-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is available! Price is $250 ea (shipped within CONUS).
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/
Razel SS3 Folder Mid tech- Acceptable?
- Thread starter Luis G.
- Start date
Ordered new bearings from knifemakerusa. I got the blade to center using the well known trick of shifting the scales, AND I had to join it with shifting the blade as well. Thus it's a double whammy with shifting the stop pin, and pivot barrel. The new bearings seem to have fixed the issue as with the older bearings nothing seemed to work. (Shifting, moving blade, or both would end up at the same place).
I refinished the pocket clip with sand paper. 220 grit for now to finds flaws and help straight it out. I did a pretty good job but that clip is waterjetted and the finishing/pitting/marring was horrendous (still is bad).
Going to let Maprik take over and produce a knife that is excellent.
I also ordered some titanium screws. Required some grinding length wise but fit PERFECTLY. Only problem is they are very weak as one screw head literally ripped right out when I was adjusting blade play, I didn't torque it down just finger tight. May order a new one I don't know they're pretty expensive for screws and seem pretty weak. But then again they anodize, so maybe one set anodized one set for strength.
In case someone wants measurements. These are the ones I ordered.
Titanium Screw Half High Socket Head 2-56 x 3/16" I removed about .03" from the length.
I refinished the pocket clip with sand paper. 220 grit for now to finds flaws and help straight it out. I did a pretty good job but that clip is waterjetted and the finishing/pitting/marring was horrendous (still is bad).
Going to let Maprik take over and produce a knife that is excellent.
I also ordered some titanium screws. Required some grinding length wise but fit PERFECTLY. Only problem is they are very weak as one screw head literally ripped right out when I was adjusting blade play, I didn't torque it down just finger tight. May order a new one I don't know they're pretty expensive for screws and seem pretty weak. But then again they anodize, so maybe one set anodized one set for strength.
In case someone wants measurements. These are the ones I ordered.
Titanium Screw Half High Socket Head 2-56 x 3/16" I removed about .03" from the length.
Last edited:
Maprik's pricing should be reasonable. And EXACTLY why I picked him. He's got quite a bit of experience with titanium, finishing, and anodizing.
Seems another thing that came up due to the centering is an EXTREMELY early lock up. I will post pictures of the finished product once I get it back from Maprik. Sent him an email explaining I was ready and waiting for details/etc.
About a 10% lock up.
I been thinking about this. I think you are right, and I am getting rid of it. I should have listened to you in the beginning.
I've blown/wasted so much time on projects where a product I buy is flawed only to take the problem as my own when it's a problem for the maker to solve or prevent. For now I will say: Graham Mid tech Razel SS3 Flipper is NOT good to go and I feel stupid having wasted opportunity for truly finer and much better knivies than this.
No blade geometry is worth this crappy finish/fit/care in the $300+ segment and I wouldn't feel right using it as it left a sour taste in my mouth.
Next knife for me: Olamic Wayfarer or I may just have an order placed for a custom.
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2012
- Messages
- 4,704
You won't be disappointed with the Wayfarer. It has all of the nice hand touches you could want and probably has a good bit more hand work than a lot of the 'I had a machine shop produce knives for me so I'll call them mid-tech' knives out there.
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2013
- Messages
- 109
sorry to hear you've had a bad experience man...no one seems to be speaking on the point from having one but this is not the norm from what I've seen/experienced. My pocket clip looks nothing like that, has a kind of satin finish with no tool marks. When the pivot is loosened the blade shifts to that same side, but with lock tight and tightened down it centers perfectly (when I got it from Jon at the show he told me they hadn't been treated with loctite yet). Same with the scale finish, no mill marks or fine scratches...there was a sticky lock up but it's smooth as butter now from break in. This has been in my pocket from day one and won't be leaving for some time, just hate that it's put a bad taste in your mouth because it sounds like you just got one that slipped by. Curious what Jon said, did he ever respond?...hopefully it gets resolved, I also agree don't go dumping more money into it because from my experience it IS NOT the norm.
I seen a few pics and noticed similar flaws (frame blems, and pocket clip issues and also talked to a gentleman on ebay. He bought 5 of them. 3 were blemmed, and two 2 were perfect like yous. All however were centered.
Yes I spoke with Jon Graham himself over the phone. Honest guy but not really digging the fact he didn't even acknowledge his responsibility to repair or refinish the knife. All he kept saying was "Return the knife to me for a refund". Anyways he seemed like a nice guy so I withheld what I wanted to tell him because quite frankly when people are stubborn (even if civil-like): there isn't much to talk about.
