Stiff lock on triad models easy fix...

B

Black_Hat

Joined
May 21, 2001
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25
Just throwing this out there.
Years ago I picked up a Spartan on another forum. Recently gifted it to my father for a present. The knife did not deploy in a a manner I cared for so it never got any use/ carry from me owning it. I use the Captains of crush grip trainers so my hands are a bit more than the average American males grip. I never noticed the lock being stiff on the knife.

So off to dad she went... To say he was a happy camper would be an understatement. My dad being a teacher by trade is not in the average American hand strength category, we will say he is a bit under that mark. So, dad calls me up and says the knife is a pain to close, we talked for a while I gave some ideas on how to fix the issue and ultimately...

He called Cold Steel Customer Service and was told the leave the knife 1/2 open in a safe place so no one cut them self for a week and try the lock again. He has no issues now with releasing the lock and again is a happy camper.
 
Yes, this is the standard fix for a Triad Lock that is initially a little stiff to unlock. Works a charm.
 
Just heard this from CS rep. today (that is legit-advice) gonna try it on my newly acquired CS Rajah II Blackout-Edition, CS Talwar XL & Spartan.
And very near future CS Espada XL & can't decide on either the Rajah III, Code-4 or AK-47 as an EDC.
 
Cool, gonna pass this on to the rest of my friend have this issue .. but just wondering if someone can post a photo of the rough optimum angle or position to leave the knife be overnight?

anyone tried this on the bigger espada?
 
Mathias888 said:
Cool, gonna pass this on to the rest of my friend have this issue .. but just wondering if someone can post a photo of the rough optimum angle or position to leave the knife be overnight?

anyone tried this on the bigger espada?
Click to expand...

Anywhere in between all the way open and all the way closed. There's a slight step up when you start to open the knife (it's what holds the blade shut), once you past that you can leave it anywhere and it'll apply pressure to the lockbar spring.
 
sh00ter01 said:
Anywhere in between all the way open and all the way closed. There's a slight step up when you start to open the knife (it's what holds the blade shut), once you past that you can leave it anywhere and it'll apply pressure to the lockbar spring.
Click to expand...

^This. I usually suggest 90* between blade and handle, just because it's easy to visualize (a simple L shape), but any angle that places the end of the lock bar on the curved rearmost portion of the tang will work. Springs "settle" as they are used. What you're trying to do here is speed the process up. By leaving the spring under constant pressure for a week or two, you are sort of mimicking the effects of cycling (opening and closing) the knife many, many times, it's just a lot less work. :thumbup:
 
Never heard of this until this thread. Worked like a charm on my Raj 2&3, Lg Voyager and Lg Espada. Thanks all for the tip share!
 
That's a timely fix.

I'm giving a Spearpoint Recon 1 for secret Santa at work. I was worried about the lock being initially stiff and planned on telling the recipient to give it time to break in. Now I'll just apply this fix before I gift it.

I'll also use it on my Tanto Recon 1.

Thanks for the tip.
 
Wow... glad I saw this thread! I bought an American Lawman sometime back and love that knife. It took a bit to grow on me, not much, but now it has more than proven its worth and utility value on the job site.

So I got a Recon1. The lock ground when I depressed the bar and it didn't release until there was about 1/16" above the spine. It was awful. Thinking I got a lemon, I sent it back and ordered a Code4.

It arrived, the lock was pretty smooth, but it took both hands to get it closed. I am a construction worker with 40 years in the trades with hands used to gripping tools, hammers, and hauling around materials all day long. It shouldn't be a long painful process to get a tool ready to use, then a long process to put it away. The Code4 also requires really deep depression of the lock bar to get he lock to disengage, and that means no use with work gloves out on the job.

I love my American Lawman and keep looking at these new Cold Steels and can't figure out what has gone on with them. If this "leave it open" fix doesn't work, I am sending the Code4 back too, and will be finished with Cold Steel unless I can find a place where I can inspect before buying.

Thanks for the post. The Code4 is a beauty, so I have my fingers crossed!

Robert
 
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I found that it is all about how you go about opening it. My first Cold Steel was a Recon 1, in the 4" size, with the Tri-Ad lock. I found, even 4 years after use, that if I hand the knife to someone, they can't close it. This is because they try to push it down with the end of their thumb while (sometimes) pulling the blade down in a direction to close it. because of how deep the lock sits in the Tri-Ad lock, this is usually to no avail, and requires an extreme amount of effort. Now, using the technique that I will describe, you can close your knife with much greater ease. I haven't done the above "fix" for the stiffness, although by now I have open and closed the knife many times. I have, however, been using this method of closing the knife since I received it, and have been met with much success.

I will try to describe this as best as I can:

1. Hold the knife (in this case, a Recon 1, but I have done this with other Cold Steel folders as well) like you are going to stab something that straight in front of you. this means putting your thumb along the top of the knife, pointing it towards you, and wrapping your fingers around the handle.
2. slide your thumb back while keeping it pointed forward until your thumb's joint (the one farthest out) contacts the lock bar release point. This will be accompanied by a slight distancing of the knife from the upper palm (near your thumb) of your hand.
3. Rotate your thumb to point to your side (I am left handed, so it points to my right; if you are right handed, it will point towards your left). This movement will require you to also point all four of your fingers in the same direction as your thumb, such that you will be balancing the blade's handle between your thumb's joint and your fingers. As well, the blade will now be significantly distanced from your entire palm. Aim to have your fingers and thumb horizontal while facing outward, and the blade and the handle to remain in the same relative position (forward, in a stab like orientation as described above).
4. Use your other hand to grip the blade from above; to make this more comfortable, rotate the hand holding the handle toward the other.
5. Apply a tight squeezing force between your thumb's joint and the finger that is directly below that joint (and hence also below the lock bar). use your other three fingers (pointer, ring, and pinky) for balance of the knife during this.
6. Once you feel that the lock bar is pressed all the way down and has disengaged from the blade, use the hand holding the blade to safely bring the blade down a little bit, so that you can release your squeezing force and close the blade.

***Comments***

I use this same procedure (if you can call it that), only one handed, such that the blade is allowed to fall three-fifths-closed from gravity (or if new, from the assistance of any nearby object or solid body including myself) so that the flat of the blade (before there is an edge) hits my pointer finger (keeping me from chopping my fingers off, and reduced the need to use my other hand). I then rotate my grip and flip the knife blade closed.

I have done this with gloves on.

I write and type most days, so I won't group myself under the super-strong hands, but I will say they have a fair amount of strength. Probably around normal, not below.

Hope it helps, but otherwise thanks for letting me share.
 
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