paramilitary

H

high

Joined
Feb 1, 2004
Messages
186
hi all, just got the para 15 minutes ago . been reading alot on this knife and decided to try one out.asked the people at new graham to please check for vertical blade play as i read it exists in some.well it has approx. 1 mm.up and down. nothing side to side.lock holds rock solid with no slipping at all.also on the thumb ridges there is black and gold staining that looks like burned metal.any ideas what that is?? is the vertical play anything to worry about because it is only going to be a working edc and certainly not a safe dweller.thanks in advance, high.
 
The staining is due to the manufacturing process for cutting the steel - not a worry in any way. Can't speak to the 1 mm movement, but that seems pretty minimal to me. IF (!) it really bugs you, contact Spyderco service, and they'll take care of you. You're going to really like the Para, if you are like a number of us around here...:)
 
I've never had any play in my comp locks, they lock up like a vault, but I'm not an expert on them, so can't tell you if it could be potentially problematic.
 
Fortunately, my Para locks tight vertically and horizontally. That is one function that is very important to me on a knife at this price point and the fact that it is a Spyderco - I would expect nothing less.

With that said, it disappoints me and surprises me to hear several owners experiencing blade play on a new knife. You would think that with today's technology and high tolerances, this wouldn't be an issue. Is Spyderco okay with this?

Also, if a new knife locks tight, does that mean you probably won't have any problems with blade play in the future or can play develop over time?
 
Neither the anvil pin nor the pivot of my first Paramilitary were eccentric. I had the same problem like High and didn´t find any adjustable part. Nevertheless some spydies seem to have eccentric parts. It would be a great help if there would be a sticker on boxes that contain knifes with an eccentric part, e.g. "ECCENTRIC ANVIL PIN" or "ECCENTRIC PIVOT PIN". Boxes with no sticker would contain knives without eccentric parts.

Furthermore it would be nice to know for someone who e.g. owns 5 compression lock folders (Lil T S30V, ATR ss, Gunting 440V, Paramili PE and SE) and the liner lock Mili S30V which model has which eccentric part.

Best wishes,
JB
 
Yeah I've noticed some people report circular section pins, some eccentric. All I can say is that I got my Para last November and it definitely has an eccentric anvil pin. You can rotate it to where the knife will not lock up at all and back around to solid lock-up.
 
Samphire, sounds like a wonderful feature. My first Paramili that I had to send back and my Gunting seem not to have eccentric parts. There was no need to unscrew the others so far.

High, if there is a chance for an eccentric anvil pin I woud try to adjust the vertical play by rotating it. You normally need 2 Torx 6 drivers for this operation. Good luck!

Best wishes,
JB
 
That much blade play bothers me, especially for precision work. I think it needs corrected personally. I'd either return it to Mike for replacement or send it to Spyderco for repair/replacement at their option. None of my comp. locks have had any play what so ever and I've got a pretty well used Para now in my collection that is still rock solid when it locks up.

STR
 
I recently got the Mini Persian from knifesite, a good service and safe online merchant. I dont have a digital camera yet to show pics here, but I tell you this is one stylish cutter. Not so big, not so small and it can be maneuvered in the hand very well.

It has no blade play at all, vertically or horizontally. I have been using it to cut up stuffs in kitchen on purpose...........slicing salad is a joy, cutting up pepperoni is very effortless. I have not used it outdoor to cut wood or whittling branch, but it cuts papers, plastic wraps and duct tape at work like they aint nothing :P

Now back to the topic above, yes...........I am kinda dissappointed with the Para, but it is just me and that particular knife that I handled.......my impression was that the handle was not solid enough, I can squeeze hard on the handle and I can see it flexes a little (perhap due to the lack of a full-length liner)........that blade on that Para was unevenly grinded. Not a big deal, but in compare that to the Mini-Persian, it is a shame for a $120.......to have that kind of "defect"?

Anyway, any thought on making a version of a MINI-CHINOOK in VG-10 with a 3' blade?

Cheers,



Juice
 
thanks everyone. mine does not have anything eccentric. i spoke with amanda at spyderco and while she has experienced this problem it should not exist and of course offered to have it sent in and address the problem. while i appreciate this i am instead sending the knife back to new graham for a credit. i will wait until next gun show and hand pick a para to insure a good lock up. while the problem of blade play is disapointing i really loved the feel and design of the para, i think sal hit a home run again with it and hope it becomes as much a part of spyderco's line as did the endura and delica.thanks again for all the replies,high
 
Vertical blade play drives me up a wall too. Everytime I push down to cut I feel the movement and wince.
 
Yep. 1mm is huge in a folder. The tolerances allow for some leeway but a full mm is a lot of movement. If that is really how much movement there is I'd return it. Heck, I'd return it for half that much.

STR
 
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