Any fix for Para 3 vertical play?

mongomondo

mongomondo

SUPPRESSING FIRE
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Sep 17, 2006
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I have a Para 3 with g10/cts 204p. Works fine for the past few months but I just realized it has some vertical blade play if I open it normally. If I flick it out really hard it will be more solid but still has some play. Anything I can try adjusting at home before mailing it in? There is zero side to side movement.

I also have a third party pocket clip on there. Do I need to remove it before sending it in for repair?
 
Have you had it apart to check the stop pin or lock bar? If the stop pin is worn, rotating it could fix it. It could be the lock bar itself though, and there's no rotating that. Another option is bend the spring out, but since you're willing to send it in, I would send it in before that so they don't try to blame you for the issue.
 
I actually tried to adjust the main pivot first but I literaly couldn't move it. Maybe there's loctite.
 
mongomondo said:
I actually tried to adjust the main pivot first but I literaly couldn't move it. Maybe there's loctite.
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If you can't get it apart, you probably could spin it with a pair of pliers if you have a set with a small enough head to fit between the scales. I would use a piece of leather or thick cloth to wrap the pin or line both sets of the teeth though so it doesn't scratch in the process--another thing they might blame the problem on if you sent it in later.
 
Just an update: I mailed this in a few weeks ago and got a letter today from Spyderco saying the knife has an issue that is not covered by warranty and cannot be repaired. They are giving me the option of getting a new knife at 45% off MSRP or get my old knife mailed back and recommend I destroy it once received. It's puzzling because I literally only used it to cut open like 30 Amazon boxes and some envelopes. As far as I knew the only problem with the knife was some vertical blade play.

I think I'll pick up a manix 2. Never tried the ball lock and have been curious about it.
 
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I'm curious why they won't cover the issue if all you've done is cut open boxes? I had a compression lock once (PM2) but sold it off. Wasn't too impressed with how it developed a tiny bit of side to side play after only using similar to you but even with the pivot tightened all the way the play would still be there so no room to tighten more over time as it wears. Maybe I could have added washers but didn't want to mess around with a nearly new $170 knife like that. Was perfect when new but if it the lock is that finicky now I just stick with lockbacks, love my Police 4 Lightweight. I do prefer my Manix 2 to a compression lock too. The new lightweight ones with removable screws are light as a feather but still feel solid in the hand with a nice tight lockup.
 
No explanation in the letter whatsoever. The letter does imply I used the knife hard because it says "we are happy to see that your knife has been put to good use" which sounds like a euphemism, but maybe I'm reading too much into it. I honestly baby all my knives.
 
mongomondo said:
No explanation in the letter whatsoever. The letter does imply I used the knife hard because it says "we are happy to see that your knife has been put to good use" which sounds like a euphemism, but maybe I'm reading too much into it. I honestly baby all my knives.
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I had a very similar experience when I tried to get warranty work on an original PM1 with vertical play. I forget the wording, but they blamed me. New, the lock travelled all the way to the other side.

They offered a discount on a new knife and sent mine back after grinding a notch in the blade (and sharpening after I specifically asked them not to). It was not a great experience.
 
You don't have to cut a thing with it to cause that problem. All you have to do is use it for a fidget toy and flick it open hard a few hundred times. I picked up a used Yojimbo (the first one) years ago that was thoroughly thrashed and had a ton of vertical play. I had to do a bunch of work to get it back in shape, but it works and locks up like new now. Comp locks can be really finicky.
 
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yablanowitz said:
I had to do a bunch of work to get it back in shape, but it works and locks up like new now.
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I'm curious what you had to do. I've heard of people bending stop bars flicking PM2s open hard enough and also bouncing them off the lockbar when whipping them closed so wonder if this is what may have happened in the OP's case?

My PM2 had a really strong detent and buttery smooth action so when I overcame the force of the detent the knife would flick open harder than I'd like. Because of this I would guide it slowly open by the thumb hole and save the flicking for any rare emergent situation if I ever needed. In fact I do this with all my knives now, don't care for autos or assisted opening but much more appreciate the quality felt from a nice smooth gliding lockback I can slowly roll open with my thumb.
 
stillshot2 said:
I'm curious what you had to do. I've heard of people bending stop bars flicking PM2s open hard enough and also bouncing them off the lockbar when whipping them closed so wonder if this is what may have happened in the OP's case?

My PM2 had a really strong detent and buttery smooth action so when I overcame the force of the detent the knife would flick open harder than I'd like. Because of this I would guide it slowly open by the thumb hole and save the flicking for any rare emergent situation if I ever needed. In fact I do this with all my knives now, don't care for autos or assisted opening but much more appreciate the quality felt from a nice smooth gliding lockback I can slowly roll open with my thumb.
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This one was really hammered. I took it completely apart to assess damage and found the stop pin was out of round and had burrs on it in a couple of places which I corrected with jeweler's files. The screw holes in the liners for the stop pin were oversize and oblong, and the locking tab was mushroomed on top and bottom. I hammered the tab back to flat and cleaned up the surfaces with files. The screw holes were corrected by using a centerpunch to upset metal into the correct position to move the holes back where they belonged. The blade was also mushroomed a bit where it contacted the stop pin, so I cleaned that up with a ceramic stone. Thw I bent the lockbar over a little more to increase detent and locking pressure and reassembled the knife.
 
That sounds like a fun afternoon project.

I called for more info on my knife and they said while the lock didn't fail they did see damage on the liners and I think it was from my flicking. I think I'll just ask for it back and keep using it since functionally it's fine. I think the part in the letter about the knife not being safe to use is just boilerplate stuff.
 
I'd personally just get it back and use it, the knife has a choil so in the unlikely event the lock does fail it won't close on your finger, especially if you're already holding it by the choil.
 
The lock won't fail unless the stop pin pulls out of the liners. If the damage to the liners they noted was oblong/oversize stop pin holes (like I saw on that Yojimbo) it is possible that the stop pin could tear out, resulting in the blade folding backward. That is unlikely to prove fatal, but could still cause an injury.
 
I sold off all my PM2 Sprints because I saw the compression lock was a flawed design.Kind of how I look at the CS Atlas lock, also flawed.
 
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I received it back today and while they did sharpen it as requested, it has much more blade play than when I sent it in. It used to have a strong closed detent and it's much softer now. On the positive side I can flick this out all day now without worry since it's not under warranty anymore haha
 
I hope you can actually unscrew the pivot and open the knife now too.

It's been years since Spyderco used red loctite, to my understanding at least. How old was this knife?
 
Bought in March 11, 2022.

Exclusive (3" CTS 204P Satin) C223GPGR

I haven't tried opening the knife again because it has zero side to side play so I think they did about as much as they could to fix the issue. I'll get to it eventually.
 
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