Southard Advice

VermontEdge

VermontEdge

Joined
Jun 10, 2015
Messages
1,144
Hey all,
First, I've been posting on this sub forum a lot for advice lately so, thank you.
My budget is a little tight these days but it's been a long time since I've bought a knife (and I have a small collection as it is) so I'm planning on making just one purchase for the foreseeable future. I'm teetering on the edge of getting a blurple Manix 2, but all day I've been eyeing an all black southard.
I don't own a any flippers or blacked out knives so I'm tempted. However, the one thing that makes me nervous is the bearings. I tend to like knives that have less pieces and, therefore, less things that could go wrong.
I've heard/seen/read things about the bearings rusting. I've also heard/seen a video about how over tightening the pivot can cause the ball bearings to dent the washers, messing up the flipper action. This makes me nervous as I tend to like a stiffer pivot than most.
I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who can speak to the maintenance of this knives bearings and any other considerations I should keep in mind about this model. I don't want to get a knife that I'll have a bunch of concerns about!

Thanks!
 
the prob with the southard is the thin washers the bearing seem fine in mine but overtime the thin washer will bend
i would go with the manix or the para in 110v
 
Hi
I owned the Southard ( traded it for a JD Smith Sprint) and I never had a problem with the flipper action. Imo Spyderco makes some great flippers with great actions, the domino is one of my all time favs. I pretty much just buy flippers now anyway. I guess it comes down to how you would use it, ie moisture etc and your maintenance routine. Back to the Southard it just never really clicked for me but some people absolutely love it.
You also can't go wrong with a manix, great knife, great ergonomics but takes up some pocket space. I think you would be happy with either but don't let the ball bearings or flipper mechanism dissuade you from your purchase of a Southard if that's the way you want to go. Plus Spydercos DLC coating is one of if not the best on the market..
Hope this helps some
Take care
 
Have a southard. Love it. I saw the same video on over tightening the pivot screw, but honestly is only an issue if you disassemble it and then over tighten putting it back together. Knife has a really good detent though, so I doubt you'd have an issue with the pivot tightness. Overall fit and finish is excellent. I just love the blade shape and functionality. I'm about to swap in some carbon fiber scales to replace the brown, but if you like the all blacked out look then not something you'd do. Honestly, the only real issue I have with the knife is the pocket clip which is too pointy and just seems wrong in my hand. I have a new clip arriving tomorrow. :)

All that said, I'm also drooling over the blurple manix. I love my standard g10 manix and the steel upgrade would be awesome. Plus the blurple is kinda mesmerizing for some reason.

Pick the one that's calling to you and then either save for the next one or you could easily move one here on the forums if you don't like it.
 
I also own a Southard, made a post about it when I got it and it is a sweet knife. I know which black one you're talking about, I think the guy lowered the price to 175 which is a very good price shipping and fees included, don't know very much about the Burple manix, I know the steel is very awesome if it's 110v, it should last a long time; but the CTS204p is pretty awesome itself; I don't know how much the new manix is, I have almost all the versions including the XL, if I had the money I would jump on the black Southard, if I understand correctly even the titanium is coated with DLC which is almost indestructible; the bearings and action in the Southard are impeccable on mine, if you over tightened the pivot to the point of deforming the washers that the bearing ride on, I assume you wouldn't be able to even flip it open, for some reason I find it hard to believe that you can deform those steel washers with simple maintenance.
The guys above make some very good points, I would get the Southard, it looks new and those are becoming very hard to find; plus you can pimp them to your liking.
Decisions are hard to make when money is limited, but I am sure you can turn that Southard around for about the same price. Just my opinion, whatever you choose you will not go wrong, so that's a plus.
Good luck bro.
 
Southard is my absolute love in the whole Spyderco line up, it has the best build tolerance, fit and finish, and mechanics. The thin washers are overkill, but the designers knew that the ball bearings are heat treated to 70 RC, they have to stay round and last a long long time. So here you have softer metal pinching the bearings and if you open any knife with bearing in them you will see a circle that's grooved by these bearings. So over time, the bearing will carve the groove too deep to a point that the scale touches the blade and the function of the bearings will be diminished. How long will this take? Don't know, haven't seen an actual case yet. Therefore, by using the washers they are preventing this scenario from happening because the washer is hardened to similar RC. It will take decades for the bearings to work through them.

