Spyderco Navigator project for new clothes

[STR]

Well, Jay you will be pleased to learn that I got your package safe and sound.

Figured while I'm posting pics of progress for one I may as well post pics of yours too while I'm here.

I'll keep you abreast of how we are doing there. Funny I had in my head that this was a Native. Brain Fart I guess!

STR

 

[STR]

Jay I agree with you. The blade seems a bit rough rolling on that lockbar. Not sure why yet. I'll know more shortly. I went ahead and took a peek inside during my wait on the Ricochet.

I'll have it all apart and separate here in a few minutes and be able to polish that up some on both surfaces. Hopefully that will smooth it out for you.

By the way. Look at this little Navigator lock up. And people wonder why I love Spyderco. I don't mean to down play other company knives in this next statement and won't mention names but a guy doing what I do could easily make a lot of people uncomfortable I think if a knife I work on doesn't look too good and especially if it is that way a lot. Fortunately for Spyderco they stand up to close scrutiny and this little knife is no exception here Jay. No offense meant to competitors but this is more contact than I see on other bigger more famous trusted back lock folders without mentioning any names. This lock bites down in there nicely and is angled precisely correct. In other words they did all the right moves here. Note the slight gap underneath. A little pocket lint won't clog up this knife right away. Always a good thing there also.

Certainly not a bad lock up for such a small gents folder in my humble opinion and it locks up tight too with no play which is always a plus.

STR

 

[STR]

I figured I'd document one other shot of this knife since its the first one I've ever worked on for anyone. Never know when I'll want to see this or someone will ask.

Oh, and Jay, do you want this tapped for tip up cary or tip down? You didn't say.

Let me know my friend. I'll be there sooner than you may think. I find it interesting that some of these all stainless knives have washers like this one, and some like the Ocelots I've taken apart, made in the same place don't.

STR

 

[STR]

Well I think part of the reason it was so rough feeling Jay is maybe due to the fact that it only had one washer in it. However it might be a rough spot on either the blade or lockbar. I'll run my smooth cratex over it very lightly and see but if its there I don't see it.

Moving right along now though.

Here we have a break down shot of all parts minus the clip, and the tracing of your new scales. Next step cuttin'!

STR

 

[STR]

Well, Jay I was just toying with you on the orange G10. I do have the Green Canvas ones cut out and drilled. But we may have another problem. In trying to figure out the rough spot you were feeling I got out my big magnifyer and look what I found.

I think I found a fracture on your lock contact on the blade. I've written you an email to ask that you get back with me. You can catch this with your fingernail. I also note a rounded edge on one side of the contact that should be crisp. I can't say for sure but it looks like the kind of thing I see from Spine whacks. Any ideas?

It wasn't until I got the blade out that I noticed this under the scope. From the sides and looking inside I can't really see it but I don't know if its trustworthy or not.

Take a look.

STR

 

[STR]

You know Jay. I wrote Sal, and I am currently catching hell from my wife because her take on this is unforgiving. She is probably correct though. She said if I would just wear my damn glasses like I'm supposed to that I would have caught this before voiding your warranty. So, with that said I take responsibility here and I'm ordering you a new Navigator from NewGraham right now. Actually I've already ordered it. It goes out tomorrow. When it gets here you'll have a new blade and I'll do something else with the old one and the left overs.

STR

 

[bell]

Wow STR this is amazing.

First thank you so much for your professional evaluation of this little folder and as always your great work and customer response.

Second, I got this knife new from Sierra Trading Post (plastic still on the ss slabs) on a closeout for a great price, turned around the next day and sent it to you. I have learned.....again...if it seems to good to be true it probably is.

Third, this seems like some manufacturing fluke and is not your fault. I will forward check for cost of the replacement. Please tell your wife that among the knife cognoscenti your are a saint but you dont have x-ray vision.

Thanks Again

 

[STR]

Well, one of her pet peves with me is that I never put my glasses on. Wait till I get a hearing aid too, then it will be fun. Oh boy!

Anyway, she has a point but for most stuff I can get by fine without them obviously, I mean I do all the time but for up close exams I really do need them and never have them in the shop so hopefully I can correct that in the future.

If you bought this new it may be a factory deal but it may be that someone bought the thing before you, spine whacked it and returned it too. The rounded edge of the contact doesn't look normal but neither does the fracture line for that matter.

