Smoothest Spyderco

VermontEdge said:
I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Personally, I don't like blades that are so smooth that they free drop, which I think puts me in the minority. I really like a knife blade to move when I move it and stay put when I don't.

I feel like there's a difference between being smooth and being...I'm not sure how to put it. Free of resistance?

For example, my pm2 free drops with zero play and great lock up. That's one level of smoothness. However, my slysz bowie is craaazy smooth, but it doesn't free drop when I move the lock bar over.

Anyone know what I'm talking about? I guess I'm less of a knife flicker and that I more enjoy the smooth, slow and intentional opening methods.

I'm not really sure if I'm making sense...just my two cents!
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I was going to make a post just like this. A blade can be "fast" but not smooth. I think most people refer to a knife being "smooth" when really it's just fast (or what ever term). I think smoothness is the actual feel of the detent or other parts that touch and move, riding on the blade. My Seb 25 is very smooth but not very "fast".

I usually test true smoothness by seeing how fluidly and slowly I can open/close the blade with out it being "jumpy" or feeling a noticeable difference as the blade travels. Pushing on the blade closer to the pivot makes it even harder for a knife to travel fluidly so I try to make the blade the smallest lever possible to really test. Almost any knife can be pushed fluidly closed by pushing near the tip.

My smoothest: Slysz Bowie!
 
kniferbro said:
I was going to make a post just like this. A blade can be "fast" but not smooth. I think most people refer to a knife being "smooth" when really it's just fast (or what ever term). I think smoothness is the actual feel of the detent or other parts that touch and move, riding on the blade. My Seb 25 is very smooth but not very "fast".

I usually test true smoothness by seeing how fluidly and slowly I can open/close the blade with out it being "jumpy" or feeling a noticeable difference as the blade travels. Pushing on the blade closer to the pivot makes it even harder for a knife to travel fluidly so I try to make the blade the smallest lever possible to really test. Almost any knife can be pushed fluidly closed by pushing near the tip.

My smoothest: Slysz Bowie!
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Yes, but what about lock designs where all contact can be fully disengaged and make no additional friction on the blade, like the Compression-lock, the bolt lock, the cbbl, the axis, etc. Then we are just feeling pivot smoothness. And, speed, or how fast it opens can be controlled by the user. Full free swinging speed, or slow and deliberate. That can't be done with a Walker nor RIL, or a mid/back-lock.
 
SpeedHoles said:
Yes, but what about lock designs where all contact can be fully disengaged and make no additional friction on the blade, like the Compression-lock, the bolt lock, the cbbl, the axis, etc. Then we are just feeling pivot smoothness. And, speed, or how fast it opens can be controlled by the user. Full free swinging speed, or slow and deliberate. That can't be done with a Walker nor RIL, or a mid/back-lock.
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Very true. I think a distinction can be made between functional smoothness and true smoothness at the pivot.

My Slysz Bowie can swing freely by pushing the lock bad over and it's a RIL.
 
kniferbro said:
Very true. I think a distinction can be made between functional smoothness and true smoothness at the pivot.

My Slysz Bowie can swing freely by pushing the lock bad over and it's a RIL.
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Yep, many ways to judge. I like it. :)

Oh, and I meant for opening, as well as closing, where you can't free swing a RIL/Walker open by pushing the lock-bar. No real need to though...

But, I guess that brings up another point; the smoothness of a RIL in general can vary depending on your grip. My Techno for example, naturally has me holding and gripping with some pressure on the lock-bar when opening, so if I increase my grip strength, it simultaneously increases pressure and friction on the detent. For me, it's a noticeable difference.
 
LORD knows I've had a ton of Spyders over the years. But there are two of them as far as smooth operation goes that I've noted to be exceptional. One was my original Spyderco CE GUNTING model and the other was a Sprint Run of the C-60 Massad Ayoob. That GUNTING especially was a truly slick operating piece. It was actually the very first Spyder I owned that had one of those "compression locks".

Now the Sprint Run, G-10 handled Ayoob didn't seem to be built any different than it's production counterpart with the Almite handle. But for some reason it was as slick as motor oil on a wet floor the way it locked and unlocked. The Ayoob is one of my all time favorite Spyderco models ever. But it's the blade design and handle ergonomics more than it's slick operation is the main reason I love it so much.
 
VermontEdge said:
I feel like there's a difference between being smooth and being...I'm not sure how to put it. Free of resistance?

For example, my pm2 free drops with zero play and great lock up. That's one level of smoothness. However, my slysz bowie is craaazy smooth, but it doesn't free drop when I move the lock bar over.

Anyone know what I'm talking about? I guess I'm less of a knife flicker and that I more enjoy the smooth, slow and intentional opening methods.
Click to expand...

Yes that describes it well to me, I'm thinking of smoothness as moving smoothly against some resistance rather than free swinging.

Qualifier: I only have 19 Spyderco's, There's so many I haven't tried.

Taichungers top the list for me:
Slysz Bowie for sure. Man I'm glad I finally ponied up for it.
GB1 equally smooth. I think the GB2 may be as well after I've used it a bunch more.
Sage 4. The one folder I have that has not yet seen carrying/usage (yet). When I look at it and fondle it the word springing to mind is 'flawless'.

Seki:
My Stretch Sprint Nishijin Damascus is also buttery smooth.

Golden:
My oldest and most used Spyderco, my beloved Manix 2 XL. Excellent lock up, when the lock is disengaged the blade slowly falls under it's own weight, flicks beautifully and is so smooooth to open slowly against the CBL spring pressure on the tang.

I don't have a Sage 2, but am a bit surprised to not see it much cited here.
 
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