Consistently off Native III lock bar

C

Carl64

Joined
Apr 3, 2005
Messages
1,830
Every single Native III I can find has a lock bar that dips down too far in both the opened and closed positions. i.e., the back end of the bar sticks out of the handle.

This is not like the Delica where the blade position just varies, but every single Native III unit I have seen (perhaps a dozen from different dealers) has this problem.

It is not inconsistent quality, because the protrusion is almost identical in both the open and closed positions, and to the same degree on all units. I could make the knife about perfect by grinding the back part down myself, but the front end would still be belkow the handle level.

The Native is one of my favorite Spyderco designs (although I am guilty of have a LOT of "very favorite" knives :) ). I would like to find one that is perfect. Oddly enough the all-stainless Native I (?) I have only seen in perfect form. But both the III and older models of the FRN versions are never perfect.

Please tell me that all of the units I found were early production or something and new ones are "fixed."
 
I've got a couple of Native III's that are perfect. Good lockup and lockbar sits perfectly flush with the handle. I had one that I recently sent back with too much vertical blade play and a lock bar that locked up crooked with the back of the blade.

.....so the good ones are out there.
 
Ming65 said:
I've got a couple of Native III's that are perfect. Good lockup and lockbar sits perfectly flush with the handle. I had one that I recently sent back with too much vertical blade play and a lock bar that locked up crooked with the back of the blade.

.....so the good ones are out there.
Click to expand...

Cool! I can keep searching for a good one.

1. When did you get the good ones? Recently or a while back?

2. Did you send those back to Spyderco under warranty, or send them back to the dealer to exchange? I am wondering if I should send mine to Spyderco or if they will think I am nuts.

Thanks!
 
The one with too much blade play was the newest. The two good ones were 1) Got in trade used, but very close to NIB and 2) bought at a local knife store - so it may have been in stock a while.

I sent mine back to my online dealer cos he's a good bloke and will try to get me a better one. Spyderco will deal with you similarly in my experience. They try to be as fair as possible.
 
If there's no excessive play (remember a very tiny vertical play under pressure is common, to allow proper lock up), and you hand is not scratched/scuffed by the exposed section of lock bar, then there is no problem at all.

I too have a few spydies that exhibit this cosmetic "flaw" (which I don't consider to be a real flaw), think about, this means the locking bar is engaging even tighter!


Wouter
 
Lumen said:
Newgraham.com used to sell them. I think it's a limited production run.
Click to expand...

Yeah, they still have them listed but as sold out. I have seen a few auctioned and at shows, but usually about $100. Given the poorly aligned parts, I am sure not paying that much for one even if it is really cool.
 
On the one I got today, the back of the bar sticks out maybe 0.5 mm when closed and is flush when locked open. I'm happy with it. (Not sure if it means anything that it sticks out when closed but not when open.)
 
Mine is off more than that, and a little more when open than when closed.

I should take a close look at one of the blue ones next time I am at a show. If it's "good," I just might have to go for it.
 
Carl64 - Hi from Calgary! I got mine from the Cutting Edge (www.swords.ca) at their store here. I queried about it on one of these forums a while back and it's apparently one of the forum knives. The ones that didn't sell from the sprint run were not engraved and sold via the retail channel. I was there last week and picked up a black Salsa, but I couldn't recall if they had any of the blue Natives left. When I got my Native III, I really didn't have any idea that it was part of the sprint run until I went snooping. It was my second Spydie, which is more than few Spydies ago now :D

Hope this helps - gord
 
The lock bar on my boye detent endura sticks up when the knife is closed and is down when open. It's the tightest locking FRN spydie I've handled. There is zero blade play.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top