Spyderco Forums

My Chaparral Ti Stealth has recently developed an issue where the blade will not close without being pushed through the full motion. Previously, it would close on its own once it got to about 1/3 of the way from closing, as backlocks/midlocks do. I tried cleaning it out with dish soap and warm water. I tried using some USP mineral oil to flush the pivot area. I shined a light to look for lint or something and can't see anything. I haven't tried disassembling it. Anyone have any ideas what could be causing this and what I should do to remedy it? I'll probably end up having to send it in, but if the problem is lint stuck in there I'd feel pretty silly about it.

It shouldn't be difficult to disassemble if it's anything like the LW
But at that kinda price....
I'd consider sending it

Nick Shabbaz has a video on youtube about dis-/ reasembling and maintenance of the Chap in case you´ve never done it yourself! It´s really not that hard. Hope that helps, good luck.

I have had success using vaseline in the pivot and on the section the blade glides against the lockbar

I think I'll just send it in. Thanks all.

fanglekai wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 06, 2019 9:09 am

I think I'll just send it in. Thanks all.

If you'd like to report back what the reason for the problem was: I'd be interested. Don't know though if Spyderco will "just" fix it or additionally let you know what they did exactly.

Wartstein wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 06, 2019 9:27 am

fanglekai wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 06, 2019 9:09 am

I think I'll just send it in. Thanks all.

If you'd like to report back what the reason for the problem was: I'd be interested. Don't know though if Spyderco will "just" fix it or additionally let you know what they did exactly.

I plan on mailing it out Saturday. I'll report back if they say what the problem was. This hasn't happened to any of my mid-lock or backlocks before, so I'm curious as well.

I didn't receive any indication what caused the issue but it seems to have been fixed. The action is still a little more sluggish than new but the blade closes from the backspring as it should, which is what I was hoping for. My Chaparral is usable again, which is great because it's a really nice carry for my office job.

I suspect lint, other gunk, or even excessive lubricant, may have found its way into one of the channels the pin in the Chaparral's blade rides in.

Hey fang, I don’t know who started the “flush with water and soap” business but it just doesn’t make sense unless it’s a Salt Series knife that may have accumulated some grit around the pivot point. No good can possibly come from from such a practice.

Similarly if you were to go to the trouble to disassemble, tune and lube the knife and with utmost respect to brother Holland’s recommendation there are so many lubricants that will do a far better job and last way longer than Vaseline. As I’m sure our good brother Evil D for one would surely attest and a drum I’ll continue to beat, a light, synthetic, waterproof, high pressure bearing grease used sparingly won’t be beaten as a pivot lube.

I don’t own a Chap’ but I can say without reservation that a Military with it’s much longer blade can be tuned with said grease (I use Shimano Ace2 grease) without any discernible blade play, glass smooth and inaudible blade swing/drop, at very best delayed by the “friction” of the grease itself for extended periods. My oldest and most used Military is such and coming on to two years untouched, is still like the day I tuned and lubed it.

Anyhow, rant over. That’s my $AU0.02c worth. :rolleyes:

Bloke wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 28, 2019 5:50 am

Similarly if you were to go to the trouble to disassemble, tune and lube the knife and with utmost respect to brother Holland’s recommendation there are so many lubricants that will do a far better job and last way longer than Vaseline. As I’m sure our good brother Evil D for one would surely attest and a drum I’ll continue to beat, a light, synthetic, waterproof, high pressure bearing grease used sparingly won’t be beaten as a pivot lube.

I've used Vaseline too and I like it but it definitely doesn't last as long as bearing grease. Lately I've been trying out several different unconventional (let's say less popular or recommended) lube types. Yesterday I tried PB Blaster, which I absolutely love for freeing up stuck/rusty bolts but it turned out to be a very poor lube for pivots, at least compared to the grease I usually use. I've also tried out a couple different types of grease, the latest being a super sticky high temp industrial type we use on hydraulics and such, and while the action definitely was smooth, the thick and sticky nature of this stuff definitely slowed down the action. So far I haven't tried anything that works better than Phil Wood bearing grease, but I haven't tried any of that fancy Nano stuff.

What I really like about grease is it creates a barrier where crud can't get through. Every time I take a knife apart I find a ring of lint and crud around the pivot where the grease stopped, but I never find crud inside the pivot.

Evil D wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 28, 2019 7:46 am

I've used Vaseline too and I like it but it definitely doesn't last as long as bearing grease. Lately I've been trying out several different unconventional (let's say less popular or recommended) lube types. Yesterday I tried PB Blaster, which I absolutely love for freeing up stuck/rusty bolts but it turned out to be a very poor lube for pivots, at least compared to the grease I usually use. I've also tried out a couple different types of grease, the latest being a super sticky high temp industrial type we use on hydraulics and such, and while the action definitely was smooth, the thick and sticky nature of this stuff definitely slowed down the action. So far I haven't tried anything that works better than Phil Wood bearing grease, but I haven't tried any of that fancy Nano stuff.

What I really like about grease is it creates a barrier where crud can't get through. Every time I take a knife apart I find a ring of lint and crud around the pivot where the grease stopped, but I never find crud inside the pivot.

Hey D, glad you’ve weighed in because we definitely bang from the same book on pivots and I’m nearly as much a lube nut as I am a knife knut.

One way I’ve found to gauge a particular lubes lubricity is to ensure I’ve cleaned the blade’s pivot hole of any burr and carburisation or what ever it is that happens during heat treatment and to give the pivot hole and pin a very light polish if required with 1200grit or so wet and dry sand paper. When all’s clean I then lube pivot pin and pivot hole and put the pin in hole. I hold the pin between thumb and forefinger without touching the blade and let it (the blade) swing like a pendulum under its own weight. If I can hear or feel any steel on steel grating the lube in no good.

I think a lot of us may well be surprised as to how poorly the vast majority of popular, gimmicky and often expensive gun oils etc. perform. :rolleyes: