Spydie hole cutting!

F

Frozy

Joined
Apr 3, 2010
Messages
479
Hey, have anyone noticed that some of the spyder holes are so perfectly smooth and nice just like my manix, while others such as endura has a slightly more rough cutout with a little bumb?
Could it be that the laser machine in the US is different from the one in Japan? Or is it just me being unlucky, getting all the non perfect holes from Japan...
I really hope all of spyderco knives have the same nice and smooth hole, which is more forgiving to my thumbnail and easier to clean.
 
How well a laser cuts is dependent on a number of things, cutting speed, type of gas, the individual piece of steel, skill and knowledge of the operator and programmer to name a few. We have a 20 some year old laser where I work, one operator always gets cleaner holes than the others. The others blame it on the machine, but obviously that's not the problem.
 
I also have noticed a difference in the edge of the spyder hole between my endura, tenacious, and military. This is something I just noticed when I handled all three at the same time after reading this thread but the difference is ever so slight. I still think regardless of the variables involved in the cutting of the hole the quality control is still there.
 
Why are you using your thumbnail? The spyderhole is designed to engage the fat pad of your thumb, and in my experience, rough holes don't hurt me when I use it properly.
 
Spyderco uses several makers, around the world, as well as making knives themselves. Some of those makers use laser, some use water jet, some may use something else altogether to cut steel parts. Different cutting methods yield different textures on the interior of the hole. Since Spyderco also believes that a bit of roughness on the inside adds traction, which is desirable, the holes are generally not given any further finishing. If that doesn't work for you, it's fairly easy to smooth one out with sandpaper wrapped around a dowel.

Paul
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I just thought it is something that spyderco can improve on. After all, it's their trademark so it'll be great for spyderco to pwn other brands that use the hole on their knives.
I have to use thumnail because i have really small thumbs, and it's the most effective way of opening a spyderco for me (and a few others).
 
Some of my knives have a bump where the hole cut was started and ended. It makes absolutely no difference in the function of the hole and is only cosmetic in my experience.

If I open a Spyderco slow I put the meat of my thumb in the hole to rotate out the blade. If I am flicking the knife I use the tip of my thumb and the nail makes contact with metal. A quick flick like shooting a marble launches the blade into place.
 
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The Deacon said:
If that doesn't work for you, it's fairly easy to smooth one out with sandpaper wrapped around a dowel.
Click to expand...

^ +1. i polished the spydie-hole on my centofante 3 pretty much like that. i taped up the blade and spun the knife around the sand paper for 30 seconds and the hole was fully polished.
 
Cutting three different alloys on the same machine could yield the amount of variation I've seen. Considering the variety of steels Spyderco uses and the number of makers around the world they partner with, I'd say they do pretty well.
 
The Deacon said:
Spyderco uses several makers, around the world, as well as making knives themselves. Some of those makers use laser, some use water jet, some may use something else altogether to cut steel parts. Different cutting methods yield different textures on the interior of the hole. Since Spyderco also believes that a bit of roughness on the inside adds traction, which is desirable, the holes are generally not given any further finishing. If that doesn't work for you, it's fairly easy to smooth one out with sandpaper wrapped around a dowel.

Paul
Click to expand...

If you've ever doubted the wisdom of this, pick up a Benchmade 635 mini-Skirmish. They chamfered the opening hole. If you put ANY pressure against the lockbar while gripping the knife your thumb wants to slide out of the hole rather than swing the blade open. I was all set to love the 635 but ended up selling it for that very reason.

Out of all the Spydercos I've ever owned the only one that I really noticed the hole texture on was a stainless Endura with a really strong backspring. The combination of the strong opening resistance and the extremely square hole edge made you really feel it. 30 seconds with some 600 grit sandpaper took care of the problem.
 
Frozy said:
Hey, have anyone noticed that some of the spyder holes are so perfectly smooth and nice just like my manix, while others such as endura has a slightly more rough cutout with a little bumb?
Could it be that the laser machine in the US is different from the one in Japan? Or is it just me being unlucky, getting all the non perfect holes from Japan...
I really hope all of spyderco knives have the same nice and smooth hole, which is more forgiving to my thumbnail and easier to clean.
Click to expand...

Sometimes I'm temped to sharpen the holes on my knives, I like it when they grip you like an angry badger.

Some people have baby bottom skin on their thumbs though, so they don't like it.
 
The hole is not an issue for me, and i will not smoothen it with a sand paper because i want my spyderco knives to be in 100% condition. And i doubt a smooth hole would cause any thumb to slip. My Manix2 has perfect hole and it's perfect =)
 
:D Very well said:thumbup:
Joshua J. said:
Sometimes I'm temped to sharpen the holes on my knives, I like it when they grip you like an angry badger.

Some people have baby bottom skin on their thumbs though, so they don't like it.
Click to expand...
 
When I stick my thumb in the hole of my sage 2 and flick it open it acutally
cuts peices of the top layer of my nail off. Thinking of sanding it down.
 
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