Ever Take Your Spydercos Apart ?

[Wolverine666]

Have you ever taken your Spydercos apart for cleaning or routine maintenance ? I haven't had to yet but I'm afraid if I do it will void the warranty. Or I will never get it back together properly.

[Blerv]

Have you ever taken your Spydercos apart for cleaning or routine maintenance ? I haven't had to yet but I'm afraid if I do it will void the warranty. Or I will never get it back together properly.

It will indeed void the warranty and the latter is quite possible (or it wont have the same action).

I wash, oil, put some air, actuate it a dozen times etc. Tougher models like lockbacks just need a bit more time.

[Murdoc]

If so... just leave them in one piece! You can always clean them using water, a toothbrush and some hot air out of a hair dryer. Believe me, it will save you a lot of hassle.


Dennis

[jabba359]

I've taken a few apart for one reason or another. I'm aware that it voids the warranty. I also plan on taking more apart in the future to customize and make scales.

[Wolverine666]

Yeah I'm definitely going to steer clear of any disassembly.

On another (but somewhat related) note: the clips on the Sage series knives (more specifically the Sage4) are held in place by a set screw that holds the knife together. To remove the clip all you have to do is loosen the screw , remove the clip and tighten the screw back up , right ? There is no problem or danger in loosening the knife in doing this , is there ?

[enduraguy]

I've never found a reason to do more than spray em out with Gun Scrubber then some canned air, then a drop of oil in the pivot.

[JNewell]

Compressed air will get a LOT of crap out of the knife (I'm talking 100psi from a compressor, not canned air). Some knives, like (believe it or not) the Delica and Endura, need a few tricks/tips to get back together correctly, and can be damaged if you don't do it correctly, but there's nothing inherently difficult about it. They are put together by people like you and me, after all, not elves. :)

[RanCoWeAla]

I have never taken a knife apart or seen any reason to. That's why I especially like the ones that are pinned and not meant to be taken apart. I did have a knife by another company that kept getting loose so I took out one screw at a time put some lock-tite in the hole and screwed it back in and that's as close as I have ever come to taking one apart.

[Jet B]

I have disassembled a couple Enduras to swap scales and also my old Manix C95 because it needed some serious rust cleaning in the lock spring. I guess lockbacks could be a bit more complicated than others, but I didn't really have too much trouble. I was aware that it voids the warranty, but if there isn't anything wrong with the knife then I don't need warranty do I? If I break the thing on my own usage then I will just throw it away, and I wouldn't sell a knife as new if I did tinker with it. I really haven't had a need to bust down any of my other knives, it's pretty easy to clean them with hot soapy water usually.

Some people just tinker, some don't. I take my laptops apart to clean and repair them too... And anything else screwed together.

[phillipsted]

I've found the Salt knives I use at the beach need to be disassembled to get all the grit out. I can't find any other way to get the sand completely out without a good teardown and cleaning. And I think that Spyderco built these things for just this purpose - the FRN handle is one piece, the spring fits into a slot in the handle, the entire knife can be disassembled in just a few seconds - easy as pie. The big trick that makes re-assembly easier is the old "hold the lock bar down with a zip tie while you get the blade and pivot pin in place" trick. :cool:

TedP

[DeathBySnooSnoo]

I had my Stretch apart just tonight...got some dirt in the pivot that just would not flush or wash out...not the most pleasant experience putting that thing back together. But once I got it back...totally fine. No problems, in fact the blade is more centered than it was before it came apart!

But I will avoid taking back locks apart in the future that is for sure. Frame locks, liner locks all easy as pie.

[MachSchnell]

I'll take 'em down to pieces when need be, like after processing game, cutting meat at a cookout, etc. I also like to see the working of things. To be honest the only way to fully clean and lube a knife is to disassemble it just like a firearm, but a knife isn't likely to jam, seize, or fail because it wasn't broken down for a thorough cleaning.

I honestly don't think any harm could be done by disassembling a knife. If you go slow, be patient and most of all careful, any competent tinkerer can disassemble and reassemble a knife without any hiccups.

