Gerber Fastball with frame screws that won't stay in

[vcdgrips]

My buddy at work is bit of a knife/watch/gun guy as well. Bought himself a Spyderco Para, A Benchmade Bugout and the Gerber Fastball. He went Gerber given his thoughts/feelings re quality of old and the fact this particular knife is made in the USA.

As the title states, the screw will not stay in that fasten the handle. Gerber says they cannot repair, will be replacing it for free and he DOES NOT have to even send thr broken on in.

I have not yet been able to examine screws or screw holes re thread issues etc.

I have pondered original screws and foil from candy packaging etc to new screws slathered in loctite, JB Weld etc. as a possible solution

Thought re a functional fix are most welcome.

The intended use for this knife will likely now be desk drawer or glove box etc.

THX

[javemtr]

What does "won't stay in" mean? They loosen over time? The screw threads don't even grip the handle threads? Sorry, not much info to go on!

[LittleLebowski]

We need some pics if possible. Has he tried loctite?

[vcdgrips]

Thxs for the replies to date. Pics not possible at this time.

I am told they do not thread up very tight and the come loose as soon as the knife is opened and closed a few times.

No Loctite etc tried to date. Immediate pivot to Gerber Warranty Office and their stand up response outlined in the OP.

[Joe S]

Try one of the tougher Loctites. If not, measure out the tiny screws, order next size up online. Seems a no-brainer to me.

[Hambo]

Could they be a bit too long? I've cut a thread or two off scope mounting screws for that reason.

[rd62]

Try one of the tougher Loctites. If not, measure out the tiny screws, order next size up online. Seems a no-brainer to me.

This was my thought as well

[Navin Johnson]

And....what is the point of this thread? It is a product that the vast majority of people will not purchase? It is a warranty issue.

[vcdgrips]

Navin:

The point of the thread was patently clear to all those who posted before you. (Thank you again btw.)

The point was to solicit input from those with training/knowledge/experience/ideas re how to keep frames screws from backing out of a Gerber Fastball knife well enough for light duty/secondary use.

There was NO ISSUE whatsoever re a warranty claim as it was made patently clear that Gerber was going to replace the knife for free without the original knife even having to be returned.

In sum, if you have an idea on how to keep these frame screws in the knife, I would really like to hear it.
Otherwise, how about you open a instacart delivered can of “I’ll refrain from posting in a thread where I have nothing constructive to offer” drink and take a big gulp?

[SecondsCount]

If plain old JB weld and a few days of curing won't work, it would seem that going the oversized screw direction is a good one. I would make sure the new screws have fine pitched threads and re-tap the holes.

Another thought is that maybe the original screws are just soft. The knife may have been made in the US but the screws could be sourced from a mediocre supplier. I remember reading that Benchmade bought their own screw machines because their sources couldn't consistently supply a screw that would meet their needs.

[LittleLebowski]

And....what is the point of this thread?

Fixing the knife.

[Navin Johnson]

Let's see..... In order to fix it we'll need to know a few things.

it appears the fastball has two screws holding the scale in place possibly on both sides also the pivot undoubtedly is involved in the retention of the scale.

The knife also appears to be either a liner lock or a frame lock these are important things in different ways.

Are the scales screwed to a subframe or are they screwed to each other using a barrel bolt type system or do the scales close in the back to make a solid frame? If the latter.... Do the screws go one way through the handle or do they screw together in the middle so to speak?

if when the knife is opened a couple of times and the scale retention system comes loose it implies to me that's the pivot. If it's the pivot it's probably not a good idea to JB weld it or throw some red loctite on it as your knife will now become a fixed blade either fixed open or fixed closed.

If it is one of the apparent two screws that hold the scales on or together to make the knife..... undoubtedly the frame or liner lock is affected by those. If they're not fasting properly it could restrict the movement of the lock therefore making the knife less safe. Also the interface between the tang and the contact portion of the locking bar is quite critical and using or tightening a screw that retains it too much could affect that critical space also making the lock less than ideal.

If the pivot is involved this again can critically affect the interface between the tang and the lock bar if it is not torqued properly. Also if the pivot is not torqued properly it can affect the opening and closing of the knife in general.

If it is simply a scale screw that can be independently replaced then we need to know the pitch of the threads and the length of the screw that we could probably replace it if Gerber is unable or unwilling to send a replacement part.

If the scales form the entire frame.... the scales themselves could be JB welded together if it's not possible to replace the screw or recut the threads. Assuming this would not affect the interface of the lock bar and the tang of the blade.

If it is a steel screw that screws directly into the opposite scale it may be difficult to rethread or make a new screw work as the aluminum scale could be stripped and it would be very hard to recut it and have it have any holding power .....that is unless there is an insert in the other side that's made of steel then it is a feasible operation.

The other possibility is the scales are not cut properly or the holes are not drilled properly and this misalignment could be the culprit.

It seems like most people who can walk and chew gum would know to try some type of threadlocker or adhesive so the likely scenario is that won't fix the problem.

The other issue is a lot of knives are put together with torques type heads that are quite small and if one does not have the proper tool it may be difficult to torque the screw adequately to retain the scale. Or if it was over tightened the head itself could have stripped and make it very difficult to torque properly.

So pardon me if I came across as obtuse on my previous post however the initial post only offered very minimal information and seemed almost like a rambling talk out loud type of statement. I feel like it would have been better to have more information pertaining to the issue before posting a fairly wide open question.

[Navin Johnson]

My buddy at work is bit of a knife/watch/gun guy as well. Bought himself a Spyderco Para, A Benchmade Bugout and the Gerber Fastball. He went Gerber given his thoughts/feelings re quality of old and the fact this particular knife is made in the USA.

As the title states, the screw will not stay in that fasten the handle. Gerber says they cannot repair, will be replacing it for free and he DOES NOT have to even send thr broken on in.

I have not yet been able to examine screws or screw holes re thread issues etc.

I have pondered original screws and foil from candy packaging etc to new screws slathered in loctite, JB Weld etc. as a possible solution

Thought re a functional fix are most welcome.

The intended use for this knife will likely now be desk drawer or glove box etc.

THX

Waiting for updates and photos so we can help with the Fastball.

[Navin Johnson]

Thxs for the replies to date. Pics not possible at this time.

I am told they do not thread up very tight and the come loose as soon as the knife is opened and closed a few times.

No Loctite etc tried to date. Immediate pivot to Gerber Warranty Office and their stand up response outlined in the OP.


Please keep us updated on how you fixed it or if you still need help.

[vcdgrips]

Hoping to get it in hand next week when I go into the office for the first time in a while.

DB

[vcdgrips]

Screw is .367 inches long
.153 on the top
.085 on the thread

Using a circa late 80s Dillion Dial Caliper
552675526855269

[vcdgrips]

One screw gone. The other simply does not look like it is biting in the threads. Knife blade locks up fairly tight. Blade on center when you push everything together.

Thought re a servicable fix? I know I am gong to need to invest in some hex drivers. Looking hard at Wiha.

[Joe S]

I know I am gong to need to invest in some hex drivers. Looking hard at Wiha.

I wouldn't stress much. Unless you are doing electronics work or a ton of fine automotive stuff, I always just buy whatever is available for this stuff. I have a Husky brand multi bit driver I use for all my Torx needs (knives and the odd laptop). Has worked fine for years.