Vesuvius lock strength...

S

Stiletto Raggio

Joined
Jan 29, 2000
Messages
546
Alright, I am convinced that the next knife I get will be the Spydie Ayoob, but after that I will be getting a GP folder, and the Vesuvius looks good to me. I had been leaning toward the Camillus EDC, but teh Vesuvius handle looks more comfortable and slip-resistant. How is the lock strength? I know it is a compression lock, but is this the same one that is in the Sifu and Carnivore? Any other comments or advice?
 
REKAT Sifu should use a Rolling lock
I've heard plenty of times that the Compression lock has good lock strength. Closing may not be as easy though.
 
I have the Vesuivius and it feels and handles in a very natural, comfortable manner.

The Compression lock seems to me to be essentially an upside down liner lock. Mine works fine, but is a bit awkward to close. It does, however, have the advantage over the liner lock that your fingers are less likely to disengage the lock in high-torque situations since it's on the top of the frame rather than the bottom. Other than that, it's as strong as any comparable liner lock.
 
I am not sure how to describe it, but the Compression Lock is something more than a liner lock in that it is enclosed in a way that makes it much more protected from outside influences such as finger pressures, dirt, etc. It seems to work better than even Spydie's liner locks, which set the standard for production knives as far as I am concerned. By the way, releasing it is no great problem, it is as easy as any other lock, easier than a back lock for me. It just seems awkward because it is on the back of the knife and many of us have become so used to the liner locks on the front of the knife.
 
I love my Vesuvius.. i have the one with the spydie bug.. didn't like the inlaid one.

The compression lock is pretty cool.. it looks like an upside down liner lock at first.. but the mechanics of it are quite different. The lock wedges itself between the stop pin and the blade tang in order to prevent the knife from closing.. just don't close the knife while ur holding it normally or it will swing down on yer fingers :)

I like the way the knife feels.. really smooth action, and the liners are nested inside the FRN handles.. so it sort of feels/looks like FRNN but has the weight of steel liners..

I haven't tried to cut anything with it yet, so i can't really comment on that.. but i really like the knife...
 
I already have a dress folder, so I will stick with the standard handles.

One Stop Knife Shop lists the handles as G-10. Is this just wrong? And is the handle material like the handles on the lightweight Delica? They just feel a little flimsy to me. I know this knife has liners, but I thoguht I'd ask for oyur input. Thanks for the input.
 
the hilt is made of FRN, with a choice of grooves set into it and a silver Spydie "Bug" logo or a pearl lookalike insert. I have one with a medium to light blue insert and, while the scales may be, technically, of FRN, they certainly do not feel like the ones on my Endura or my Delica, they feel much more substantial, much more like G-10.

Here is the url for Spyderco's page on the Vesuvius:
http://www.spyderco.com/online_prod...=C66&mscssid=KFQJGDDEGTDG9HBJXHM9D29DD8500439
 
There are stainless liners nested in the FRN scales, so it has a reasonably solid feel and a bit of "healthy" weight. The knife, although slim, does not feel in the least flimsy. It's an easy to carry knife, well suited to EDC.
 
Hey all,
I carry a 50/50 Vesuvius everywhere. For my $$, the best fit and feel in my hand of anything I've handled. They way the handle is shaped, (plain w/Spydie), and the grooves in the handle, make it comfortable for pull, push, or thrust cuts. Great action and very tough to hurt.
Can you tell I like this knife?

El Lobo:D
 
I also have a Vesuvius but I don't carry it.
The problem is the Compression lock.
The lock is very strong and very safe, BUT it will not stay closed.
It is the only knife that has opened inside my pocket.
Unlike a Walker designed liner-lock, the compression-lock on the Vesuvius does not have a ball-bearing detent system. The retention mechanism it has is really simple but difficult for me to describe, but it does'nt hold the blade shut very effectively (IMHO).

It's a real shame too, because the handle is extremely comfortable and fits my hand like very few knives do. The handle could use a little more texture to prevent slipping (it's a bit slick).

One more thing: the blade shape is very nice but the peak above the hole is rather sharp.

Overall, I really like the knife but I would prefer Spyderco make it with a standard lock-back.
Before buying, you should really get your hands on one and see if you like it, and see how easy it falls open.

Hopefully helpful,
Allen.
 
That's really strange how your Vesuvius won't stay closed.. because mine will.. maybe yours has a manufacturing defect?... The is a ball detent in mine on the side of the tang of the blade.. u can kinda see it if u look at the bottom of the knife with the blade out... there is a sort of stock-removed section on the tang there for the compression lock to slide next to and lock it closed...

its a super solid knife, i dont carry mine either, but i love the way the grind lines curve and the handle has that cool lil bug on it :)
 
Let me elaborate a bit...
It does'nt come open when it's just laying on the table, and sometimes it does'nt come open inside my pocket. But certain movements cause it to open. Right away I noticed that it was very easy to open inertially. I can make a slight "door knocking" motion (like you would knock on a door once) and it opens about halfway.

