Delica...usable knife or paper weight

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dwdickey

Joined
Feb 14, 2014
Messages
261
Have had this particular specimen for several years now and have never been able to war up to it or feel it as useful despite carrying it on and off many times.
This particular knife is so stiff it almost takes two hands to open, regardless of how the pivot is set. Have taken it apart and lightly polished all contact surfaces with flitz, have looked for any abnormalities, have adjusted it till I got so frustrated I tossed it in the trash can only to retrieve it later. All of my other spydercos flick and open one handed effortlessly, I am not feeling the delica love obviously.

Anyone else have a similar experience or any thoughts on how to improve the action before I toss it for good?
 
All I can figure is that you're dealing with a back lock with a smallish blade. Weight and inertia seem to help with opening my back locks. Although I can say that my Stretch FRN is much better than my SS Police to open without a flick.

All of my backlock Spydies and my son's Byrds have benefited from many,many, many openings. That loosened all of them up. I don't mess with tightening or loosening the pivot.
 
Have you tried getting your hands on another one to see if yours is defective? I've never had a delica but I have a few Spydercos & the only one I have that's not buttery smooth is my Pacific Salt but it's my hard user so it doesn't bother me, did you notice scratch marks on the blade from rubbing, how's the centering etc. If it's your specimen that's the problem I'd call Spyderco and tell them about it, I'm sure they'd take a look and repair or replace it if there's something wrong with it
 
Pic? Handle material?

The reason I ask is..
I recieved a friend's SS model, that he found in his attic, that he thought he had lost.
He had the knife for 15yrs. After cleaning and sharpening, it took a little playing, to get it right.

I found that the lock bar screw, just had to be barely snugged.
So I pulled it back out and put a dab of loc-tite on it.
Cause I didn't feel it was tight enough, to stay in.

Loosen all screw's and see how it opens? Tighten one at a time, till you see which one is tightening it up.

If nothing works, you can ship it to me... :) I'll give it a go!
 
It's a base black FRN with a combo edge blade. Only makes on the blade were from some debris that got between the den scale and the baked itself at one point and rubbed a light line in the blade finish. I had one before that I lost that seemed much smoother, but I didn't have it long before it was lost at work (retail store) so I bought this one as a replacement. I also have an older one in SS that's pinned with a full spyder edge and it flips like I'd expect and I've never carried it, it was just a good buy. I can loosed the pivot to the point of the screw being loose and it still drags, I can tighten it all the way up and there's very little extra resistance, so I do think it's something other than the pivot but loosening the other screws in sequence really doesn't seem to have an affect unless they are all loose. Maybe I'll take the whole knife apart again and check the liners for a bend?

I have many higher end options hence why I just leave this lay in a drawer, but every so often I like to switch things up and whatever I have I do want it to work as intended.
 
They do not flick, or glide open like many other spydercos do. Everyone I have ever owned was harder to open. I'm pretty confident it's because of the lock back and the thin, light blade.

However.......have you ever carried it for an extended period of time. Or tried to dedicate it to an EDC role for more than a few hours? I only ask because, I never cared for the delica until I forced myself to carry one, and use it everyday, for about a week. It took me that long to realize what an amazing design it really is.

Such a great EDC knife.
 
Don't throw it away. Many of us, here, would be willing to adopt it. :)
 
dwdickey said:
loosening the other screws in sequence really doesn't seem to have an affect unless they are all loose. Maybe I'll take the whole knife apart again and check the liners for a bend?.
Click to expand...

It seems, it would have to be one of them, that's causing it?
Just have to tighten and flick, loosen it back up. Then tighten a different one and flick..

Gizler00 said:
They do not flick, or glide open like many other spydercos do.
.
Click to expand...

Hmm.. to any extent, I guess..
They are a little stiffer, right out of the box.. But they still flick open.

They don't flick or glide, like a PM2 or Manix or even a Sage 1 ,2, 3, or 5.. nothing does! Lol..

It's all too do with the back lock.. I have found mine, 5 or so that I still own, to flick and glide, very well..

