What the heck do I do now???...
Scale Swap Recommended Tools
Look no further. Below you will find a list of recommended tools for scale swappin', disassembly and cleaning and general knife fiddlin' and tomfoolery. Complete with links!
Takedown Mat
You'll need a good mat to work on. I suggest a cheap silicone soldering mat. They have compartments for tools and parts...especially important is the little sections for screws!
Bit Driver
Absolutely, positively necessary for any knife shenanigans. The first one on the list, the Wiha Stubby, is essential. It gives you leverage and torque without letting your hand wobble around.
You will quickly find that you need two drivers for certain situations.
The Skiff FingerBit is very cool because it lets you hold the knife and the driver at the same time for those awkward time where you need to attack both sides of a free spinning standoff or pivot at once.
Fancy Bit Drivers
Definitely not necessary but these things are fun and collectable. They have spinny heads with smooth bearings that will spin all day like a fidget toy.
I'll list a couple of my favorites.
Torx Bits
Of course a driver is useless without some good bits. You will be using Torx bits almost exclusively in you knife fiddling. Specifically T6, T8, T10 and T12 most often.
Don't skimp on these. Cheap bits can strip your screws and ruin your day.
WIHA all the way.
Small Pliers
Knives with liners, stand-offs and lanyard tubes can get tricky. If a stand-off starts to spin freely you will need something to grab ahold and keep it still.
Knipex makes some amazing small pliers with jaws that fit perfectly in between Spyderco scales.
You will definitely thank me later on this one.
Lanyard Tube Tool and Pry Tools
This is another one that isn't strictly necessary but I certainly wouldn't live without it.
The lanyard tubes in Spyderco knives are a crapshoot. Sometimes you get one that pops right out and sometimes you get one that seems like it has been welded to the liners.
This tool has saved me from hair pulling aggravation more than once.
You will also need an assortment of plastic pry tools to gently wiggle things apart.
Cleaning Supplies
If you're going to go to the trouble of disassembling your knife to throw on a new set of scales, you might as well clean that sucker.
Below are links to various things you will need such as Lint-Free Wipes, Cotton Swabs and KPL Knife Shield Cleaner and Protector.
Lubrication
My Dad always told me that lubrication was the key to easy livin'. Reckon he was right.
Any time you disassemble and clean your knife you're gonna need to lube it up.
Lots of choices out there but I've always had good luck with the KPL products.
The original stuff is for the pivot and the heavy stuff is for the detent track.
Loctite
The screws in folding knives, especially the pivot screw, like to slowly loosen over time if left to their own devices. Enter Loctite Blue.
This stuff has just enough holding power to stop screws from loosening while still letting you break the bond when you need to adjust or disassemble again.
It comes in a liquid or a waxy stick. The stick is very easy to work with but I'm not totally convinced it holds as well. I go back and forth.
