Para 3 lock sticking

I've also had success eliminating lock stick by rotating the stop pin. Best solution imo if you can get it to work.
 
Alsharif said:
I've had my Para 3 S110v for about eight months. Same issue, tried everything and it is still there. I've accepted it as a design shortcoming
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Maybe it's worth a try to rotate the stop pin slightly until you get the sweet spot. I think the problem with compression locks vs conventional liner locks is the fact that it contacts 2 surfaces. nothing can be done regarding the knife tang, but the stop pin can be adjusted to a certain extent.
 
I am surprised Spyderco will not fix these fit issues. Any decent gunsmith could fix it in about 5 minutes, once the knife was apart.
 
Forgive me for replying to an old thread (mods please delete if I'm out of line).

I have a lot of Para 3s and have encountered lock stick on a few of them. There is a good amount of truth already shared here on this issue, but I'd like to discuss my own experiences. As always YMMV....
  • Lock stick won't fix itself by working the action repeatedly. It typically doesn't 'break in' after multiple openings/closings of the blade. I own ten (10) Para 3s and at this point I can make this statement without any reservations.
  • Spydieflicking the blade open, or any forceful deployment method exacerbates the issue. It causes the locking mechanism to over-travel on the contact point with base of the blade. Thus increasing lock stick.
  • DLC coated blades are more prone to sticky actions.
  • Really high HRC steels, like Maxamet for example, are super slick, and in my experience, almost immune to lock stick. The blade steel is just too hard for the lock to stick against. Maxamet is an incredible steel in general. The back lock interface of the Native 5 also benefits greatly from the high hardness of this steel.
  • Bending back the liner/lock bar is really the only way to alleviate the issue, but it's risky in its own right. If you're going to try it, keep in mind that a little bit goes a long way. Start small in your adjustments and work up slowly from there.
  • Do not tinker with the blade itself...ever.
  • Some people have shared having success by tweaking the stop pin. I'm not doubting it, but I haven't had that work for me. It's a fairly noninvasive solution, though, so I won't knock trying it.
  • Obviously, any of this voids the warranty, so if you're the kind of person who would knowingly void a warranty and then complain about a company not providing free service to fix your mistakes, then just don't do it. If you hate the lock stick just return the knife and move on. If you're bold enough to work on it with WIHA tools, or similar quality, and are willing to take your chances and not hold a great company like Spyderco accountable for your crap workmanship, then it can be fixed. I've done it several times.
  • A little lock stick may be undesirable for a fidget toy, but it has no negative effect on the performance of your knife. A sticky lock is a secure lock.
  • If the lock is to the point of being difficult to depress and disengage, though, that's different. If that is the case, just send it back to Spyderco.
That's it. Best of luck.
 
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I've encountered this on several Spyderco's with a compression lock. My experience is that sometimes it never goes away and sometimes only gets worse.

There's an easy solution. This has permanently worked for me every time:

Just loosen the stop pin screw. With it a little loose, flick the knife open really hard. Do it a couple of times. With the blade open, tighten the stop pin. Just snug it up, dont make it very tight. If the lock stick is still there, loosen all screws on the knife, including the clip screw even though it seems unrelated. Now flick the knife open hard enough so it solidly whacks the stop pin. Now retighten.

All but one time this immediately resolved the issue. It still wasnt 100% so I let it go and within 3 days was gone completely.

I think in a lot of cases, the root cause is a scale fitment issue where something isnt seated correctly.

If all of that failed, then my next step would be to disassemble the knife completely, clean everything, and make sure that all debris is clear inside and out, especially around any holes in the scales.
 
SubMicron said:
Just loosen the stop pin screw. With it a little loose, flick the knife open really hard. Do it a couple of times. With the blade open,
Click to expand...

Unfortunately this will not work as the issue is with the Spyderco Para 3 in this particular thread. The Para 3 has a floating stop pin that can't be adjusted and only rotated.
 
FrannaM said:
Unfortunately this will not work as the issue is with the Spyderco Para 3 in this particular thread. The Para 3 has a floating stop pin that can't be adjusted and only rotated.
Click to expand...

Ah, I missed that part. My one G10 para 3, with a floating stop pin does not have the issue, however it also has aftermarket scales that went on the knife immediately after unboxing. My Para3 LW does not have the floating stop pin and has a normal screw.

Try lossening all screws and then flick it open hard a few times to try and knock the stop pin into a better position.

