Warranty Void Question: Why no Disassembly Allowed?

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Just wondering, what is the reason or reasons why the warranty on a Spyderco knife is voided if the purchaser disassembles the knife, in order to clean it, as long as they do not modify it, and then reassembles it, or, does this void the warranty? I am not in any way, shape, or form criticizing, I am sincerely curious. Is it because the purchaser might dismantle it and reassemble it wrong, and this leads to breakage or personal injury?

[jabba359]

Because people who have no business using tools have damaged their knives while disassembling, this clause was added to protect Spyderco from being liable for user-induced damage. So you were spot on with your observation.

A knife really doesn't need to be disassembled to be cleaned properly. The existence of fully pinned knives is evidence of this. I have never disassembled a knife for cleaning purposes. I have, however, disassembled them for modifying, rust removal, and just plain fun.

[The Deacon]

It's also because almost all warranty issues on a pocket knife are going to be things that, in a perfect world, would have been caught by QC and will be painfully obvious to the owner within five minutes of examining it. Once a knife has been taken apart and put back together outside the factory, it becomes impossible to tell whether the claimed defect existed when it left the factory, or was caused by owner ineptitude. That's especially true with issues like missing washers, poor lockup, and off center blades.

[mikerestivo]

I had a conversation with Charla in warranty/repair a few years back. She said that they often receive knives that are returned, for repair, that customers have tried to disassemble and have messed up. Sometimes Spyderco is called upon to untie knots that customers have made by trying to take their knives apart.

Spyderco, like most companies, intends to warranty their work product. Once a customer takes that work product apart, their ability to stand behind their work product becomes much more challenging, for reasons stated by Kyle and Paul, above.

[Evil D]

Basically because they said so. We can nitpick it apart but that's their policy. In the end, unless there's an invisible flaw like heat treat, you should know in the first day of using a knife if it needs any warranty coverage, so for me I take them apart if necessary and I don't worry about a warranty. I bought a Stretch that ended up having a ton of vertical blade play that was obvious just in handling it, so I sent it in and they took care of me. Beyond that I think most any damage is likely user error and not a warranty claim. The reality is that there really is no arguable reason to take a knife apart. People will say for cleaning, but there are plenty of pinned knives out there living dirty lives that can't be taken apart and people manage to clean them well enough. If you're taking it apart to mod it, you're looking at voiding the warranty anyway.

[Blerv]

They aren't looking for a reason to deny repair, they are looking for an excuse to walk away from a baggie filled with broken parts.

If you want the luxury of learning knife repair with the insurance policy of a manufacturer their product profit margins will have to increase to compensate for failures.

[senorsquare]

...If you're taking it apart to mod it, you're looking at voiding the warranty anyway.

I think it was RevDevil over on BF who put it this way: "...The warranty does not cover curiosity induced disasters.."

[Holland]

That made me laugh the first time I read it haha :D

[Bodog]

What about taking it apart to try to fix a tough opening knife? My military was pretty badly off center to the point where I couldn't loosen the pivot to make it open any easier without hitting the side. I actually needed to do it so I could open the knife with gloves on. I took it apart to polish the washers and see if they were screwed up somehow causing the badly off centered blade. In the process, the back spacer threads stripped, very easily might I add, and two of the torx head screws stripped out. The others were fine. I thought maybe I got a knockoff, but it doesn't have any of the usual signs of it. I accept that the warranty is voided but I'm not super happy about it. It's still a great knife and after polishing the washers and letting them soak in froglube, it opens fine now and is fairly centered. I still don't like that one screw is missing and two are stripped. I don't even feel right asking for replacements or to send it in because I know the policy. Eh, I'll use it till there's nothing left or I break it or lose it.

[Evil D]

What about taking it apart to try to fix a tough opening knife? My military was pretty badly off center to the point where I couldn't loosen the pivot to make it open any easier without hitting the side. I actually needed to do it so I could open the knife with gloves on. I took it apart to polish the washers and see if they were screwed up somehow causing the badly off centered blade. In the process, the back spacer threads stripped, very easily might I add, and two of the torx head screws stripped out. The others were fine. I thought maybe I got a knockoff, but it doesn't have any of the usual signs of it. I accept that the warranty is voided but I'm not super happy about it. It's still a great knife and after polishing the washers and letting them soak in froglube, it opens fine now and is fairly centered. I still don't like that one screw is missing and two are stripped. I don't even feel right asking for replacements or to send it in because I know the policy. Eh, I'll use it till there's nothing left or I break it or lose it.