I really don't see how any damage could be encountered just by disassembling, let alone leaving evidence that a knife has been apart. Even still, having the warranty does give peace of mind, but I'd be willing to guess that maybe > 5% of their knives make it through QC and have true issues that will be covered under warranty.

•Spyderco’s warranty does not cover damage caused by abuse, misuse, loss, improper handling, alterations, accident, neglect, disassembly, or improper sharpening.

In other words the only thing covered is defects in materials and workmanship, and if a knife fails to function as it was designed.

If a knife is good from the get-go, the odds of it becoming defective/damaged from taking it apart and putting it back together are slim-to-none. Just remember how it came apart and don't lose or misplace any parts and you'll be fine.

If Spyderco didn't want their knives to be taken apart by customers, they would all be held together by proprietary hardware or riveted together. I personally cherish the fact that they aren't, and enjoy seeing the inner workings and being able to thoroughly clean and lube these tools.

Disclaimer: Do so at your own risk, I don't know if you can send Spyderco a box of parts because the knife could not be put back together. CRK does, so I don't see why not. Also the odds of injuring yourself while wrenching on a knife are exceptionally high, watch out be cautious when handling the blade!

[w3tnz]

If Spyderco didn't want their knives to be taken apart by customers, they would all be held together by proprietary hardware or riveted together.

Ah actually your wrong there, Sal himself said they use screws so they can take them apart, not so you can take them apart, or something to that effect.
Furthermore taking your knife apart will void your warranty, this was covered in depth not long ago.

Now that I've said that, I personally like to strip my knives down for cleaning and maintainance, if nothing else screws allow a level of adjustment which pins do not. I made some adjustments to my dodo today, and I have stripped my paras down a bunch, I would say if you have the correct tools, the ability (some mechanical know how) and understand that you will void the warranty, then go for it.

[blackwell]

My para only had one brass washer!

[MachSchnell]

Ah actually your wrong there, Sal himself said they use screws so they can take them apart, not so you can take them apart, or something to that effect.

I remember reading that some time ago. Even so, security torx could be used as a deterrent to keep average Joe's from disassembling knives without knowing what they are doing. But, if I were the founder of a rather large, well known, and reputable company I'd have the same opinion. If it was stated any other way, just think of the repercussions that would ensue.

[w3tnz]

@blackwell

It should have one on either side of the blade, Im not going to say you lost it when you pulled it apart.. but its possible. You should be able to find a suitable replacement at your local hardware / fixing store.

[Skywalker]

TedP - could you elaborate on the ziptie trick for the lockbacks?

[The Deacon]

I've taken a couple apart. One was shipped to the UK that way in order to reduce the risk of customs seizure. The other was a used Dodo with serious grit and minor rust issues that I cleaned up for a friend. Warranty wasn't a consideration in either case.

As for the Sage's clip. As you noted, the correct way is to just loosen the screw until the clip can be slipped out from under it, remove the clip, then re-tighten the screw. On the Sage IV you don't want to take the hollow bolt all the way out, since it's serving double duty as the rearmost backspacer/spring carrier retaining screw and is under tension.

[jackknifeh]

I have taken a few apart. The first was the Manix2 and I used a video someone had showing it done. It seemed easy so I did it. When I was reassembling it I got stumped and watched the video again. I put the blade on the handle before the buttons/bearing which made it difficult. Reverse those steps and it is easier. Also, I disassembled my Gayle Bradley. Being a liner lock it was very easy to get back together. I did this on these two knives because of the M4 blades. I wanted to make sure there was some Tuf-Glide all over the tang. I doubt this is necessary but I did it anyway. I also like knowing I can disassemble them without worry if they ever really need it for cleaning. Again, probably not absolutely necessary.

Jack

[CubistHamster]

If it was stated any other way, just think of the repercussions that would ensue.

Chris Reeve encourages customers to take apart and clean their knives, and even sells tools specifically for that purpose.

(Not trying to start a CR vs. Spyderco debate; just pointing out that another reputable company has the opposite policy, and it seems to be working for them.)

Also, if you lack the intelligence and/or coordination to take apart and reassemble something as simple as a liner lock or lockback knife, you probably shouldn't be playing with sharp things to begin with. It's not that hard.