Anyone take apart your Medford Praetorian?

G.MAN

G.MAN

Joined
Sep 25, 2015
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Greg Medford tells buyers to NOT take their Medford knife apart and suggests they will just screw it up. (The pivot has a proprietary spanner so removing it isn't easy.) On the other hand, Chris Reeve encourages buyers to take apart their knives and even includes the Allen wrench needed. The knives seem similar: Frame lock, phosphor bronze bearings. What do you think?
 
Lots of companies tell you not to take apart their product and doing so voids the warranty, not just in the knife world. Personally if it's a solid knife with no apparent defects, not much can go wrong so I'd take it apart.
 
Greg goes into their difference of crk and a Medford. It boils down to size. Medfords are big and heavy, tolorences are tight and easier to get out of whack the its all bigger. Crk also runs there business of the 'spa treatment' for many people who want things changed or regrinds re blasting. While Medford wants to build a great product (like crk) that you don't take apart. He hasn't built his business on knives coming in for spa days.
 
Thanks for the replies.

I know tolerances are tight on Medfords, yet Reeve knives get awards for their tight tolerances. By tinkering with a Sebenza you can sometimes improve it's operation. I'm hoping someone has taken a Medford apart and can say if there were any surprises or special considerations.

Actually, I don't know how to remove the pivot without the special spanner.
 
I'm not a believer on making a sebenza better. By polishing and greasing the washers? Sure buts that's what a few years use would do. So that's kinda taken afew years off the knife. And really...was a sebenza not smooth enough for you new? Maybe just greasing and cleaning when buying a pre owned sebenza and the previous owner NEVER took it down for matinence. So...make a sebenza perform better? Not likely. Make a Medford perform better? After break in...definitely not. And yes I do own both.
 
korn_2956 said:
Lots of companies tell you not to take apart their product and doing so voids the warranty, not just in the knife world. Personally if it's a solid knife with no apparent defects, not much can go wrong so I'd take it apart.
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I simply have never understood, and never will, this seemingly irresistible compulsion to take apart a perfectly functioning knife, the instant it comes in the mail... just for the hell of it.
 
ichor said:
I simply have never understood, and never will, this seemingly irresistible compulsion to take apart a perfectly functioning knife, the instant it comes in the mail... just for the hell of it.
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I wasn't saying take it apart for no reason. Maybe it's dirty, maybe someone might be curious how it's put together or how it works, or to customize it, some people just like to know what makes stuff tick.
 
korn_2956 said:
I wasn't saying take it apart for no reason. Maybe it's dirty, maybe someone might be curious how it's put together or how it works, or to customize it, some people just like to know what makes stuff tick.
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And some don't care as long as it works properly. LOL
 
What are you looking for? I like big ass knives that's why I got medfords. But crk (large 21) are not small and the simplicity is hard to beat. If you feel like insurance that you can tinker with a classy knife then crk is it. If you want bid bad blades and are the kind off dude that screws things up more than fixes them when tinkering, then Medford. Plus the fact Medfords are more dough then crk. All the best.
 
I have both knives and generally have good luck tinkering. I have a good sense of when I'm getting in over my head. There is nothing wrong with my Medford. It's fairly new, but I've put a lot of time into the break-in process and that's paid off. I just like the feeling of being able to fix something if necessary. In any case, the pivot is a stopper. I'm not going to mess it up by trying to remove the pivot without a spanner that fits. Thanks!
(BTW, I tend to carry my bigger knives, as well.)
 
If you need to fix somthing send it back to Greg, let him fix your 1k knife! That way if somthing screws up its on him and you'll get a new knife. If not your out your knife and $1000. Just my .02
 
What u find depending on the model Praetorian is either two 6AL4V titanium slabs, or one 6AL4V titanium slab with a G10 slab, a blade, two standoffs, a D2 glass breaker, 4 allen head screws, depending on the year of the knife either 2 allen head screws for the 6AL4V titanium pocket clip 1 allen head screw, 2, 1/4 inch spanner pivots and two phosphor bronze washers. The phosphor bronze washers are packed in marine Teflon grease. Not much maintenance needed there. So why pull apart and void the warranty? The washers on the Sebenza are gun drilled, meaning they have holes in them, for the grease retention. But the grease the Reeve's supplies versus the marine grade grease that the Praetorian uses is two different animals. We use marine Teflon grease in the aviation world, and the stuff can withstand some serious use. A knife opening and closing is barely working that grease. It would take years and years of opening and closing for it to even begin some sort of breakdown. Therefore taking it apart to maintain is not needed. Hell throw it in the water, take it out, open and close it and it will still be fine. You wont wear out those bronze washers. There is plenty of videos on care and maintenance of a Medford. If in question send it to Medford and let the liability be on him. Taking it apart to tinker is not worth voiding the warranty.
 
Sorry for reviving an old thread. I spoke w Greg (Medford) about a month ago and his reasoning is that he hires and trains master craftspeople and spends millions in precision machinery in order to put together knives that are as perfectly adjusted a possible. It seems unlikely to him that a layperson will do better.
 
Well, there is a knack to putting together one of his knives... the titanium is not laped, so has bends and such in them, that I have noticed. They bend the titanium sides to center the blade if necessary. If you do take them apart make sure to use marine grease (small amount) on pivot and bushings, as well as lok-tite on all screws. When tightening pivot screws check for lash on blade when opened, half-open, and close to being closed. The knives can be finicky when taken apart and then put together again. Honestly, if the blade is working fine, why would you take it apart?

I saw many blades that were returned to Medford Knives that were taken apart and were "broken" as a result. Many dummies like to take apart a knife and then put it together wrong, and get really frustrated when they dont know the subtleties on how to put a knife back together just so they can "tweak" a knife.

I worked for Medford for a few years assembling their folders so know a little bit about their process.
 
tower2 said:
Sorry for reviving an old thread. I spoke w Greg (Medford) about a month ago and his reasoning is that he hires and trains master craftspeople and spends millions in precision machinery in order to put together knives that are as perfectly adjusted a possible. It seems unlikely to him that a layperson will do better.
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This is total BS.

The reason why CRK encourages their knives to be torn down and reassembled is BECAUSE the tolerances are so tight and so perfect, there is only one way for it to go back together. It doesn't need 'adjusting' or a master craftsman (which is a ridiculous statement, this isn't a swiss watch) to assemble it.

The person above just admitted Medford's aren't lapped so they are categorically not built to the same spec as CRK.

My guess is if anyone tried to take on apart themselves, they would never get it back together centered and functioning right. Medford needs these 'master craftsmen' to tweak his knives and make them function because his tolerances aren't that great.
 
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