- Joined
- Apr 7, 2006
- Messages
- 5,213
I like to tinker...
I love my Spyderco lockbacks. They know how to make them and usually the lockback models are strong, feature awesome materials, and give that finger choil a great use (single handed closing). One thing that you don't get with many non-custom lockbacks is a perfect fit when open and closed. This is understandable because it takes some precision fitting to get there and time is money. Many times the lockbacks are very close when new, but wear into a condition where the closed position is flush but the open position has fallen. This is because in the closed blade position, the lockbar riding face sits on a nice surface that tends not to wear. In the open position however, the two contact points of the lockface tend to deform slightly and cause a sunken lockbar. This deformation is a good thing in my opinion because it is evidence of the lockbar wearing-in, a trait that is not a good thing in most lock actions but can tighten up a well-made lockback.
As I stated before, I like to tinker. Matching lockbacks is not for the faint of heart. When you are faced with a fallen lockback in the open position, you have to actually bring the locbar down to the same height in both open and closed positions (by grinding the riding face) then grind in the scales to match the match the new height. Grind off too much? Now it gets fun. By carefully adjusting the contact surfaces you can bring the lockbar back down in the open position. When both open and closed positions are matched, give all the wear surfaces on the lockbar a nice polish then go to work finishing everything off. I finished the Manix and Caly to a nice 600-grit while I went full polish on the Stretch. Some very minor imperfections do show up in the pictures, I cannot even see these when viewed in person therefore they do not bother me. Matched surfaces are tough to photograph. Different surfaces show up as a line, even if the surfaces are perfectly matched. The liner/lockbar lines disappear when the pivot screw is fully tightened, but what's the point of a pretty knife that doesn't open
While I'm in there, I like to polish the wear surface on the blade tang, and all contact surfaces on the lockbar:
Here are some pictures of the guts of my Stretch II while it was apart. Lockback design is really cool because every knife is different in function. ALL Axis locks works on the same surface contacts and geometries. All linerlocks (for the most part) are the same as well. A well designed Lockback that will function after years of wear takes a bit more engineering to design...
I love my Spyderco lockbacks. They know how to make them and usually the lockback models are strong, feature awesome materials, and give that finger choil a great use (single handed closing). One thing that you don't get with many non-custom lockbacks is a perfect fit when open and closed. This is understandable because it takes some precision fitting to get there and time is money. Many times the lockbacks are very close when new, but wear into a condition where the closed position is flush but the open position has fallen. This is because in the closed blade position, the lockbar riding face sits on a nice surface that tends not to wear. In the open position however, the two contact points of the lockface tend to deform slightly and cause a sunken lockbar. This deformation is a good thing in my opinion because it is evidence of the lockbar wearing-in, a trait that is not a good thing in most lock actions but can tighten up a well-made lockback.
As I stated before, I like to tinker. Matching lockbacks is not for the faint of heart. When you are faced with a fallen lockback in the open position, you have to actually bring the locbar down to the same height in both open and closed positions (by grinding the riding face) then grind in the scales to match the match the new height. Grind off too much? Now it gets fun. By carefully adjusting the contact surfaces you can bring the lockbar back down in the open position. When both open and closed positions are matched, give all the wear surfaces on the lockbar a nice polish then go to work finishing everything off. I finished the Manix and Caly to a nice 600-grit while I went full polish on the Stretch. Some very minor imperfections do show up in the pictures, I cannot even see these when viewed in person therefore they do not bother me. Matched surfaces are tough to photograph. Different surfaces show up as a line, even if the surfaces are perfectly matched. The liner/lockbar lines disappear when the pivot screw is fully tightened, but what's the point of a pretty knife that doesn't open
While I'm in there, I like to polish the wear surface on the blade tang, and all contact surfaces on the lockbar:
Here are some pictures of the guts of my Stretch II while it was apart. Lockback design is really cool because every knife is different in function. ALL Axis locks works on the same surface contacts and geometries. All linerlocks (for the most part) are the same as well. A well designed Lockback that will function after years of wear takes a bit more engineering to design...
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