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Stiff bladed Chaparral, back lock or?

R

Razzle

Joined
Dec 28, 2014
Messages
632
My new Chap 1 is anything BUT flickable, it's loosening up just a little bit after playing with it for hours, but still difficult to deploy the blade (compared to my PM2 and P'Kal).

No grittiness, just "stiff". Tried loosening the screw a bit and lubed the pivot, with no change.

I think I read something, somewhere, that this is characteristic of the back lock (mid lock?) and there is really nothing wrong with my first Taichung knife?
 
It'll loosen up. I don't have one, but the Chaparral's back lock is supposed to be really nice.
 
Nothing wrong. My Chap. 2 IS the smoothest back lock I have, followed closely by Native 5. I've never found a back lock that was flickable. Like you said, just characteristic of the lock type.
 
It is "smooth"....and this little thing is built like a bank vault! I'll just keep playing with it.

Thanks for the quick replies!
 
Due to the extra pressure put onto the tang by the backlock mechanism, a backlock will never be as flickable as a linerlock/frame lock/compression lock/CBBL/bolt action lock etc. That said though, it should loosen up enough to be thumb flickable still...it just won't be as easy as the other types of locks mentioned. I can thumb flick almost all of my back locks (Short of the small ones like the Ladybug/Jester due to the lack of purchase for enough of my hand...I've done it a few times but on those it's very difficult) but there is a different technique...you need to shift your entire hand closer to the pivot to accomplish it, more so with some.
 
3rdGenRigger said:
Due to the extra pressure put onto the tang by the backlock mechanism, a backlock will never be as flickable as a linerlock/frame lock/compression lock/CBBL/bolt action lock etc. That said though, it should loosen up enough to be thumb flickable still...it just won't be as easy as the other types of locks mentioned. I can thumb flick almost all of my back locks (Short of the small ones like the Ladybug/Jester due to the lack of purchase for enough of my hand...I've done it a few times but on those it's very difficult) but there is a different technique...you need to shift your entire hand closer to the pivot to accomplish it, more so with some.
Click to expand...

I have had similar results with my back locks, but I do not recommend heavy flicking of back locks. I believe that it will eventually contribute to the development of up and down blade play. When the blade is flicked open the rotation is stopped by the tang slamming into the lock bar. I believe that this will eventually deform the lock bar enough to add a little play in the lock system. I have had some play develop in my lock backs that I flick the most. YMMV :)
 
True, but that also depends on how hard you flick them. Also, the Chaparral has an internal stop pin so it should take a lot more time to develop play than a normal backlock would.
 
3rdGenRigger said:
True, but that also depends on how hard you flick them. Also, the Chaparral has an internal stop pin so it should take a lot more time to develop play than a normal backlock would.
Click to expand...

Good points. I forgot that the Chap has an internal stop pin. :)
 
I have four spyderco lockbacks, endura, delica, harpy and matriarch. All flick open, the harpy would not at the beginning, but with some tuff glide it does now, but it takes more effort.
 
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