Removing the Torsion Bar from the Kershaw Cryo

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

I don't own a Cryo anymore, but I've read this tip from a few folks now. Looks like a nice modification for those that have the skill (and nerves!) to try it. Thanks for sharing, Ulph!

[@mooseclappin11]

Please forgive me if you have already done this, but I suggest taking it apart again, and bending the lockbar over. Doing so will strengthen the detent, but if you screw it up, it may become too strong. Such things take a lot of trial and error, but are well worth it in the end.

[@Reginahomeboy]

i bought this knife just today after looking at your video about it my old knife was a gerber paraframe knife that i used for work. so far this knife is perfect for my edc

[@GuroBillyBrown]

I have never see a legality issue towards assisted openers! I carry blades daily. I teach blade combatives and have used them in self defense situations! I have never had an assisted opener accidentally open or malfunction. It is all about how you train with your tools to insure how they preform! Thanks for the videos!

[@dakine425]

Wow the bar is totally different from their other assisted models. Great job on the video. I know a lot of people were going to try this. I did the same with a ZT350 and it holds the blade in better.

[@nordicomsystems8841]

I de-assisted my Cryo II about an hour ago but not by choice. I was watching TV and playing with is (it was my favorite assisted opener) and I heard a "pop" from the inside of the knife. Suddenly the flipper was toast. I remembered having watched this video when I first got the Cryo and didn't wanna mess with it since the one in this vid had no detent obviously but now I had to either fix it or remove the torsion bar and hope for the best. After taking it apart and de-greasing it I removed the bar, applied Frog Lube to the appropriate parts, put it back together, adjusted the pivot screw and it's fine now. Mine has a detent and holds the blade closed although it's not the strongest detent I've ever seen. It certainly works though and I'll update after I've carried it for a few weeks and we'll see if it opening in my pocket is an issue.

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

I'd probably get the best of both worlds (Cryo + Skyline) and go for a Kershaw Leek, which I prefer to either knife. Thin, light, but still very stout feeling with its stainless steel frame lock (unless you go for a G10 or aluminum variant) and a very unobtrusive flipper. If either the Cryo or Skyline really speaks to you though, you can't go wrong. They're all really well-built and should give many years of great service.

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

You might like the Cryo II, expected by the end of the year. It should have a much more appealing (to you and me) 3.25" blade and longer handle to match. I can't wait to get my hands on one. The Cryo design is very appealing, but like you, I much prefer a larger blade.

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

Exactly. I just found out that my new and beloved Kershaw Piston also lacks a detent and cannot be "de-assisted". Bummer! I'm with you: I really wish Kershaw would design their A/O knives with this option in mind. Hopefully the concept will gain traction over time and we'll see this open up a little. Thanks for watching!

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

I would try adjusting the body screws and pivot screw together (turning one and the others) and see if that helps any. Mine has a sweet spot at the pivot that is almost too tight right before it's pretty well centered and it's easy to miss. And don't worry if it isn't 100% perfectly centered; a lot of times frame lock blades will sit just a bit out of center from the lock scale's pressure.

[@mikea.drover3798]

Thanks for the video! And I am a subscriber. For the cleaning my 1555TI Cryo . I use this knife for my EDC and use it hard, a tool. Fyi cutting bags open of mortar and sand, not good on the workings of any knife. But the 1555TI can be field striped like any firearm. Your vid gave me the courage to do so. All said and done the Kershaw is back together and working as well as it did from the company. Best regard Mike A. Drover ~M~

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

Yeah, that's really great to hear. I no longer own a Cryo but I may take the Cryo 2 for a spin when it releases. Thanks very much for the info!

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

Definitely. I'd be worried about not being precise enough in my drilling and ending up with a wiggly closure. I've also read as much regarding the ZT0350 and how nice it is when converted to manual opening. Kershaw, are you reading this??!

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

Hi there! Sorry I missed your comment until just now. Unfortunately, I'm not sure which Speedsafe knives take well to removal of the torsion bar. In fact, the only one I know for certain works well without is the Blur (and now, the 0350, thanks to you!). I believe the Echelon can also have its assisted feature removed and still function well, but don't hold me to it -- it just seems that I've heard that before. Thank you for watching!

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

Thanks for the suggestion. The Cryo is an excellent knife but has since been relegated to only occasional carry, so I haven't really felt the need to pursue the unassisted angle any further. AO functionality isn't a deal-breaker for me; I just tend to prefer knives without it. Thanks again. Hopefully others will read your comment and give it a shot!

