I'm having an issue with US made Spydies

[bobnikon]

Why are you taking them apart? There is a warranty process in place.

I prefer Spyderco keep doing what they are doing, like securing the product at the factory so I don't have to. The idea that we need to disassemble them later on and tinker with them is part of the overall, weird obsession over what are no more than pocket tools, similar to the steel bs. If we could kill that obsession, maybe the massive price inflation would come back down.

Or, each person can enjoy the hobby, collection, obsession in their own way. Some don't want to fiddle, they want it just as it came from the factory. And some want to tune, tweak and customize. Why judge other peoples way of enjoying their stuff.

If it were that simple we would all just own a buck 110 and be done with it.

You do realize you are on the Spyderco Forum right? Have you heard of the Mule Team project? "Steel BS" is sort of their thing... And ours :)

Cheers

[Wartstein]

....

I prefer Spyderco keep doing what they are doing, like securing the product at the factory so I don't have to. The idea that we need to disassemble them later on and tinker with them is part of the overall, weird obsession over what are no more than pocket tools, similar to the steel bs. If we could kill that obsession, maybe the massive price inflation would come back down.

Hi JohnDoe,

I totally disagree, let me give you my thoughts:

- Of course it is ONE totally fine approach to see Spyderco folders as "just" pocket tools, with no further interest in them.

But how can you say it´d be a "weird obsession" if people see their knives a) still as pocket tools, but have deeper interest in those tools or b)as something even MORE than "just pocket tools" ?
For me my life gets richer and more fun, if I am really interested in a pocket tool I carry and use every day. In a way it is the best I can imagine: Passion/hobby AND tool combined in one :). I personally like this more than if I´d lets say collect some artwork that can´t be used or carried with me and than independently I´d have some tools.

I happen to enjoy my knives just more if I know how they work exactly and can maintain them myself. Nothing wrong with that.
And I am glad that I have the ability to get a bit passionate about things I like, to look into very details. This is one part of what makes life more interesting and fun. And it is nice to carry an item I really like AND really can use each day and all the time in my pocket.
It is also nice to personalize it sometimes, or combine features I like in one single knife (like Micarta/backlock/VG10).

Same goes with what you call "steel bs".
There is for one a practical side to it: People or certain scenarios may require certain properties of steel: Long edge retention / ease of sharpening / rust proofness... so choices are nice to have
And then it is like I said above: One part of life just IS about to find things that are fascinating for one, to learn, to get passionate... and steels might be just that for some.

Now if YOU happen to want "just" one or two affordable work knives: Spyderco offers this too. Grab a Tenacious, or if you need more edge retention a Manix in S30V and you are good to go. Even the in your words "massive price inflation" does not matter much then, since if you just want one worker, your one Tenacious / Manix / .... might lasts you a lifetime...

[The Mastiff]

I don't believe in trying to tell someone how to use their property but trying to tell me that taking my knives apart to clean or maintain them is necessary will get an argument out of me everytime. I have Spydercos over 20 years old with half of that in my pocket daily that have never needed to be taken apart. If you feel the need to take yours apart no argument from me though. Just don't say it's needed or necessary . They aren't firearms and have completely different needs and designs. That isn't a valid comparison.

I see Spyderco and any other manufacturing companyas being in a bad position over this kind of thing. They can and do get complaints no matter what they do. To think someone can put together and fit knives all day every day and only get the perfect amount of loctite on every screw means you aren't taking into account the imperfection in people. No matter which side in life you're on try to remember there is another side.

[ZrowsN1s]

I agree with you Vivi, that much threadlocker is too much. I do highly recommend the Wiha torx drivers though, havent stripped a screw since I got them.

From the devils advocate position, my friends that don't do knife maintenance have both had problems losing lockbar screws and clip screws on their Seki Enduras. The thread locker amount should be somewhere in between Seki and Golden.

[ChrisinHove]

Oh you can put a LOT of thread locker on small screws.

That is such a great photograph!

I asked a U.K. modder about the amount of loctite on his new NC Rex45 and his comment was that it was just the right amount, so it’s clearly not all of them.

[GarageBoy]

Isn't heat the traditional way of breaking picture bond? Why aren't more people applying heat when they know it's heavily thread locked?

[vivi]

I agree with you Vivi, that much threadlocker is too much. I do highly recommend the Wiha torx drivers though, havent stripped a screw since I got them.

