endura 98 problems

crazy_horse · Mar 20, 2000

first, let me say i love the endura, as far
as cost, blade length and shape, and ease of opening.
unfortunatly, the clip design and the fact
that my blade snapped off at the tip have me bummed about them.

anyone else have problems with these knives or is it just me? after having my endura for
about 6mos the clip fell out. I was constantly tightening the screws, and suddenly the clip just wasn't there anymore.

i emailed spyderco and they sent a replacement and i installed it and tightened
it as much as i could.

needless to say, it worked loose again but
did not come off. instead it cut into the
handle plastic and now my clip slides side
to side whether its tight or not.

anyway, if you have one of these knives,
put some lock tite on it now which is what
i should have done.

also, im not sure about the ats-55 steel. i
had one of the old aus steel enduras and it
wouldn't hold an edge very long but you could do anything to that blade as long as you kept sharpening it. the new
ones hold a lovely edge for a long time, but
the tipped snapped off my knife. yes, i pried with it, but in my mind it was not excessive force on the tip, and certainly nothing that i haven't done to other blades without causing them to snap.

these blades
seem brittle to me compared to the aus blade.
i guess it's a trade off. anyone like the ats-55 or if not, what kind of blade steel do you prefer?

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ch

David Rock · Mar 20, 2000

Hello Crazy_Horse.

I have had no problems whatsoever with the clip coming loose on the Enduras (3), Delicas (3) and Goddard Lightweight (1) I have owned, and I've never used Loc-Tite on the threads either, although I suppose that wouldn't hurt. When I move the clip I tighten it back up again as tight as I can using two nickels. (You have to tighten both screws simultaneously, turning in opposite directions on opposite sides of the handle.)

I suppose it's possible to twist the clip around, which would probably tear out the plastic around the clip recess slot, or spring the clip outwards if you accidentally snag it on something. This has not been a problem for me either.

All things considered, I like the reversible clip design.

As for the ATS-55, I like it for it's edge holding properties. I've experienced some very minor edge chipping on my serrated Endura, and I'm not even sure how that happened. So, yeah, I guess it's a bit brittle. I haven't done much prying with these knives or any other, so I can't really say if the ATS-55 is better or worse than anything else in that department.

All things considered, I like these knives a lot.

Welcome to Bladeforums.

David Rock

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AKTI Member # A000846
Stop when you get to bone.

James Y · Mar 20, 2000

IMO, the plastic recess for the clip slot is the only flaw in the '98 Endura and Delica series. I did snag my Delica's clip and luckily the plastic didn't strip out. I removed the clip, had to bend/snap it back to normal, and after screwing it back on, no problems except an occasional tightening.

I'd like to see a reinforced clip slot so that if it snags it will not strip out; if that happens, the entire clip is basically useless on the knife.
Jim

Sal Glesser · Mar 20, 2000

The newer model Endura & Delica were actually brand new models. Only the pattern remained. All new tooling, and never been done before clip as well as a brand new steel. Lots to learn here.

We've reinforced the rim that holds the clip from rotating. First production pieces are being tested now.

We are also working on ways to reinforce the tips.

We are working with Hitachi on steel refinements to the ATS-55. As mentioned, the trade off to get edge holding was ductility. Tough call.

Given the fact that this is an inexpensive high performer. What steel do you think would be the best for this model?

sal

James Y · Mar 20, 2000

Sal:
I like the ATS-55; I haven't experienced any brittleness, but if it can be improved, that would also be very good. The only tradeoff I've experienced is it can develop little rust spots without difficulty if not cared for. But removing the spots are easy with 0000 steel wool/mineral oil, or simply with a pencil eraser(!).

I don't currently own a knife with VG-10, but I've heard good things about it, and it might be a good alternative to ATS-55.

This is what's so great about Spyderco: Innovating new designs and concepts, and if there are legitimate design flaws that are discovered, the designs evolve and improve!

Jim

Matt Shade · Mar 20, 2000

I really like the ATS55. It takes a hair splitting edge and holds it for a reasonable amount of time. I don't know about brittleness and chipping. I carry a multi tool along with my delica and use the crappy blades on it for anythig that could damage the edge.
I did manage to have the clip tear out on me.It got caught on something and twisted sideways in the handle, which tore a good sized chunk out of the recess thqt holds it straight. I took it off and sanded all the paint off of it(it was all scratched up anyway) then I filled the recess in the handle with 2 ton epoxy glue and screwed the clip back on while the glue was still wet.After the glue set and hardened the clip is just fine. It stays in place just like it did when it was new and seems to be good and solid.

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Fix it right the first time, use Baling Wire !

crazy_horse · Mar 21, 2000

Matt, the epoxy thing is a great idea! If I
wasn't also missing a chunk of blade I would do this. Shouldn't the handle repair be covered by the warranty though? I can see the blade repair as something I would have to pay for since I used the knife to pry something (although I bet I'm not the only one and the steel really does seem brittle compared to other knives i've owned), but the handle problem is either a design or material flaw in my mind. I never even removed the clip to begin with, it just fell out after about 6 months the first time, and then loosened every time I tightened it after replacement.

As far as which steel to use, I don't know enough about the various steels to be able to say which is best or which would do what I want, but I think you should consider the use to which most people will place the knife when choosing the steel.
Due to it's low price and excellent functionality, I see this as being used as a workhorse knife to do things that you wouldn't do to your more expensive knives, such as prying and cutting materials that shouldn't normally be cut with a pocket knife. In light of that, edge holding is important, but I honestly would be more happy with a knife that needed sharpening more but was not quite so brittle. Also, consider the knife blade. The endura point is pretty thin to begin with. A less brittle steel would be a good idea, but it seems like you guys already know that if you are working on strengthing the tip.

In any case, I plan on replacing the knife with something with more of a tanto style point (or at least something thicker at the tip) and something that has a couple of screws to hold the clip in place. How about
that new starmate?

[This message has been edited by crazy_horse (edited 03-21-2000).]

Dannyc · Mar 21, 2000

Hmmm.. the Starmate might be your best bet, if you want thick blades (and points).

Dan