Otherwise take it apart, and make sure theres no debris anywhere in the path of the liner and then check all of the holes in the scales for any debris or anomalies. While it's open, look at the stop pin, make sure there's no damage.

For easy scale removal, if you dont have a better tool, a butter knife has worked wonders for me. I just insert between the liner and scales and then work it down toward the lanyard tube.
 
CarsonWayne said:
Forgive me for replying to an old thread (mods please delete if I'm out of line).

I have a lot of Para 3s and have encountered lock stick on a few of them. There is a good amount of truth already shared here on this issue, but I'd like to discuss my own experiences. As always YMMV....
  • Lock stick won't fix itself by working the action repeatedly. It typically doesn't 'break in' after multiple openings/closings of the blade. I own ten (10) Para 3s and at this point I can make this statement without any reservations.
  • Spydieflicking the blade open, or any forceful deployment method exacerbates the issue. It causes the locking mechanism to over-travel on the contact point with base of the blade. Thus increasing lock stick.
  • DLC coated blades are more prone to sticky actions.
  • Really high HRC steels, like Maxamet for example, are super slick, and in my experience, almost immune to lock stick. The blade steel is just too hard for the lock to stick against. Maxamet is an incredible steel in general. The back lock interface of the Native 5 also benefits greatly from the high hardness of this steel.
  • Bending back the liner/lock bar is really the only way to alleviate the issue, but it's risky in its own right. If you're going to try it, keep in mind that a little bit goes a long way. Start small in your adjustments and work up slowly from there.
  • Do not tinker with the blade itself...ever.
  • Some people have shared having success by tweaking the stop pin. I'm not doubting it, but I haven't had that work for me. It's a fairly noninvasive solution, though, so I won't knock trying it.
  • Obviously, any of this voids the warranty, so if you're the kind of person who would knowingly void a warranty and then complain about a company not providing free service to fix your mistakes, then just don't do it. If you hate the lock stick just return the knife and move on. If you're bold enough to work on it with WIHA tools, or similar quality, and are willing to take your chances and not hold a great company like Spyderco accountable for your crap workmanship, then it can be fixed. I've done it several times.
  • A little lock stick may be undesirable for a fidget toy, but it has no negative effect on the performance of your knife. A sticky lock is a secure lock.
  • If the lock is to the point of being difficult to depress and disengage, though, that's different. If that is the case, just send it back to Spyderco.
That's it. Best of luck.
Click to expand...

You're exactly right. Sadly, I know several people who buy multiple of the same model and keep the one without stick. For me personally, I have zero interesting in knives that have stick...takes the fun out of it completely and it's unpleasant to have to wonder what you're going to get.
 
Eljay2 said:
You're exactly right. Sadly, I know several people who buy multiple of the same model and keep the one without stick. For me personally, I have zero interesting in knives that have stick...takes the fun out of it completely and it's unpleasant to have to wonder what you're going to get.
Click to expand...

I hear ya, brother. What do you do, though, if you buy several examples of a model and they all have lock stick? :confused:
 
bending the lockbar slightly outward. Thats how I fixed the sticky lock of a PM2 that I could not with ALL other tricks mentioned in this thread.
 
Eljay2 said:
You're exactly right. Sadly, I know several people who buy multiple of the same model and keep the one without stick. For me personally, I have zero interesting in knives that have stick...takes the fun out of it completely and it's unpleasant to have to wonder what you're going to get.
Click to expand...

Its frustrating for sure but these kinds of problems are not exclusive to Spyderco. With a Spyderco, the problems generally can be remedied by the end user.

You would think a knife north of $100 would be free of issues but $100 isnt worth as much anymore and there's more significant issues with some other brands at much higher price points. Even "prescision" brands that exist north of the $1000 mark have their share of problems.
 
SubMicron said:
Its frustrating for sure but these kinds of problems are not exclusive to Spyderco. With a Spyderco, the problems generally can be remedied by the end user.

You would think a knife north of $100 would be free of issues but $100 isnt worth as much anymore and there's more significant issues with some other brands at much higher price points. Even "prescision" brands that exist north of the $1000 mark have their share of problems.
Click to expand...

Can't argue with you. I'd just think that such a common problem (and it is EXTREMELY common) could be remedied. This is the price to pay for insisting on such precision. I have no doubt that if the public would settle for sloppy construction this wouldn't be an issue. I give Spyderco so much credit for their superb tolerances.
 
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