Problem with my Siren, and a request for help.

K

KELORGO

Joined
Oct 12, 2006
Messages
46
I just received my Siren in the mail and LOVE everything about the knife. The ergonomics and design are exactly what I was hoping for when my son pre-ordered it for me. Unfortunately, after opening it up 15-20 times the blade has begun binding after it opens about 45 degrees. By the time it is 90 degrees open I really have to fight the binding to open it the rest of the way, like to the point I feel safer opening it with two hands instead of my thumb in the Spydie hole. It binds while trying to shut the blade as well. This is a real bummer at best, especially after waiting so long to get the knife.

I called Spyderco and the best they could do was to tell me to send it back under warranty. Before I do that, can anybody tell me if this is something common to Spyderco's G10 knives and if there might be a common fix such as oiling the blade pivot, loosening the pivot screw or anything else I might not know about. To date, I only have a Salt FRN and a Delica FRN. They slicked up with use.

I thank you for any suggestions that might help me not have to send the knife back to Golden for warranty work.

Edit: If I hold the lock bar TOTALLY depressed there is no binding of the blade at the pivot upon opening or closing. If I let up any pressure at all on the lock bar the binding is there again. Appears as though there is excessive contact being made between the lock bar end and the back of the blade (not the right technical information, I know).
 
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At the risk of Spyderco saying that the warranty has been voided, I would NOT mess with the pivot screw or anything else. I have not heard of a Spyderco doing what yours is doing and so I cannot guess what might be going on with it, but I would strongly suggest to just send it in to them and let them resolve the issue. That is what the warranty is there for. I know it will suck to not have the knife with you for a short period of time, but I really feel that is far and away your best option.
 
Thanks, on the edge. I'm going to post on the other forum as well, if only to see if this becomes a common issue with the Siren. I've been following along the development of the knife and am really a fan. Hope it's just my knife that is messed up.
 
You know what, jmgruber. That just might work. Easy fixes are the best, so I'll give it a shot. Heck, it's LC200N and a Salt series, so at least I know it won't rust!
 
OK, so jmgruber is the hero of the day. I rinsed out the knife using just water and it is now as smooth as it was before the whole binding issue appeared. I didn't want to use soap and risk gumming up a knife I might be sending back to the dealer. I'm not sure what was/is going on with this Siren. It is brand new out of the box, so never had any chance of getting debris into the mechanism.

Before jmgruber's idea to wash it out, I figured if anything it needed to be oiled or something. All I can think of is there might have been a burr on the interior parts that somehow made it into the action and caused the binding. I didn't see anything in there when looking with a flashlight before I washed it out, and I didn't see anything come out in the sink. I'm just going to hope the problem doesn't reappear and chalk it up as one of life's little mysteries.
 
Bad news... Back to binding. I imagine the water was providing some lubrication. Now, I'm thinking I have an un-lubed lock bar. Forgive what is probably a basic question, but should I place a few drops of oil or grease where the back of the blade rubs against the front of the lock bar?
 
A few drops of oil might help. Personally, I'd soak it in in a pan of hot, soapy water, working the blade in the water for a few minutes, then flush it thoroughly with clean water, then oil it.

It may be new, but it was put together in a factory, not a NASA clean room. Some grit in the works is almost inevitable.
 
I had a problem just like this but with a G10 native, every time i'd lube it a little it would go away, then come back after another 20 open/closes. Check the rounded polished part of the tang where the lock bar rides against during open/closes, does it keep getting a greasy dark looking smear on it? I eventually just opened it up, cleaned out all the greasy gunk it had on the pivot area and lock bar from the factory and now it's smooth as silk. Hopefully that's all yours is too.

PS - how the hell did you get yours so fast, im jealous, been waiting forever for this dam thing!
 