I'm not a huge fan of the Delica. Just the ones I own..
Foliage Green G10/Hap40 swap, Boomer52 lil para Delica(favorite!), Another Boomer52 scaled ZDP, NIB Hap40 sprint(a little "stiff" but it's only been opened 3 times... Still flicks open), and my son's ZDP..
 
I dont have a delica but my frn endura is very smooth and flicks out easlily.


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Yes I've run exhaustive tests, using various weights of paper, . . . cross grain and coplanar and have, after months of testing, arived at what I feel represents rigorous scientific guide lines, at least until we can bring in Cal Tech on this one . . . and I think I can say with at least a modicom of certainty that the Buck 110 makes a noticably better paper weight than the Delica.
 
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But how does it cut?
Click to expand...

And can you hide that big silly grin and look serious while you are doing it ?
Want a smooth one to play with go CR
Want to cut stuff go thin ( Delica ).
I've really learned to appreciate the back lock all over again (mid back lock; any way). No asymmetrical surfaces messing with my grip.
 
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Hi DWDickey,

Perhaps you can sent it to me? The Delica was designed and crafted to be a major user, and if you're not getting that, it deserves a "look-see".

Sal Glesser
Spyderco
820 Spyderco Way
Golden, CO 80403

Hey Wowbagger,

I think it woud work for light paper, after all, it is a light weight. ;)

sal
 
I have a few Delicas, maybe 10 or so.

Most would flick open out of the box. A few were a little stiff but loosened up after a short time. None ever stayed stiff.

If you feel yours isn't right, send it in, and Spyderco will make it right.

Or send it to me for proper disposal. ;)


DOH! :eek: Sal beat me to it! :D
 
Sal :

Hey Wowbagger,

I think it woud work for light paper, after all, it is a light weight.

sal
Click to expand...

Yah that is good in theory . . . we never got around to testing the light paper performance parameters because when the word finally got around that there was a Delica on the test bench other techs kept picking it up and using it before they remembered a test was in progress . . .

. . . Ok . . . I'm making stuff up again . . . the 110 was the only one that was ever fully tested, reeeeeeeeally, but it worked great.
 
There's variation in all types of locks, but I find more in my lock backs than any other type, even the same models from the same manufacturer. For example, all 3 of my delicas are different, both dragonflys and both manbugs are different.
I find three points of drag/friction when opening and closing a lock back, assuming no foreign debris, unmated bearing surfaces, or alignment problems.
It could be one, or a combination of.

1. pivot pin to blade, most unlikely.
2. tang to scales/handle/bearing/washer, can be tested by loosening screws.
3. lock bar drag on the tang, is determined by spring pressure.

As suggested, I think isolating 2 & 3 is the next step toward correcting the problem.
If this is something you don't feel comfortable doing, send it in.
 
jpm2,

I agree with 1 and 2.
As far as

3. lock bar drag on the tang, is determined by spring pressure.
Click to expand...

I would add :

  • surface finish of the mating parts

  • hardness of the ends of the mating parts to prevent galling.
Which can happen even between hardened parts with significant pressure between them; think valve guide to cam lobe damage on start up of an old style internal combustion engine with inadequate oil pressure. The reason for graphite lobe lube but I am going down a rat hole here.

dwdickey
Hey . . . it might be too late but you could always stop in a classic sports car rebuild place and get a dab of cam lobe lube. That'll smooth'er out !

PS: I would try it but the Spyderco mid lock backs that fall easily to hand; Endura 4 ZDP-189 and Tasman Salt in H1 are like butter (as far as lock backs go). No complaints.
Being old school I don't go in for all those new fangled lubes that turn to gummy problems later.
These I simply lubed with Starrett instrument oil. Thin enough to get into the pivot and works fine on the other surfaces.
 
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I like the Delica a lot. Actually it was a surprise for me because I am not that much into featherweight knives
But the delica is really a no nonsense non overbuild user
My only complaint will be the strength of the detent that is pretty strong
But it can still be flicked out, it is more an issue for closing it
 
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