Delica "problem"

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flameseeker

Joined
Apr 10, 2008
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hey guys i have been carrying a 4th gen delica for 2 years now and i love it but whenever i apply a bit more pressure, say maybe about 20 pounds? on downward cutting the blade and the entire metal part between the 2 plastic handle parts moves up a bit, is this normal? anyone else experienced this?
 
I'm sure a few more people will chime in on this, but I believe you will find it to be normal if it is a small amount. Check out the Spyderco sub-forum here.

Tom
 
almost all Spyderco lockbacks do this, it is normal for them and IIRC the folks over at spyderco have said it is necessary to make their lock geometry as strong as possible. I believe it occurs because Spyderco rounds the corners of their lock cutouts to prevent stress related breakage that is typical with squared off corners, but i could be wrong about that. That being said I would love to see some form the the tri-ad lock on a Spyderco. Cold Steel uses it on their American Lawman folder. While I am less than fond of Cold Steel, the lock design is actually very good and on a Spyderco it would be simply amazing. you can view an example of it here on CS's website
 
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Lately I've been souring on the lockback a little. The Triad system does look like an improvement.
Bottom line for me is that a lock should have some self-adjustment. It should wear in to some extent before it wears out. Obviously a lockback is very durable but it seems like it the fit of the lock gets worse (albeit at a slow rate) from day 1. Not so with the axis lock, ball lock, liner lock, frame lock, compression lock, etc.
 
That doesn't happen on mine...It doesn't seem normal to me.
 
It happens on some, doesn't on others. I have had 3 Spyderco Manix's, and they have all had lockback play. Most locks lock on 3 points (Axis, Linerlock, Framelock, Nak-Lok, Rolling Lock, etc.) while lockbacks use a somewhat different principal. A lockback can be fitted to have no bladeplay, but that cost money. At first it annoyed me, but I learned to live with it and prefer the longevity of a lockback even at the expense of some bladeplay.
 
First off, how much is "a little"?
I have some newer spydies that have an almost inperceptable vertical play, but it's so little that it does not bother me. I'm not worried about breakage.
 
Steven Andrews said:
Blade play is not "normal" or "necessary".

My older Spydies have zero blade play. Are they defective?
Click to expand...

If Spyderco concluded that the upward "movement" was an improvement by design, both could be considered "normal". As long as there isn't any play when the knife has force applied on the spine in an attempt to overcome the lock, I'd say the knife is fine.
 
mine does it, it's almost unnoticeable, even while in use. You have to literally grab the blade and work it up and down hard to see it
 
Yep, it's normal. Don't worry about it.

The internet creates a weird phenomenon... Higher expectations, self-importance, increased tendency by people to b!tch about insignificant things, etc. Lots of smack-talking about "issues" that are not, in fact, "issues" at all.
 
It's a bit unnerving, but I have been assured by others on this forum that it is normal. This is why lock backs are not my favorite lock design. I much prefer an open back with liner lock like the Military, or the compression lock like the Para any day:)
 
ALL of mine do it. You need some pressure on the blade to actually feel the play you are talking about... I find it somewhat necessary to engage the lock fully of you ever see the knife taken apart.

I made a quick photoshop showing what I mean....
spyderco_lock.jpg

If you look at where the arrows are pointing, you are experiencing the play there. Now a little bit of play as far as I am concerned is insuring your lock is engaging as full as possible.

Now think if there is zero play. It would mean those surfaces are mating completely, which in turn means that the lock is engaging as far as those surfaces allow, stopping the lock from going into the blade "keyway" all the way.

Sorry if I lost all of you. If you are having trouble understanding let me know, I will try to explain differently. All my spydercos are like that, no worries!
 
My delica 4 does not have this issue... Neither did my Native... I must say I would not be too psyched about it if they did. ...no big deal though, I guess.
 
My Calypso3 does that, I don't worry about it, the blade is rock solid in every other aspect.
 
It is only normal for Spydercos. Old spydercos it was not normal, but they got tired of fixing them for free. Spyderco will still fix it, but only when "severe". A "little bit of play" is normal and they get to decide what is normal. If you get it that way new, return it to the dealer unused, most will refund or hand pick one w/o play. Obviously from this thread there are plenty of people willing to "live with it." But it ain't normal.

Other manufacturers either don't have the problem or fix it under warranty.
 
kirko said:
ALL of mine do it. You need some pressure on the blade to actually feel the play you are talking about... I find it somewhat necessary to engage the lock fully of you ever see the knife taken apart.

I made a quick photoshop showing what I mean....
spyderco_lock.jpg

If you look at where the arrows are pointing, you are experiencing the play there. Now a little bit of play as far as I am concerned is insuring your lock is engaging as full as possible.

Now think if there is zero play. It would mean those surfaces are mating completely, which in turn means that the lock is engaging as far as those surfaces allow, stopping the lock from going into the blade "keyway" all the way.

Sorry if I lost all of you. If you are having trouble understanding let me know, I will try to explain differently. All my spydercos are like that, no worries!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the explanation - but wouldn't it still work with a perfect fit because the lock cams its way in the cutout in the knife? Why would less of a fit at the areas pointed out in the diagram matter?
 
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