Tek-Lok failure!

Matteo Escobar

Matteo Escobar

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Joined
Feb 26, 2002
Messages
4,150
I thought that I would relay what happened to me a few days ago, and see if anyone else has had this type of failure.

I was wearing my SAR3 on my belt in the 4 O'Clock position on a Tek-Lok. I went to slide into the drivers seat of my car, and I thought that I felt the knife slip out onto the seat behind me.

My first reaction was that the knife handle had somehow caught up and pulled it out of the sheath. I immediately stopped and gently reached around, expecting to feel the naked knife, but instead I pulled around the knife still fully sheathed!

The aluminum rivets that attach the sheath to the Tek-Lok had simply sheared clean off when the knife got caught on the seat when I was sitting down. It didn't even take that much force, I barely felt it. I'm not a huge guy, like 200lbs and 5'8".

This experience has got me thinking about carrying a blade with a Tek-LoK. I mean, it sheared off really easy. I'm thinking about going all leather for sheaths, unless it's pocket carry.

For those of you that carry Tek-Lok, be carefull, if you sit down the wrong way that knife can pop off onto the floor!
 
Interesting. Been using a Tek-Lok for awhile now. Havn't had that happen yet. I'm always checkin it though, makin sure it's still there. Too much money to leave behind. Thanks,,, :)
 
Yes. i Got flung from the back of a pickup while ice fishing. Sheath got caught and destroyed the hardware.
 
Have never had rivet shear........but I have had the sucker come unclamped. A few times. I don't use the little plug part though.
 
230grains said:
Yes. i Got flung from the back of a pickup while ice fishing. Sheath got caught and destroyed the hardware.
Click to expand...

That sounds pretty situational, as opposed to sitting down in your car.

I've seen two of the screws come loose from my kydex though. I tighten them once a week now. I ended up ordering a few Chicago screws just in case it happens again.

I carry mine at about 3 o'clock, so I'm not rubbing it on any chairs / seats I'm sitting in. Of course it goes in my back pocket during work hours, in case any sheeple might see it.
 
All of my sheaths came attached to the tek-lok with chicago screws. I have not had any failures nor have any of them come lose. I would suggest reattaching the sheath tp the tek-lok with chicago screws and use purple loctite so that the don't loosen up.
 
Kind of on topic, I just got my new Mashed Cat sheath for my BWM. I noticed the new style Tek-Lok that came with it was made in Taiwan. The old style Tek-Lok on my older Mashed Cat was made in the USA. That doesn't mean one is necessarily better or worse, just food for thought.

Michael
 
This exact same thing happened to me two days ago. Sheared right off. I had an older tek-lok in a bag at the house and it had steel ones so i switched them out. I've been planning to try to find some tougher chicago screws online since this happened to replace in all my tek-loks.
 
Good Post Matteo - Thank you for the heads-up. I have always used Molle or belt loops but have considered Tek-Loks. Fortunately I decided against Chicago screws for fixing the Molle clips, not because of strength but because of length. I used screws with the same thread as the Chicago screws for flexibility (8-32), but used nuts with locktite.

I shall do the same for the Tek-Loks. Oh, I use a clear plastic tube which I bought in a roll to cover the threads inside the eyelets.

Thanks again
 
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I take those off any sheath that may come with one. On a few of my favorites I've had a couple loop options made, and can change them out depending on the way I want to carry that day.

There much more compact than the tec locs, tougher, and you can get it with the amount of drop, or angle you want. I've never had a maker charge me for sending me an extra out.
Some, like Dozier, rivets theres with no screws, which I don't like, but they will change them out for free if you send it in.
 
Interesting that the metal gave before the plastic.
I wonder if the aluminum corroded?
 
The new tec-locs are coming with brass posts now.

They are much stronger.

all the old ones were aluminum, I think there were a few bad eyelets that got out.

I used to buy my posts from the same place Blade tech bought their posts from.
I had to return a batch of post because they were too thin walled.

the new ones are super strong.

I also noticed the made in Taiwan on my last batch of tec-locs, I guess it is a cost saving move, the price has come down quite a bit on the large tec-locs. 9.00 on the web site.+ shipping

The quality seams just as good.

Kind of sad though, I liked the fact that they were made here in the USA.

When I called about the made in Taiwan stickers they said to keep up with demand they had to go to Taiwan but plan to bring manufacturing back to the states eventually.

Hope that helps.

If anybody has a problem with my sheaths let me know & I can send you some new hardware.

Also if you need some Tandy leather or as it is called now The Leather Factory, has steel posts that are the same size & thread pitch.
 
Happened to me the other day...sat down in a chair, and suddenly my B11 is off my hip... I thought I had popped open the tek-lok, bt then saw the screw posts sheared.:eek:
 
Happened to me too before, bent down to pick up something and my nmsfno in BB purple popped off my belt.
 
Dave has already taken a swipe at this and got dang near all of it I think...so I'll just brush off the 'crumbs'.

What we are discussing is not the failure of the Tek Lok. It is the aluminum post that came with the Chicago Screw set. There's a HUGE difference. (This also explains why I've always used brass posts.)

Yes, the new ones are made in Taiwan. Yes, that's sad! However, as brother Brown has pointed out, costs went down across the board, and QA is still VERY good (I happen to know that BTI has sends guys to Taiwan on a regular basis to make sure things stay right).

IMO, the new design is much improved (mind you, I worked at BTI when the Tek Lok was still just a drawing and was there for initial release and "shake down" which resulted in the Perma-Clip).
 
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