Just got a harpy...has some blade play issues

dinozzo

dinozzo

Joined
Oct 31, 2009
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Hey guys...i just got a SS harpy in trade, and its got some vertical play when you push the blade up when its open...There is also some side to side play...

Is this something is should care about?

Is there a way i can fix it?

Would it be best to send it in to Spyderco to get it fixed?

Any answers would be greatly appreciated:D

Thanks
 
I would simply send it back to Spyderco at their Golden Colorado plant. Their people in the repair department I'm certain will either rectify the problem or replace the knife.

There's no reason for that at all. I'm currently carrying a G-10 Harpy with ATS-55 blade steel. Which tells you that it's from the late 90s or early 2000s. And there is no blade play in it at all. And there should be because I have used that knife in some pretty demanding jobs.

Every Harpy I've ever had is solid as a rock. Even the Tasman and Merlin models I've had and still own are all solid.

That's one of the really nice attributes of the Harpy model. they are solid as a building frame. And the blades on the Harpy are about a half of a MM thicker than they are on the FRN models.

Send it back and keep us posted
 
A slight amount of vertical play is fairly common on mid lock knives like the Harpy. The side to side play should not be there, but on a second hand knife it may be the result of normal wear or abuse. Some folks put greater importance of "flickability" than on lock up and will intentionally "loosen up" a knife to achieve that end. Did the person who traded it to you mention the play? If not, your best recourse might be to un-do the deal.

Paul
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My Personal Website ---- Beginners Guide to Spyderco Collecting ---- Kiwimania ---- Spydiewiki
Dead horses beaten, sacred cows tipped, chimeras hunted when time permits.
WTC # 1458 - 1504 - 1508 - Never Forget, Never Forgive!
It's easy to grin when your ship comes in and good fortune and fame are your lot, but the man worthwhile is the man who can smile with his shorts twsited up in a knot. - Morey Amsterdam
 
dinozzo said:
Hey guys...i just got a SS harpy in trade, and its got some vertical play when you push the blade up when its open...There is also some side to side play...

Is this something is should care about?

Is there a way i can fix it?

Would it be best to send it in to Spyderco to get it fixed?

Any answers would be greatly appreciated:D

Thanks
Click to expand...

i think that sending it back to spyderco would resolve the problem
 
i think that sending it back to spyderco would resolve the problem
Click to expand...

If the knife is old and worn out, or modified that might not be the best way to deal with it. I'm with Deacon on this.
 
The Deacon said:
A slight amount of vertical play is fairly common on mid lock knives like the Harpy. The side to side play should not be there, but on a second hand knife it may be the result of normal wear or abuse. Some folks put greater importance of "flickability" than on lock up and will intentionally "loosen up" a knife to achieve that end. Did the person who traded it to you mention the play? If not, your best recourse might be to un-do the deal.

I am able to un do the deal...but since the harpy is just one of the items i received i would rather not...

The side to side play is slight and its something you can feel only if your looking for it...

The vertical play is the one i was a little worried about...the side to side is not as big of a problem in my eyes as there is just a hint of it..But i may just send it in anyway...
Click to expand...
 
I am surprised it has not been said yet, as I would think it would be the first thing to do, but have you tried adjusting the pivot to get rid of the play?

How much vertical play is there because a small amount is normal with the back lock as mentioned? 1mm at the tip? More less? I have a few knives that have a slight amount of vertical play but it is impossible to feel while using the knife and I doubt compromises the integrity of the lock.

I would suggest cleaning the knife with some liquid soap and hot water. Work the soap into the pivot and lock and then rinse good with hot water. Shake it out and dry it off as best as you can. Then let it sit overnight to dry, use a little WD40 or some compressed air to dry it out. Then put some loctite on the pivot screw and really try to fine tune it so that there is no horizontal play, yet still opens easily. A small couple degrees rotation can make a huge difference in the feel. Get it where you like it and let it sit overnight to dry and then check it out and see how the play is then.

Just what I would do before returning it or sending it in to spyderco which means not having the knife for awhile and paying more money for shipping. Start with the easiest fix and move on from there.
 
FlaMtnBkr said:
I am surprised it has not been said yet, as I would think it would be the first thing to do, but have you tried adjusting the pivot to get rid of the play?

How much vertical play is there because a small amount is normal with the back lock as mentioned? 1mm at the tip? More less? I have a few knives that have a slight amount of vertical play but it is impossible to feel while using the knife and I doubt compromises the integrity of the lock.

I would suggest cleaning the knife with some liquid soap and hot water. Work the soap into the pivot and lock and then rinse good with hot water. Shake it out and dry it off as best as you can. Then let it sit overnight to dry, use a little WD40 or some compressed air to dry it out. Then put some loctite on the pivot screw and really try to fine tune it so that there is no horizontal play, yet still opens easily. A small couple degrees rotation can make a huge difference in the feel. Get it where you like it and let it sit overnight to dry and then check it out and see how the play is then.

Just what I would do before returning it or sending it in to spyderco which means not having the knife for awhile and paying more money for shipping. Start with the easiest fix and move on from there.
Click to expand...

The harpy is pinned...otherwise i wouldve adjusted the pivot already...

The vertical play is very slight but enough that it is noticeable, i dont think its effecting the integrity of the lock...but i could be wrong...
 
dinozzo said:
The harpy is pinned...otherwise i wouldve adjusted the pivot already...

The vertical play is very slight but enough that it is noticeable, i dont think its effecting the integrity of the lock...but i could be wrong...
Click to expand...

Well I guess that's why it wasn't mentioned! :D:D

I mentioned in another post yesterday a way to snug up a pinned blade if you are a tinkerer. I like doing things myself so I would try to fix it before I sent it off. As far as the vertical play, I think I read something from Sal saying that a small amount of play is designed into the back lock and is normal. Not knowing how much you have makes it hard to know if it is beyond normal.
 
FlaMtnBkr said:
Well I guess that's why it wasn't mentioned! :D:D

I mentioned in another post yesterday a way to snug up a pinned blade if you are a tinkerer. I like doing things myself so I would try to fix it before I sent it off. As far as the vertical play, I think I read something from Sal saying that a small amount of play is designed into the back lock and is normal. Not knowing how much you have makes it hard to know if it is beyond normal.
Click to expand...

How do you snug up the pinned blade?

And the vertical play is just when the blade is pushed up...like when the edge makes contact with something it moves a little and then returns to normal:confused: if that makes any sense...but it doesnt move very much but if you wiggle it vertically you can hear it
 
Here is the post where I briefly talk about the process. If you are interested in knowing more you can email me or post a question in the maintenance and tinkering forum where you can get a bunch of input. It's not that hard and if you start go easy and if you feel uncomfortable then stop and send it in.

To me your description of the vertical play sounds like a fairly common lock back trait. I guess only you can decide if it is bothersome enough to send back.
 
You can certainly send it in, but if the vertical play is very slight, Spyderco will simply tell you that a slight amount of vertical play is not considered a defect on mid locks.

Paul
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My Personal Website ---- Beginners Guide to Spyderco Collecting ---- Kiwimania ---- Spydiewiki
Dead horses beaten, sacred cows tipped, chimeras hunted when time permits.
WTC # 1458 - 1504 - 1508 - Never Forget, Never Forgive!
It's easy to grin when your ship comes in and good fortune and fame are your lot, but the man worthwhile is the man who can smile with his shorts twsited up in a knot. - Morey Amsterdam
 
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