I'd say this is a perfect example of exactly why they don't want you to take them apart. This is an issue that they themselves prefer to fix, and in the end you're left frustrated and with stripped screws. They however have an infinite number of those screws and can replace them if they get stripped, and will no doubt be able to sort out any blade centering issue better than any of us can. As far as asking for help, if nothing else they may charge you some fee for replacing the back spacer or something like that. I came into a Military second hand once that had the back spacer screw holes stripped on one side, they weren't willing to sell me a replacement back spacer but they would have replaced it for me, though I don't recall the asking price.

[tvenuto]

I think that for every possible "what about...?" the answer is: if you think a knife is defective, the safest thing to do is send it in. If you feel like you can handle it then cool, that's always your option, but you're voiding the warranty. I do believe Spyderco will send you replacement screws for a small fee if you like.

[Evil D]

I think that for every possible "what about...?" the answer is: if you think a knife is defective, the safest thing to do is send it in. If you feel like you can handle it then cool, that's always your option, but you're voiding the warranty. I do believe Spyderco will send you replacement screws for a small fee if you like.

Screws are free, but they won't sell or give you back spacers.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

I think that for every possible "what about...?" the answer is: if you think a knife is defective, the safest thing to do is send it in. If you feel like you can handle it then cool, that's always your option, but you're voiding the warranty. I do believe Spyderco will send you replacement screws for a small fee if you like.

Screws are free, but they won't sell or give you back spacers.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Pardon for the error post, EvilD. My question I meant to put there was, "Why don't they sell back spacers?"

[Blerv]

Pardon for the error post, EvilD. My question I meant to put there was, "Why don't they sell back spacers?"

It's a fairly small company. I would assume the additional employees to help maintain, stock, and educate people looking for each part would never pencil out. The standard warranty and W&R department can fix most if not all problems. The times they can't fix a long discontinued knife often the owner gets a credit towards a new knife.

They do have this internal parts kit for the Delica4 and Endura4:
http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=290" target="_blank

[Bodog]

Bearing pivots are tough as **** to clean if you get some sticky gunk in there. There's always the option of soaking it in solvent and dripping some lube in, but if you don't take it apart to actually clean the bearings, problems persist. Ask me how I know. If that happens, should the knife be sent in so they can clean it? I'd hate to pay for shipping and bog the repair guys down with something so minor that can be fixed so easily at home. Seems kind of lame, like taking my car into the shop for an oil change or something.

[The Deacon]

Pardon for the error post, EvilD. My question I meant to put there was, "Why don't they sell back spacers?"

They do, at least for the Delica and Endura, as part of the rebuild kits they sell to give those too inept to take one apart and put it back together successfully the first time the chance to screw up the works a second time, perhaps even more often if their stubbornness doesn't let them stop trying. :D

[Fancier]

Bearing pivots are tough as **** to clean if you get some sticky gunk in there. There's always the option of soaking it in solvent and dripping some lube in, but if you don't take it apart to actually clean the bearings, problems persist. Ask me how I know. If that happens, should the knife be sent in so they can clean it? I'd hate to pay for shipping and bog the repair guys down with something so minor that can be fixed so easily at home. Seems kind of lame, like taking my car into the shop for an oil change or something.

You have the choice to work on your knife yourself, but understand that they aren't obligated to give you free repairs if you do.
Simple!

[Bodog]

True, senor, true

[The Deacon]

Bearing pivots are tough as **** to clean if you get some sticky gunk in there. There's always the option of soaking it in solvent and dripping some lube in, but if you don't take it apart to actually clean the bearings, problems persist. Ask me how I know. If that happens, should the knife be sent in so they can clean it? I'd hate to pay for shipping and bog the repair guys down with something so minor that can be fixed so easily at home. Seems kind of lame, like taking my car into the shop for an oil change or something.

But would you do that to a knife that had "defects in workmanship or materials" when you received it?

I believe Spyderco is an ethical company, so if something goes wrong with a knife that I serviced competently, and it is obvious that the problem was not and could not have been caused by that service, I am certain they will take care of me, warranty or no. OTOH, if I took a knife with bearings apart, and lost some of them, I wouldn't feel it was Spyderco's responsibility to clean up my mess.

Don't get me wrong, I think Spyderco would be doing both themselves and their customers a huge favor by designing and offering at least one folder with hardware that was selected with user serviceability in mind, and advertising it as such.