52100 Military, what are your plans?

[D-Roc]

OK, so that new stop pin is probably just two pieces and comes apart under minor friction?

Sorry my stupid phone auto corrected that. Meant to say rivet. People are confusing the new stop pin with a rivet like the old pinned construction knives because they look similar. There are no pins or rivets in the Military.

What part is the river pin (lanyard)?
How is the stop pin manufactured? In two pieces, no threads?
Just curious

I don't generally disassemble my Spyderco knives. I have seen a post or two with folks mentioning that they might change the scales. Does the 52100 Military not have the new CQI which has all screw construction, except for the stop pin? I know my S110V does...Is this part removable? Not that I will be removing mine...

People seem to be confusing the stop pin with a river/pin that isn't removable. It all comes apart just like any other Military, the stop pin just doesn't have screws anymore and is a solid floating piece.

[Evil D]

No, it's one solid piece of steel, machined down (stepped) at the ends to slip through the holes in the liners/scales. I'd say it's stronger than a pin with screws in it.

OK, so that new stop pin is probably just two pieces and comes apart under minor friction?

Sorry my stupid phone auto corrected that. Meant to say rivet. People are confusing the new stop pin with a rivet like the old pinned construction knives because they look similar. There are no pins or rivets in the Military.

What part is the river pin (lanyard)?
How is the stop pin manufactured? In two pieces, no threads?
Just curious

I don't generally disassemble my Spyderco knives. I have seen a post or two with folks mentioning that they might change the scales. Does the 52100 Military not have the new CQI which has all screw construction, except for the stop pin? I know my S110V does...Is this part removable? Not that I will be removing mine...

People seem to be confusing the stop pin with a river/pin that isn't removable. It all comes apart just like any other Military, the stop pin just doesn't have screws anymore and is a solid floating piece.

[Evil D]

OK, so that new stop pin is probably just two pieces and comes apart under minor friction?

http://i.imgur.com/L7b6AwX.jpg

[D-Roc]

Great. Thanks for the explanation.

[gunmike1]

Both my new 52100 and CPM M4 Millie's are fairly stiff. I know from experience that with break in they should get better. Very slightly loosening the pivot makes it a tad better, but especially on the CPM M4 one it bring the blade towards the scale too much when it is moving smoothly. Again, I know they loosen with age, but does anyone have any tips on getting the blade to not be very stiff to move without making the centering a serious problem?

[ejames13]

Both my new 52100 and CPM M4 Millie's are fairly stiff. I know from experience that with break in they should get better. Very slightly loosening the pivot makes it a tad better, but especially on the CPM M4 one it bring the blade towards the scale too much when it is moving smoothly. Again, I know they loosen with age, but does anyone have any tips on getting the blade to not be very stiff to move without making the centering a serious problem?

Like you said, it will break in. I personally wouldn't loosen anything until I'd carried and used it for a few weeks.

[gunmike1]

Both my new 52100 and CPM M4 Millie's are fairly stiff. I know from experience that with break in they should get better. Very slightly loosening the pivot makes it a tad better, but especially on the CPM M4 one it bring the blade towards the scale too much when it is moving smoothly. Again, I know they loosen with age, but does anyone have any tips on getting the blade to not be very stiff to move without making the centering a serious problem?

Like you said, it will break in. I personally wouldn't loosen anything until I'd carried and used it for a few weeks.

That's what I've always done in the past. Haven't bought a. New Military in ages though. Kind of got spoiled with the Paras I bought.

[Evil D]

Interesting about the pivots. I have two 52100's and a new S110V and they all came so dialed in that I'm afraid to touch them. I did take apart my user 52100 to grease the pivot for some rust prevention but the 110 version is going strong since October without a single adjustment, and I'm super picky about my pivots. I would rather they came just slightly too tight than too loose. I expected the 110 to loosen up with use but it's hanging in there.

[farnorthdan]

Ditto, last half dozen or so Military's I've received have been dead on as far as pivot tension, a drop or two of nano-oil and free swinging within a day or two. One of my 52100 came a little off center (made it my user), disassembled a couple times to lube and try to center but still off a smidge, just can't seem to get that one dialed in.

[Evil D]

The new stop pin almost seems like a miracle from what I've seen. Granted it's only 3 knives and I'm sure they come tighter and looser but blade play is a non issue and they all swing like pendulums.

[ejames13]

The new stop pin almost seems like a miracle from what I've seen. Granted it's only 3 knives and I'm sure they come tighter and looser but blade play is a non issue and they all swing like pendulums.

Agreed. Hoping to see it make it's way into the PM2 someday!

[gunmike1]

Both of my new Militaries are perfect on lock up, but they take a little force to move the blade even with the lock depressed. Nowhere near free swinging. I'm sure they will loosen up with time, but I certainly don't see them being free swinging in a day or two. With the M4 version being off center it kind of limits what I can do as far as loosening the pivot also since it makes the blade get close to the scale when slightly loosened. Maybe I'll call Blade HQ and see if I can exchange it for a better centered and little bit looser example.

[AwayFromMySpydieHole]

The new stop pin almost seems like a miracle from what I've seen. Granted it's only 3 knives and I'm sure they come tighter and looser but blade play is a non issue and they all swing like pendulums.

