Getting rid of the Spartan Corkscrew

volbu · **on:** May 20, 2012, 10:43:54 PM

Hello !

I have a Vic spartan, i modified the small blade for whittling but the corkscrew is just killing my hands every time I apply a bit more power, I am thinking I could get rid of the corkscrew since I never use it except to untie some knots occasionally.

Has anyone tried something like this before? what do u think would be the best way to do it? (without dissassembling the whole SAK)
Also, I thought maybe I could fashion my own thicker scales to "hide" the corkscrew but then I realise that the problem is not that it stands out from the sides but rather on the back of the SAK, any ideas on that concept (eliminating the hurting without removing the corkscrew?)

AimlessWanderer · **Reply #1 on:** May 20, 2012, 11:21:13 PM

Oxy-acetalene will whip through that in no time

(no ... don't

)

If you cut it off with a disc or hacksaw you might find the stub and void where it fits gives you more agro than the corkscrew itself. I would suggest tracking down a recruit as it has no backspring tools, ad re-doing your mod

Sparky415 · **Reply #2 on:** May 20, 2012, 11:25:50 PM

You could cut the corkscrew off with a dremel very easily but be left with an uncomfortable hole

Or cut the corkscrew off and make a new scale that fills the hole/gap

Or how about opening the small blade and sliding a piece of garden hose over the whole knife?

Or do what Al said

volbu · **Reply #3 on:** May 20, 2012, 11:31:25 PM

Sure I could get a recruit but that would make a sak go in the drawer... and i dont want that!
I am leaning towards cutting off the corkscrew and making wooden scales that fill the corcscrew gap as well....

Sparky415 · **Reply #4 on:** May 20, 2012, 11:34:35 PM

Before and after pictures please

volbu · **Reply #5 on:** May 21, 2012, 12:08:44 AM

I ll try to get them for you !
But it will be sometime i guess untill I get started on the project , kind of a chicken when it comes to mods

!

GigaHz · **Reply #6 on:** May 21, 2012, 12:11:10 AM

You could swap in the Phillips, by removing one pivot pin.

tattoosteve99 · **Reply #7 on:** May 21, 2012, 12:49:34 AM

Quote from: GigaHz on May 21, 2012, 12:11:10 AM

You could swap in the Phillips, by removing one pivot pin.

Yep that's what I would do. No since cutting a tool off and have a hole.

volbu · **Reply #8 on:** May 21, 2012, 12:59:05 AM

The thing is I really doubt I ll be able to do that, I guess I ll have to disassemble the spartan, plus finding the philips and getting it shipped here sure wil have some cost

GigaHz · **Reply #9 on:** May 21, 2012, 01:05:15 AM

Where are you?

volbu · **Reply #10 on:** May 21, 2012, 01:07:25 AM

I updated my profile after I realized you may wonder about my shipping fears

Greece

sergemaster · **Reply #11 on:** May 21, 2012, 03:00:53 AM

Amici,
If I knew how, I would remove the corkscrew from BOTH my Champion and Swisschamp and replace each with a secondary Phillips driver since I despise the corkscrew.

Does anyone have a link from the forum with instructions for the aspiring modder?

Cheers,
Serge

GigaHz · **Reply #12 on:** May 21, 2012, 03:11:44 AM

I would do it this way. Email Rotokid and purchase 2 Phillips drivers and 2.2 mm rod. pop off scales. I would then dremel or file the head off of the pivot rod. Push or pull the old rod out. Cut the new rod longer than need. Sharpen the new rod to a point and oil the hole. Replace the corksrew with file. Keep the hole lined up and push new rod through knife. Some tapping might be required. Also some pushing of the spring to get the holes lined up close enough to push the new rod through.

Donald · **Reply #13 on:** May 21, 2012, 02:44:44 PM

Would the corkscrew still close if you covered it with shrink tubing? Perhaps after filling some of the gap with a mini corkscrew? Use a mini-screwdriver for the idea/model and cut grooves into a piece of wood dowel or use a file on a piece of plastic to make threads and screw it all the way into the corkscrew. A thin piece of metal tubing? It might not close then though.

There was a neat mod. where the corkscrew (?) was cut off leaving a stub to which a piece of tubing holding a ferrocerium rod was attached. That doesn't seem like it would leave enough without straightening a bit of corkscrew, perhaps they cut off a Phillips and did it. The latter Phillips would not help with your issue. I don't quite recall. Modding it to add a Phillips would work better than the corkscrew, but modding to get what is essentially a standard and relatively inexpensive knife would not make much practical sense unless you just wanted to practice modding.

Fill in that section of the back with moldable epoxy, smooth it out, and let dry. Sand it a bit after it hardens if necessary to smooth it more.

The suggestions to get a Recruit or Tinker might ultimately make more sense. If available there, a retired Pioneer Settler would be another possibility (2 bladed 93mm alox knife).

volbu · **Reply #14 on:** May 21, 2012, 03:36:47 PM

Thank you very much for your suggestion I ll try the shrink tubing solution to see if it closes and how it feels on my hand, If not I ll remove the cs and I was thinking maybe i could glue a small piece of wood to fill the void, if this is not good enough I guess I ll try carving my own scales

!

Steinar · **Reply #15 on:** May 21, 2012, 11:49:39 PM

Or you could pop in the mini-screwdriver in the corkscrew. It actually helps a lot.

Spork, Lord of Lime Jello! · **Reply #16 on:** May 22, 2012, 12:33:00 AM

You can't really just glue something in to fill the in the corkscrew well. If you examine the knife with the corkscrew open you will see the back of the spring. A glued-in filler will permanently immobilize the pen blade.

Sparky415 · **Reply #17 on:** May 22, 2012, 09:56:12 AM

Would Sugru work as its a bit flexible?

http://sugru.com/

Smaug · **Reply #18 on:** May 22, 2012, 03:57:51 PM

Here's what you do: just wear a work glove or one with kevlar fabric in it on that hand when you're doing heavy whittling.

I have a Hiker I use for whittling, and even the smoother phillips will rub a blister on my hand after a while. If I just wear a glove, it's no problem. No need to mangle your SAK, and they're cheap.

Don't worry, you don't lose any noticeable amount of dexterity.

Smaug · **Reply #19 on:** May 22, 2012, 04:01:14 PM

You could also just buy and fit the eyeglass screwdriver. That smoothes out the profile of the end of the corkscrew just beautifully.

Not as comfortable as a glove though.

Syph007 · **Reply #20 on:** May 22, 2012, 04:02:06 PM

Your proper fix is really to swap it out for a screwdriver instead. Its really a pretty simple mod as far as complicated mods go.

Spork, Lord of Lime Jello! · **Reply #21 on:** May 22, 2012, 04:48:04 PM

Quote from: sparky415 on May 22, 2012, 09:56:12 AM

Would Sugru work as its a bit flexible?

http://sugru.com/

I imagine it would be annoyingly tacky...in the rubber sense and not appearance wise

Plus for the price, you could probably buy another SAK.

The cheapest way I can think of is to form a mold around the corkscrew with something that will peel off...like a drinking straw...and fill the entire worm with epoxy. Make it a little longer than needed so you will be able to shape the end smoothly. No permanent alteration to the knife and the epoxy can be removed later if desired.

volbu · **Reply #22 on:** May 22, 2012, 07:15:53 PM

I made my mind on removing the CS completely fashioning new wooden scales (with no gap) and trying to make a separate wooden filler for the place the CS was so that it will move together with the backspring, when opening /closing the small blade .

Wish me luck

I ll keep updated!