From the devils advocate position, my friends that don't do knife maintenance have both had problems losing lockbar screws and clip screws on their Seki Enduras. The thread locker amount should be somewhere in between Seki and Golden.

Yep, agreed. I've had pivot screws fall out, but oddly enough it happens to me with Golden models more often. Older ones though. Para 2 from when they were new, an old Military from around 2009 etc.

I've never had this many issues disassembling other brands.

[Sharp Guy]

I usually use Eric’s tip about a sharp hit to the top of the tool to break the bond.

Yep the shock method is what I use on any screws that feel like they might be glued. It hasn't failed me yet

[vivi]

Oh you can put a LOT of thread locker on small screws.

That is such a great photograph!

I asked a U.K. modder about the amount of loctite on his new NC Rex45 and his comment was that it was just the right amount, so it’s clearly not all of them.

As another data point I had zero issues installing micarta scales on my M4 DLC Manix, but broke a bit on my S30V XL trying to open the pivot up.

[RustyIron]

The recommended temperature for removing Loctited fasteners is to heat to 250 degrees Celcius. The boiling water is only 100 degrees. That's not to say that boiling water is not helpful. Weakening of the bond increases with temperature, starting at about 75 degrees. There's a chart somewhere, if you Google for it.

[vivi]

I have a soldering iron in the mail.

[GautamGoel]

I've had the exact same issue as OP with my Manix 2 in 20cv (DLT sprint, IIRC). I tried loosening the pivot screw to improve the action, which was a bit sluggish for my taste. Instead, I deformed the screw slightly. That thing simply would not budge. And yes, I was using a very high quality driver set before anyone asks. I was quite disappointed - I intend to send the knife into Spyderco to have the screw replaced, once COVID dies down.

I strongly disagree with a suggestion earlier in this thread that somehow we shouldn't worry about being able to disassemble our knives. I buy my knives to be used, and like all tools my knives eventually require maintenance. That is just a fact of life. Part of why I buy Spydies in the first place is because most of their knives are easily disassembled. To suggest that being able to clean, adjust, and service my knives is not a reasonable expectation is very strange to me.

[JRinFL]

Loctite makes 3 strengths of white thread locker, low, medium, and high. Since Spyderco is not using the color coded product, I wonder if a mistake was made somewhere and the wrong strength was used. Or maybe COVID 19 related supply issues forced a change? Based on other Spydercos I have opened, the white locker I’m used to seeing would be rated easily as low strength. Based on your pictures it sure looks like someone is applying it with a heavy hand, regardless of the strength.

[JRinFL]

Just for reference, here is the post from Spyderco about switching to a mid strength locker. viewtopic.php?f=2&t=74060&hilit=Red+thread+locker

[SpyderGrill]

Why are you taking them apart? There is a warranty process in place.

I prefer Spyderco keep doing what they are doing, like securing the product at the factory so I don't have to. The idea that we need to disassemble them later on and tinker with them is part of the overall, weird obsession over what are no more than pocket tools, similar to the steel bs. If we could kill that obsession, maybe the massive price inflation would come back down.

This is why I take mine apart, to clean and oil where you cant see sometimes.

[SpyderGrill]

Also note the two holes in blade beside pivot, that was brought up in the salt 2 lc200n thread about why that cut close to pivot was there.

[James Y]

I don't believe in trying to tell someone how to use their property but trying to tell me that taking my knives apart to clean or maintain them is necessary will get an argument out of me everytime. I have Spydercos over 20 years old with half of that in my pocket daily that have never needed to be taken apart. If you feel the need to take yours apart no argument from me though. Just don't say it's needed or necessary . They aren't firearms and have completely different needs and designs. That isn't a valid comparison.

I see Spyderco and any other manufacturing companyas being in a bad position over this kind of thing. They can and do get complaints no matter what they do. To think someone can put together and fit knives all day every day and only get the perfect amount of loctite on every screw means you aren't taking into account the imperfection in people. No matter which side in life you're on try to remember there is another side.

That’s pretty much my take on it as well. I respect the right of anyone to do what they want to with their knives, but personally I’ve never taken apart any of my Spydercos, and have never ‘had to’ in 24 years of owning and using Spydercos, many of them a lot, other than changing clip position or tightening/loctiting a loose screw here or there. If others feel it’s required for their own knives, that’s good, too. To each his/her own.

