Just ordered a new knife!

S

socalkid

Joined
Apr 8, 2011
Messages
216
Hello,

It was my bday on saturday and I wanted a new knife. I dont have a Spyderco military yet and that was at the top of the list but I wanted something different, so I went with the Viper Knives Start! Up until today I had never heard of Viper Knives. After some research I really couldnt find a bad review of it other then the butt of the micarta handle is a little sharp. If anyone has a picture of it next to a ZT0300, para2, or a Endura could you please post it. Its going to be my largest folder and Im excited about it!!! I plan on edcing it and should have a review in about a week. If someone could give me a measurement of the hole spacing between the two widest pocket clip screws that would be great! I wanna put a titanium low profile pocket clip on it.

Thanks,

Chris
 
Chaibill,

Yeah I got it on friday. When I first took it out of the package I was impressed with it. Its a beautiful looking knife closed. I opened it up and thats when the problems started. All the reviews said it was so smooth when you opened it. Mine was very gritty but I thought that was because of the sandblasted blade. Then I looked at blade centering. It was so far to one side it was touching the liner. I was going to just send it back and get a new one but I was in love with the looks of it. The grind lines and blade shape are awesome, the edge was ground perfect on both sides. So I decided to take the scales off and try to adjust the pivot to get the centering a little better. It takes a total of 10 tiny torx screws just to adjust the pivot. Then once you get the scales off you need two 6mm open ended wrenches to adjust the pivot. No mater what I did I couldn't get the blade close to center but I did manage to get the blade to stop rubbing the liner. The knife is held together by the pivot and two screws that run threw the backstop and into the other liner. Both of those screws were loose and didn't have lock tight on them, I tightened them up. I decided I could live with an off center blade. Now it was time to put the scales back on. I made sure I didn't mix the 10 torx screws up because they are all different. Not only are the all different length they all looked like they were cut with wire cutters. The end of the screws all have a pinched end that wasn't sanded flush so when you try to screw them back into the liner its a bitch because the last thread is all mucked up. Another thing about the 10 screws is that they are so thin, especially for such a large knife. I just didn't trust them to hold up to any heavy cutting. After it was all put together I tried to open it. The blade was to tight to open with one hand now but I knew it wasn't because I over tightened the pivot, I tested it before I put the scales back on. Well because the torx screws that hold the scales on are cut by hand, Im guessing, they aren't the right length. So when you tighten the top two screws that are above the pivot they end up rubbing on the blade. I had to back them out to stop rubbing the blade but now the scale isnt pressed tight to the liners. This knife is like a beautiful girl with some serious issues, Its just not worth it in the end. The Viper Start looks amazing and feels great in hand but it has to many small design issues that I cant get over.

Have a good one,

Chris
 
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Wow, that's a list of issues. You probably didn't have to take the whole thing apart though. Try a drop of your favorite oil in the pivot and work the blade open and closed some.

As for the centering there are good threads on how to fix that issue. Something like loosen all screws. Then tighten the pivot all the way tight with a piece of folded up paper in between the blade and scale the opposite way it was off. Then tighten the scale screws. Lastly loosen the pivot until tension is good.

Something like that
 
That IS a lot of issues. I'd also been thinking about a Viper knife, one of the two below specifically. Probably go for the FB, but might leave it a while for now.

8461.jpg


8455.jpg
 
I ordered my 2012 Benchmade Forum knife in plenty of time for my birthday. It arrived last week - and, was a first for me from Benchmade. I have thirty plus BM folders - all perfectly centered. This one is socalkid's twin - off centered and drags. The vendor said they'd replace it, so I shipped it back - it's awaiting delivery this AM. Well, at least I'll have a German chocolate birthday cake to slice later today... I hope...

It's aggravating when something so basic, yet so obviously wrong, gets shipped!

Stainz
 
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