They all swing like pendulums because they have a LOT of blade play when the knife isn't locked open. Hold the lock open with your thumb and then wiggle the blade. You'll feel it. (Most likely you'll feel it, I do on all mine) Now, that play is gone when the knife is locked up.

I don't remember the old Millie's being like this, but every new CQI Millie I have does this. Some go so far as to not even be contacting the washers completely. In other words, you can look at the pivot and see light poking through where there should be done. The washers aren't sitting perfectly flat on the blade. All 5 of my BHQ Millie's don't do this, just 3 of them. But those 3 are the ones that have a lot of play that can't be tightened out without making the blade extremely hard to move.

I don't really mind it. Still love the knives, just not sure the new pivot is an improvement.

I bought 5 of the BHQ exclusives (not to resell, to keep) and they are all this way. And before someone calls BS on me keeping all 5, set a reminder in your phone to ask me for a pic of all 5 a year from now. I don't resell knives. Too much trouble.

[AwayFromMySpydieHole]

The new stop pin almost seems like a miracle from what I've seen. Granted it's only 3 knives and I'm sure they come tighter and looser but blade play is a non issue and they all swing like pendulums.

They all swing like pendulums because they have a LOT of blade play when the knife isn't locked open. Hold the lock open with your thumb and then wiggle the blade. You'll feel it. (Most likely you'll feel it, I do on all mine) Now, that play is gone when the knife is locked up.

I don't remember the old Millie's being like this, but every new CQI Millie I have does this. Some go so far as to not even be contacting the washers completely. In other words, you can look at the pivot and see light poking through where there should be done. The washers aren't sitting perfectly flat on the blade. All 5 of my BHQ Millie's don't do this, just 3 of them. But those 3 are the ones that have a lot of play that can't be tightened out without making the blade extremely hard to move.

I don't really mind it. Still love the knives, just not sure the new pivot is an improvement.

I bought 5 of the BHQ exclusives (not to resell, to keep) and they are all this way. And before someone calls BS on me keeping all 5, set a reminder in your phone to ask me for a pic of all 5 a year from now. I don't resell knives. Too much trouble.

I actually dissected 3 of my Millie's to figure this out. 2 that had blade play, one that didn't so that I could compare.

I found the issue, fixed the issue and so I'm confident I figured it out. I'm going to make a thread about it to explain how to fix your Millie if you have blade play, or have one that isn't centering without locking the blade down.

Spoiler, it's the stop pin and its relation to the liners. I'll explain in the thread I make.


A quick check you can do in the mean time, in you can't feel your stop pin protruding from BOTH sides of the scales, then it isn't seated all the way and when your knife is being screwed down it is causing the scales to bow. You should be able to see and feel the stop pin being "proud" on both sides of the knife if the stop pin is seated properly.

All it takes is a quick 2 minutes with a file to open up the liner a bit. Now the two that had....not great action at all are free droppers with zero blade play. Since you're not changing the fore/aft position of the stop pin you're not altering lock geometry either. You're simply allowing the stop pin to seat all the way home in the liner where it should be.

Details to follow if you can't picture what I'm saying.

[Evil D]

....

There's a very slight wiggle on my 52100 when unlocked and with the liner lock pressed in so that nothing is touching the blade except the washers. Sounds like what you're experiencing was a knife that was either not put together right to begin with or someone has taken it apart and not put it back together properly.

[AwayFromMySpydieHole]

....

There's a very slight wiggle on my 52100 when unlocked and with the liner lock pressed in so that nothing is touching the blade except the washers. Sounds like what you're experiencing was a knife that was either not put together right to begin with or someone has taken it apart and not put it back together properly.

They weren't taken apart, they were brand new in box blade HQ m4 exclusives. Literally had not even been opened more than a couple times...

You can either choose to believe it or not, but it'll help the people out there who have a Millie with this issue. The lock side liner on the knives I'm talking about have holes that are not quite big enough for the stop pin to fully seat. If you can feel the stop pin protrude from the scales on BOTH sides of your knife, then your stop pin is fully seated. If you cannot, then your stop pin is not fully seated and it is causing your liner to bow a slight amount depending on how badly it isn't seated. There's no way around this given the new construction, and I plan to show exactly how/why that is in my thread. :)

[DougC-3]

My 52100 is totally tight in all blade positions "when unlocked and with the liner lock pressed in so that nothing is touching the blade except the washers." Zero play and drops instantly when lock is pressed. Also it has one of the best grinds of any of my spydies.

[AwayFromMySpydieHole]

My 52100 is totally tight in all blade positions "when unlocked and with the liner lock pressed in so that nothing is touching the blade except the washers." Zero play and drops instantly when lock is pressed. Also it has one of the best grinds of any of my spydies.

Good deal. :)

[Evil D]

Jesus man. It's not a "choose to believe or not" situation. Why does everyone go straight on the defense lately? I swear to God this forum needs to take a Valium.

[AwayFromMySpydieHole]

Jesus man. It's not a "choose to believe or not" situation. Why does everyone go straight on the defense lately? I swear to God this forum needs to take a Valium.

I wasn't being defensive? I really was just meaning "I don't care to explain any skepticism away."

I found an issue, fixed the issue, and now I have free droppers with no play. I'm happy. :)