- Joined
- Jul 7, 2000
- Messages
- 1,556
I recently purchased a second Ronin and I noticed that it has some changes from the older one that I own. They piqued my interest enough that I thought I'd take some photos and share my discoveries with the forums.
In this first photo, you can see that the new sheath has slots cut into it, presumably for aesthetic value. (Note: the new and old sheaths and knives are the same size but the angle of the photo makes them appear different.) I don't find them particularly attractive, nor do I find them particularly ugly. If I had to classify them as anything, it would be "unnecessary." In my experience, the more holes in a sheath, the more dust, lint, or sweat the blade will be exposed to (depending on carry location). Still, I don't mind them.
One thing that I found was a huge step backwards was the tension screw used on the new sheath. On the old sheath, Spyderco presumably hadn't decided on a dedicated part for the tension screw. At the time, they were using modified pivot assemblies rather than a specified chicago screw. This tension screw is still on my old sheath (it's covered in the photo) but the new tension screw is absolutely atrocious. When I first got the knife, I wanted to loosen the tension and that's what the tension screw is supposed to be there for. It is set with loc-tite (or some other adhesive) however so I wasn't able to adjust it. I ran it under hot water and tried a blow-dryer, either of which usually works. Using the proper tools, however, I was just stripping the flathead cuts out of the screw. It soon became clear to me that the tension screw was made out of some cheap alloy. Using screwdrivers and just my own strength I was able to not only readily strip the tension screw but to actually bend its post. I don't know what it was made out of (low grade aluminum maybe?) but I could not adjust it. I ended up actually snapping it in two to get it off the sheath which wasn't difficult.
I have plenty of extra mounting hardware sitting around so I was able to quickly remedy the situation by substituting a suitable screw for the tension system. If I was a more casual knife user, however, and didn't have extra hardware on hand, I would have been seriously pissed. I just find it a shame that Spyderco is shipping such a great knife, with such a great sheath, and then putting a substandard part into it for adjusting tension. Hopefully mine was a lemon and not indicative of all new models, however.
One a more neutral note, the newer Ronin has more radiused handle edges, as can be seen in this photo. I can't decide which version I like more but suffice it to say both versions are great. Neither the old Ronin nor the newer one have any sharp edges on the handle.
Finally, I noted that the geometry of the blade itself is different. Not the edge (both are scary sharp) but the spine. The newer one has a longer ridged section. This difference in angle leaves my newer Ronin with a slightly more obtuse tip, but the difference is negligible. I don't use my thumb up on the spine, but I imagine if I did I would prefer the newer incarnation for increased grip area.
All in all, I love both of my Ronins. Hopefully Spyderco will ship future models without the cheap tension screw that breaks, but besides that they've really got a winner.
In this first photo, you can see that the new sheath has slots cut into it, presumably for aesthetic value. (Note: the new and old sheaths and knives are the same size but the angle of the photo makes them appear different.) I don't find them particularly attractive, nor do I find them particularly ugly. If I had to classify them as anything, it would be "unnecessary." In my experience, the more holes in a sheath, the more dust, lint, or sweat the blade will be exposed to (depending on carry location). Still, I don't mind them.
One thing that I found was a huge step backwards was the tension screw used on the new sheath. On the old sheath, Spyderco presumably hadn't decided on a dedicated part for the tension screw. At the time, they were using modified pivot assemblies rather than a specified chicago screw. This tension screw is still on my old sheath (it's covered in the photo) but the new tension screw is absolutely atrocious. When I first got the knife, I wanted to loosen the tension and that's what the tension screw is supposed to be there for. It is set with loc-tite (or some other adhesive) however so I wasn't able to adjust it. I ran it under hot water and tried a blow-dryer, either of which usually works. Using the proper tools, however, I was just stripping the flathead cuts out of the screw. It soon became clear to me that the tension screw was made out of some cheap alloy. Using screwdrivers and just my own strength I was able to not only readily strip the tension screw but to actually bend its post. I don't know what it was made out of (low grade aluminum maybe?) but I could not adjust it. I ended up actually snapping it in two to get it off the sheath which wasn't difficult.
I have plenty of extra mounting hardware sitting around so I was able to quickly remedy the situation by substituting a suitable screw for the tension system. If I was a more casual knife user, however, and didn't have extra hardware on hand, I would have been seriously pissed. I just find it a shame that Spyderco is shipping such a great knife, with such a great sheath, and then putting a substandard part into it for adjusting tension. Hopefully mine was a lemon and not indicative of all new models, however.
One a more neutral note, the newer Ronin has more radiused handle edges, as can be seen in this photo. I can't decide which version I like more but suffice it to say both versions are great. Neither the old Ronin nor the newer one have any sharp edges on the handle.
Finally, I noted that the geometry of the blade itself is different. Not the edge (both are scary sharp) but the spine. The newer one has a longer ridged section. This difference in angle leaves my newer Ronin with a slightly more obtuse tip, but the difference is negligible. I don't use my thumb up on the spine, but I imagine if I did I would prefer the newer incarnation for increased grip area.
All in all, I love both of my Ronins. Hopefully Spyderco will ship future models without the cheap tension screw that breaks, but besides that they've really got a winner.
)
