Spyderco Forums

Quick question, do you guys store your autos in the opened position to minimize spring fatigue, or does it matter?

I store my autos closed. I think a well designed spring and from correct material will cope with tension.
If I have luck, I will live for another 30 or 40 years and can tell you afterwards my experience about spring fatigue

I've been told it matters by someone I respect, but I've also been told it doesn't matter, that modern springs can take years of constant compression, by someone else that I respect. I figure having less tension on a spring can't possible hurt so I store all my autos, except my DA/OTF's, where it's a moot point, open.

Peter1960 wrote:I store my autos closed. I think a well designed spring and from correct material will cope with tension.
If I have luck, I will live for another 30 or 40 years and can tell you afterwards my experience about spring fatigue

The Deacon wrote:I've been told it matters by someone I respect, but I've also been told it doesn't matter, that modern springs can take years of constant compression, by someone else that I respect. I figure having less tension on a spring can't possible hurt so I store all my autos, except my DA/OTF's, where it's a moot point, open.

Could both positions be possible? Perhaps. I feel as you do Peter, however I feel Paul received pragmatic advice when he was advised to store them open...I was leaning toward this position Paul, just wanted some reassurance I guess. Thanks guys for the timely & wise advice...ron

I know on gun magazines what wears the springs out is compressing and releasing then compressing again . Leaving the magazines fully loaded with springs compressed will last many many years .
Not sure if it applies to knifes or not .

TheFactor wrote:I know on gun magazines what wears the springs out is compressing and releasing then compressing again . Leaving the magazines fully loaded with springs compressed will last many many years .
Not sure if it applies to knifes or not .

This is what I have always heard and how I have always treated my autos. All are since gone, but I made peace with it. My favorite was an original M.O.D. Keating Hornet, PE in 154CM with DLC. I regret letting that one go.

xceptnl wrote:This is what I have always heard and how I have always treated my autos. All are since gone, but I made peace with it. My favorite was an original M.O.D. Keating Hornet, PE in 154CM with DLC. I regret letting that one go.

Much respect but Sometimes we have to do to what we have to do . Guns are another passion of mine and that would be a tough road .But with that being said I sure love my knifes especially my Spydies and you sir have one fine collection ! :cool:

This thread reminds me of cigar guys deciding if cigars are best stored with cellophane wrapper on or off. :D

I suspect it is flexing or use that causes the most wear, way behind that, static compression and least of all open or less compressed.

I store all of my auto's closed.
The spring tension is small enough to be ignored IMO and a good knife has a spring that is capable of dealing with such minute stress for many many years before showing the least bit of wear. Even if they wear out before I do, I could always replace them for a low amount of money. And they take up less space this way

DutchBlades wrote: And they take up less space this way

Good point Dutch...

So, if my calculations are right....

if I close my Autonomy & 2 Citadels...

I could make room for the upcoming Autonomy!!! :cool:

I'll tell my wife it was you who helped me get there! :p

paladin wrote:

DutchBlades wrote: And they take up less space this way

Good point Dutch...

So, if my calculations are right....

if I close my Autonomy & 2 Citadels...

I could make room for the upcoming Autonomy!!! :cool:

I'll tell my wife it was you who helped me get there! :p

Happy to help in getting another of those beauties in the collection :D I'm sure the wife will be grateful! :p

Springs can be left compressed and or open, that is not what wears them out. It is the compessing and uncompressing that wears springs out. This is a well known subject on gunsites about magazines. Leaving them empty or full.

Pinetreebbs wrote:This thread reminds me of cigar guys deciding if cigars are best stored with cellophane wrapper on or off. :D

Checking in late but ... good cigars don't come in cellophane :D

I too have always heard the theory that springs only wear by the act of compression and decompressing. But....

As someone who has had the springs in several Glock magazines have their springs give up the ghost after about 5 years of being stored fully loaded, I believe it is best to err or the side of caution in this area. Lower capacity magazines might fare okay but high capacity magazines seem to put an awful lot of strain on the wires. With that in mind, I buy several extras per gun and rotate loaded magazines every three months. Since doing this I've had zero magazine failures.

With my automatic knives, it varies. From what Microtech says, the springs in OTF knives are not under tension except when deploying and retracting the blade so it doesn't matter how the knives are stored. For side openers, most of my most used knives get stored open. But I have a few side openers that I don't consider very important or use very much so they're stored closed in the original boxes.

I haven't owned a lot of automatics until fairly recently so I guess I should check back in a few years and see if it makes any difference on the storage. Be interesting to see.

I’ve got a few kept closed.open takes more
Room. 20 or more years still like new.

TheFactor wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 20, 2014 7:24 pm

I know on gun magazines what wears the springs out is compressing and releasing then compressing again . Leaving the magazines fully loaded with springs compressed will last many many years .
Not sure if it applies to knifes or not .

This...work, not compression, wears out springs...in extreme cases you could have other problems (corrosion, mineral buildup, etc.) but these instances would rarely happen in a collection.

Does the safety button become smoother with usage? Mine has an extremely tight button.

I agree with those who have said that storing an auto closed is a non-issue.

If it is a collector's piece that is never going to see use, then I'd just assume store it open, especially if it is in a display case. However, all of my knives are users, and I recognize that the springs are likely to wear out through use and need to be replaced at some point anyway, so I'm not overly concerned with how the knives are stored.