Feel naked without a Spydie?

[KBR]

After a couple of new acquisitions this past week, SOG Stingray and Ti Buck 560, I've considered just carrying one or both of these knives for non-work EDC. However, the serious problem that I've run into is that I just CANNOT leave the house without missing my Millie. In the end, I've made the decision to carry my non Spydies, mainly that Ti Buck, with my Military IWB for unexpected situations.

Ever run into this problem where you just CANNOT be without at least one Spydie in your pocket??

 

[The Deacon]

Yep, only took me a week or so to feel that way about my CPMS30V Native.

Now I have a question for you KBR. We both like Spydies, and we acquired Buck 560's recently. You seem quite pleased with your 560, while I am pretty disappointed with mine. So here's the question, if you could "say the magic word" and cause a spydie hole to appear in the blade of your 560, with no other changes to the knife, do you think it would be as easy to open as your Millie? I ask this because mine is as stiff as a board and I am curious as to whether it is the exception or the norm. I don't own a Millie, but I do have a Shabaria which is about the same size as the 560. The Shabaria opens almost as easily as my Native, and if I "two hand" open it, requires hardly any pressure between my thumb and forefinger 1" out from the pivot to open. The 560 requries darn near a death grip at the same point to open it.

 

[KBR]

Deacon, I'm sorry to hear about the difficulty that you're having with the 560. Mine opens very smoothly, without any stiffness whatsoever. To answer your question, yes, the Spydie Hole would make opening up this knife a little easier, although it still wouldn't open up as smooth and quick as a Millie due to the larger diameter on the Hole, IMO.

You could probably look into getting a One Armed Bandit, it should help in the opening of the 560. As for it being stiff, I'd suggest using a lubricant, along with repetitive opening/closing, to smooth it out. I use Tuf-Glide on my knives...really great stuff.

Good Luck

 

[The Deacon]

Thanks for the reply. Not really a problem, didn't buy the 560 as an EDC, just was curious if mine was just a fluke. It's smooth enough, at least since I hosed it out and lubed it, but the spring tension is so high that I think I would rip my thumb open trying to open it with a one armed bandit (or a "hump" and thumb hole, for that matter). On the other hand, I can hold my Native "backwards" and open with my pinky (not terribly useful, but does demonstrate how easily a really well made lockback can be opened).

 

[dialex]

I am surprised that your Shabaria opens harder than the Native. My Shabaria has the smoothest action from all my knives. Very close or on the same place comes the Vesuvius.

 

[The Deacon]

Actually I don't find that suprising at all. I own four Spyderco knives, they all open very smoothly and very easily. Of the four Spydercos I own (Native, Shabaria, Herbst and Vesuvius) the distance between the center of the pivot pin and the thumb hole is shortest on the Herbst and Shabaria, so you have slightly less leverage. The Native has the longest "lever", and is the only one that does not have a slight (but perceptible) initial resistance to overcome before the blade starts moving. Would guess this resistance may be a factor of the lock designs, the Native is the only lockback of the four, and thus the only one with a backspring against cam action to keep it closed, the others most likely rely on some kind of a "ball detent" or similar system to keep the blade from swinging open on its own. I would also venture to guess that the Native's linerless FRN frame has some natural "lubricity" agaist the metal blade.

Of course the best part of all this is that it now gives me the perfect excuse to acquire several more Spyderco lockbacks, some linerless, some not, for research. Yeah, that's it, research.

 

[rdg]

My 560 was pretty stiff when I first got it. I put a bandit on it and lubed it with CLP and just worked the blade alot and it does much better now.
Bob