SpyderFly broken

V

Valeriano Rodriguez Soria

Joined
May 20, 2020
Messages
5
Hi. I own a broken Spyderco SpyderFly. It is missing all of the main screws with its nuts, all the washers and it has a break in the frame, in a critical area.
The break maybe I can fix it, but the specific screws and nuts are impossible to find for me. I wrote to Spyderco years ago, without success, I will write to them again.

Can anyone add something about this?

Thank you all.


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That's just sad.

Not sure how you'd fix a "break in the frame, in a critical area" but a custom knife maker (or even a machinist) could probably do something about the screws/nuts to reattach the blade to the handles.
 


I was planning to do a wide weld in the area (MIG), then file, readjust and polish. I have some experience with that, and could also take it to a welder.

The main problem would be getting the missing screws, nuts and washers.Maybe someone who has a SpyderFly can tell me the size of the washers to get them on my own.

The screws/nuts will be another story. USAKnifemaker says they don't have anything like it, and Spyderco hasn't answered yet.
 
Spyderco's answer would probably be "The Spyderfly was recalled years ago by court order, so if you have one it should be sent to us for disposal."

Good luck finding parts. If it was mine, I'd drill out all the holes and tap them at a size I could get.
 
Approximately.

Spyderco: We are sorry you are having trouble with your Spyderfly. I'm sorry we no longer have parts available for the Spyderfly.

I will try to weld, and then if the frame looks good I will try to get the screws or adapt others, I will tell you.

Thank you all.
 
Hi Valeriano,

Welcome to our forum.

Where did you get your Spyderfly? As Jack mentioned, if you ship it to us, we have to destroy it.

sal
 
Sal Glesser founder of Spyderco here? I can not believe it!

I bought SpyderFly many years ago, from USA, but it was already broken when it arrived. At that time I disassembled it to try to repair but I abandoned it, and when I took up the project a long time later the screws were no longer there.

I am very excited to restore a knife that I was already excited about when I bought it. I lost my Benchmade 42, this SpyderFly is all I have left.

If you can help me, I will be very grateful to you.
 
McMaster carr might have what you need. Maybe not exactly but we'll within the possibilities of use.

If you can get your hands on a caliper to measure the holes i can probably help you.
 
Hi Valeriano,

Yeah, I'm here. I'm mostly involved in R&D these days. I'm also an edge junky. Mostly about improving performance on our knives. This is a good place to chat with like minded knife afi's.

Eric designed the Spyderfly and he knows more about them than anyone. we no longer have any parts in house. I'll forward the link to is thread to him. I don't know if he can assist.

sal
 
I’m glad to see Sal is trying to help but I don’t understand why they would destroy it if you sent it in vs. them offering to send back if they couldn’t fix.

I wish balisongs were more available. I’d love to try out the janisong. It’s a shame to see these types of cool knives ignored in the US.
 
blueblur said:
I’m glad to see Sal is trying to help but I don’t understand why they would destroy it if you sent it in vs. them offering to send back if they couldn’t fix. I wish balisongs were more available. I’d love to try out the janisong. It’s a shame to see these types of cool knives ignored in the US.
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I read an article about "what happened" to the Spyderfly awhile ago but I can't find it now.

As I recall, the Fed Govt (Customs?) initiated an enforcement action against Spyderco for the illegal importation of the Spyderfly for sale in the US. Spyderco was forced to pay a fine ($250K?) and agree to not to sell any balis in the US anymore, had to ask buyers to return it to them which they would then have to destroy if received.

Don't think the action included the Janisong, which is still made in Taiwan but Spyderco is only selling it overseas and as I recall the Jani comes w/a flyer that tells people not to bother sending it to Spyderco for repairs.

Sal or anyone else who knows better is welcome and encouraged to correct this if it's wrong.

Obviously, no one is sending their Spyderfly or Janisong back to Spyderco for destruction (I certainly am not going to that) and there still are a lot of them available for purchase in the 2ndary market at what I consider "reasonable" prices, given the fact that they aren't made any more.

As I recall, I paid $300 for my Spyderfly and $375 for my Janisong w/in the past 2 years. Worth it as collector items; not so much for anything else since they are "illegal" for me to carry in my state (CA). Since I don't use them, I don't have to worry about fixing them but, as is the case for the OP, if you need to fix a Spyderfly or Janisong, good luck w/that.

Just don't send it to Spyderco to try to get it fixed. LOL! ;)
 
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Possessions are fleeting.

It's that classic lifelong battle. You have something rare and awesome, do you use it and risk damage and loss or do you keep it on a pedestal and never enjoy it.

I come down firmly on the use it side.
 
Danke42 said:
Possessions are fleeting.

It's that classic lifelong battle. You have something rare and awesome, do you use it and risk damage and loss or do you keep it on a pedestal and never enjoy it.

I come down firmly on the use it side.
Click to expand...

This is a very old debate.

There are users and collectors and there are some that are both. I collect a a lot of things, including art, baseball memorabilia, some guns that I never shoot, LP records (mostly jazz and most of which I never listen to more than once), books (mostly cookbooks) that I hardly ever read/use and other things that I just look at.

I am mainly a collector and make no apologies about it. Do you really think that knife makers (custom or mass market) in the $100+ range would sell as many knives if only people who used them bought them?

I think not.

I know for a fact that out of the 330+ knives that I own that I could go thru LIFE actually using only 1 or 2 of them. That would be enough. I do however have more than 1-2 knives that I use but they are mostly old soft carbon steel kitchen knives, that rust but are easy to use/sharpen. I have a couple of drawers full of them.

But, I'm not using my Spyderfly or Janisong to do anything w/except flip them a couple of times every year or so. And, if you think I would be "better" if I used use my Nirvana, Drunken, Kerhaw Tilt or any other knife (most costing $100-200), including many autos and balis (most costing $200-400) that I own to cut sh*t with, I think that you're seriously mistaken.

My $, my choice!
 
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I appreciate the comments, and it's an interesting topic, but unfortunately that way the initial purpose is distorted.
With no intention of offending anyone, really.

Thanks you very much Sal for the reply and for trying to help, I will not forget.
 
Hi Bluebur,

Sgt's explanation was close. It was a very sticky time for us to be sure.

sal
 
I have a VG-10 Spyderfly, and to say it is a prized possession would be an understatement.

OP, good luck with your repairs! It would be great to get that knife up and running again.
 
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sgt1372 said:
This is a very old debate.

There are users and collectors and there are some that are both. I collect a a lot of things, including art, baseball memorabilia, some guns that I never shoot, LP records (mostly jazz and most of which I never listen to more than once), books (mostly cookbooks) that I hardly ever read/use and other things that I just look at.

I am mainly a collector and make no apologies about it. Do you really think that knife makers (custom or mass market) in the $100+ range would sell as many knives if only people who used them bought them?

I think not.

I know for a fact that out of the 330+ knives that I own that I could go thru LIFE actually using only 1 or 2 of them. That would be enough. I do however have more than 1-2 knives that I use but they are mostly old soft carbon steel kitchen knives, that rust but are easy to use/sharpen. I have a couple of drawers full of them.

But, I'm not using my Spyderfly or Janisong to do anything w/except flip them a couple of times every year or so. And, if you think I would be "better" if I used use my Nirvana, Drunken, Kerhaw Tilt or any other knife (most costing $100-200), including many autos and balis (most costing $200-400) that I own to cut sh*t with, I think that you're seriously mistaken.

My $, my choice!
Click to expand...
I think if I had one I'd use it.

You can do whatever you want.
 
It’s a shame a different style of tool is made so widely illegal. Thanks for the explanation.
 
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