Buck Spit Fire lock rock issue

bernard_s3

bernard_s3

Joined
Apr 15, 2011
Messages
576
I emailed Buck's warranty dept. concerning the lock rock issue. I personally have handled 5 Spit Fires and 2 Slimlines that all have the same issue. Here's the email:

Mr. Bernard,
Thank you for your e-mail and review on this issue. We agree that this is a concern and are working to eliminate this condition. Please let us know if you have any other feedback or questions.

Thank you,

Jeff Hubbard
Quality Manager


I hope to see a solid Spit Fire! :D
 
Do other manufacturers of lock backs have this rate of public discussion of vertical play issues?

Awfully frustrating. I really want to get a Spitfire for a buddy but it seems like this same basic issue keeps coming up.

I think we heard the same basic position from Buck last year when RAZORBLADES had problems.

I heard essentially the same thing when I sent in some wobbly Bucklite Max folders.

And I've lost count (and interest in tracking) the number of similar posts I've seen in between.

Does anybody have any inside information or hope that Buck can actually reduce the frequency of this? Or has this topic just gotten stuck on a PR line?
 
To be perfectly honest one of the three Spitfires I have has this "lock rock" and it's absolutely not an issue what so ever. Doesn't effect the function of the knife in the least.
 
dogstar said:
Can someone explain what "lock rock" is? Thanks.
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Vertical play between the base of the blade and the locking mechanism. None of my Buck's have this and my wife's Spitfire doesn't show it either. I may have been fortunate.
 
I've had 2 lockbacks, both had some degree of lock rock. To me, it's like blade play: annoying, but doesn't affect function of the knife unless you consider pride of ownership.
 
I believe Bucks (Avid Level) folders are going down the Gerber path unfortunately, I've thrown away quite a few of their folders, all the locks failed. I've only had luck with two Buck knives, one is the folding Omni Hunter, and you guessed it.. the Buck 110.
 
I've had really good luck with all the new ones I've purchased this year. Between my son and myself, we've purchased 1 bucklite max, 2 bantams, 2 110 Hunters, 1 Ranger, 2 vantages and my son just got a spitfire over the weekend. Not an issue with any of them.
Not saying people don't have issues with knives, just like to point out that they are still making some good ones. Now I've got an ecolite Ranger on the way, I've probably jinxed myself!
 
Thanks for the post bernard, I hope they figure this one out myself. I really like the Spitfire and agree that this is a non issue as far as lock security goes. But when using the knife it can be a little strange at first to feel the whole lockbar/blade assembly noticeably move back and forth in the frame. I feel it would be a disservice to prospective customers to just gloss over and ignore this little quirk that is inherent to this knifes construction/design... I use mine and it performs just fine regardless of the " lock rock".
 
sitflyer said:
I feel it would be a disservice to prospective customers to just gloss over and ignore this little quirk that is inherent to this knifes construction/design... I use mine and it performs just fine regardless of the " lock rock".
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Duane, could you say more about the comment in bold?

I've owned several lockbacks that had zero "lock rock". My old 2 dot 110, an early 90s Buck 500, couple of older USA Schrades... My sense is that the 2 primary issues with newer Bucks are the softness of the bronze bushings (an issue I'm familiar with from bike parts) and the manufacturing variances of fine blanked parts?

I'm not as sanguine about "lock rock" not being tied to safety. My 2 Bucklite Max got noticeably worse over a very short time. I no longer have any expectations that I (we) will hear back from Buck on what, if anything, they found. But lacking any clarification, I'm in waiting mode in terms of purchases (actually diverting my business elsewhere).

I'm glad some folks are getting solid Bucks and I really, really hope that threads like this become super rare.
 
All I will say is that I got mine through AG Russell, I returned the first one, then waited a month or so. I called in my order and had them hand select for me, the nice lady had them all on her desk when she returned my call and told me" they all do that a little" but picked the " tightest" one out of the bunch for me. It's really a minor amount of movement, but you can definitely feel it in use. I like the overall features of this knife enough to overlook this quirk.
 
mbjannusch said:
I think if you look for something hard enough, you'll find it.
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This ^.
I have a $400 frame-lock knife with lock-rock but I have stress-tested the lock and it withstood much more pressure than I could ever foresee it encountering.
In normal use I do not notice it. The only time lock-rock happens is when I purposely try to cause lock-rock.
A safe lock is a safe lock, regardless of lock-rock. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.



Oooooh, you guys are talking about a lockback. Lockbacks regularly have play. According to my research, standard lockbacks are stronger/safer if the lock uses parallel lockbar-to-tang lock-up but it will have play. If the lock-up uses a wedge setup, it will have no play but it is not as strong because the lockbar wedge can ramp out of the tang.

Lock-rock is usually used to explain linerlocks or framelocks where the lockbar will move toward unlocking when pressure is applied to the spine.
In lockbacks it is simply called vertical blade-play because it is the slop in the lock-up, not the lock-bar walking out of the tang.
 
Wow what a discussion I've started :P

I've handled several, and it looks like to me that the pivot screw, and the screw the lever pivots off of are too small for the holes in the handles. They move up and down when you put pressure on the edge of the blade. Even if you tighten the lever screw, it barely fixes it and makes it hard to open and close. It's obviously a design flaw not just a few that slipped by QC; I think it's something they just over looked. A little play in a lock back is normal, I've yet to have one rock solid. This play is different, and I doubt it would have any if they fitted larger pivots and screws; it may be just that easy. Either way they have recognized it as an issue and I think (hope) they'll figure it out!

PS if someone has one WITHOUT this issue, and wants to make a couple bucks... email me ;) I really love everything about the knife, although my ODC wont allow me to ignore the problem.
 
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