Spyderco Forums

So I just took apart a para3. The screws were on there pretty good, but I managed to get them loose. Needed a pair of pliers with some padding to help me hold the standoff still while I unscrewed it. And I used a lynch prybar wrapped in some painters tape to pry the lanyard tube free from one side. That worked great.

But then I needed to remove the lanyard tube from the other scale. It was very very uncooperative. I used a wodden dowel and rubber mallet to tap it out, I used a metal hex bit wrapped in tape to tap it out, I used padded pliers to pull it out. It was a p.i.t.a. . When I finally got it loose it was scratched and dinged up to the point where it was functional but just ugly. I ordered a titanium replacement part from flytanium.

.......
So I have a question and an idea.

Question: How does the Spyderco Factory remove lanyard tubes? Or do they just never intend for these knives to be taken apart. Is there a 'proper way'?


Idea: A lanyard tube removal tool. I tried every sort of improvised tool to get that tube out to no avail. And all I kept thinking was, I wish there was a proper tool for this.

Maybe a 3D printed one. Like a stepped rod, with the diameter of the first half inch wide enough to fit snugly inside the tube to act as guide, then a second stepped part just wide enough to hit the ring of the lanyard tube while still clearing the g-10. Then you could tap the lanyard tube out.

Thoughts?

ZrowsN1s wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 23, 2019 3:42 pm

Maybe a 3D printed one. Like a stepped rod, with the diameter of the first half inch wide enough to fit snugly inside the tube to act as guide, then a second stepped part just wide enough to hit the ring of the lanyard tube while still clearing the g-10. Then you could tap the lanyard tube out.

Thoughts?

Already thought of this, just haven't executed it yet. Ideally, I'd turn one on a lathe using brass or maybe aluminum. Since I no longer have access to a lathe I'll print one. Not sure how well it'll hold up though. Might try PET-G and see what happens. This will be my project for tonight.

I think it’s a great idea. The only issue I can see, is are all the flared tubes the same size? I really don’t know. So maybe something like a sillcock/water key with 4 size options? Or like a stepped drillbit maybe?

Edit:How about a beefed up/modified watch pin remaoval tool? There are different styles available. I own this version:


But I could see this style being more appropriate for this intended purpose.:

I've often wondered if it's possible to do a lanyard tube delete on a Para 3. I never use the lanyard tube for anything, and I'd love to be able to move the clip up there.

Yeah they must press them to flare it after install and doubt it's ever intended to be removed but if it is I would love to hear or see how they do it at SFO

Or a bigger chain link pin removal tool with different size punches to interchange. Same concept as above, but even bigger.

Sharp Guy wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 23, 2019 5:53 pm

ZrowsN1s wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 23, 2019 3:42 pm

Maybe a 3D printed one. Like a stepped rod, with the diameter of the first half inch wide enough to fit snugly inside the tube to act as guide, then a second stepped part just wide enough to hit the ring of the lanyard tube while still clearing the g-10. Then you could tap the lanyard tube out.

Thoughts?

Already thought of this, just haven't executed it yet. Ideally, I'd turn one on a lathe using brass or maybe aluminum. Since I no longer have access to a lathe I'll print one. Not sure how well it'll hold up though. Might try PET-G and see what happens. This will be my project for tonight.

Thinking about it, making this out of plastic is never going to work. The shoulder of the punch wouldn't last very long. This really needs to be turned on a lathe. I do think a punch with a shoulder is the best way to go. It's exactly what I thought of when I had to remove the tube from my Cruwear Para 3 when I dyed the scales. Smaller section that fits the I.D. of the tube with a shoulder that's just under the O.D. of the tube.

Sharp Guy wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 23, 2019 7:33 pm

Sharp Guy wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 23, 2019 5:53 pm

ZrowsN1s wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 23, 2019 3:42 pm

Maybe a 3D printed one. Like a stepped rod, with the diameter of the first half inch wide enough to fit snugly inside the tube to act as guide, then a second stepped part just wide enough to hit the ring of the lanyard tube while still clearing the g-10. Then you could tap the lanyard tube out.

Thoughts?

Already thought of this, just haven't executed it yet. Ideally, I'd turn one on a lathe using brass or maybe aluminum. Since I no longer have access to a lathe I'll print one. Not sure how well it'll hold up though. Might try PET-G and see what happens. This will be my project for tonight.

Thinking about it, making this out of plastic is never going to work. The shoulder of the punch wouldn't last very long. This really needs to be turned on a lathe. I do think a punch with a shoulder is the best way to go. It's exactly what I thought of when I had to remove the tube from my Cruwear Para 3 when I dyed the scales. Smaller section that fits the I.D. of the tube with a shoulder that's just under the O.D. of the tube.

I agree the plastic wouldn't hold up long. Although anything harder might mark the tube. The hex bit I used worked best, but left some faint marks. Maybe a metal bit with a plastic ring for padding.

I heard one of the custom scale makers on IG (sharpdressedknives) is working on something to address the problem as well.

