Anyone who owns a Spyderco Military...

S

SuzukiGS750EZ

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Dec 30, 2008
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Hey guys. My new military (black coating) feels not rough, not gritty, but like a chalkboard. I don't know how to describe it. It doesnt feel dirty. Do they come lubed? Could it be the blade coating? Do they just need time to work in? I don't want to take it apart (not that i can't, i usually tune all new knives, i just would rather not). Do they come loctited?
 
Neither of mine were buttery smooth out of the box, but the one I use is now very smooth. I lubed the pivot, and I've opened and closed it close to probably 500 times.

So yes, they do smooth up with use. Lube helps also.
 
Also, i normally sharpen my knew knives but this one i'm trying not to tinker with (it's hard not to do!). I see a ton of lines at the bevel, would this cause it to slow up cutting paper and cardboard, or no? Should i put it on the bevel setting on my sharpmaker and smooth it out? I already touched the edge up a bit because near the tip was a burr. Also, should i take the blade/washers and pivot out, clean them, lube them, then put them back together? Or should i just leave well enough alone and use it.
 
I have a few questions for you. I got a black handled, black bladed military for christmas. It's not as smooth as my griptilian, but doesn't feel dirty or gritty. It's just not smooth. So, would it solve anything for me to remove the pivot, clean everything up with rubbing alcohol, then lube with 3 in 1 or hoppes gun oil (which would you use?), and then loctite the pivot? Also, i see a lot of grind lines on the main bevel from grinding at the factory. Will these slow down or make the knife less smooth in a cut? Would i notice it cutting thin things or anything at all compared to a smooth beveled knife? Should i take my sharpmaker with the 40* side to the bevel and smooth it out? What do you guys do to your new militaries? Are they loctited from factory? How about lubed? Should i just leave it alone, use it and let all this happen as the knife ages?
 
Before you do a complete disassembly, you should wait for the Spyderco experts to weigh in. Not sure how that would affect your Warranty.

Until then, running it thru opening and closing enough times to break it in should smooth out any roughness. Might take a while, though.

For lubes, personally I like a Teflon based lubes like Tri-Flow, but any quality oil should do fine.
 
im more so wondering it needs a cleaning and comes with minimal lube, or if they lube it and its mostly clean, so then i'll just wear it in as is. Also, about the sharpening, but i'll wait for others to chime in. i normally tune and sharpen my new knives, but i'm trying to turn over a new leaf and only do what's necessary!
 
Knives live by the same rule as my guns, 200 rounds for break-in and check of proper function. The millie with a coated blade will smooth out very nice just give it time.
 
Coated blades arnt usually as smooth as non coated blades, but like any new knife, it just needs some time to break in:)
 
al my knives get this way after a while. just disassemble and clean, oil. good to go. the spyderco military isnt like ikbs in my experience, it has a little friction to it, but it is very uniform and smooth in opening, and fast as hell.


edit: forgot to say that the military is my favorite production knife by far. gratz
 
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And as for the blade? Do you guys get what i'm asking about that? So I guess i'll use it until the blade shows some play, then i'll disassemble, clean & loctite, because by that time i'm sure some lint and dust got into the pivot area due to looseness.
 
I have 3 millies, none have ever been taken apart and they all have some miles on them. Give your knife time to wear-in it needs it. The rough feel is a combo of fresh parts and new blade coating, nothing unusual.
 
One of my M4 Military's feels like it's gritty, but it's well lubed. The pivot is too tight. Unfortunately, when I loosen the pivot to make the blade reasonably smooth, the blade goes so far off center that it rubs the scales. My other M4 is very smooth and easy to use, and the blade is centered. I suspect that at the factory they tighten the pivot until the blade is centered. It worked well for one of my knives, but not the other.
 
The thing about taking your spyderco apart is that it voids the warranty. If you're ok with that, then by all means take it apart.

on second thought, make sure you're at least mechanically inclined. :D
 
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I agree with Knifenut1013 and Dinozzo. I've got 3 Millies, all with satin blades, but Spyderco's coating is noticable sometimes on a new knife's action. Just use it and enjoy it, and before long, it'll probably be smoothed out to a very nice action.

As far as sharpening, almost every Spyderco I've ever had (50+) has come with pretty close to 15 dps edge angles. My standard sharpening routine for all my Spydercos is to use the 30 degree setting. If I think that I'm not hitting an angle just right, I'll use a Sharpie and mark the bevel to see, but I've found most of my Spydercos to have 30 or less as factory angles.
 
Hi SuzukiGS750EZ -

They do come with loc-tite or some other thread locker on the screws.

I only have one Military.

I took my example apart and put my own grease on it and also polished up the area on the blade where the detent-ball rides.

I noticed when I had my military apart that the factory did a little polishing in the area on the tang where the detent-ball rides as well, I just finished that up a little, which smoothed my knife's action up nicely.

If you do decide to dis-assemble your Military, note that I did not remove the lanyard tube, I just rotated the scales apart so that I could get the blade pivot removed.

My Military is one of my favorite knives, it is very smooth and has a high-quality feel to it.

best regards -

mqqn
 
My black millie with a few miles feels so frictionless after the detent releases it's hold, that it seems like it has a loose pivot. Not loose at all and no blade play in any direction.
 
Just give it a few drops of oil and open and close a few hundred times. It will smooth out.
 
I took my new Millie and Para apart, cleaned 'em, put a little tetra gun grease on the bronze washers, the blade and the liners and blue thread locked it all back together. It was a piece of cake. Very smooth. Mine are both satin blades. I understand that the coated blades are a little softer than the satin ones so I stay away. CPM S30V is at its best at 60 rather than 57 or 58 as, I am lead to understand, the coated blades are.

The Military is meant to be taken apart and maintained and cleaned so I would not worry about warranty if you do it right.
 
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