Torx tool for maintenance

Joined
Feb 6, 2020
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60
What torx tool should I get for taking apart my knives?
the boker wiha one seems good but it doesnt have a t-9 bit. other torx tools have other bits missing. What bits do I really (not) need?
do i really need something as small as t-4 or t-5?
thanks.
 
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Another vote for wiha. If you already have a bit driver, can get the 71570 set that has 6 bits, T5 thru T10.
 
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Wiha are high quality, that's mostly what I have, but you could get by with a set from your local hardware store. I used various cheaper brands of torx bits before buying Wiha and never had any problem (still use some of them). I switched to Wiha because I wanted to use a 1/4" driver and most of the bits I had were smaller. It's like the difference between a Snap-On wrench and a Husky brand wrench from Home Depot, the Husky will work just fine.

One benefit of Wiha is that you can purchase individual bits (and a driver). So you don't have to buy a bunch in a set that you don't need. And they have two different sizes- 1/4" drive, and smaller "micro" driver bits. I use both.

The sizes you need will depend on the sizes of screws in your knife/knives. Though I seriously doubt you will ever need a T4 or T5, those are REALLY small screws.

The largest torx driver I use on any of my production folders is T10, the smallest is T6.
 
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I also had the Benchmade tool kit.
It was nice and has the two most used: 6 and 10.
It's lost somewhere in the void...
 
I like Wera and Wiha. But I prefer Wera because I like how they feel in my hand, especially the screwdrivers.
 
A Question:
What does disassembling your knife (or knives) do to the warranty?
I've read here at BF that taking apart most brands of knives voids/murders the warranty. Even the one (Benchmade?) that includes the tools to take it apart, says the warranty is void if you take it apart.

Just because it can be taken apart, don't mean it should be.

A lot of knives have screw construction, and the manufacturer used red (permanent "never" come apart) lock-tite on the screws, rather than the it's possible to take it apart blue lock-tite.
Look at how many threads there are with the "I took my _(brand/model)_ knife apart, and now it don't flip/I can't get the blade centered/ I have stripped/broken or missing screws, or some other problem, or I can't put together ..." theme on BF and other knife forums.

In 60 plus years, I've never needed to take apart a knife to clean or lube it. Hot running water or swishing in hot soapy water, then rinsing in warm/hot water, and drying with compressed air, and a drop or two of lube in /on the joints is all it takes to clean and lube a knife. A drop or two on the joints and open/close a couple times is all it takes to lube one.

If you're going for "sterile", forget it. Nothing that is exposed to the atmosphere is "sterile". The atmosphere at a minimum has bacteria, viruses, dust, mold spores, and pollen. A "Sterile" item is a myth, outside a pressurized "clean room" at a laboratory.

Remember: Some microbes can survive exposure to alcohol, acids, high salt concentrations, heat, cold, radiation, vacuum, and UV rays. The "best" hand sterilizers/hand cleaners only kill "up to 99.9% of germs"; not "100%". Hospitals are breeding grounds for "super viruses" that are immune to the cleaning solutions used, because they didn't kill all the germs when cleaning. Even the so called "clean rooms" have some contaminants/"germs"/ bacteria/viruses in them.
 
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A Question:
What does disassembling your knife (or knives) do to the warranty?
I've read here at BF that taking apart most brands of knives voids/murders the warranty. Even the one (Benchmade?) that includes the tools to take it apart, says the warranty is void if you take it apart.

Just because it can be taken apart, don't mean it should be.

A lot of knives have screw construction, and the manufacturer used red (permanent "never" come apart) lock-tite on the screws, rather than the it's possible to take it apart blue lock-tite.
Look at how many threads there are with the "I took my _(brand/model)_ knife apart, and now it don't flip/I can't get the blade centered/ I have stripped/broken or missing screws, or some other problem, or I can't put together ..." theme on BF and other knife forums.

In 60 plus years, I've never needed to take apart a knife to clean or lube it. Hot running water or swishing in hot soapy water, then rinsing in warm/hot water, and drying with compressed air, and a drop or two of lube in /on the joints is all it takes to clean and lube a knife. A drop or two on the joints and open/close a couple times is all it takes to lube one.

If you're going for "sterile", forget it. Nothing that is exposed to the atmosphere is "sterile". The atmosphere at a minimum has bacteria, viruses, dust, mold spores, and pollen. A "Sterile" item is a myth, outside a pressurized "clean room" at a laboratory.

Remember: Some microbes can survive exposure to alcohol, acids, high salt concentrations, heat, cold, radiation, vacuum, and UV rays. The "best" hand sterilizers/hand cleaners only kill "up to 99.9% of germs"; not "100%". Hospitals are breeding grounds for "super viruses" that are immune to the cleaning solutions used, because they didn't kill all the germs when cleaning. Even the so called "clean rooms" have some contaminants/"germs"/ bacteria/viruses in them.

I use a Hot Air Rework Station to heat screws up with and tape off the scales/handles with Kapton tape to be on the safe side. For red Loctite I use 300°C, blue - 250°C for about 12 - 15 seconds. I already have a Rework Station because Electronics Repair is my main hobby. But they can be bought pretty inexpensively now. That will help keep from scratching up your screws using a soldering iron or stripping and messing them up trying to caveman them.
I take knives apart because I like to. If they want to void the warranty then so be it. Needless to say that they will be lucky if I ever buy another knife from them.
 
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