so i just got my Spydie ParaMillie and...

M

mosplat

Joined
Apr 6, 2004
Messages
42
i'm not 100% enthralled.

it's a very nice knife;
sharp enough to shave out of the box,
comfortable and secure grip in most grips,
and the compression lock is easier to work than i thought.
(i can unlock and swing the blade closed in one hand)
it is of above-average size for a 3" blade.

but i was kind of disappointed with some finish details.
the bottom of the clip has a sharp imperfection,
no biggie i can file it down myself,
but i didn't think i'd have to.

and it also has a pretty perceptible amount of play in the blade when open.
not easily visible, but it is felt.
is this something that will go away once it is worn in?
or will i just have to get used to it?
i admit i only really perceive it when i'm playing around with it,
not when it is in use,
but it still bugs me..

has anyone else has these issues or i am just too picky?

i'll give it a month of edc and see what happens, i guess.
 
mosplat, it's a great production knife ... but it's production knife. It won't have the fit and finish of a more expensive, dressier knife. The big deal is the operational capability.

I like my Spydies! But I usually find the edges are rough: the back of the blade will be so cleanly cut that it feels like it has wire edges. I think that a the few moments of buffing with a ceramic rod to smooth this out is acceptable.

As far as blade play, it's hard to say, but it may set in tighter with use.
 
Mine had the sharp thing on the end of the clip, and so did another one I had for a short while. I filed it down.

Mine has no play in any direction. I'm not sure how breaking in is going to change the play on yours -- I hope it will. Whether you should send it back will depend on how much play there is and how much it bothers you. Given the way the lock works, it definitely won't fail as a result of any play.

I have a Chinook II with very slight play that you really almost can't feel. It doesn't bother me. I called Spyderco and they said not to worry about it -- it doesn't affect lock strength, they said. Still, a lot of guys might have sent it back.

Listen to Esav. I'm pretty new at this, but at this stage I've bought several knives over $100. I've managed to buy a few outright defective ones, which I sent back. But even the non-defective ones tend to have some little flaw that makes them less than perfect (though still functional). The only one I'm confident is 100% perfect is the Sebenza, which costs much more than a Paramilitary.

Bottom line: spending $100 or more on a knife doesn't guarantee you a perfect knife. But it ought to buy you a reasonably safe, durable and functional knife.
 
No blade play at all on the one I've had a week now.

Looks like Spyderco might have caught the sharp clip problem. There's no sharp edge on this one, but there is a flat section where the black coating is missing, looks like the edge might have been taken off. Wouldn't even have noticed it if it wasn't for this thread as it's tucked slightly underneath.
 
it is true, one can't expect a perfect production knife for $100.

i'll see after a month or so.

thanks again, guys.
 
Don't be jaded...they are out there. I have lots of Spydies far less than 100$ that are better than some customs I have seen. Call Spyderco warranty and repair and they will fix you up. Take Care!!!
 
I bought a Para just recently. At first the lock and I had some battles with closing, but now I can flip it open and closed one handed no problem. The clip on mine feels smooth to me, but I noticed at school I brushed against the wall and my clip decided to leave a battle wound for the wall. I have zero play in any direction. I did find out that for some reason my new Para did not come with a lanyard tube, so I contacted Spyderco, and it looks like I need to send it back. Either way I am more than happy with this knife.
 
Goes and gets Para.....

Lets see, mine has the little bit of steel on the clip too. Hadn't really noticed it before, no big deal can be fixed with a file. Opening and closing are no prblem, but I still get a bit of sticking when closing at times. My problem, not the compression locks.

No play here, unless I really try to force it, in which case I get a small amount of play. In my experience blade play doesn't get beter with use, it gets worse or stays the same. I might be wrong, but that is just what I have seen. If it bothers you, or is so bad that you feel the knife isn't safe then send it back.
 
Please follow the advice of others and call spyderco. They will discuss it and I'm sure they will help find a solution. All my spydies have zero play, so this may just be a fluke, in which case, they will likely replace/fix.
 
I have a ParaMilitary from one of the earlier production runs. Clip is just fine and there's absolutely no blade play. Is it as nicely finished as the Mayo TNT that's in my pocket at the moment? Of course not, but neither did it cost anywhere near as much.
 
Side-to-side blade play may be simply a question of tightening the pivot (you can get a jeweler typ torx screw driver with changeable bits for $6 at Home depot. Invest the 12 bucks (you need two) its worth it. It allows you to completely disassemble the knife if you feel so inclined. I found that on the two knives with compression lock I have, there might be a very small amount of vertical blade play if the blade is opened very slowly or very quickly. This is due to the fact that the locking pin doesn't move as far over as it can (it still a safe lock. tough). But once you use it or just wiggle the blade up and down, the pin will wedge itself more and more firmly between anvil pin and blade, locking the blade more and more securely. Which is the beauty of the compression lock.
 
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