New folder tight opening blade: How do you do a Tune-Up?

[MTHall720]

Currently My abilities are too limited when it comes to taking apart a folder, polishing or other procedures internally, and then reassembly of the knife. What simpler things do you do when your new blades are just really tight and slow to open?

Here is what I do, and have done:
1] Lubricate I have used several different types of lube with no clue as to what the best brand/type is.
2] Adjust the pivot torx screw tightness (I am honestly not sure what I am talking about but I think that is what you call it. If I do it too much, then the blade is wobbly.
3] Simply open and close it a lot. Preferrably while watching tv.

What do you do?
Any specific advice for my folder which is the only one that I have with what I think is a very, very tight blade? (Folder is Spydie Chinook 3. I love this beast of a blade)

Thanks in advance.

 

[PyroSpaz316]

Usually I get some dish soap in the pivot and open and close the blade under water to get anything out that might be clogging the pivot. Then, I let the knife dry and put a few drops of lubricant in the pivot.

 

[eneyman]

I will lubricate first and if that doesn't help, loosen the pivot a TINY bit at a time until you get the knife at the sweet spot (smooth opening and no/as little blade play as possible)

 

[MTHall720]

I never thought of the soap and water method.
I have done the lube first, then the loosening, but with the Chinook nothing is helping yet.
Is it common some new blades have some dust or other stuff inside that needs flushing out?

 

[taeku4]

I think washing out a knife with soapy water is a pretty good idea. I have a Spyderco Centofante 3 that was ridiculously tight and hard to open one handed when it was first bought. While reading the forums, I noticed someone else had recommended washing knives out with hot soapy water, then blowing them out to dry would help. When I tried this out, my Centofante 3 was suprisngly much easier to open, and I could finally thumb flick it open without feeling like I would accidently throw the knife across the room. I'm guessing from most of the knives I own, that there is sometimes a surprising amount of gunk inside brand new knives, and a lot of the time the factory grease can actually seem to slow the knife down due to its thickness.

If you do this though, I would really recommend using a can of compressed air and just try to completely dry the knife out. I had a Leatherman Micra multitool slightly seize up on me because I did not totally dry it out, but soaking the pivots in some oil seemed to help it loosen up. Also, using hot water helps the knife dry off even faster. Hope this helps out.

 

[Chris "Anagarika"]

I broke in the Enlan EL01 and EL02 by putting simple mineral oil, also fresh cooking oil (thicker), over several wash sessions (soap & water). The combination, specially the thicker cooking oil + soap wash are able to dissolve & take out the grit and factory lubricant/gunk out and now both are smooth.

Opening/closing multiple times during lubrication and washing helps too.

 

[RevDevil]

Usually I get some dish soap in the pivot and open and close the blade under water to get anything out that might be clogging the pivot. Then, I let the knife dry and put a few drops of lubricant in the pivot.

That is what I do. Use Dawn dishsoap if possible, it removes a lot of junk that can build up over time. I would advise against disassembling that knife too. It will void any potential warranty requests you may have. They can tell the difference between tightening the pivot and full disassembly. If it is very problematic, send the knife to Spyderco and include a brief note indicating what you want to have done and what not to do.

 

[kreole]

I never thought of the soap and water method.
I have done the lube first, then the loosening, but with the Chinook nothing is helping yet.
Is it common some new blades have some dust or other stuff inside that needs flushing out?

Every knife I own or have owned, with Spyderco's lockbacks being no exception, has had a long break in period where opening and closing made the lube get black and gritty pretty fast. It's much better to take it apart to clean it, but if you don't want to do that, just keep washing and re-lubing the knife as you open and close it. Loosen the pivot and open and close it a few times to work the lube in there better.

 

[RevDevil]

Keep in mind, some knives are designed to have much more tension when opening, such as the Spyderco Persians. The Chinook might be one such design.

 

[FlaMtnBkr]

They can tell the difference between tightening the pivot and full disassembly.

How can they tell the knife has been taken apart?

Keep in mind, some knives are designed to have much more tension when opening, such as the Spyderco Persians. The Chinook might be one such design.

And why is the Persian in particular designed to be hard to open? And what causes the increase in tension over other lock back knives. Just curious.

 

[cutter17]

Currently My abilities are too limited when it comes to taking apart a folder, polishing or other procedures internally, and then reassembly of the knife. What simpler things do you do when your new blades are just really tight and slow to open?

Here is what I do, and have done:
1] Lubricate I have used several different types of lube with no clue as to what the best brand/type is.
2] Adjust the pivot torx screw tightness (I am honestly not sure what I am talking about but I think that is what you call it. If I do it too much, then the blade is wobbly.
3] Simply open and close it a lot. Preferrably while watching tv.

What do you do?
Any specific advice for my folder which is the only one that I have with what I think is a very, very tight blade? (Folder is Spydie Chinook 3. I love this beast of a blade)

Thanks in advance.

I think what you are doing is the proper procedure. Some actions are simply going to take longer to loosen than others, but eventually it will.

In 25 years with knives I don't ever remember using dish soap on a knife, but it sounds like it works really well. I'll give it a try next time.