Folding knife maintenance Media
Published: 7 years ago
https://northarmknives.com/
This is a detailed step by step instructional video on how to disassemble, clean, lubricate and reassemble your Skaha folder. This is something you may have to do once in a while if your knife gets full of dirt and grit. When the bearings and pivot in your knife get enough dirt on them, the travel of the knife will begin to feel rough. At this point it is time for a cleaning and lubricating.
That said, most often you can clean the knife very quickly without disassembling it! I would always recommend trying this first before going to the trouble of taking the knife apart. Work the knife open and closed while submerged in soapy warm water. Alternate with spraying warm water into the pivot area while opening and closing the knife. Do this until the travel of the knife feels smooth, usually less than a minute. Rinse off any soap and let dry. Then reach into the pivot area with a fine tip oilier and lubricate with some light oil.
If that procedure doesn't do the trick, you'll have to plunge in and follow the instructions in the video.
The tools and supplies you'll need are listed below. We sell quality oilers and torx tools on our site here: https://northarmknives.com/product-category/accessories/
-T8 and T10 torx tool of some sort
-pry tool -butter knife handle or flat screw driver work fine (tape to protect knife scales)
-masking or electrical tape
-cleaner -rubbing alcohol, windex both work well-
-scrub brush
-paper towel
-q-tips
-light oil of some sort -diawa reel oil, nano oil, sewing machine oil all work well. DON'T use WD-40 or similar.
Start by preparing a clean work surface in an area where small parts can't go missing. Next, tape the blade with a double layer of tape to protect yourself and the blade from damage. Next remove the four screws holding the scales to the spacers and the two pivot screws. DON'T remove the pocket clip screws unless necessary. They hold the lockbar in to the other side of the scale.
Now use your prying tool to gently work the scales apart. Pry the scales apart around each spacer and the pivot and stop pins. It is easiest to leave the blade open or partially open for this step. Move it around as necessary. As the scales come apart keep in mind that the washers and caged bearings tend to fall out.
Once the scales are apart, pull the pivot pin out and remove the washers and bearings if they haven't fallen out. The stop pin and spacers can remain in the handles.
You are now ready to clean the scales inside and out, as well as the hardware. This step is self explanatory. Simply use your cleaning supplies to remove any grit, dirt or oil from the parts of your knife. Pay special attention to the areas around the pivot, bearings and stop pin on both the blade and scales as well as the bearings and washers themselves.
Once clean, the parts can be reassembled. Place a washer and bearing in each scale. Try to orient the washers and bearings the way they were originally. Push the pivot pin into either scale. Put a drop of oil on the pivot pin and a couple small drops on each caged bearing (180 degrees apart). Next, put the blade onto the pivot pin and orient it approximately 90 degrees to the scale (or half open). Gently bring the two halves together holding them slightly less than vertical so that the bearings don't fall out. Pivot them up towards each other slowly until the spacers, stop pin and pivot find their holes in the opposite scales.
Now you can stop worrying about losing hardware and press the two halves together firmly. Turn in the four spacer screws until they are nice and snug. Turn the two pivot screws in until you feel very light resistance. Check for free motion of the blade. It should fall open from the force of gravity when the lock bar is pushed out of the way. If the blade is free, feel for lateral (horizontal) blade play. If play exists then tighten either pivot screw a tiny amount. Re-check for free motion and lateral play. Repeat until no play exists and the blade still moves freely and smoothly.
If the blade doesn't have free motion, your pivot is likely too tight or the scales aren't pushed all the way onto the stop pin. Try loosening the pivot until the blade moves smoothly.
Your DONE! Feel free to email or call if you are having issues with maintaining your knife.
info@northarmknives.com
604-628-6359
https://northarmknives.com/
This is a detailed step by step instructional video on how to disassemble, clean, lubricate and reassemble your Skaha folder. This is something you may have to do once in a while if your knife gets full of dirt and grit. When the bearings and pivot in your knife get enough dirt on them, the travel of the knife will begin to feel rough. At this point it is time for a cleaning and lubricating.
That said, most often you can clean the knife very quickly without disassembling it! I would always recommend trying this first before going to the trouble of taking the knife apart. Work the knife open and closed while submerged in soapy warm water. Alternate with spraying warm water into the pivot area while opening and closing the knife. Do this until the travel of the knife feels smooth, usually less than a minute. Rinse off any soap and let dry. Then reach into the pivot area with a fine tip oilier and lubricate with some light oil.
If that procedure doesn't do the trick, you'll have to plunge in and follow the instructions in the video.
The tools and supplies you'll need are listed below. We sell quality oilers and torx tools on our site here: https://northarmknives.com/product-category/accessories/
-T8 and T10 torx tool of some sort
-pry tool -butter knife handle or flat screw driver work fine (tape to protect knife scales)
-masking or electrical tape
-cleaner -rubbing alcohol, windex both work well-
-scrub brush
-paper towel
-q-tips
-light oil of some sort -diawa reel oil, nano oil, sewing machine oil all work well. DON'T use WD-40 or similar.
Start by preparing a clean work surface in an area where small parts can't go missing. Next, tape the blade with a double layer of tape to protect yourself and the blade from damage. Next remove the four screws holding the scales to the spacers and the two pivot screws. DON'T remove the pocket clip screws unless necessary. They hold the lockbar in to the other side of the scale.
Now use your prying tool to gently work the scales apart. Pry the scales apart around each spacer and the pivot and stop pins. It is easiest to leave the blade open or partially open for this step. Move it around as necessary. As the scales come apart keep in mind that the washers and caged bearings tend to fall out.
Once the scales are apart, pull the pivot pin out and remove the washers and bearings if they haven't fallen out. The stop pin and spacers can remain in the handles.
You are now ready to clean the scales inside and out, as well as the hardware. This step is self explanatory. Simply use your cleaning supplies to remove any grit, dirt or oil from the parts of your knife. Pay special attention to the areas around the pivot, bearings and stop pin on both the blade and scales as well as the bearings and washers themselves.
Once clean, the parts can be reassembled. Place a washer and bearing in each scale. Try to orient the washers and bearings the way they were originally. Push the pivot pin into either scale. Put a drop of oil on the pivot pin and a couple small drops on each caged bearing (180 degrees apart). Next, put the blade onto the pivot pin and orient it approximately 90 degrees to the scale (or half open). Gently bring the two halves together holding them slightly less than vertical so that the bearings don't fall out. Pivot them up towards each other slowly until the spacers, stop pin and pivot find their holes in the opposite scales.
Now you can stop worrying about losing hardware and press the two halves together firmly. Turn in the four spacer screws until they are nice and snug. Turn the two pivot screws in until you feel very light resistance. Check for free motion of the blade. It should fall open from the force of gravity when the lock bar is pushed out of the way. If the blade is free, feel for lateral (horizontal) blade play. If play exists then tighten either pivot screw a tiny amount. Re-check for free motion and lateral play. Repeat until no play exists and the blade still moves freely and smoothly.
If the blade doesn't have free motion, your pivot is likely too tight or the scales aren't pushed all the way onto the stop pin. Try loosening the pivot until the blade moves smoothly.
Your DONE! Feel free to email or call if you are having issues with maintaining your knife.
info@northarmknives.com
604-628-6359
https://northarmknives.com/