New CF Dodo - ceramic ball noise

S

Stainz

Joined
Jun 24, 2007
Messages
3,760
I bought a CF Dodo (C80CFC) new from a local vendor at a must-have price yesterday. It joined my Native 4 and Native 5 (G10) in my Spydie collection (No, he didn't have a Native 5 in fluted Ti!). I noticed the same 'click' the youtube review displayed in the first 10-20 degrees of rotation, seemingly, when the blade's rub surface transitions as it rubs against the ceramic ball. A slight touch on the ball will reveal the sound being telegraphed there. A slight more touch on the ball and the click disappears. Has Spyderco addressed this yet? Anyone know what the source - or cure - is for this noise? Is it harmful - or just irritating? I thought about pencil lead on the blade's rubbing surface - anyone try that?

I don't know why I had to have this knife - or what use to make of it - but it is neat. I just don't want the click to, like the bird, bring on an early extinction! Thanks!

Stainz
 
I noticed that my Carbon Fiber Dodo clicks, and my Orange Dodo does not click.

I was paying attention to what causes the click. The ball travels down the contours of the end of the blade. There is a corner that acts as the detent that the ball goes over. When opening mine, the angle on that "detent corner" is angled to the point where the ball leaves the back spacer/lock bar. Once the ball travels over the corner, the spring pushes it back against the back spacer/lock bar and it "hits" the back spacer/ lock bar. The clicking sound is the ball hitting the back spacer/lock bar.

I imagine that the problem is created by there being a fraction of a millimeter difference in the ceramic ball size and the steel ball size.

I have not looked into whether or not I can tweak the back spacer/lock bar forward to resolve the problem.
 
FWIW, I had one that clicked and asked about that, I think at Spyderco Forums. The response was mixed - some do, some don't. It didn't bother me...YMMV.
 
Per "Has Spyderco addressed this yet?" Why should they? It's not a problem or a defect in the way the knife cuts, opens, closes, etc. If you don't like it, that's a personal preference, not a defect, I'd suggest returning it to your dealer
 
I have both the CF and the orange Dodo and they both make a miniscule click when opening. I would never have noticed this unless someone had pointed it out in another thread. It does not seem to be harmful to the opening action and everything works well, so it doesn't bother me a lick. Maybe it will quiet down over time for you?
 
The remaining CF Dodo at the dealer's also clicks. If that's normal - and no one here in Spyderco-dom has had a ceramic ball shatter to dust from it - I shall worry not! It's a fun knife... just not an arm hair razor, even if it is sharp. Don't ask me how I know this, but the stitches should come out Friday. Thanks for the replies!

Stainz
 
I was using the belly on my CF Dodo to cut some dead skin off my hand and that hawkbill-ish ended tip moving near my fingers made me feel uneasy. If the belly slipped off of what I was cutting, I could have been opened up a little too easy.
 
Mine does too. I noticed that if I move the blade as fast as I can over the clicky point, it stops, but then it starts up afterwards. I think it's something to do with the spring shifting on the ball? No idea, but I've never heard of one breaking from this, so I just think of it as lock noise. Like the click when the knife locks up. If anyone has any idea though, my curiosity would like to know.
 
Someone did a test/demo with a Manix 2 and a ceramic ball. The ceramic is significantly more durable than the steel. :thumbup:

Stainz said:
The remaining CF Dodo at the dealer's also clicks. If that's normal - and no one here in Spyderco-dom has had a ceramic ball shatter to dust from it - I shall worry not! It's a fun knife... just not an arm hair razor, even if it is sharp. Don't ask me how I know this, but the stitches should come out Friday. Thanks for the replies!

Stainz
Click to expand...
 
JNewell said:
Someone did a test/demo with a Manix 2 and a ceramic ball. The ceramic is significantly more durable than the steel. :thumbup:
Click to expand...

That's the same rationale behind the use of ceramic bearings in high-end bicycle wheels, mostly used for racing. They are more wear-resistant and claim to offer less rolling resistance than stainless steel...and they ain't cheap either.
 
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