Woe is me: A Para 2 Story.

Orion's Belt

Orion's Belt

Joined
Mar 15, 2010
Messages
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So, I got my Para 2 a few days ago and it had a sticky lock. I figured I would clean the lock face really well and try the pencil trick. No luck. Now, it is actually getting worse. I can't disengage the lock with my index anymore, I MUST use my thumb. I've probably opened it a couple thousand times, but no forceful inertia openings. Some flicks, normal openings, and very light openings. The ONLY time it is "easy" to disengage is when I open it really lightly. Even with normal thumb openings, it takes a thumb to disengage the lock.

It worries me a bit. This is one of the knives I've wanted since it's first inception and this lock fiasco is really putting a damper on the experience for me. I feel this specific knife may need a trip back to Golden to remedy the problem. Am I over-reacting or justly concerned?
 
My Para 2 had a tiny bit of blade play when new.
I took the pivot screws out, cleaned them, applied a small amt of loc tite, and tightened them down till the blade play was gone.
Sure, it's not as smooth opening now, and I have to use my thumb to disengage the lock, but it's slowly getting smoother and easire to unlock.
I'd much rather have it this way, than with blade play.
Plus, I don't understand the desire to have a blade fly open very easily.
I actually think that's a bit of a safety problem.
I actually love the knife, almost as much as my Sage 1 (which is very smooth opening)
BTW, what's the pencil trick? :confused:
Lenny
 
Could be over-reaction, could be justified.

Is that Para 2 your only compression lock, or do you have others to compare it with? If not, have you at least handled other compression locks? I ask because I've found that the folks who get disappointed the most are those who base their expectations of how a new knife should work on their experience with models which have entirely different locks.

Only way to know for sure is to pack it up and send it to Golden for evaluation.

Paul
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Lenny said:
BTW, what's the pencil trick? :confused:
Lenny
Click to expand...

With a sticky lock, a bit of graphite can work as a lubricant. The graphite in pencil lead is easy to place exactly where you want it: just scribble lightly on the lock face.
 
Paul, I also have a Para 1. It is slightly sticky in the lock department as well, but not nearly as bad as the Para 2. I'm going to call W&R on Monday and see what they say about it. If they tell me to send it in I will. If they tell me to go fly a kite, then I'll bite the bullet and try to work it in myself.
 
here's what always works for me (my para2 was sticky as well).

clean everything out with warm water, then take some compressed air and blow all the water out. lube everything up, and open and close it for a few days. then start over.

My para 2 was pretty tough at first, but it really has broken in, and is great now.
 
The above is good advice.

Also breaking the entire knife down and then simply reassembling it can work sometimes. It may just be a matter of re-aligning some of the parts.

And I know the OP said he'd cycled in more than a thousand times already, but regardless, it is still 'new' and will settling down and lossen up some with time.

One more possibility is that the OP hasn't had a compression lock before and doesn't have the muscle and tendon development and skin toughening in that area yet to easily negotiate this specific lock. Sounds silly, but after owning five Paras over the years I've found my hand to get lazy and forgetful if I haven't had or used one for an extended period of time.
 
I was having the same issue with both my Para 2's and I read somewhere not to use any lube and to just play with it and it would get better.

I wiped all the lube away that I could and continued to play with it. I even got a little piece of plastic to depress the tab with to give my finger tips a break for a while.

I am happy to say that both of my Para 2's are now buttery smooth and I can say that these are probably two of the best Spyderco's made, IMHO.
 
I may try to loosen all screws and re-tighten before I send it back to Golden. I have had experience with comp. locks though. I have a Para 1, so I know the technique and have done it before. But, the lock is just getting tougher and tougher to manipulate.
 
I also want to add that my Para 2 that I just recieved today is a tad sticky but nowhere near enough to cause discomfort and very easy to manipulate. Maybe you got a lemon or maybe you're just doing it wrong.
 
kawr said:
I also want to add that my Para 2 that I just recieved today is a tad sticky but nowhere near enough to cause discomfort and very easy to manipulate. Maybe you got a lemon or maybe you're just doing it wrong.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't got as far as saying I have a lemon. As for doing it wrong, the way I'm closing my Para 2 is the way I've closed my Para 1. It started out a bit sticky, but now it's REALLY sticky. So, I don't think it's my technique that's the problem. But, I wouldn't say the the knife is completely a lemon.

I'm going to try some of the above mentioned remedies as see if it helps.
 
Orion's Belt said:
I may try to loosen all screws and re-tighten before I send it back to Golden. I have had experience with comp. locks though. I have a Para 1, so I know the technique and have done it before. But, the lock is just getting tougher and tougher to manipulate.
Click to expand...

This tip may sound a bit weird, but give it a try. After you've loosened the screws, hold the tab down in the 'unlocked' position when you're retightening them. If not, the lock bar may travel over even more and get stickier.
 
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