I received my new Spydiechef from the outlet store today and love it! I took it apart to thoroughly clean it and found the following on its lock bar:
Previously, Spyderco stated that they did not treat their titanium lock bars, has that changed? What is this discoloring? Also, it has a raised texture to it.
I'm being nice by calling it a "discoloration," because it's more accurately... gunk that doesn't wipe off.
I have also heard of LC200N having corrosion issues with certain metals but neither of mine have show any reactions to titanium.
How does the blade look?
It doesn't resemble corrosion, but I'll put it under the microscope soon to check. If I have to guess, I'd say carbidizing, but if it is that, would this be the third revision to the Spydiechef? Ceramic detent in V2 and carbidizing in V3?
I do not think it is corrosion either the pattern of difference in color is too uniform and intentional in appearance there is clearly a squareness to it like an end cap.
This is very odd it reminds me of an amalgam or blending of metals like there are two different things going on there.
If so yes this would represent the third change.
1st was a ball in the Lock bar that would rust.
2nd was the replacement with a ceramic ball.
3rd hardening the titanium lock bar where it meets the blade to prevent wear and lock stick???
Honestly as much as I love Spyderco some of their decisions really make little sense and I have a very hard time accepting Uh We did not know better as an excuse.
The metal ball in my opinion might have been an oops or they just had not better solution but the Titanium lock-bar missing a steel plate like on my TI CF Military has remained a mystery. That should have been in place from the start. Preferably a piece of LC200N to match the corrosion resistance of the blade I should imagine.
That is just imagining though it might really be a bad idea, Honestly don't know but hardening that contact point seems like a good idea. I guess Titanium goes through a hardening process like any other steel and for all I know perhaps this is a different alloy of titanium?
So many questions come to mind.
Wish Sal would join us on this one and provide some clarity. Boy am I going to feel goofy if this is just a flaw in production. :D
It seems too intentional and uniform for a flaw. But, if this is there to prevent lock stick, it's doing a terrible job of it. There is definetly lock stick present, but it's weird... it is very inconsistent. There will be none at all, then I'll flick it open and need to use one hand to pry the lock bar open and the other to steady the knife. I'm not sure what is going on.
I received mine today and it looks similar. There is also some bronze discoloration in the silver ring where the washer rides nearest the lockbar. The lock stick is horrendous.
edit: added image
Last edited by SpyderSeth on Tue Jan 22, 2019 9:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Hey, everyone:
I'll have to do a little research and get back to you. Please keep in mind, SHOT Show is this week so I'll ask for a little patience. If you are unhappy with your knife though, you can send it in to us for evaluation. We'll do our best to make it right.
Kristi
There is nothing more important than this one day.
Just got mine, I'm loving it. The lock stick was pretty bad for the first 100 or so deployments, but has since gone away completely, however, I have also noticed an extremely concerning thing, the titanium seems to be rubbing off onto the tang in large quantities. The lock bar was not always engaging fully, and with the breaking in, in addition to not sticking anymore, it is also fully engaging the lock, and it looks to me that it is due to a very quick wearing of the titanium. Would appreciate some feedback from Spyderco on this, because I'm hoping it doesn't wear down after only a couple weeks of moderate use.
Current Spydies:
Blurple S110v PM2, KW Green CTS-204p PM2, DLT Tan Satin 20cv PM2, DLT Red m390 PM2, BBS Blue Satin m390 PM2, DLT Red 20cv Manix2, BHQ Jade M4 Military, BHQ Jade M4 Yojimbo2, BHQ Jade M4 Native5, St. Nick's Red DLC 4v Lil Native Compression, Carbon Fiber s90v Shaman Sprint, LC200n Waterway, Blue-Gray V-Toku2 Endura Sprint, Purple Ladybug, Chaparral LW, Spydiechef, Ikuchi, Smock, Gayle Bradley 2, Sheepsfoot Caribbean PE, Dogtag Carbon Fiber, Red Check Tenacious, Cara Cara 2.
I Pray Heaven to Bestow The Best of Blessing on THIS HOUSE, and on ALL that shall hereafter Inhabit it. May none but Honest and Wise Men ever rule under This Roof! (John Adams regarding the White House)
Follow the Christ, the King,
Live pure, speak true, right wrong, follow the King--
Else, wherefore born?" (Tennyson)
Hey, everyone:
I'll have to do a little research and get back to you. Please keep in mind, SHOT Show is this week so I'll ask for a little patience. If you are unhappy with your knife though, you can send it in to us for evaluation. We'll do our best to make it right.
Kristi
Thank you, Kristi, patience is extended, but I'm not up in arms about this, merely mildly curious. If there is a manufacturing reason for this... condition, then I trust Spyderco. As you can see, this solution isn't very elegant, but does it really need to be when it isn't visible when the knife is assembled? Besides, this thing is never leaving my pocket unless a replacement is sent to me first, lol.
Okay... here are the microscopic shots. It doesn't look like another metal has been added to the end of the lock bar, it looks more like an uneven coating of some material.
Wow that is neat. Yep as we all know Spyderco can be trusted, I just realized it was shot show week when I saw Eric showing of the Tanto PM2 Prototype and the BDN1 Para3.
Pretty cool Eric asked for feedback on the Tanto. I'll bet he is just dying to produce it.
Okay, I've spent the morning researching more than I ever wanted to know about carbidizing (yes, this is the correct spelling) and these photos reveal all the characteristics of the carbidizing process, save one, the single bronze colored spot. In all of the videos and photos of the process I found the coating applied is a uniform color. That doesn't necessarily mean that this isn't carbidizing, it might just mean I didn't find the particular method or material that Spyderco is using.
For those of you that don't know what carbidizing is, it's applying a coating of carbide (tungsten, titanium, etc.) to the surface of another metal using an electroplating process. Supposedly it does not flake or scrap off as it is as strong as a welded joint.
Here is a good video of the process (and most likely equipment used by Spyderco if this is carbidizing):
Michael 48 Spydies, 44 different models, 43 different steels . Grail knife, still to be acquired: original Tuff by Ed SchemppFeel free to help me find one at a reasonable price...
Looks just like what I first posted Carbidizing. If this is the case I am willing to bet they are using more than one kind of Carbide. Titanium carbide seems like a sure bet.
From what I am reading there is a real problem going on with the new Spydiechefs. I have never experienced anything like this with the ones I own they are both Second revision with Ceramic ball but none of this lock bar stuff going on,
Just got mine, I'm loving it. The lock stick was pretty bad for the first 100 or so deployments, but has since gone away completely, however, I have also noticed an extremely concerning thing, the titanium seems to be rubbing off onto the tang in large quantities. The lock bar was not always engaging fully, and with the breaking in, in addition to not sticking anymore, it is also fully engaging the lock, and it looks to me that it is due to a very quick wearing of the titanium. Would appreciate some feedback from Spyderco on this, because I'm hoping it doesn't wear down after only a couple weeks of moderate use.
Hi, SchizoidHorse9:
Welcome to our forum. We would like to take a look at your knife to better understand what you're describing. Please send it to us for evaluation and reference this thread on the forum and my request for you to send it in. Please also be sure to include all of your contact information and your shipping address. It would be difficult, to say the least, to provide feedback or an explanation without handling the knife.
Please send it to:
Spyderco W&R
820 Spyderco Way
Golden, CO 80403
As always, we suggest that you ship it in a well-packed box and ship via a carrier that can provide tracking (even priority USPS mail).
I'm sorry for the inconvenience.
Kristi
There is nothing more important than this one day.
What is this on the new Spydiechef lock bar?
