Will you dispart your folding knives?

S

sharpen it

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Aug 11, 2011
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Some famous folding knives (Spyderco Enudra, Delica, Native...) have changed from rivet pivot to screw pivot one after another, now they are easy to be disparted. I myself rarely dispart my folding knives, and I'd like to know, in which times you guys will dispart them? Is that necessary?
 
If they are really gunked up, or are in need of some TLC. ill take them apart. It's nice knowing what goes on in those knives. Not nearly as complicated as a watch or vehicle but its still interesting.
 
Be aware that disassembling your knife may very well void your warranty. They use screws to speed manufacturing and allow their own trained technicians to repair their product, not to make them user serviceable. I know that many people here do so, but just because you can take it apart doesn't mean it's a good idea to do so.
 
Personally I kind of like the move to screws from rivetts. I like it especially if I end up buying a used knife where warranty won't help me anyway. That's why I very often end up carrying used knives as my EDC as I'm able to make the knife truly mine by knowing every little thing about them and I really dig that.
 
yablanowitz said:
Be aware that disassembling your knife may very well void your warranty. They use screws to speed manufacturing and allow their own trained technicians to repair their product, not to make them user serviceable. I know that many people here do so, but just because you can take it apart doesn't mean it's a good idea to do so.
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very much so, though I have a tendency to tinker with my knives voiding the warranty anyway lol
 
Chris Reeve recommends you take his/ your knife apart for cleaning, even supplies a Allen wrench with the knife and directions on his website...
 
I really like to take them apart to clean out any pivot gunk occasionally. I also like to have the option to modify the knife if I so desire. Rivets are for traditional knives. If the knife has one-handed opening, it better have screw construction too.
 
I usually take my knives apart to clean the gunk out of them once in a while. The other day I took my Kershaw RAM apart to clean the lint and such out of the lock and give it a good oiling.

It's a bit annoying that companies have started voiding your warranty if you take their knives apart. In my experience they don't even notice one way or another so long as you put them back together correctly, so it's not really that big a deal.
 
I have taken my BenchMades apart. I have also sent them back to BM for a tune up. For the cost of shipping they will disassemble, clean and lube it. They also replaced the springs on my spring assisted knives. So to me it's worth it just to send them back to BenchMade every now and then.
 
I'd never take apart either of my Paramilitary's because of that lanyard hole. I don't want to risk messing up how they go together and have loose scales or something. That plus I can clean and oil the pivot without disassembling them. I've taken apart quite a few other knives though, including my Umnumzaan.
 
Never heard it referred to as disparting your knife, but hey, that's ok! And I dispart every knife I get that is capable of it. With the correct tools, and some know how, it's not too hard to do. There is always something that I can do, mainly polish the pivot pin, liner's, and blade area where all the movement takes place. Most times companies don't do this as it adds to final cost. Even a lot of custom pakers don't do to the extent me and my dremel do, except for the two John W Smith knives I have. Took them apart, and there was nothing for me to do!


Ahh, as long as you do it correctly when you disassemble/reassemble the knife, no one is going to know that it's been done. This lets you do some cleaning, polishing of washer's, relubing, etc. without having to send it off and have that done. I'm all for being able to take care of the things I can on my knives. And to do so the CORRECT way.:thumbup::)
 
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In 50 years of carrying and using knives, I have never found it necessary to take one apart.
 
Never have, probably never will unless something goes wrong. I've had several knives cutting while fully submerged in muddy, gritty water. A thorough rinsing, WD40, then some lube and they're good to go.... Needing to take them apart is pretty OCD. Not a bad thing, just usually overkill. But if that's your thing, more power to ya.
 
Well, I always thought I was a little OCD, and now it's confirmed!:D Guess I was just born a tinkerer, and since I love knives, well it just stood to reason that when manufacturers began to build their knives with screws, I would soon be taking them apart. I admit I screwed up a couple, but the learning curve wasn't all that steep, and nowadays, it's a routine thing. Of course each knife is a little different and just because it's routine it doesn't mean I don't take my time, lay out my tools, containers for parts, and other things like a very good lamp on my worktable, before I start to disassemble. But it gives my OCD something to focus on and I enjoy doing it. Production knives especially will have something you can do to them to make it a tiny bit better, if nothing more than just polishing up that pivot area to make the blade smoother to open. Guess the bottom line is that it gives me satisfaction to improve it a little bit, and just to know that I had done it.
 
Not all CR knives come with a wrench. Witness my StarTac Umnumzaan - I had to buy their maintenance kit. Of course, Benchmade and Kershaw both sell inexpensive 'tool kits', too. My theory is simple - if you aren't supposed to mess with them - knives or revolvers - why are they assembled with screws? Always hate those extra parts after reassembly... Never needed to dissassemble a Buck 110 or 301...

Stainz
 
If it ain't broken then don't fix it. I do not see what there is to gain by taking them appart for no mechanical reason.
 
Stainz said:
Not all CR knives come with a wrench. Witness my StarTac Umnumzaan - I had to buy their maintenance kit. Of course, Benchmade and Kershaw both sell inexpensive 'tool kits', too. My theory is simple - if you aren't supposed to mess with them - knives or revolvers - why are they assembled with screws? Always hate those extra parts after reassembly... Never needed to dissassemble a Buck 110 or 301...

Stainz
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I found it pretty funny that Benchmade sells a tool kit, then tells its customers that their warranties will be voided if they disassemble their knives. "Buy your warranty voiding kit, only twelve dollars!" :rolleyes:
 
If I am going to be re-profiling a blade with a belt sander, taking the handle off is a must; you get way too much grit in there otherwise, not to mention the handle often gets in the way.
That said, I rarely disassemble the handle itself anymore (unless I'm grinding that up too). Apparently the handle on the Endura is specifically difficult to reassemble, even for those who are more technically capable.
 
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