Jim

[Tally-ho]

To think someone can put together and fit knives all day every day and only get the perfect amount of loctite on every screw means you aren't taking into account the imperfection in people.

How about imperfection in knife design that need to be fix by the end user ?

The Caly 3.5 ZDP-179/420J2 was designed to be as slim as possible hence it doesn't have pivot washers. I didn't used mine much before the opening and closing became problematic because of a growing friction. The liners were scratched around the pivot and the blade in the same area was scratched too. The metal on the blade side (420J2) was pushed and accumulated at the end of several scratches that dug into the liners.
I had to take it apart and polish the pivot area of the blade to have a decent opening and closing and have a hint of tension with the lock bar at the very end of the closing.
I can't beleive that they never considered to add washers to avoid this problem generated by a friction of a soft metal against another soft metal just for the sake of its slimliness. I wouldn't have cared if this knife was cheap but it wasn't a bargain and I still don't use it much because of this design flaw. Money wasted.
The blade of my Endura 4 ZDP-189 also need to be removed to have the pivot cleaned and lubbed regularly to also have a better tension when closing it despite the washers.

I didn't bought Spyderco knives for several years because of some other problems and now I'm very picky about which model I will sporadically buy. I went to Spyderco competitors and will never come back as much as I was before but the good part is that it taught me to always dissassemble a knew knife as much as possible to inspect every parts/aspects of the design to make sure that everything is in good working condition. No washers = no go, pinned design = no go, etc.

[VooDooChild]

To think someone can put together and fit knives all day every day and only get the perfect amount of loctite on every screw means you aren't taking into account the imperfection in people.

How about imperfection in knife design that need to be fix by the end user ?

The Caly 3.5 ZDP-179/420J2 was designed to be as slim as possible hence it doesn't have pivot washers. I didn't used mine much before the opening and closing became problematic because of a growing friction. The liners were scratched around the pivot and the blade in the same area was scratched too. The metal on the blade side (420J2) was pushed and accumulated at the end of several scratches that dug into the liners.
I had to take it apart and polish the pivot area of the blade to have a decent opening and closing and have a hint of tension with the lock bar at the very end of the closing.
I can't beleive that they never considered to add washers to avoid this problem generated by a friction of a soft metal against another soft metal just for the sake of its slimliness. I wouldn't have cared if this knife was cheap but it wasn't a bargain and I still don't use it much because of this design flaw. Money wasted.
The blade of my Endura 4 ZDP-189 also need to be removed to have the pivot cleaned and lubbed regularly to also have a better tension when closing it despite the washers.

I didn't bought Spyderco knives for several years because of some other problems and now I'm very picky about which model I will sporadically buy. I went to Spyderco competitors and will never come back as much as I was before but the good part is that it taught me to always dissassemble a knew knife as much as possible to inspect every parts/aspects of the design to make sure that everything is in good working condition. No washers = no go, pinned design = no go, etc.

Have never heard of other people having your problems.
Cladded blade steel scratching, Absolutely.

It building up and digging into the liners, no.

Constant full disassembly of an endura due to action, also no.

Spyderco has definitely had some failures in my opinion. But the endura 4 design isnt on that list.

[vivi]

I don't believe in trying to tell someone how to use their property but trying to tell me that taking my knives apart to clean or maintain them is necessary will get an argument out of me everytime. I have Spydercos over 20 years old with half of that in my pocket daily that have never needed to be taken apart. If you feel the need to take yours apart no argument from me though. Just don't say it's needed or necessary . They aren't firearms and have completely different needs and designs. That isn't a valid comparison.

I see Spyderco and any other manufacturing companyas being in a bad position over this kind of thing. They can and do get complaints no matter what they do. To think someone can put together and fit knives all day every day and only get the perfect amount of loctite on every screw means you aren't taking into account the imperfection in people. No matter which side in life you're on try to remember there is another side.

Might not be something you have to do, but it is a necessity for me at times. I've been unable to get all the sand and salt rinsed out of my Pacific Salts pivot before. With non-salts I've had rust build up so bad in the liners I made a Para 2 unable to lock until I scraped out gobs of rust with a toothpick.

If I don't take them apart they'd end up with significant issues over time, not limited to a non-functioning lock.