[@WOEShorts]

Ah, it was a good attempt for knife science anyhow Abe! I feel the same way about spring assisted knives. I'm not really sure why, but the only flippers I gravitate towards are those that are non-assisted. I guess to me having a knife that is very dependent on a torsion bar that could break eventually is a bit of a turn off. I'm sure the Cryo will do just fine though. Interesting vid man! Thanks for sharing!

[@ulph69swe]

Take it apart, remove the torsion bar. Then, check out where the "steel ball / detent ball" stops on the blade when the knife is closed, there should be a trail on the blade. Drill or punch that exact spot so that the detent steel ball rests in it while the knife is closed. This should work, haven't tried it myself on my Cryo.

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

I think you're fine. I'll bet the creaking is coming from the torsion bar inside the handle (that launches the blade out). You can definitely disassemble the knife and add some lubricant (some folks fill the channel with petroleum jelly to keep things from making rattling or squeaking noise) but it's probably fine just as it is. Definitely add a drop or two of 3-in-1 to the pivot just in case, though. Good luck!

[@sherman614]

Great video, man! And I don't like assisted knives generally either. That's what kept me from getting the Kershaw Knockout, Piston, and Rake. But for the price of this knife, I don't mind it at all :) And yeah, pretty much every assisted Kershaw acts the same when you take the torsion bar out. It's the only thing that keeps the blade in the handle basically

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

Thanks for watching. I watched your contest video the other day and I plan on entering soon -- I just have to come up with an idea for it that'll hopefully be interesting. Talk to you soon!

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

It's a Torx driver, made by Craftsman. You should be able to find one at your nearest hardware/tool store.

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

Hi, Peter! The Cryo definitely has a hollow grind. And you're right, I just checked my 0560 right now and it uses a flat grind. I guess Kershaw probably thought a flat grind would be a little too chunky for such a small blade. Thanks for watching and for the question!

[@mikehughes4824]

Thanks for the video. I found it interesting, nice to see the inside before you open one. It is a very simple setup. I'm glad you found quality in the construction. I do like Kershaw knives a lot (for the price point). Tooztatz

[@bigconig]

Same thing with the knockout- It would be so awesome without assist. Like others have stated the ZT0350 is a killer manual flipper. I know my stonewashed version has the hole (not sure about all of them) There have been guys that have drilled the detent themselves, but it wouldn't be easy without proper tools. Even cheap blade steel is pretty hard.

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

Agreed. I can't turn my back on a great knife, AO or not, but I strongly prefer a manual knife and this one would've been great that way. Despite my preference, the Kershaw Leek is one of my all-time favorite knives and this one is very likely to join its ranks. I'll know for sure when the sequel comes out this fall. Thanks for watching, Shaun!

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

I wish the Knockout and Piston weren't AO as well, but I'm not sure if I can keep myself from buying them, especially the Piston -- it looks amazing. But you're right; for $30 (give or take) the Cryo's just too fun and well-built to pass up. I saw your video regarding the blade hitting one of the backspacers... talk about tight tolerances, yeesh! I gotta watch out for that.

[@bigconig]

The key is if the blade is drilled for detent. It looks as if this one isn't. I wish they would drill this hole on all the assisted knives, but they don't. The detent not only holds the blade closed but also allows a little pre-load for the flipper.

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

I am very glad to hear that, Mike! I really appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment, and I'm really happy that my video gave you a bit of encouragement to take your Cryo apart for cleaning. Also, thank you very much for subscribing. I hope you find my future uploads interesting as well. Have a great weekend!

[@dangerpea108]

Where are you dissasembling this knife, the Clockwork Orange milk bar ?

[@717sport]

Good Video !! I learned the hard way, Don't ever put oil on it. I did and it had so much dirt in it I had to take it apart and clean the parts.

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

You're referring to the torsion bar, right? Because you definitely want a little oil on the pivot to keep things running smooth. Thanks very much for sharing!

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

Thanks, friend! I'm very happy to hear it helped!

[@jkoeberlein1]

Good review just ordered mine for EDC. Thanks.

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

Awesome. I hope you enjoy it. It's an excellent value!

[@MaurizioGarzia]

i can flip mine open now with the stud and flipper just took me a while to learn

[@PkwyDrive13]

I just drilled s hole in the blade for the detent, stupid that they put a detent ball in but no detent hole

[@greg6162]

What sized hole did you drill? My torsion bar just snapped on mine

[@hkill09]

Glad someone made a video on this, always was curious how to get this done. Also, where did you get those torque drivers at?

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

Those are Craftsman drivers from Sears. I've been using them for around 10 years or so and they've held up beautifully. Check 'em out if you get the chance. Thanks for watching!

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

Very, very cool! Thanks for the update!

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

Another member replied in these very comments (Mike Wittman), and he says the latest version does have a detent. So there ya go. Cool!

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

I agree completely. Thanks so much for your comment!

