How are Kershaw Thermite thumb studs removed?

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Jun 6, 2014
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Are they screwed in to each other or is it a bar that is pressed in and needs to be tapped out? Thanks
 
They look like they may be press fit, but i've had 2 kershaws already that screwed in so i just want to be sure before i start pounding on it. Is there anyone that has already removed theirs?
 
not sure on that exact model... what I would do is take a nut (off of a bolt) and put it over the thumb stud. then put it in a vise. screw the vise closed until the nut is touching on one side, and the thumb stud is touching on the other. then you can gently compress it and see if it moves at all. you should be able to tell pretty quickly without any damage.
 
I'm not sure if every model is the same but I removed the thumb studs from mine and they were screwed on. I marred the hell out of the stud but I don't plan on using it again. I removed my Cryo stud too. Completely useless on those knives. To me at least.
 
The Thermite is screwed in. I used two pair of channel locks to unscrew them. In fact all of my import Kershaw's have had screw in thumb studs (except the Dimension). I'm not a fan of thumb studs on knives with flippers, so I've removed them.

It's been a different story on the USA Kershaw's though. I've struggled to budge my Piston and Knockout thumb studs. All I've managed to do is chew up the thumb studs pretty good. When I get some time I'll file them down flat and drill them out.

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Thanks for the info! I used to have a Cryo and I could easily screw them apart, and on a Kershaw Brawler they actually came apart on their own. I just tried to remove them on my Thermite and boy are they on there tight even using 2 pairs of channel locks. I hear heating the knife will loosen up the locktite and make removal easier, so perhaps I will try heating them up with my wife's blow drier so I don't scratch them up any worse.
 
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I finally got around to removing them. Heating the locktite up with a blow drier worked and I was able to unscrew them with 2 sets of channel locks. It feels much slimmer and more comfortable in the pocket now that the thumbstuds can no longer be pushed into my thigh, plus the knife slides out of the pocket more smoothly since the thumbstuds are no longer there to get hung up on my pocket when pulling the knife out. I think I am going to recommend leaving them off this knife since the flipper works so well.
 
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