A *lot* of bad Chinook IIs - Mr. Glesser, please have a look!

Connor

Connor

Joined
Aug 28, 2002
Messages
133
Hi *@*,

this is an update on my previous post here: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=294262

Quick summary: I ordered a Chinook II from NewGrahamKnives and it had very noticeable lateral blade play. NGK offered to send me a replacement and so I sent my knife back to them and they got it today.

I asked them to please check the new Chinook for any defects before sending it all the way to Germany again and they told me they tested their stock and "They are all the same as the one you sent back to us. Either we got a bad batch or that's the way the knife comes."

Wow ... there certainly seems to be something wrong with the Spyderco Chinook IIs right now! And I crave so much for this knife ... :-/

Any suggestions on how to obtain a 'good' Chinook II?

Regards,

Connor

PS: The service from NGK was excellent as usual, I'm not implying in any way that it's their fault - just wanted to mention this! :)
 
I got my Chinook II from New Graham, and it has an almost imperceptable amount of play -- you really have to grasp the blade and torque it really hard to feel it at all. I mean, it's less than a hair. But I don't consider it a defect. Should I?
 
Shoot - the last post was by me, but I the PC was still logged in as my son. He doesn't even have a Chinook II. He's a Benchmade guy. :rolleyes: I'm a Spyderco fan. :cool:
 
I screwed up again. :barf: I didn't get it from New Graham, I got it from Knivesplus (but New Graham is my favorite). Still, it arrived at Knivesplus only a few days before New Graham got theirs, so I assume it's from the same production run.
 
I got my Chinook II from New Graham and it didn't have even an itsy-bitsy amount of play in any axis.
Zero.

What a bummer for Connor.
Hang in there.
Spyderco will make it right.
 
..does not the Chinook II have a regular torx or allen-key pivot pin? If so, why not just tighten it to where you want? Even if the knife is "perfect" as is, as the parts wear in, it will need adjustment...

Respectfully

Clinton
 
The microscopic play in mine is not side-to-side, so tightening the pivot pin wouldn't help. It doesn't bother me. Should it? Would this slight play reduce the strength of the lock? (that's all I'd be concerned about) :confused:
 
I have one of the "orphaned" collector models of the Combo-edge CII from NGK, and there is no play whatsoever.
 
All of the Chinooks I have owned 1&2 comes to 7 now. They have all had lateral play. I go to open the knife and the blade rubs the liner. Some were worse thena others. From how it looks to me, the blade was thick and just barely fits into the handle. Beintg that tight means that the pivot fit through the liner and blade has to be very tight as well. If there is any slop, you will get blade rub. Tightening the pivot does nothing to fix this problem. However, once locked open, I get no play. Except for my newest one and it is vertcal play against the lock.

I have seen this mentioned before and haven't heard of anything beyond that.

Personally, I take the Chinook 2 apart (void waranty here) and relieve the liners where the blade rubs. This eliminates blade rub on opening with moderate pressure.
 
Hi *@*,

just to make this 100% clear: The knife I had to send back to NGK had lateral blade play in the 'locked open' position. And I'm NOT talking about barely perceptible play but a really wiggly blade.

That's absolutely unacceptable for a knife of this class and definitely not what I'm expecting from a Spyderco! I also own a Scorpius and a Military and both knives lock solidly without the tiniest amount of play in whatever direction.

I'm just REALLY amazed that ALL the Chinook IIs NewGrahamKnives has in stock (according to them) show this behaviour. Seems to me as if there was a bigger problem somwhere at the Spyderco factory?

-Connor
 
My Chinook II is basically perfect. It's odd that you got two bad ones in a row.
 
I received my Chinook II from NGK this past Wednesday. Yes, there is some contact with the blade shoulder and liner, but nothing I haven't experienced before with similar hollow grinds and deep bellied blades. However, I have no blade slop what-so-ever--and the blade moved easily.

Even with no slop, I tightened up the pivot to make the blade less easily opened (used two torx wrenches, much better). Then put a drop of Tuf-Glide into the pivot and all was well.

I did notice that the lock block fits with extremely close tolerances; if anything, the lock should improve as the two pieces wear into each other.

Just a side comment: The compression lock on my Lil' Temperance (PE leaf) has the best lock up of any Spydie I own (never any play, ever)--so I compare the others to that.

I think a perfect alloy would be a fully ambi (drilled and 3D handle on both sides), military-sized, Temperance folder with both Trailing and Leaf blades available.
 
Berserker, don't make me drool. I love the Lil' Temp design, but have been carrying the Military a lot lately for that extra inch of blade. It can really come in handy.
 
The blade and lock play are adjustable. Adjust the pivot for blade play, and adjust the Torx screw that sits on the handle, just forward of the lock. On my CII, I loosened that screw about a 1/16 of a turn, and the lock tightened up very nice, and I elimintaed a small amount of play I had in the lock area.

WARNING: That lock screw is a bit sensitive, and I can't say if this will cause any warranty issues.

--dan
 
The few Chinook II's I've owned, never had any problems.There is microscopic vertical blade movement,but that is some give in the(back spring) lock,not poor design or fitting.There is no lateral blade play,though if you grab the tip and try to move the blade back and forth,you can see small amount of movement but not wobble or play,like in the original.Remember folders are not fixed blades,I'll bet if I want a folding knife to move a little,I can get any to at least move a little.Some knives are more noticable than others depending on design,quality,and/or QC.It sounds though,perhaps you may have gotten a couple of lemons.
 
dano said:
The blade and lock play are adjustable. Adjust the pivot for blade play, and adjust the Torx screw that sits on the handle, just forward of the lock. On my CII, I loosened that screw about a 1/16 of a turn, and the lock tightened up very nice, and I elimintaed a small amount of play I had in the lock area.

WARNING: That lock screw is a bit sensitive, and I can't say if this will cause any warranty issues.

--dan
Click to expand...

As Dano said,these knives are adjustable.I would give it a try,before giving up on this knife,should you encounter another in the same condition.
 
I'm playing with mine, right now, and there's no blade play whatsoever.

Sorry to hear about yours...

Regards,

Andre Tiba - Brazil
 
Mine's solid as a tank in lockup laterally and vertically.

It's edc'd today. I go between this and the new Persian lately.

Brownie
 
I got mine from Roger at Knife Works and it is just as solid as my Chinook I, which means that it is rock solid.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top