The Spyderco Rivet Pivot

A

alexiusmeinong

Joined
Jul 30, 2012
Messages
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I'm wondering why Spyderco uses the rivet at the blade/handle pivot on ANY of their knives. I would think that using a torx or hex bolt (as they do on the Delicas and Enduras now) is both cheaper for them to produce, and a superior design (given adjustability, the ability to disassemble, and so on). Am I wrong about this?
 
Why does Victorinox produce a few million knives a year the same way? Why does Opinel produce their knives the same way? Why do Case, Queen, Great Eastern Cutlery and others do it that way? Master cutlers have been producing folding knives with pinned construction for hundreds of years. Personally, I like it. It keeps people who should be allowed to own tools from taking apart their knives.
 
Well, one might think that one reason those other companies do that is because it's cheaper for them. But it's not entirely clear why. The only tool required to apply a bolt is a driver, which requires no training to operate. Also, you might think that there are reasons to use the rivet in those other kinds of knives and that those reasons aren't at work in the case of Spyderco (maybe rivets work better for pinning several tools together, as Victorinox does, or maybe the Case and Opinel people don't want to adulterate they're very old designs, etc.)

I'm aware that making knives this way "keeps people who should be allowed to own tools from taking apart their knives". This doesn't strike me as a design virtue.
 
I like the removable pivot. It just makes more sense. My new Pacific Salt has them.
 
yablanowitz said:
Why does Victorinox produce a few million knives a year the same way? Why does Opinel produce their knives the same way? Why do Case, Queen, Great Eastern Cutlery and others do it that way?
Click to expand...

The answer is obvious, its because they are cheap, plain and simple. Cheap knives and cheap construction methods.
 
See, what originally led me to ask my question is this: That it's cheaper to use the rivet construction doesn't SEEM obvious. Why is it cheaper?
 
Also because on knives with bolsters screws would be an eyesore. In most cases I think it has to do with the method by which the whole darn knife is constructed, as well as the target price point and intended uses of the knife, that dictates whether screwed or pivoted construction is used.
 
alexiusmeinong said:
See, what originally led me to ask my question is this: That it's cheaper to use the rivet construction doesn't SEEM obvious. Why is it cheaper?
Click to expand...

rivets in general are cheaper than screws to begin with, as there is much less machining to do on them


to assemble you insert and press, vs screwing together which takes more time and usually has more errors
 
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