how many natives have a little blade play?

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paulwesley

Joined
Sep 5, 2005
Messages
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i just got the tightest native I could find at WM (looked at 3) and it has a little horiz blade play (I think its just the frn handle actually) which could just be athe nature of the knife.......anybody else notice this......my old native III had some vert click but i traded it off..........paul
 
Mine's solid, and it's from Wally World (bad me).

They are peened pivot knives, not screw, so:

A - you want to pick out one you like to start with,

B - you can tighten it up with a couple hammer taps if you think it needs it. You ought to slip a very thin shim, like a razor blade, or a piece of paper, in next to pivot first to avoid over-tightening. You can get a peened pivot VERY tight this way, go easy with the hammer.
 
I got one from WM and I picked the tightest one out of the 4 they had - no play at all and actually a little tight releasing the lock.
 
I hear of this happening pretty frequently, but both the ones that I had (S30V and III models) were perfect. Action is too slow (still smooth) though.
 
I picked the tightest one they had and it still had a little up/down play. This doesn't bother me though, because ALL my FRN Spyder's have some of this play.
 
I have a Native III/VG-10 and mine has the slightest bit of up/down play. No horizontal, though, in any of my spydies. IIRC, all my lockback spydies are like this. Hasn't bothered me, though - it hasn't affected me when cutting.

- gord
 
My 'Mart Native is pretty solid. I've checked for play a few times and haven't seen/felt any. Though at 40 bucks, I'd be okay with a teeny tiny bit. Maybe.
 
Mine has no play in any direction, perfectly centered blade, the lock bar is a little strong, but I like that.
 
paulwesley said:
yae I think i'm just wiggling too hard and the frn is giving a little bit thats all......i hope
Click to expand...

That's most likely what it is. The FRN is a bit flexible, and that's what makes it so tough. It'll flex but not break easily. A little horizontal play won't compromise the lock, so it's nothing to worry too much about.

As long as you're in no danger that the knife will open in your pocket, you're fine.
 
Just took the first one she gave me, very soild, no play....I have probably flicked it open hard a few hundred times now, still nice and tight.....great blade

John
 
Artfully Martial said:
Action is too slow (still smooth) though.
Click to expand...


I have seen you comment on Spyderco's slow action before, I can open any Spyderco as fast as any automatic knife on the market, so I don't understand why you keep saying this.

Do you have thumb problems?
 
When you say flick, do you mean keeping your thumb on the blade throughout the range of its motion or literally flicking it and letting momentum carry the blade through to the lock? I don't know if my new centofante III will ever get loose enough for the latter.
 
Lockbacks (including Spydercos) tend to not be as smooth as, say, a liner lock, or an Axis lock. I think that is all he is saying.

Sure Spydercos open smooth and can be flicked, but it's all relative and I doubt anyone will say a typical lockback is 100% as smooth as an Axis lock or a quality liner lock or frame lock. Not all knives open exactly the same. There are differences.
 
I have had a partially serrated Native for years that I always grab when heading out to do chores. It has been used to open cans on hunting trips, cut underground roots, and just in general abused. All the recent talk of blade play in Natives caused me to go check it. No blade play that I can discern. Maybe I just got lucky.
 
My Native has no play at all. And it was the only one at our Wal-Mart.
 
Lock-backs, especially mid-lock lock-backs are very difficult to manufacture.

Engineering has to be precise and tolerances are much closer than any other lock. That's why there are fewer "good" lock-backs on the market.

To make the lock "play free" a "wedge" is often used instead of a "hook", but in my opinion, security is compromised. So we prefer to employ the "hook" type of lock. The "goal" is always to produce as little play as is possible.

sal
 
I have the native from walmart as well. If I hold the knife up to a light I can see light coming thru between blade/lockbar and handle. If I flex the knife I can see the crack get larger as the FRN flexes, so, yeah there is a little play in mine.

A bigger concern I have is the clip. The clip on mine almost immediately bent so that it would not grab my pocket securely. I guess I was clumsy or the clip is sticking out a little further than normal but it grabbed on something I was walking by and bent out about a half inch. So I was wondering if there is a clip from another spyderco model that would fit into the FRN recess and be a little thicker/stronger? Maybe someone will know or Sal will step back in. Thanks,

Ryan
 
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