The first time it opened in my pocket I was jogging. It felt like it was'nt clipped all the way down in my pocket, and I thought the jogging had caused it to come out of my pocket somewhat. But when I reached down, it was in my pocket but it was not fully closed (nearly halfway open in fact). I chalked it up to a case of rapid motion and loose shorts.
But it happened again while I was climbing down a ladder while wearing jeans.
After that I tightened the pivot. That solved the problem of it falling open but then it was too much friction for a smooth opening. There seems to be no happy medium between too loose and too tight.

My Vesuvius definitly does not have a ball detent. It does have the portion removed from the tang for the compression-lock to hold the blade shut--it just does'nt do a very good job.
I don't think it's a defect because all the other Vesuvius' (Vesuvi?) I have handled also opened extremely easy unless the pivot was tightened well beyond the norm.

I do like the knife design, but I can't carry the knife worrying if it will open in my pocket.

Just my 2 cents worth,
Allen.
 
Allen, it has been my experience with Spydies that have adjustable pivot screws that they tend to work loose on occasion. Some Forumites have LocTited them, but I simply include checking the tension as a part of my regular maintenance program. The one Spydie where this is especially critical is the Gunting, as the "Horn" on the back of the blade dor kinetic opennings makes it extremely easy to catch your had and open the blade while reaching into that pocket for change or whatever else might be in that pocket.
 
Allen, I brought my Vesuvius to the office today so that I could have it in front of me while I anwered your point of concern.

I can see no sign of any ball bearing detente or any other trick method of holding it closed. The pressure of the liner that also contains the Compression Lock piece that wedges between the tang and the stop pin rides against the closed blade and that, in combination with a properly adjusted pivot screw gives a significant amount of resistance to opening unless you are trying to open it. Yet the pivot is loose enough that, when I release the lock with the knife held parallel to the floor, edge side down, the blade falls about halfway closed. This is the perfect amount for me, as I don't care to have it close any further and risk cutting my fingers. It can also be openned with a "Spyderco Drop", the method whereby you pinmch the hole beteen your thumb anf forefinger and give the knife a shake, letting the inertia of the hilt open it for you. I am secure enough with it that I have not made the effort to cange it to tip down carry, my usual method, which I find more secure.
 
My Vesuvius came as a tip down carry right out of the box. The open end of the clip on the left side (holding it closed and blade up), points to the tip. Different versions? Anyway, I think the lockup is good for general purposes, and while it doesn't "walk and talk" as firmly as some folders, it still exhibits solid open and close manners, and is very smooth.
Maybe you would have more luck asking about your experiences on the Spyderco forum or giving them a call in Colorado. I know this one is made in the U.S.A.
Good Luck.

El Lobo
 
I have the inlaid Vesuvius, as soon as I received it I started carrying it and using it everyday. I carry mine tip up. Great knife. I have had no problems opening or closing it, so I must be doing something wrong. :)
The Vesuvius is a size between the Delica and Endura, but the handle is thicker and stronger(steel inserts) for a better grip. The blade steel is ATS-34, which has always worked great for me. The blade has traction grooves directly behind the opening hole to help in blade control. It has an open back for easy cleaning. Just an overall good knife. The only thing I would add is finger traction groves in front of the blade on the handle.
I would love to have one of the prototypes I saw at the BLADE show. The whole handle was the inlay color. They had a white, purple, yellow and I think a blue. That was a cool looking knife. There was a picture on the Spyderco forum a while back of all 4. :)


Blades
 
FullerH,
sorry i checked my Vesuvius last night and I realized that it does not have a Detent to hold the blade in the closed position. I mistakenly thought that it did because mine is quite firmly held in place... more firm than when compared with Benchmade liner locks.
 
I picked up a Spyderco Forum Vesuvius earlier this year with the dark burgundy handles, and was quite pleased with the overall quality and ergonomics of the knife. I do believe that there were a few QC issues with this particular batch, but I got lucky and received a solid one.

I have had no problems with the compression lock, and actually trust it more than a lockback - I carried an FRN Endura for over 10 years and experienced a handful of lock failures due to pocket lint (now all my lockbacks get regular compressed air treatment...)

My advice would be to buy one that you have handled, or if online buy from someone who is willing to swap knives, to make sure you get a good one. Of course Spyderco will stand behind their products should you encounter an issue.
 
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