Customer sent in a Kershaw for sharpening… I’m honestly shocked by what I found inside

I own a knife shop and sharpening workshop in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Most days I see worn knives, abused edges, bad sharpening — that’s normal.

But today a customer sent in a Kershaw folding knife for regular sharpening and minor service.

I decided to fully disassemble it before working on the edge… and honestly, I didn’t expect this.

Inside:

• heavy corrosion around the pivot

• dirt, old grease, moisture residue

• oxidized liners and washers

• signs that water got inside and stayed there for a long time

From the outside, the knife looked “used but okay”.

Inside — it was basically slowly destroying itself.

I’m sharing this not to hate on the brand, but as a reminder:

folding knives need maintenance, especially if you actually use them outdoors, in humidity, or wash them under water (yes, people do that).

Sharpening alone won’t save a knife if the pivot is rotting.

Curious how often you guys fully service your folders —

do you disassemble them, or just clean what you can reach?

Photos attached from the teardown.