Perhaps something that can be pushed through, then flared out so the tube can be pulled out?

ZrowsN1s wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 23, 2019 9:03 pm

I agree the plastic wouldn't hold up long. Although anything harder might mark the tube. The hex bit I used worked best, but left some faint marks. Maybe a metal bit with a plastic ring for padding.

Brass would work fine. I've been drifting guns sights with a brass punch for years.

Doc Dan wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 23, 2019 10:53 pm

Perhaps something that can be pushed through, then flared out so the tube can be pulled out?

Not a bad idea. Pull instead of hammer.

Sharp Guy wrote:

ZrowsN1s wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 23, 2019 9:03 pm

I agree the plastic wouldn't hold up long. Although anything harder might mark the tube. The hex bit I used worked best, but left some faint marks. Maybe a metal bit with a plastic ring for padding.

Brass would work fine. I've been drifting guns sights with a brass punch for years.

Brass could work.

They're probably easier to remove when they can replace them if they screw them up.

I am unsure why they need to be flared. My S110V Para2 wasn’t flared and I was happy with that. I don’t think that any of my Taichung knives are flared. I would be happy if they just stopped doing it.

I just use a hardwood dowel with a little gorilla tape wrapped around it. Works fine so far. I am all for a cool new tool but I am not really a fan of over thinking things either.

bearfacedkiller wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 24, 2019 8:06 am

I am unsure why they need to be flared.

On some knives they play a pretty big role in the construction of the knife. I removed one on an Ouroboros and Paul informed me that the back spacer could rotate out of the knife as a result (which I failed to noice). On the Manix 2 for example the lanyard tube is pretty much the only thing holding the butt of the knife together since there aren't any screws back there. I've taken a few of those apart and when you take the scales off, if the hole gets loose around the lanyard tube the scale can lift up off of the liner. Other knives like the Sliverax and Caribbean (Taichung, as you point out) have screws near the lanyard tube so the tube isn't playing much part in the construction, and I've even taken them out on a few knives.

bearfacedkiller wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 24, 2019 8:06 am

I am unsure why they need to be flared.

The tube with stock scales is important mechanically because of the floating stop pin, that's why it's flared. Only one scale screw, Pivot and Lanyard keep the knife together. Annoying really, I've changed PM3 scales, adjusted them for good action, and then pressure around the Pivot when the knife is in use will change the action. Even using clip vs. no clip can change the action (because of the clip screws).

TomAiello wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 23, 2019 6:13 pm

I've often wondered if it's possible to do a lanyard tube delete on a Para 3. I never use the lanyard tube for anything, and I'd love to be able to move the clip up there.

I wish. Like this with an additional screw would be great (PM2 caveman scales):



Roland.

TomAiello wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 23, 2019 6:13 pm

I've often wondered if it's possible to do a lanyard tube delete on a Para 3. I never use the lanyard tube for anything, and I'd love to be able to move the clip up there.

Titanium lanyard plug and a deep carry clip could work for you. Cant move the clip position though even with custom scales because they correspond to the screw holes in the liner.

bearfacedkiller wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 24, 2019 8:06 am

I am unsure why they need to be flared. My S110V Para2 wasn’t flared and I was happy with that. I don’t think that any of my Taichung knives are flared. I would be happy if they just stopped doing it.

I just use a hardwood dowel with a little gorilla tape wrapped around it. Works fine so far. I am all for a cool new tool but I am not really a fan of over thinking things either.

Depends on the tube. if it's stepped, and the center is a larger diameter than the ends, it may not need to be flared. But on at least some versions of the Military, the flaring is the only thing holding the lanyard tube in. I have a LH Military that's never been apart but the tube was not properly flared, so it falls out. Been meaning to pack it up and send it in for warranty repair for a couple or three years now.

Hey Matt, I’ve never popped a lanyard tube but a purpose made punch like you and Pat describe, a piece of wood with a hole in it and hammer will do the trick every time. Perhaps if you had a few to do a simple press, maybe something like this (not to scale, crumby) sketch should work and maybe even be used to flare tubes as well with a conical Pin and ‘Anvil’ made to fit the hole in the Block.



It’d be an easy enough project for any of the closet engineers here with access to a small lathe and mill I’d reckon.

The Block could be machined from mild steel 50mm x 50mm x 25mm.

The Screw could be turned from say, a 12mm fine thread automotive bolt, drilled Ø3mm x 2 places to except the Pin and Ø3mm Rod.

The Pin could be brass and turned with square shoulders like Pat’s punch and three diameters, (a) To fit screw with clearance. (b) Smaller than the lanyard hole diameter in the G10 Scale. (c) Smaller than the bore diameter of the lanyard tube. :rolleyes:

The trick I do with the Manix 2 is only remove the tube from the scales, not the liner. If you remove the liners you run the risk of needing to re-flare the tube.

Lanyard tubes are stupid. We’d be better off with aftermarket lanyard attachments that bolt on somehow.