The Pursuit of Drop Shut

[zabernas]

Hey BFers,
I have this Spyderco Brouwer. I can’t put it down. When I connect with a knife I can’t leave well enough alone. It’s from 2018 I believe. The action is very clean but stiff—it’s on phosphor bronze washers.

I’m going for drop shut tuning which is not exactly easy on these specs / dimensions.
I will have some skiffs coming, but that leaves the detent issue.

I’ve never tuned a detent bearing. How do I make it smaller/recessed without causing damage? The detent assembly on the frame lock screws off easily for tinkering. Just not sure where to go from there. Wanting to measure twice, cut once in this scenario because I love this knife and don’t want to hurt it.
Thanks,
John

 

[fishface5]

So are you saying that when you push the lockbar aside to close the knife, the blade drops part-way but then hits the detent ball? If so, can you push the lockbar further open and will it drop? The problem with flattening the ball is that it creates more friction when opening, and a smaller ball might allow the blade to wiggle a bit when closed.

 

[zabernas]

When the frame lock is pushed aside, there's a small but smooth amount of friction i attribute to the phos/bronze washers and the general tolerances of the frame and pivot assembly. i anticipate skiff bearings fixing that. then when I release the frame lock at the point of engagement of the detent bearing on the frame, there's the normal / slightly stiff amount of friction you would expect from the detent doing its job. In my mind I'm thinking I can replicate a McNees mac 2 drop shut. Maybe I'm dead wrong. On the McNees, the blade can ride against the frame lock detent bearing and still "drop" shut, but there's a lot more heft to the mac blade. IDK. I'm grasping at straws. I'm pretty good at working my way through knives, and haven't tried yet, but I don't want to shave the bearing. I'm cool with a little blade play or a slightly weaker detent. sorry, rambling complete.

 

[JJ_Colt45]

You're saying you'd rather create a knife that has some blade play and weak dentent just to have this "drop shut" action?

I'll never understand the infatuation with that particular (I will for lack of a better term ... loosely call it "feature") just for the fidget factor.

 

[zabernas]

*blade play when the blade is closed. Of course not. If I weaken the detent but it is still effective that’s great. I would not compromise lockup. It’s not really about fidgeting. It’s about practicing and learning how to master the art of tuning folding knives and perfecting tolerances. Please let me know if you have any advice.

Open and close a Mcnees and tell me it’s not satisfying.