Taking apart a SS knife, possible?

[greencobra]

Last week, a forumite suggested to someone to take apart their SS handled knife to clean it up inside a bit. Now whats up with that? My SS Spydercos look like the handles are press fit on, there's no screws on the outside. Can this be done without the chance of screwing up the knife?

[Senate]

I don't think it can be done, at least without knife making knowledge and some tools...

[Simon G]

GC,

If ever you find out, please let me know! I like SS handles and have a couple that could certainly do with a clean up!! :rolleyes:

Simon.

[swede]

I can't see much inside my SS Spydies that can't be cleaned up with a toothbrush (not currently used!), hot water, dishwashing detergent and a Qtip/toothpick. I had a nasty, greasy, slimy old Police that looks great after a bath.
Dave

[Mariner]

I can't see much inside my SS Spydies that can't be cleaned up with a toothbrush (not currently used!), hot water, dishwashing detergent and a Qtip/toothpick. I had a nasty, greasy, slimy old Police that looks great after a bath.
Dave

Exactly my sentiments Dave. Add a bunch of liquid detergent to really hot water and let the sucker soak for a while before going to work on it. As for toothbrushes, I use one of those toothbrushes with really long bristles in the middle that are typically used to clean partial plates and the like. I gummed-up an SS :spyder: so badly that the blade wasn't even locking reliably. When I was finished cleaning as you indicated, blow drying and lubing, it looked and functioned like out of the box. No disassembly required.

[Stuart Ackerman]

Take a couple of 50 dollar bills...stand in high wind...let notes go.... :D :D :D

That is in all likelihood what you will achieve...

I have taken apart a SS Spydie, and I did re-assemble it...BUT I know what to do.

Using a drill slightly smaller than the pivot pin, to drill the pivot pin DEAD center ( Ha Ha, yeah, right!!!) :D
Then pop out the remains of the pin..DO NOT EVEN TRY TO REMOVE LOCK PIVOT PIN.
Clean knife.
Find new EXACT same size pivot pin.
Use spacers between blade and handle sides.
Tap new pivot pin in place in place, and peen so that there is no visible join.....

Get it wrong at this point, and you should refer to sentence ONE of this post. :D

The correct way to clean a non-screw assembled SS Spydie....is to put it through at least two dishwasher cycles. Dry well. Oil pivot area, and a tiny oil drop into the lock pivot pin area. I also put an oil drop into the lock pin clamp area, inside the knife, towards the rear...

Having read all this. I sincerely hope that no one tries to disassemble a SS Spydie :)

[ken]

Hi greencobra-


Taking apart a SS knife, possible?

Sure it is! But, can ya get it back together again, that is the question! Like zack said you have to drill out the pins but how do you know where they are? Sand down the scales until they are exposed! Ain't worth it....clean and lube it like everyone else has said but use compressed air to blow the thing out, this alone is works great!

Now for the real question-How come spyderco does not screw the stainless scales on instead of a pressed fiit? Maybe Sal can give us the answer, if they were screwed on I bet the price would be a bit more also.


ken

[dragn_flame]

My guess is there is no exposed pins, they're internal & the handles are pressed together, so you would have to pry it apart, then press it back together again
I would never put a good knife in the dishwasher, they use some caustic stuff in the dishwasher soap that could harm your knife
tom

[Stuart Ackerman]

The pins are exposed....you just cannot see them...the fit is excellent :)

[Michael Cook]

get out :p are they? :o :p

[java]

What Dave and Mariner said!!

Observations on how the pins fit mesh with a conversation with Sal at last year's SOS. The fit is suberb and the SS is finished and polished so well it hides nearly any trace of the pins. Trying to take apart an SS Spydie just for cleaning is a definite warranty voider and not recommended. Both the warm soapy water and dishwasher methods work well enough. If you have access to compressed dry air - use it to remove the water and follow with your choice of lube.

j

[fret]

Mostly everything is easy to take apart, it's getting it back together that's the hard part. Unless you have lots of knowledge and the correct tools, I would not try it.

[STR]

Pressure wash maybe? I have looked at the possibility of taking one of those apart and I would imagine that the pin goes in one way kind of like the Schrade LB7 does where you have to know which way to push it out.

Personally the chances are too great to damage the knife unless you have the right equipment to try it. Not only that but the pivot would probably get good and dinged up to where it would never look right again unless you used a flat punch and were very careful. You could also deform the pivot pin where it balled up inside making opening closing and generally using the knife a royal pain if you stopped trying to get it apart half way through.

[vampyrewolf]

Dental picks, hot water, air compressor... no oil... oil is evil on ss spydies(I've dropped both my 'fly and police on my foot after oiling and playing while I had a movie going).

[Dr. Snubnose]

no oil... oil is evil on ss spydies(I've dropped both my 'fly and police on my foot after oiling and playing while I had a movie going).

Pose to wash the hands after playing with oil :p ...Doc

[dialex]

Though I do not advice disassembling an SS knife for maintenance reasons only, I can understand the urge some of us have to dismantle things (me included since I was a kid)
Now since you are commited to take apart the SS knife and assuming you have minimal skill, why not go further? Instead of riveting the knife, better cut threads and use screws. This way you'll be able to dismantle the knife any time you like :)

[ken]

The pins are exposed....you just cannot see them...the fit is excellent :)

zack-

Huh, what???? Now wait a minute, if the pins were exposed you "would" be able to see them! The fit and finish are excellent. I don't know how many pins are used but when I look on the clip side of my endura I can see where two of them are. One in front of the lock and one towards the end of the scales. I don't know if they go all the way thru. Check out your knives and look very closely on the clip side, you might have to tilt it in different ways to see anything but I think you will be able to see them (pins). Now on frn models you can see the pivot pin and the pin just before the lock, but where is the back pin? Is there one or is it epoxyed together? One more thing on the ss I can see where the blade pivot is also and from both sides, so this one does go all the way thru.... We got to know these things!!!!!

We need to keep this up at the top so Sal can give us his insight on this. Stainless steel knives are beautiful without any exposed screws and maybe that is why it is done like that. But if they were screwed on than it would make it easy to modify them.


Thanks for reading my stuff,
ken

[Stuart Ackerman]

Sorry...exposed as in access, and not always visible. Steel has a grain, and if the pin's grain structure is aligned with the structure of the steel, and a brushed finish is used: then the pin "vanishes".
I can fit pins and "hide" them, but only if the steel type is the same.
Spyderco have been doing it a lot longer than me, and they do it VERY well :)

[golem]

So can I just send the knife back to golden colorado and get it fixed? I think buck does that for customers and even does blade upgrades.

[ken]

zack-

Thanks for the come back as I didn't follow what you were trying to say.
So do the pins go all the way thru? Because I can only see them from one side. I understand that the steel has a grain and spyderco does a nice job keeping it in the same pattern but because it is a pin you can see the outline of it oh so slightly!

ken