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

The Gerber Paraframe is a cool design and Andrew Zimmern from Bizarre Foods (I love that show) often sports one in various episodes... so there's some weird Paraframe trivia for you, he he! I'm so glad you like the Cryo -- use it in good health! Definitely a great EDC choice. Thanks so much for watching!

[@jbvap]

not yet but I was able to get it together with solid lockup its just badly off center rubbing the liner. I actually just made a thread on bladeforum asking about it. Thanks for offering to make a video, but I dont want you to waste your time. Ill figure it out. Do all 3 of the bronze washers go on the lock side and the plastic one on the side of the torsion bar?

[@jacobmanalang8162]

my cryo was so tight at the pivot from the factory i thought it wasnt assisted LOL. so i loosened the t8 a little and it works fine now. my blade is really close to the handle but its not rubbing it. im trying to not let it bother me. i went with the all black one...shouldnt have done that. i think im going to remove the thumbstuds

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

Well, I've since sold my Cryo and I still have a few Skylines, so the Skyline wins out but just barely. I prefer the lighter feel and G10 handle of the Skyline. Having said that, I'm actually not as big of a fan of the Skyline as a lot of other folks and while I think it would make a good EDC choice for some, it ranks pretty low for me personally. I tend to go with larger knives or something with a more substantial grip. I also don't much care for the Skyline's flipper. (continued)...

[@flamingballzonice]

great vid!! Was curious of this myself, saved me the time & effort of taking mine apart, thanks! I do know it's possible to take the Blur apart and still have retention. Still curious about the Thermite's retention w/o the torsion bar though, might you know anything about that?

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

I've read online about this being done but apparently it only results in a slight improvement in blade retention. I figure I'll save myself the trouble and just live with the AO function. Thanks very much for the suggestion and for watching!

[@loliown0]

Hey sweet video. I was wondering if you had this problem with your cryo. I have had my cryo for just about a week now and it has been making this creaking noise as it closes. I have looked to see if it is rubbing on the side but it is not. Does it just need some lubricant? or did I break it. Thanks

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

That said, I personally won't be making any permanent changes to a knife to de-assist it. I don't trust myself to do it correctly, and like you, I'd rather just choose another knife if I absolutely can't stand the opening mechanism. Most of the times, that's just what I do.

[@bobbatron808]

Holy frack it looks like Kershaw used to put detents onto speedsafe knife blades but it but stopped recently. It's a shame KZbin won't let me share the URL, but look up the video "Kershaw Clash Disassembly and reassembly" from valladon or something.. It's dated as recent as May 2012!

[@TXDanRob]

The reason the Cryo is affordable is that they were able to compensate for cheaper materials and lower quality manufacturing tolerances with the speedsafe. It is what it is; obviously not intended to be de-assisted.

[@roguefive512]

I have a Cryo II BW and the torsion bar broke into two pieces. Does Kershaw charge for a replacement spring?

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

Not unless it's a new policy. Typically you just send them your address and they even pay for shipping.

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

Glad to do it! Thanks very much for watching.

[@cigarettevodka5690]

Moral of the story - if it ain't broke don't fix it. There are many great lock back knives that don't use an assisted opening. Get one if you're worried about durability.If you're concerned about the life span of a speedsafe consider it is rated for 10,000 openings. That's 9 solid years if you opened it 3 times every day. You probably wouldn't. Also consider that the torsion bar is readily available from Kershaw at a cheap price and it's pretty easy to replace on your own. Do you have a torx screwdriver? No? Well Kershaw will do it for you for free if you like (shipping charges excluded).I can't think of a reason I would not want a knife that opens easily with a single hand.

[@kylelovell5021]

I bought the cryo 2 and it is extremely hard to open close, do you have any recommendations on how to smooth it out? Tried loosening the pivot but that didn't work.

[@shanechrist9119]

dnt put you finger over the frame lock when closing and loosen the mid bolt just a pinch

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

Mine definitely did not have a detent and relied only on the Speedsafe mechanism to keep the blade closed. I have since heard that the newer release *might* have a detent, but I can't confirm this personally. Hopefully they do! Thanks for watching!

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

Thank you! I'm glad I could help, friend!

[@JuriDC]

What if you take out the blade, and where the ball bearing from the lockbar stops, you drill a very small and shallow hole in the blade so that the ball clicks in it. Maybe that will give it a better detent. But i don't know if it's easy to drill in hard blade steel.

[@AlphaYTang]

Informative video...thanks. Have you ever come across an assisted knife that didn't function properly after the spring was removed? I'm interesting in a specific knife but like you, don't want the assistance.

