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That's a damn shame :(...If Ron Andersen was still heading-up SOG's Customer SERVICE, he'd take care of your problem pronto...He came through for me many times.
 
After dealing with companies like Benchmade, CRKT, and most especially Kershaw........SOG gives the impression that they're located in France! :D
 
Originally posted by Paladin2443
After dealing with companies like Benchmade, CRKT, and most especially Kershaw........SOG gives the impression that they're located in France! :D
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Ouch!!!
Frankly I am surprised, but I will ask what the policies are...???
 
Bobby.....

When Mike Means (S) was working in the warranty dept., he had a personality and was willing to bend the rules a little....depending on the situation. In short, he was a nice guy with some common sense. Unfortunately, the girl who is now in his position must have the company rules and regs. spread out in front of her, and she adheres to them religiously!
Not even a micron of common sense is evident...at this point!
 
Originally posted by Paladin2443
Bobby.....

When Mike Means (S) was working in the warranty dept., he had a personality and was willing to bend the rules a little....depending on the situation. In short, he was a nice guy with some common sense.
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He was one of my hires and I trained him...so in short, I'll take credit for him! ;) He and Loretta both are good people. But with all the changes going on at SOG over the past year (give or take), it might be hard to have a "common sense" policy.
 
Ron.....

Maybe if I'd talked to Loretta instead of "M", I wouldn't have posted my negative comments. If you trained Mike, then you can pat yourself on the shoulder! :D Now how 'bout working your magic on "M"?

In any case, consider sending a couple of washers for a Pentagon to Sean....in an envelope! The guy lives in Singapore! That would be a sure sign that common sense is alive and well @ SOG! ;)
 
"M" is still fairly new, and (unfortunately) Ron parted company with SOG...
I'll talk to Loretta and see what I can do???:confused:
I'd still try the bronze washers though...
 
Thanks guys for the considerations and kind words.

I've decided to retire my SOG and have bought a Spyderco Military as my EDC.

As I've mentioned before, I still believe that SOG makes wonderful knives and the PE II is a tough and strong folder compared to the Military. However, the scrapping sound gets to me whenever I open the folder. As such, I've bought the Sypderco while I'm waiting for my bronze washers. Maybe I'll pick up the SOG again when the Military fails me in the future.

I personally feel that good products and customer services contribute equally toward the success of a company. Hopefully, SOG will realise this one day.

Thanks again for the kind considerations.
Sean
 
Hi Sean,
Originally posted by Sean Hawkins
I've decided to retire my SOG and have bought a Spyderco Military as my EDC...I personally feel that good products and customer services contribute equally toward the success of a company. Hopefully, SOG will realise this one day....
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I'm so sorry for your experience with SOG. If only I could be in a position to rectify this on your behalf...but I’m not...

When a company like SOG undergoes the severe ownership and management transformations that it has, it is difficult for them to function at optimal efficiency. In some ways, they are charting new/difficult paths and experiencing unfamiliar transformations. Very key personnel who in the past gave SOG direction, vision and policy are no longer there; and those who remain have become too thinly stretched. There are some very good people remaining at SOG, but the management structure that made SOG successful has been acutely altered and impacted.

Hopefully it will not take long for SOG to realize that absolutely honoring one’s customers is the quickest way to create customer loyalty. And conversely, creating (or allowing) environments of discontent among their customers will spread like a cancer throughout the knife community and can ultimately “kill” the SOG name.

This is all so very sad. There are a handful of key SOG personnel (both past and present) who are looking at the company today, seeing what they had poured their hearts and souls into for years, changing before their eyes in such troubling ways. The issue of this thread is but one example (of many) showing the end product (unhappy customers) of these internal company problems.

I wish only the best for my good friends at SOG. They’re some outstanding people!
 
Ron......

What happened @ SOG? Did new owners come in thinking they could build a better mouse trap? Is the company still owned by American citizens?

It sounds like company morale is at the same level as whale doodoo.

Please enlighten us....if possible.

Thanks,
 
Hey Paladin,

Since you asked ...

Here's the short version: SOG was a husband and wife co-founded, co-run, and co-owned business. A year and a half ago, they split up (of course, it wasn’t as simple as that!) and the divorce has recently just been finalized. It's been very sad and there have been a lot of hurt people. When two people split who've co-birthed a business and then co-ran it everyday for something like 17 years, there are obviously going to be some "serious shakin' goin' on." Half of the ownership is still in tact, but the vacuum created due to the absence of the outgoing owner (this person managed company operations, finances, personnel, customer service, warranty, etc.) has been considerable. When you have a small company like SOG undergo such radical changes, it is hard for those in the company to not experience feelings of uncertainty and for the effectiveness of the company/employees to wane. Over the past year and a half, staff morale has struggled greatly. I very much loved my job there, loved my co-workers, and loved the products I represented, but I can tell you that I’d rather have the stresses of unemployment than continue working there in its current environment.

Throughout these events, my heart has continually gone out to those individuals who have found themselves caught up in the middle of these changes and have become hurt. For them, it’s just not fair.

I hope you understand that I’ve left out specifics and details both for people’s privacy and for the reason that I’m not interested in sharing this story publicly in more detail than I have here. Thus, I likely won’t be sharing anything further.

FYI: A related thread where I made a few other comments that might be found interesting to those in this thread can be found right here.

Take care, all. :)
 
Thank you very much, Ron.

I'm sure it's painful for you to re-hash the story, and I greatly appreciate you taking the time to give us an idea of what's going on beyond those walls! It makes a difference!

Given what you've shared, it sounds like there is hope for SOG....when the dust finally settles. I hope so.

I wish you well, :)
 
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