Spyderco fit+finish vindicated

Artfully Martial

Artfully Martial

Joined
Jun 8, 2005
Messages
4,761
Both Spydercos I ordered for myself had minor and not so minor fit and finish issues, but I got in my big batch o christmas spydercos and they're all flawless (yes, even the S30V Native). Byrd Crossbill, Native III, Native S30V, Coccobolo Kopa and Delica 50/50.

The actions on lockbacks are still poor compared to other locks, however....the compression lock and axis lock would eat their action's for lunch.
 
The Ocelot I got recently has the best fit and finish of any knive I've ever had. Outstanding.

As for the whole lockback action thing: it depends on what you mean by action. Obviously lockbacks are less flickable and require a little more force to open, but they can be every bit as smooth as any other lock. My well-worn blue Delica is much smoother than my Comp-lock Spydies. And I think the lockback is the perfect lock for the Ocelot. Makes it feel extra stout even though it's slim.
 
The action also depends on what you are wearing, many folders are not overly functional with a heavy glove and mitts make some impossible. Spyderco's tend to do well though, lockbacks included due to the large opening hole.

-Cliff
 
My two new Persians and one Mini Persian are both a little stiff but I expect them to loosen with usage.
 
Well, for the most part, I personally prefer thumbstuds, with a few exceptions, like my para's oversized hole...

They need a way to keep the lock pressed down (and out of contact with the blade) during opening....I learned some tricks with my old lockbacks doing this when I was a kid where I could flick them like an axis lock or a compression lock. The David Boye dent makes this realllllly hard, but the trick was never easy anyway.

I can flick them okay, with the spyderhole, but they're usually too small to make it easy...if I put the pad on my thumb in the hole, it fits fine, but to flick well, you have to use your thumb nail.

A flipper might overcome the slow action (I'll use the word slow now) if we could design one somehow. Okay, I designed one. There'll have to be a gap, a slit, in the metal locking area of the knife about one cm above the boye dent...this is variable, depending on the knife.....a wider locking bar will be beneficial here.....but within the slit, the flipper can fit through.
 
SOG Twitch already does that.

At any rate, not everyone has decided that pure inertia flicking is the best way to open a knife. I got that out of my system except for fun-time. My standard way of opening a knife--which I can repeat regardless of fine-motor control--is to stick my thumb into (not on, but into) the opening hole and rotate it open. It's not as interesting as a flick, but it works every single time; it also has the benefit of not requiring arm or even wrist movement.
 
Y I B....the SOG already does have that feature....I'll give SOG some smart points when I have some more time. This would of course, indicate that my idea isn't silly...

But I digress.

I agree, not all of us want a quick flick to open our knives. But I'll bet most of us would agree that we'd like the option to flick open our knives. On my para or minigrip, I can open it slowly if I want, but I can also flick it open.
 
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