[@TheKaza0]

great Video - Many thanks i was just about to take mine apart

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

Did you find any other videos detailing this info yet? If not, let me know and I'll try to make this video for you in short order. Thanks!

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

For me, if the knife can be de-assisted without damaging anything, I don't see much wrong with it. I see a lot of assisted openers that look great but I'm always left wishing they were manual (Kershaw Piston is a great example). I can live with AO, but if I had my druthers, companies would design them to function both ways. This would be a boon to folks who live in areas where an assisted opener might be illegal or less-than-friendly to local laws.

[@Frip36]

Anyone have a link on how to soften jimping that's too aggressive and hurts the finger? On this Cryo the very last jimp is really sharp on mine.

[@Cyrus92178]

Took mine apart a couple times to replace one of the scales with carbon fiber. Now I can't get the blade centered again. Any suggestions? Thanks

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

Thanks very much! Yep, had to give it a shot.

[@ggtRiiiPpy]

is there a detest on the newer versions?

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

AOs are fun, but manual is where it's at, hehe! Thanks for watching!

[@Cyrus92178]

I fixed it!!! Thanks for the tips!!!

[@Peter556NATO]

Can you tell me what the grind is? It looks hollow, but ZT/Hinder usually have a flat grind.

[@extracreditpls7675]

Very helpful video, thank you

[@shaneknutson4037]

So nice love my Kershaw assisted.

[@IdealHolsters]

Had the same mind set for the Drone.

[@jbvap]

Could you please do a full takedown please? I took mine apart to stonewash and cant seem to get the washers all back in the same place

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

Thanks for subscribing! I hope you find more videos you'll like!

[@Battskater]

Thank you ! just bought it yesterday xD subscribed :)

[@DIYivan04]

Whaaaaat!? Thats the best part of this knife. Now what about removing those uncomfortable studs...

[@cheeseballdino]

what tool did you use to disassemble this knife

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

Call or email Kershaw, if you haven't already. They'll take care of you!

[@ggtRiiiPpy]

unfortunately if you want to make a assisted knife manual you have to drill a small crater for where the ball detente sits when the knife is closed. most originally manual knives already have a an area where the ball detente sits when its closed so it doesn't go flying out in your pocket. look at one of your other manual knives and you'll notice it.

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

He he, that's awesome. Thanks very much!

[@JesusvonNazaret]

good to know, thanks for sharing the video

[@themdg]

Great video. Thanks.

[@mikedifeo8344]

I tried the same with a Kershaw Zing, it didn't work either. Actually the Zing is garbage. It took it back. I will try the Cryo and see if it is better. I know they are cheap knives. I would pay an additional $ 5-10 to get a better knife and be able to make it manual and spring assist.

[@Peter556NATO]

Thanks for the info!

[@Battskater]

whats the screw drivers name?

[@joeygonzo]

The Blur has a much better detent.

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

Indeed, but that's because the Cryo doesn't have a detent at all! The ZT0350 also has a nice detent that allows one to deassist it. I wish they all came that way.

[@michiganedge4770]

thanks for the video!

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

You're very welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

I've been practicing but mine still just absolutely kills my thumb tip. I think I'll have to stick to the flipper.

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

As far as I know, unless there's been a very recent change the Cryo still lacks a ball detent. Sorry!

[@Faithboyblvd]

My wife likes your pink table top. lol. Good video.

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

Thank you!

[@LIE4ME]

Why is everything dark. Dark pink? Cant see anything mostly. Cause the light is behind you...

[@shaneknutson4037]

Why tho?????

[@captainkid1]

Soo. this doesn't have a ball bearing like some other speedsafe knives? That's really to bad.

[@kessler003]

Too bad the detent is not the same after removing the torsion bar. Im not a huge assisted opening knives fan.

[@ddop100]

The bar broke in mine, gotta put in a new one.

[@paulhughes3961]

The knife was not designed to work without the torsion bar.

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

Correct. Like several other assisted opening knives, the initial run of the Cryo requires the torsion bar in order for the blade to remain closed within the handle.

[@mrwashur1991]

Paul Hughes mine was removed and from using others with the spring in it, I'd prefer without. never had an issue with it staying closed and I could open it much fast out of my pocket. Wich has made a difference before.

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

They're torx drivers.

[@SlackerConjeaul]

Senrenmu have some decent knives for about 14 bucks.

[@RPMIDAHO]

I have this knife on my list but I think I will leave it the way it comes thanks for the vid by the way I am having a contest u might like so check it out and spread the word thanks

[@Jassalone100]

Spring assisted knives are great why not just buy what you want in the first place instead of ruining a nice knife?

[@PGHSK8R]

This is not true, the Blur among others have sufficient detent balls to keep the blade snug when the torsion bar is removed.