sticky ball lock on new Phoenix

Brad S. · #21

Spydiman wrote:Where'd you pay $300 for it? It goes for about $190 online.

MSRP is $309.95

Doesnt mean I paid that. :D

tonydahose · #22

i just got mine in the mail yesterday (along with a bunch of other goodies :D )...no problem at all with the lock..mine functions fine and as for the rest of the knife...looks flawless. i know eveyone here likes pics...so here is some quick ones...and no i didnt use this one to cut the pumkins, i used a millie :)

Brad S. · #23

Nice Tony, Glad to hear yours works well, I must have gotten a bad apple or something, Either that or golden started finding the problem and fixed it before they shipped. Mine should be all decked out in a new suit by tomorrow so... :D

bh49 · #24

Nice pictures Tony.
good job on pumpkins as well. May be you should do more, this time with Phoenix :D :D

kbuzbee · #25

bh49 wrote:Nice pictures Tony.
good job on pumpkins as well. May be you should do more, this time with Phoenix :D :D

As much as I love the Phoenix, I don't think pumpkins would be it's forte... The hollow grind goes pretty thick, pretty quickly. A thin FFG blade would do those cut out more easily IMO.

Ken

kbuzbee · #26

Well, I had to add to the science of this so.... I bought a backup :D . (purely in the interest of science, you understand!).

No sticky ball on the second one either!!!

Maybe NGK only got "good" ones?? Dunno. But it's as awesome as the first.

I gotta say again, this is one awesome knife! I mean, it's only the third Spyderco (and forth knife overall) I own multiples of the exact same knife (other two are Lil'Temp and Dodo) just in case, as it were.

I know adding one doesn't create statistical significance or anything, but it's something...

Anyone else??? Phoenix?? Anyone??

Ken

Spider bite · #27

Got mine the other day from the same seller as Tony, My ball is fine as is the knife. Mine had a small scratch near the ball lock but nothing more then my own pocket would give it. This is a great knife. Very smooth opening and closing. I really like the fit into my hand.. so much I bought another. :D

TSchloz · #28

I just received one of these yesterday. It has a couple of small scratches near the ball lock area as has been reported by others, but the knife is near perfect in all other respects. The ball lock works very smooth on my knife. :D

Tom

whkento · #29

Well, I was excited to check one out and searched for it last weekend at the Seki city festival. I found one, but it also had a "sticky" lock. It was pretty difficult to manipulate as well as pretty heavy (in addition to just pretty), so I passed on it. The price was around US$300, too. Not worth it if it's not easy to use. Glad to hear they're not all like that, though.

kbuzbee · #30

Spider bite wrote:Got mine the other day from the same seller as Tony, My ball is fine as is the knife. Mine had a small scratch near the ball lock but nothing more then my own pocket would give it. This is a great knife. Very smooth opening and closing. I really like the fit into my hand.. so much I bought another. :D

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about! :D No scratches on either of mine though. Guess I got lucky? :D

Does anyone (who will say

) know which alloy the Phoenix uses? The only one I usually hear about is 6AL4V but I know there are a ton of others...

Congrats!

Ken

J.B · #31

German prices for the Phoenix are between 390 $ and at least 453 $. Plus it is basically illegal to carry it in Germany. With a small functionless Spyderhole it most probably wouldn´t be.

Apart from this it´s an appealing design.

By the way, is there an improvement in the detent?

Besides, nice self-portraits, Tony! :D

JB

kbuzbee · #32

J.B wrote:By the way, is there an improvement in the detent?

Improved how?? Everything about this knife works very well IMO (though I couldn't bring myself to pay that much for it :eek: Wow!)

Ken

J.B · #33

kbuzbee wrote:Improved how?? Everything about this knife works very well IMO (though I couldn't bring myself to pay that much for it :eek: Wow!)

Ken

My D´Allara and Dodo have lax detents, which seems to be there only weak point. I´m not keen on an opening Spydiblade in my pocket. :D

The price for the Phoenix seems to be fairly high, but titanium, micarta and VG-10 are not the cheapest materials. Furthermore the design is really special and has an ingenious lock.