In shrewder terms he basically said: That's how that one came out, oh well I didn't make them. We'll do better next time.
I even tried to bring up the fact it needed work by mentioning it I didn't want to get rid of the knife because I liked it a lot and would have to hire a knifemaker to work on it instead.
He didn't really get the hint nor offer to do the work himself (paid or warrantied).
I decided to send the knife to Maprik, when I get it back if it meets my requirements I will sell it for what I paid+Work done+shipping and call it a waste of time. I'd hate to sell this knife as it is because there's quite a few issues. Right now I have isolated the issue to the blade, or titanium scales being off spec. I've given up on the blade centering, so I will ask Maprik to focus on the cosmetics and carbidizing.
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2012
- Messages
- 4,704
That will probably never happen...
Just saying.
I would return it straight to him. Graham knows there are plenty of people waiting for it who are unlikely to have much of a discerning eye.
True. Going to list it for cheap tired of the POS.
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2007
- Messages
- 1,877
Good luck selling or pimping the knife - whatever you decide to do. I picked one up recently and it has none of the flaws seen on your knife so agree it was a dud. That pocket clip in particular looks terrible.
When you get a chance, I do recommend the Wayfarer. Just keep in mind it is a BIG knife. Mine is oh so smooth and Eugene has been an awesome guy to deal with. I needed a pivot tool to adjust the lockbar tension, and he has been more than helpful - :thumbup: from me.
When you get a chance, I do recommend the Wayfarer. Just keep in mind it is a BIG knife. Mine is oh so smooth and Eugene has been an awesome guy to deal with. I needed a pivot tool to adjust the lockbar tension, and he has been more than helpful - :thumbup: from me.
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2013
- Messages
- 381
I just received a Stubby midtech. My FF is pretty nice, I just have one minor grind issue... is this acceptable? I'm talking about that area where the grinds converge. It shouldn't be there, and it isn't on the other side. I emailed about him about this yesterday, but no reply.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2005
- Messages
- 19,385
I purchased the CRKT version of the Folding Razel this past month and I'm fairly impressed with it overall. I believe CRKT discontinued these. I have the CRKT stubby razel and Ringed Razel (fixed blade). I have looked at ones that are in progress of being completed at the shop and have really been impressed. I just can't justify a custom from Jon for the amount of use I may have.
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2013
- Messages
- 7,184
Wow flickr is awesome. Automatically fixed orientation.
In any case I got the pics uploaded going to go one by one and explain whats going on:
Pocket clip: unfinished, and poorly shaped (again looks like a dremel job imho).
20140627_211200 by crazysur123, on Flickr
Notice the lack of crisp lines, it's completely wavy:
20140627_211147 by crazysur123, on Flickr
Milling marks, these are from a mill (probably CNC).
20140627_211131 by crazysur123, on Flickr
Scratch marks from mfger or milling or both. At first I honestly guessed maybe it was from surface grinding, but then I realized precision surface grinding should be done vertically or horizontally to get the whole scale in one shot versus stage by stage.
20140627_210944 by crazysur123, on Flickr
Macro's Same as above: marks from mfger or milling or both.
20140627_211048 by crazysur123, on Flickr
Normally off centering due to pivot adjustments or pinched washers or what not should be obvious in the way the blade favors one side, the side that is favored should show more spacing near the pivot, and decreasing spacing near the tip. However if you see this picture you can see how the side that is favor shows a fairly even spacing through out which is why I suspect an off ground blade, or bearing pockets.
20140627_141610 by crazysur123, on Flickr
Edit:
To be fair this isn't exactly a representation of Graham's work. Apparently these are made by Chad Nichols (fantastics damascus maker). The only thing Graham does is put the final edge on the knife, which I will say it is the best hand ground edge I've seen it is also sharp, and very polished.
Edit #2:
To be honest let's talk about the good.
The blade profile is very awesome. It's sharp, yet thick so I wouldn't be scared to hard use it.
The flipper works well, if the detent were a tad bit straight, it would be amazing.
I like the pocket clip despite it being unfinished. I have always wondered why the hell pocket clips werent made less intrusive yet just as practical, this pocket clip takes the win being low key, yet very much useful.
I also like the incredibly simple construction. Just 3 screws needed to take it apart. (technically there's 5 but 2 dont need to be removed for disassembly).
Knife looks fine to me man... Its a freaking knife. just cut with it. or whatever it is that you do with a 600$ knife.
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2005
- Messages
- 19,385
Something that is confusing me about this.... mid-tech versus custom versus something produced by CRKT. Are the mid-techs only available through Jon Graham or are sold in stores/online? I have never seen anything high end other than customs.