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Hi, Sgt1372. I see you are retired LE. Me, too. I love this Siren knife. I even like that it has the thin blue lines built right into the design. Unfortunately, this one is going back. Knifecenter was closed when I received the knife today, so I've emailed them to see if they have enough stock to send me out a replacement. The Sirens have been in and out of stock so fast at so many places that it's probably 50/50 whether they will or not. After watching the on line videos of the Siren again, mine was never as smooth as those. I did try to flush it out with water again, but it just goes back to insane binding once it dries out thoroughly. At this point, I just want a new knife instead of one that came with problems, which after lots of looking and playing with the action appears to be either an over-sprung lock bar or under-machined blade tang pivot/end of lock bar. I'm done playing with it, as that blade just looks like it wants to cut something and I don't want to be anywhere near an ER right now if I can help it.

Thanks to all that tried to help!
 
And, just tried to add one to cart at Knifecenter... they're back on pre-order status. Sigh (first world problems, I know).
 
First thing I did with my Siren was to put a couple of drops of Breakfree on the back part of the blade that swivels up to the lock bar. I do that on all backlocks. However, it seems to me that you may well have debris interfering with the mechanism: either that or a mis-manufactured locking mechanism. It wouldn't hurt anything, nor void your warranty, to put a dab of lubricant on the back of the blade and check the result. (If it were mine I'd open the sucker up and get to the bottom of it....but that's just my unbridled impatience with anything that malfunctions;))
 
I really want it to work NOW, but will have to send it in for warranty work... Or, maybe pony up a little bit more and get a Spydiechef! Or, maybe the fixed blade Waterway... Whatever I get will be LC200N
 
elde66 said:
First thing I did with my Siren was to put a couple of drops of Breakfree on the back part of the blade that swivels up to the lock bar. I do that on all backlocks. However, it seems to me that you may well have debris interfering with the mechanism: either that or a mis-manufactured locking mechanism. It wouldn't hurt anything, nor void your warranty, to put a dab of lubricant on the back of the blade and check the result. (If it were mine I'd open the sucker up and get to the bottom of it....but that's just my unbridled impatience with anything that malfunctions;))
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You put oil on the mating surfaces of the lock?
 
I guess my question would be: Does a back lock knife have a ton of binding if it is not lubricated? I've never had a knife act this way, so I'm really not sure.
 
KELORGO said:
I guess my question would be: Does a back lock knife have a ton of binding if it is not lubricated? I've never had a knife act this way, so I'm really not sure.
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There should be no binding in a properly functioning and designed folding knife, lubrication or not. As Boxer .45 Boxer .45 said above and as I recommended initially, just send it in. You can theorize and try some simple things with the hope that they will work and will be permanent, but something is wrong with the knife. So why not get the ball rolling to having a properly functioning Siren that you enjoy and have confidence in by sending it to Spyderco today? It's really not your problem; it's Spyderco's.
 
KELORGO said:
Hi, Sgt1372. I see you are retired LE. Me, too. I love this Siren knife. I even like that it has the thin blue lines built right into the design. Unfortunately, this one is going back. Knifecenter was closed when I received the knife today, so I've emailed them to see if they have enough stock to send me out a replacement. The Sirens have been in and out of stock so fast at so many places that it's probably 50/50 whether they will or not. After watching the on line videos of the Siren again, mine was never as smooth as those. I did try to flush it out with water again, but it just goes back to insane binding once it dries out thoroughly. At this point, I just want a new knife instead of one that came with problems, which after lots of looking and playing with the action appears to be either an over-sprung lock bar or under-machined blade tang pivot/end of lock bar. I'm done playing with it, as that blade just looks like it wants to cut something and I don't want to be anywhere near an ER right now if I can help it.

Thanks to all that tried to help!
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Not sure if that's what you're doing but I'd just return it to KC for a refund, which they will honor, if they don't have one to offer in Exchange. I know it's hard to wait for something you've wanted for a long time but I also know that it's entirely unacceptable to keep a knife (or anything else) that you aren't completely satisfied with.

You only have a small window of opportunity to return it and if you don't like the way the knife operates, it would be better to return it and wait for another one to come along after the initial demand has dried up and they become more widely available.

Good luck!
 
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