Need help buying my next knife!

G

Giffayy

Joined
Jan 1, 2017
Messages
31
Howdy yall, I need some help selecting the next knife to gamble on. (Under 250$ preferred)
I want to say this is coming off of a bad relationship with the para 3. I've owned 2 in the past and sold them due to lock stick. After a long break from them, and seeing many people glaze them online I decided to grab another one about 2 months ago now and same deal. Lock stick no matter what. The only thing I haven't done nor will I do is bend Lockbars, but anything else you can think of, I've tried.
I'm not sure if I just have bad luck but I'm sick of seeing people enjoy compression locks with no lock stick online since that's all I've known for years! So before I write off spyderco compression locks, does anyone have any suggestions as to a knife I should try, or if compression lock, where I should purchase it? Better put, a reputable place that will sell me a compression lock knife that has greater chance of not being a dud? I want to like spyderco so bad, along with compression locks, but Lock stick is a no go for me

Thanks much,
Giffayy
 
Another Shepherd said:
Please describe this lock stick in detail. What parts stick when you are doing what?

I have had 5 Para 3s, and all were excellent out of the box.
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The issue on every one I get my hands on is the lock bar sticking and grinding on the stop pin. Disengaging the lock you will feel and hear an audible click. The only fix I have not tried is bending the lock bar to relieve tension, but I won't be doing that.
 
Check out Toor Knives Merchant 2.0
$295
SHF like folder with S35VN
Titanium handles
I love the blade shape on this and am looking for one myself...
 
I'd give some serious thought to the Demko 20.5 and the Shark Lock. It's a well designed and built knife.

53216638930_efe1373551_b.jpg
 
Giffayy said:
I'm not sure if I just have bad luck but I'm sick of seeing people enjoy compression locks with no lock stick online since that's all I've known for years! So before I write off spyderco compression locks, does anyone have any suggestions as to a knife I should try, or if compression lock, where I should purchase it? Better put, a reputable place that will sell me a compression lock knife that has greater chance of not being a dud? I want to like spyderco so bad, along with compression locks, but Lock stick is a no go for me
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I have bought over a dozen Spydercos with compression locks and never had any lock stick. Most of them came from KnifeCenter.

On the other hand, Manixes are notorious for being hard to close, as you can see by doing a web search. The lockbacks vary from easy to close to impossible to close without an implement such as a flat blade screwdriver. If you were not jinxed, I would say the odds are much better with a compression lock than wit any other Spyderco lock.

Benchmade has much better quality control than Spyderco. I have checked out over 150 Benchmade knives and found only 7 that had any difficulty out of the box.
 
DocJD said:
Manix 2 or 2XL with their ball bearing lock . Mine are smooth and lock solid .

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I recently got a manix 2. Haven’t carried it much yet but have noticed the spring is very stiff and hard to close the knife. Does the spring break in over time? Otherwise I like everything about it, especially the handle and jimping.
 
For the OP, in That price range I would highly recommend trying an Emerson. Especially one of his flippers, they’re excellent!
 
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mitchnola said:
I recently got a manix 2. Haven’t carried it much yet but have noticed the spring is very stiff and hard to close the knife. Does the spring break in over time? Otherwise I like everything about it, especially the handle and jimping.
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Yes it does. I've had my Manix 2 for almost 10 years, but if I remember correctly, it took about a month or two of seriously fidgeting with it for it to lighten and smooth out.
 
Under $250?

If you are looking for a special knife to keep and hold close, and $250 is your upper limit . . .

I would suggest that you wait and save untill you have the resources set aside to get a high-end knife from a premium maker. If you are at $250 now, you are about half way there already . . .depending on what your heart's desire is..

I don't know what to suggest in terms of your current situation. If I was still working (retired in 2003) I would look at doing some Uber driving. In my case, I was driving 35-40 miles to work in the early AM every day. So picking up someone close and dropping them off near my in-town work place would be workable . . .Uber driving was not an option twenty years ago.

Don't k now what will work for you.
 
K.O.D. said:
Yes it does. I've had my Manix 2 for almost 10 years, but if I remember correctly, it took about a month or two of seriously fidgeting with it for it to lighten and smooth out.
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Good to know, I was thinking of moving it along but I’ll give it a chance to break in. It certainly is a hell of knife!
 
Another Shepherd said:
I have bought over a dozen Spydercos with compression locks and never had any lock stick. Most of them came from KnifeCenter.

On the other hand, Manixes are notorious for being hard to close, as you can see by doing a web search. The lockbacks vary from easy to close to impossible to close without an implement such as a flat blade screwdriver. If you were not jinxed, I would say the odds are much better with a compression lock than wit any other Spyderco lock.

Benchmade has much better quality control than Spyderco. I have checked out over 150 Benchmade knives and found only 7 that had any difficulty out of the box.
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First off I appreciate the replies.
This fascinates me considering everyone I touch has lock stick! Is there anymore you can hypothesize here? Did I just get bad luck? Am Somehow opening compression locks wrong to induce lock stick?
 
Giffayy said:
First off I appreciate the replies.
This fascinates me considering everyone I touch has lock stick! Is there anymore you can hypothesize here? Did I just get bad luck? Am Somehow opening compression locks wrong to induce lock stick?
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I have been fiddling with a couple Para 3s trying to get the lock to stick. If I apply pressure to the blade in the direction it closes before I release the lock, that increases the friction, which I guess is sort of like sticking. Other than that, I have failed to get anything to stick.

Normally, I don't apply any pressure to the blade at all, since compression locks usually allow the blade to drop shut. Sometimes a tiny wrist flick is needed.

Are you left handed?
 
I have a total of a 6 compression locks, never had any problems. I’d recommend maybe making ya next compression lock purchase at a dealer where you can put your hands on it first.
 
mitchnola said:
I have a total of a 6 compression locks, never had any problems. I’d recommend maybe making ya next compression lock purchase at a dealer where you can put your hands on it first.
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I'd love to but that's extremely difficult where I live, I can only handle banchmades in person, spydercos I have to pick up online.
 
mitchnola said:
I have a total of a 6 compression locks, never had any problems. I’d recommend maybe making ya next compression lock purchase at a dealer where you can put your hands on it first.
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They've come out of the box zero stick? The tab never caught on the stop pin?
 
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