Spyderco Red Loctite

[Wowbagger]

I did crank the temp up a little bit and still nothing.

Consider : stainless steel sheet metal (the liners) makes an excellent heat sink and there are two of them. Maybe the heat is dissipating faster than you think.

I don't know how Spyderco will deal with this but if you REALLY want this done rather than "really" then maybe it is worth the try. The worst part of it isn't going to be the letter but the wait; could be a couple weeks or so.

Here is one other thing you can do if you happen to have a drill press :

• get a good torx bit like a Bosh
• put it in the drill press chuck and tighten it well (put the wrench in all three holes; no body ever does that)
• DO NOT TURN ON THE DRILL PRESS
• lower the bit into the screw and hold the bit firmly in the screw socket with the downward force of the drill press handle
• put a 1/4 inch wrench on the bit to turn it
• (you can clamp something to the drill press table to act as a stop to keep the knife from rotating with the bit.

If you need a bit on the other end of the screw . . . well you get the idea . . . you'll figure it out.

alternatively you could do this in the jaws of a largish bench vise but it turns into kind of a balancing act.

PS: it helps to touch the end of the bit on a turning bench grinder to get the most bite out of the end of the bit.
PPS: I know the bit will probably just spiral or break off but with larger bits this works really well.

 

[Danke42]

I've sent 2 knives to Spyderco. No nasty letter and 2 knives fixed like new and sharpened like razors. On my Leaftstrom The sent the $5 back also and on the Ayoob they charged me $5 but that was for replacing lost clip screws so fair play in my books.

 

[Wowbagger]

. I've thought about sending it in but I've heard that Spyderco's CS will just send you a nasty letter in return (with whatever you sent in of course).

I finally got around to reading the link to the Spyderco Forum that Inkynate provided.
Here is a quote from that official statement on Red Loctite :

more and more people had the desire to disassemble their Spyderco knives. Most used proper tools and technique and were successful; however, a number of them did experience challenges and frustration. Our Warranty Repair technicians frequently resolved these problems by having the owner return the knife to us and loosening the screws at the customer’s specific request.

 

[Wowbagger]

Oh hell.
I hadn't finished reading it when I posted the above. Here's more :

Finally, if you currently own a Spyderco knife with screw-together construction that you would like to disassemble and are having difficulty removing the screws, please see the how-to tips listed below for the method our Warranty Repair technicians use to remove Loctite-secured screws. You can also return your knife to us with a return-shipping fee of $5.00 and we will loosen the screws for you. We will not, however, completely disassemble knives for our customers.

We hope this announcement addresses all our customers’ concerns on this topic and that you’re pleased with our decision. Spyderco works very hard at listening to our customers. Listening is easy; making the right choices to implement smart changes takes more time. Thank you for your patience with our efforts to do things right.

Stay safe,

Mike

How to Remove Stubborn Screws from a Knife

According to the manufacturers of Loctite 263, the red Loctite used on Spyderco’s US-made knives, screws treated with it can be removed by applying heat. However, its specifications state that a temperature of more than 360 degrees Fahrenheit must be reached for it to soften. Such temperatures could easily damage the scales and other components of your knife. Instead, we recommend the following process:

1) Ensure that you have the proper size Torx® driver for your screws and that the driver head is in good condition. A single-piece, screwdriver-style driver works best.
2) Place your knife on a workbench or other hard surface. Use a paper towel or rag to protect the handle from scratches.
3) Insert the tip of the Torx driver into the screw head and ensure that it fits properly.
4) Tap the handle of the driver several times with a hammer to “shock” the screw and break the Loctite bond.
5) Maintain a firm, constant, downward pressure on the Torx driver as you rotate it to remove the screw.
6) If this method is not successful on the first try, repeat as necessary or return your knife to Spyderco with $5.00 for return shipping. We will loosen your knife’s screws upon request.

