Spyderco PM2 adjustment issues

R

RRSAND

Joined
Sep 30, 2018
Messages
4
Hello to you all.
I'm in desperate need of help with a PM2 (S45VN) i just purchased, the thing is almost giving me a nervous breakdown...
It was bought second hand, but never used.
Original, sold by Lamnia.
It came with brass scales, but i tried the original G10 scales (several times), and the problem persists.

So:
As soon as i took it out of the box, i noticed some lateral blade play, i tightened the pivot screws just a tiny bit, and it went away, but then i noticed the blade was simply locked in place, and i had to make an enormous effort to simply move it.
Tried everything i can think of.
Cleaned it with an ultrasonic cleaner, opened and closed it hundreds of times, tightened all the screws in different sequences and tensions (including the stop pin screws), slightly polished the washers, obviously lubricated it with several different oils, etc, etc.
I'm sure i disassembled the knife more than 50 times, and i lost hours with it, i am actually worried that the screws will start to fail soon.

But i noticed something... I really don't know how, but i almost got rid of the lateral blade play, and the only way of getting a "typical" PM2 action, is... No pivot screws!
I disassembled it a few more dozen times after this, and nothing changes.
As soon as i put them in and slightly tighten them (just enough to hold them in place), the blade locks.
I don't have Loctite because i never needed it, the only thing holding the screws in place is a small piece of silicone (from a glove) i applied to them, otherwise, they would simply fall...

I would like to try different washers and pivot, but i'm in Europe, so getting parts is basically impossible.

This is not my first Spyderco, i have several Manix 2, and they all work flawlessly, one of them needed a little adjustment, but it's perfect now.
I also adjusted a few PM2 from friends, and i have never seen anything like this.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance!
 
Judging from all the information you provided, I would suspect some misuse from the original owner, but that level of misuse could have been seen on the blade.

Also :

RRSAND said:
the only thing holding the screws in place is a small piece of silicone (from a glove) i applied to them, otherwise, they would simply fall...
Click to expand...

I cannot visualize this but this could be the source of your problem. Have you tried to buy some third party screws ? Think Flytanium or such, they can be found on several euro sellers websites.
 
Any chance you bent the liners when swapping scales to get the lanyard tube out?
 
PM2 stress. I have had it before. (Being stressed over PM2s, that is - not stressing my PM2s. Should be the other way around.)
 
Just slightly loosen one of the small stop pin screws which are located just above the pivot screws. In some rare circumstances these screws can be overtightened causing poor blade movement.
 
elde66 said:
Just slightly loosen one of the small stop pin screws which are located just above the pivot screws. In some rare circumstances these screws can be overtightened causing poor blade movement.
Click to expand...
I too have run into this being an issue.
 
How much lateral blade play?

Although we all like our knives to be "perfect", or as close to "perfect" as possible (including zero blade play), a little lateral blade play isn't the end of the world. If it's just a little, and if the knife still locks up tight, then the knife should still be perfectly usable and serve you well for the rest of your life.

I too would have suggested sending it to Spyderco, but being in Europe that would not be very practical.

Unless you discover some magic combination of screw-tightening, your only choices are likely going to be- learn to live with it, stash it away somewhere and try to forget about it, or part ways with it.

To add, second-hand knives are often advertised as "never used", etc, but that doesn't mean a previous owner didn't alter or damage the knife in some way trying to force their "custom" modifications to work.

Or maybe the knife is simply defective. Even Spyderco is capable of letting a lemon slip out.
 
Last edited:
Mister_Punchy said:
Judging from all the information you provided, I would suspect some misuse from the original owner, but that level of misuse could have been seen on the blade.

Also :



I cannot visualize this but this could be the source of your problem. Have you tried to buy some third party screws ? Think Flytanium or such, they can be found on several euro sellers websites.
Click to expand...
I know the guy that sold it to me, the knife was new, (probably only used for photos, as most of his knives), and, as you say, it reflects on the blade, not a single scratch, i doubt it ever cut anything...
The silicone is there to hold the screws in place, since i can't tighten them. If i tighten them only enough to stop them from spinning, the blade will almost lock...
It actually works perfectly well without the pivot screws... No lateral blade blade movement, great action... Weird!

Carl_Havoc said:
Any chance you bent the liners when swapping scales to get the lanyard tube out?
Click to expand...
I checked the liner on a perfectly flat surface (a thick tempered glass, and they are perfectly flat...

kobold said:
Send it to Spyderco? Also ask this on https://forum.spyderco.com/, they are helpful.
Click to expand...
Mister_Punchy said:
May be long and costly to send knives to Spyderco from Europe 😔
Click to expand...


Exactly, unfortunately, it's not worth it... 😐

elde66 said:
Just slightly loosen one of the small stop pin screws which are located just above the pivot screws. In some rare circumstances these screws can be overtightened causing poor blade movement.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion, but i tried that, and nothing changed...

unwisefool said:
This is why I don't buy used knives that have been messed with.
Click to expand...

And you are right, i bought this because i knew the guy and that the knife had never been used, the problem probably came from the factory...

Hashishiin said:
PM2 stress. I have had it before. (Being stressed over PM2s, that is - not stressing my PM2s. Should be the other way around.)
Click to expand...
😅

killgar said:
How much lateral blade play?

Although we all like our knives to be "perfect", or as close to "perfect" as possible (including zero blade play), a little lateral blade play isn't the end of the world. If it's just a little, and if the knife still locks up tight, then the knife should still be perfectly usable and serve you well for the rest of your life.

I too would have suggested sending it to Spyderco, but being in Europe that would not be very practical.

Unless you discover some magic combination of screw-tightening, your only choices are likely going to be- learn to live with it, stash it away somewhere and try to forget about it, or part ways with it.

To add, second-hand knives are often advertised as "never used", etc, but that doesn't mean a previous owner didn't alter or damage the knife in some way trying to force their "custom" modifications to work.

Or maybe the knife is simply defective. Even Spyderco is capable of letting a lemon slip out.
Click to expand...

That's the weird thing... Somehow, i got rid of the blade play...
The knife actually works perfectly well without the pivot screws...
No blade play (just a bit of flex if i push it too hard), great action, (the "typical" PM2 action), etc!
But when i apply the screws, i simply can't tighten them (not even enough to stop them from spinning freely), or else the blade almost locks...
Right now i improvised, by sticking a small piece of silicone rubber to increase the atrition on the screws, and prevent them from falling (it´s working, but it is temporary, i don't even know how the silicone will react to oils, for example), if i can't find some miraculous solution, i will probably get some Loctite, and "glue" them in place without even tightening them...
 
RRSAND said:
And you are right, i bought this because i knew the guy and that the knife had never been used, the problem probably came from the factory...
Click to expand...
Oh ok, I misread then, I thought there were aftermarket scales on.
 
Check the washers that go between the pivot bushing and the liners. Are they dished?

Also make sure that it's pivot tension that's stopping the blade and not the liner/scale. If the two sides of the knife aren't parallel (usually because of the lanyard tube isn't installed properly), it can bind the action. If that's the issue, loosen all of the body screws (including stop pin), tighten the pivot, and then tighten the other screws.
 
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