JB

kbuzbee · #34

Ah, got'cha.

I would estimate the Phoenix exerts 20%-30% more closure pressure when closed than my D'Allara (my Dodos are a bit more "loose" than my D'Allara).

I have NO concern of it opening on it's own, but when I DO open it.... BUTTER!

Also, since it's tip up RHC only, the blade is positioned against the back of my RFP. So even IF it were less stiff, I wouldn't worry about it. But if I carried it LFP it would stay closed.

I hope that helps?

Since the knife is ~$180 in the USA, are there any other options that would save you some $$$? At $180, it isn't cheap but it's "reasonable" IMO.

Ken

J.B · #35

kbuzbee wrote:Ah, got'cha.

I would estimate the Phoenix exerts 20%-30% more closure pressure when closed than my D'Allara (my Dodos are a bit more "loose" than my D'Allara).

I have NO concern of it opening on it's own, but when I DO open it.... BUTTER!

Also, since it's tip up RHC only, the blade is positioned against the back of my RFP. So even IF it were less stiff, I wouldn't worry about it. But if I carried it LFP it would stay closed.

I hope that helps?

Since the knife is ~$180 in the USA, are there any other options that would save you some $$$? At $180, it isn't cheap but it's "reasonable" IMO.

Ken

Thank you, Ken! Sadly that sounds good and puts the Phoenix on my wish list. :eek: :D
From 12/1/2008 on to import a Phoenix should cost me 8% less custom. In addition prices of new models seem to decrease over time. Still unsolved is my problem how to fill the Spyderhole though. :confused:

JB

kbuzbee · #36

J.B wrote:Thank you, Ken! Sadly that sounds good and puts the Phoenix on my wish list. :eek: :D

Well, as you can clearly tell, I highly recommend it :eek: ... Sorry??

J.B wrote:Still unsolved is my problem how to fill the Spyderhole though. :confused:

JB

Would it qualify to fill it with a wooden plug or maybe epoxy??? I'm thinking you could convex both sides of either material to allow one hand open without looking like it?? Just a thought.... That is such a strange regulation (to me) but with the Dems in firm control around here, I'm sure we can expect the same (soon

)

Good luck!

Ken

J.B · #37

kbuzbee wrote:Well, as you can clearly tell, I highly recommend it :eek: ... Sorry??

Would it qualify to fill it with a wooden plug or maybe epoxy??? I'm thinking you could convex both sides of either material to allow one hand open without looking like it?? Just a thought.... That is such a strange regulation (to me) but with the Dems in firm control around here, I'm sure we can expect the same (soon )

Good luck!

Ken

Thanks again, Ken, your attempts to help me are much appreciated! :)
I´m thinking for quite some time now about a solution to the hole filling problem. I have made a few sketches but haven´t found a practical way yet. My idea is to screw or glue 2 flat plates together. The filled hole should have no more one-hand function.

I could still open my knives e.g. with 2 hands, as our new law demands. About other opening methods I officially don´t know and I think it´s not clever to discuss them like they did again in another thread.

Good luck for you too! May you at Lake Erie stay as free as possible.

And sorry for hijacking the thread. :o

JB

anthonyc · #38

Well, got mine today and the ball lock is binding up. also the titanium is scratched up on both sides, and there are sharp edges on the butt of the handle. sucks that something like this would ship out. im extremely disappointed

kbuzbee · #39

Contact the reseller and get it exchanged.

I agree with you, they should never have sent it out, but the vendors I shop with (eg - NGK) are stand up and will make it right.

Ken

anthonyc · #40

kbuzbee wrote:Contact the reseller and get it exchanged.

I agree with you, they should never have sent it out, but the vendors I shop with (eg - NGK) are stand up and will make it right.

Ken

yea, i contacted them, none in stock right now but should have some toward the end of the week. i also purchased mine from ngk.