 

[HowAmI]

Oh hell.
I hadn't finished reading it when I posted the above. Here's more :

The instructions won't work as I've done that many times, and the head is completely stripped out (It wants something like a T9.5..). Now the question is would they be willing to give me a new screw if I sent it back? If I ever sell the knife, I'm the the next person would like to have the scales still in the original form.

 

[Mo2]

If you can't unscrew a screw with minimal force, don't keep trying. I know you want to as that's the human instinct. Stop it has locktite of some sorts. Find another way, don't try because it will strip. People are strange. In any case spyderco did say you can try and Shock the loctite, have you tried that? It didn't work for me but maybe I wasn't trying hard enough.

I got a heat gun that goes above 600+ degrees. Works fine when I wave it around the screw locations. As directed heat will def melt or burn the knives.

 

[Cap’n Smudge]

The instructions won't work as I've done that many times, and the head is completely stripped out (It wants something like a T9.5..). Now the question is would they be willing to give me a new screw if I sent it back? If I ever sell the knife, I'm the the next person would like to have the scales still in the original form.

In my experience, if you have a stripped torx screw, often times an Allen wrench will fit and lock securely in place. I recommend having both metric and SAE on hand to get the tightest fit possible. This has saved me many times. Of course, you will also want to have a new set of screws to put it back together with. Hope it helps.

 

[HowAmI]

In my experience, if you have a stripped torx screw, often times an Allen wrench will fit and lock securely in place. I recommend having both metric and SAE on hand to get the tightest fit possible. This has saved me many times. Of course, you will also want to have a new set of screws to put it back together with. Hope it helps.

I'll have to retry the Allen Wrench part. I have a metric and 'imperial' cheap hardware store set that I'll test fit and see if that'll work. Don't know if Spyderco would be willing to provide a new screw? Anybody have a similar experience?

 

[Mo2]

I'll have to retry the Allen Wrench part. I have a metric and 'imperial' cheap hardware store set that I'll test fit and see if that'll work. Don't know if Spyderco would be willing to provide a new screw? Anybody have a similar experience?

if you stripped a screw send it back to spyderco and pay the fee have them fix it. i think its like $30, you should give them a call or email to verify. they will not provide any screws anymore iirc.

 

[anycal]

As far as screws are concerned, it can't hurt to ask.

Twice in the recent history, I received set of screws from Spyderco. I was willing to pay full price for repairs just to get the screws. Ended up getting just the screws.

 

[HowAmI]

As far as screws are concerned, it can't hurt to ask.

Twice in the recent history, I received set of screws from Spyderco. I was willing to pay full price for repairs just to get the screws. Ended up getting just the screws.

Quite the profit to actual cost ratio. Seems a bit like: We fucked up so you have to give us a large amount of profit for our mistake. I might just have to send an email and see what they'll do, if they won't do it looks like a 3rd party will have to join in.

 

[Danke42]

Quite the profit to actual cost ratio. Seems a bit like: We fucked up so you have to give us a large amount of profit for our mistake. I might just have to send an email and see what they'll do, if they won't do it looks like a 3rd party will have to join in.

You got the knife brand new with damaged screws?

Or is it the "royal" we as in you actually damaged the knife?

 

[HowAmI]

You got the knife brand new with damaged screws?

Or is it the "royal" we as in you actually damaged the knife?

No. I didn't receive the knife damaged. As for we I'm talking about them drowning their screws in red or white loctite on their screws, then then getting upset and punishing you because you stripped a screw that wouldn't of been stripped has they just used blue like any normal company.

 

[Mo2]

No. I didn't receive the knife damaged. As for we I'm talking about them drowning their screws in red or white loctite on their screws, then then getting upset and punishing you because you stripped a screw that wouldn't of been stripped has they just used blue like any normal company.

if you cant release the screw dont budge it. your just going to strip it. thats your fault. cant blame your inexperience on someone else. you have to use heat or another means or send it to the manufacture.

they already changed there policy on this. only older knives will have it.