How do i adjust my spyderco southard to flip easier?

the_Marshall

the_Marshall

Joined
Mar 7, 2014
Messages
480
I need some suggestions on how to make my southard flip easier because right now it takes a lot of wrist momentum to make the blade fully engage. It only comes about halfway with just using your finger to flip it. I've seen video reviews of people just using there finger to flip the blade open easily, so I know there's something not right with mine. I tried loosening the pivot screws but that just messed up the alignment and didn't really make it flip any easier. Any thoughts?:confused:
 
It takes a certain technique to get it, I had trouble at first too, it's no CRKT ripple but is still works without any wrist action once you figure it out.

As for mechanical options, polishing the races and the tang may help, what oil are you using and how do you apply it?
 
I used tuff glide with a needle applicator and applied it inside all around the pivot. I'm fairly new to the knife world so sorry if this sounds stupid but what's the races and the tang?
 
The races* are the little metal cupped washer looking things the bearings ride in. The tang is the flat area of the blade around the pivot (technically a knife's tang is the whole area of the blade stock that goes in/in-between the handle) but all you need to polish to effect how the knife opens is the area the bearing ride on and the track the detent ball travels along.


*note tho race's are a common part of all types of bearings (you'll most commonly see / hear of them I'm vehicle's wheel bearings) I don't know of any other bearing knives that have races, you'll often see them called "cupped washers" since they're so uncommon and not everyone knows what a bearing race is.

This might sound weird/crazy but watch a few video's of people flipping their Southard's on YT before taking it apart and messing with it or deciding its defective. A lot of these threads end up the same, there's not really anything wrong with the knife, they just need a slightly different technique.
 
Make sure your finger isn't pressing against the framelock when you're flipping the blade.
 
tokerblue said:
Make sure your finger isn't pressing against the framelock when you're flipping the blade.
Click to expand...

I don't have experience with the Southard (picked it up and flipped it once at a gun show) but this can make a world of difference while using a frame lock.
 
My Southard opens best when I place my finger just above the flipper stud and focus on forcefully sliding my finger down the back edge of the knife. If I put my finger directly on the flipper and just try to 'push' it open it doesn't normally work. Doing it the way I first described makes it a very smooth manual flipper from my experience.
 
Once a while I take apart and clean with hot water and soap.

Lint loves the insides of these bearings.
 
Before you bother taking it apart, try applying a droplet of lubricant to the detent ball. Just be sure not to get any in the lock interface.
 
Thanks for the tips everyone I got it flipping a little better now. I guess overall its just not going to flip like some of my other flippers though. I think my expectations were set a little to high for this knife.
 
I just got a zt 0770 and my southard flips WAY better than the zt which is assisted.
 
Im telling you, rinse under scalding hot water. I get lint to pop put with near boiling water. I'll also drop in some dish soap, while under hot water I'll flip it like 20 times to get the bearings to spit out the lint.
 
HwangJino said:
Im telling you, rinse under scalding hot water. I get lint to pop put with near boiling water. I'll also drop in some dish soap, while under hot water I'll flip it like 20 times to get the bearings to spit out the lint.
Click to expand...

Please try this. The Southard is supposed to be a very smooth flipper (mine is) so I'd hate for you to have an inaccurate opinion of it. We all deserve the best our knives have to offer us!
 
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