The washers are suppose to bow when the bearing are forced onto them, it's called nealing (I forgot the terminology) but any metal fabricator can tell you
 
^Good point; the steel washers are there to protect the titanium from getting grooved by the hard ball bearings, the other side of the bearing is riding straight on the blade tang around the pivot, and yes the washers will always get a tiny groove where the balls are riding:
I have some pics from my old post maybe they will help::here is the washer (I was applying grease to the whole thing)

1ba9f7be74030fe93ee108cb9c5cde82.jpg


Here is the washer with the mark from the bearing:
d000dcff6d571c7b3e349573267a9ffc.jpg


And finally the bearing:
014a1da1ed70bfbf69c2aa0ddf6142dd.jpg


Here is the blade and handles ready to be a sandwich:
30074a6d3b02f63a4498e77507a64e62.jpg


Maintenance on this knife is really a piece of cake; I assume the Manix should be easy too, but I have never taken one apart.
I hope I'm not confusing you or making it worse; I am just trying to help, as every one else above. :)

Edit: I ended wiping most of that grease off, it was just a very thin coat of it.
 
This has all been SUPER helpful everyone! Thanks so much!

Do the bearings on the southard effect the lockup or bladeplay or anything?
 
VermontEdge said:
This has all been SUPER helpful everyone! Thanks so much!

Do the bearings on the southard effect the lockup or bladeplay or anything?
Click to expand...

Not at all, they are there for smoothing the action when you flip the knife open; they will affect blade-play only if you leave the pivot loose, just as any other knife, the same goes for lock up. If you ever need to take the knife apart for maintenance, all you have to do is tighten the pivot until there is no blade play and the blade is centered, and the action is smooth, then stop tightening and you're set. Not a big deal.

I know there is a certain excitement about the manix blue with 110V steel, I had a blurple PM2 with the same steel and it is nice, the steel rocks indeed, it is super tough and it holds the edge a long time, but I sold it, they were going for about 170.00.

like I said the Southard's CTS 204P is also awesome, basically is the equivalent to M390 which is nice; I have a ZT 620CF with 204P and it rocks, you said you been looking at the Southard, and I assume you haven't had one before, so you really like that blade, so if you get it, you will not be disappointed, believe me.

I'm not trying to convince you to buy it, but to tell you the truth, I was looking at it too, then I saw you sent the guy a PM and I assumed it was gone, and then he lowered the price to 175 (which includes the pay pal fees and shipping!), if you don't buy it, let me know and I will get it, because at that price it is a helluva deal since the knife is basically new; I also got mine at the exchange and I paid 180 plus fees, so about 190 or so, have you noticed in the exchange that every time a Southard comes up for sale it is gone right away? They are very nice indeed. If you buy it and you don't like it, I will give you what you paid for it, how about that? I'm serious.

What I mean is that you will not waste your money with that blade man, and if for some reason I cannot buy it from you, you will get your money back, in fact I am surprised why it hasn't sold, maybe it's the black coating, but DLC is a very tough coating; I have EDC'd a PM2 with DLC coating for 3 years and it still looks pretty good. Someone already said above you can always sell it and get your money back. I really hope you don't think I am pushing you, but I think it is a good deal and you will like it a lot.

I used mine to cut about 4 large cardboard boxes just to test the steel, and it is still shaving sharp, I will post a picture of it with my phone in a few minutes so you can see it, it looks new. Maybe it hasn't sold because people like the polished finished better? I don't know man, but to me that is weird. Whatever you choose, you will be fine, Spyderco makes some of the best stuff out there in my opinion, oh you should know it is made in Taichung, Taiwan; but the fit and finish is top notch; I think all Manix's are made in Colorado.

I really hope I'm helping you and not making you more confused or hesitant; just get what you like and you will be happy whatever it is, if it is a Spydie.
Good luck brother.
 
Thanks again everyone! Went to buy this after all the encouragement and, of course, it's SPF. Crossing my fingers for seconds!
 
FYI: DLC is only applied to knives made in Golden... Overseas manufacturers use TiNi coatings (Japan and Taiwan, China uses something else, which eludes my memory at the moment...)
 
PS,if your planing on getting a southard! i wouldn't sweat over the washers,just don't over crank down on the screws,as the bearings prevent most blade play any way,this is a good point!on DLC coating,i own two non black versions and never had a single problem with ether,one grate flipper to own.
 
The s110v manix and the southard are great knives .... To me they have a different feel

Southard feels a bit more upscale and the manix feels like a knife ready to work ... If that makes sense
 
And here is the tricky part, the manix 2 actually fits my hand so much better than a pm2

So if you send up with either and don't like it, I bet the other will fit better
 
I really like my black Southard. I figured out the flipper and I"m a fan of the blade shape and look and the smaller clip.

Fold that money in half and stick it in your pocket. They seem to turn up for sale on here on a fairly regular basis.
 
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