Anyway, I appreciate the offer. I may or may not cash the check though.

STR

 

[bell]

Well it took me a while but I finally saw the outline orange G10 scales. STR is there really an orange g10?

Tip down please so we can use the existing lanyard hole.

Check in the mail.

Jay in LA

 

[STR]

There really is an orange G10 yes. See it on the give away knife in the Spyderco main forum and probably here in the picture thread too actually and I did a Tasman Salt over in it also that was also Waved and mailed back to the UK. My wife loved it. Simply made me put it on a Bonzai Root Rake I made her. It has held up well though.

My wife is quite the gardener. We are really getting some good eats this summer thanks to her. Squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, some mild peppers, and pumpkins are not far from harvest I don't think. Been eating strawberries, and even got a few artichokes this year out of her garden.

Oh yeah. Got word from NewGraham that the new Nav shipped out today.

STR

 

[STR]

Jay I hope to have your knife in the mail tomorrow and if so I also hope to have it done by Monday, but if not it will be later, probably Tuesday. When yours comes I'll have my new 14205 to play with also, so hopefully tomorrow for sure. I'm greatly anticipating that one.

STR

 

[bell]

No hurry, not to worry.

Good luck with your new knife.

 

[Bungwrench]

STR,

That looks great, but I have to say that I'm not really to impressed with the factory lockup. I mean is it me or does it look like it's just barely catching? Seems like it's just barely locking up.

Here is a picture I have seen of the Delica 4 lockup. This is what I expect.



Am I wrong?

 

[STR]

Well, for this class of knife its actually quite nice. These Navs will never be in the same class as the D4. It seats deeper than it may look in the picture. Imagine being able to take the knife and push down on the bottom to sit it right a bit more since it is slightly angled.

Also, after looking at it I noted the rounded spot on the contact is actually the side showing on the blade in that shot. It sits up better on the opposing side that still sits up crisp and sharp without a rounded off edge. When I get the new one I'll try to remember to post a pic of it.

Here is a big knife about the same class as a Buck 110 compared to a Spyderco Blue 93mm Rescue and look at it in comparison and its not a bad lock up but typical of what I see in a lot of other knives out there.

And yet another in slightly larger knives. Spyderco and anonymous. I don't want to name it. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=62286&d=1162908199


STR

 

[Bungwrench]

Thanks STR. That helps a lot.

I gotta tell ya, those other two "non-Spydies" scare the crap out of me. No way would I ever want to trust my fingers to either of those.

 

[STR]

Yeah, when I say they pass the scrutiny test I guess you have to weigh it against what else is out there and if you haven't seen that as much as I have well, I guess its hard to see what I'm talking about isn't it?

Sometimes I forget that not everyone knows what else is being sold out there.

STR

 

[STR]

Jay, your second Navigator showed up this morning but its going back to get it exchanged out. It has the exact same mark, in the exact same place, the exct same rounded edge one side only and basically looks worse than yours did. I'm not sure what to think of this. Its something I will try to get a picture of for this thread. I am not sure it will do justice to what I see here though. It even has the exact same rough spot you noted and in the exact same place in the movement. Its as if they were stamped out with the same flaw on both of them.

I'm thinking if this is the case its probably that way with another but don't know until Monday when I can ask Mike at NewGraham to pull one out and look at it before shipping it.

Stay tuned.

STR

 

[bell]

Wow, eerie stuff. A bad batch?

Thanks for your scrutiny and perseverence with this project.

This was supposed to be easy.

Jay

 

[STR]

I am going to go ahead and take the blade out of this one Jay. After using my biggest glass to get a super view of this new one I do not think it is near as flawed as it appeared with the naked eye and my hand held scope. It seems in fact that on this one the mark although in the same spot is nothing but superficial unlike the other one that appears to be a fracture. So, with that said I apologize. Again my eyes fool me. It should be done here before Monday.

It is really weird to me because to my naked eye it looks like a big crack but under the scope you can actually see that this is not the case and that indeed the blade is solid so its a go afterall.

Sorry once again for the false alarm my friend.

STR

 

[STR]

Here is a little better angle of the lock up that you will have in the new handles Jay.

This is going to be a rigid little folder I think and very very light weight too. 1.6 ounces in this shot before trimming, and cutting the barrels or adding screws and clip though so it remains to be seen what the final weight will be but its going to be under 2 ounces I can just tell you that now.

STR