Spyderco Native Chief Lightweight Observations

[vivi]

It can be tricky striking the right balance between enjoying collecting something, and not developing into an overly materialistic person. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one that thinks these thoughts.

The more I handle this knife, the more I wish it didn't have a choil. Hopefully we see a "bodacious" version of the Chief.

viewtopic.php?t=96847

I feel the same way. It'd take some re-engineering of the kick, but such a design would have a crazy edge to handle ratio. Might even get Wartstein back in here

[Naperville]

I'm going to keep buying Spyderco Native Chiefs.

They meet my needs 100%.

Full speed ahead.

[ChrisinHove]

It can be tricky striking the right balance between enjoying collecting something, and not developing into an overly materialistic person. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one that thinks these thoughts.

The more I handle this knife, the more I wish it didn't have a choil. Hopefully we see a "bodacious" version of the Chief.

viewtopic.php?t=96847

I feel the same way. It'd take some re-engineering of the kick, but such a design would have a crazy edge to handle ratio. Might even get Wartstein back in here

I like the idea, as I don’t particularly need the choil on the NC, but I suspect it might be tricky.

[cabfrank]

I'm fine with it, i like it. I'd also like a Bodacious style alternative model. Both would be good, but we can't have every variant of every design, at least not yet.

[JBoone]

Got my Salt nc today. Never held a native chief. First impression was it is big!

Does not seem to have any figment issues. Feels well made and solid. Pivot if stiff but that’s fine by me. Going to be my beach/fishing edc.

[Big50]

The more I handle this knife, the more I wish it didn't have a choil. Hopefully we see a "bodacious" version of the Chief.

My feelings exactly!

[Bolster]

... I can choose to have smooth opening action, or I can choose to have zero side to side play....I can't have both....Try as I might to dial it in perfectly, using the finest adjustments possible by hand, the opening action becomes noticeably impacted by tightening the pivot to the point side to side play is eliminated. There simply is no goldilocks zone where opening and closing feels unhindered but the knife exhibits no play...I chose to have zero side to side play and slightly stiffer action. Not as smooth opening as my G10 Chiefs or Pacific Salts, but hopefully after breaking it in it will improve.

Attempting similar needed tuning of my new LW NC in MC, tell me more about how you determined side to side play. Did you gauge it when the knife was closed or open? When mine is open I can't discern S2S play (though it is probably there to some small degree). But if I'm checking S2S play when closed, S2S play is easier to see against the parallel sided of the slot. When the pivot is fairly tight, then the closed blade will mostly return to its position after being pushed to one side or the other. When the pivot is less tight, making for easier opening, then the closed blade will more-or-less settle to where it's pushed in the slot (mine having a preference for the show-side scale).

I think I'm experiencing the same thing you described, although perhaps to a lesser degree? Depends to some extent on the tolerances we find acceptable. S2S play is reduced and centering is better when the pivot is tightened, but then the blade deploys harder and the thumb can suffer if it's too tight. However, I am able to find a decent balance of the two where I'm happy with both the knife's opening and rigidity.

[vivi]

... I can choose to have smooth opening action, or I can choose to have zero side to side play....I can't have both....Try as I might to dial it in perfectly, using the finest adjustments possible by hand, the opening action becomes noticeably impacted by tightening the pivot to the point side to side play is eliminated. There simply is no goldilocks zone where opening and closing feels unhindered but the knife exhibits no play...I chose to have zero side to side play and slightly stiffer action. Not as smooth opening as my G10 Chiefs or Pacific Salts, but hopefully after breaking it in it will improve.

Attempting similar needed tuning of my new LW NC in MC, tell me more about how you determined side to side play. Did you gauge it when the knife was closed or open? When mine is open I can't discern S2S play (though it is probably there to some small degree). But if I'm checking S2S play when closed, S2S play is easier to see against the parallel sided of the slot. When the pivot is fairly tight, then the closed blade will mostly return to its position after being pushed to one side or the other. When the pivot is less tight, making for easier opening, then the closed blade will more-or-less settle to where it's pushed in the slot (mine having a preference for the show-side scale).

I think I'm experiencing the same thing you described, although perhaps to a lesser degree? Depends to some extent on the tolerances we find acceptable. S2S play is reduced and centering is better when the pivot is tightened, but then the blade deploys harder and the thumb can suffer if it's too tight. However, I am able to find a decent balance of the two where I'm happy with both the knife's opening and rigidity.

I would have the knife closed, adjust the pivot screw the smallest amount I could manage, then open the knife and check for play.

I've learned to ignore side to sjde blade play when the knife is closed. I have had so many knvies that had some remain even when they were perfectly adjusted when open.

However, I do make a point to check for side to side play with the knife open and the lock release depressed. Often times a knife feels perfectly adjueted but this will reveal side to side play the lock masked.

I never got to that point with the Chief LW. I couldn't get the play adjusted out without the action becoming quite stiff.

No matter what I did, opening become impeded by a too tight pivot well before the side to side play was eliminated.

I ran into the same issue with every linerless knife I've purchased since the Pacific Salt 1 was phased out. Pacific Salt 2, Pacific Salt 2 FFG LC200N, Stretch XL, Stretch XL Salt, and Native Chief LW.

It was worst with the Chief LW and Pacific 2 LC200N for whatever reason.

I'm not trying to be picky, but I don't find 4 way blade play acceptable on $100-200 knives when I have knives $30-90 with none. I'll deal with a bit of lock rock if I have to, but not side to side play on top of that.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Vivi can blade play be remedied after purchase or only on screw construction folders?

[vivi]

Vivi can blade play be remedied after purchase or only on screw construction folders?

On most screw construction folders side to side play can be eliminated.

Vertical play is usually permanent in my experience.

Today I'm carrying a Pacific Salt 1 that's pinned that has really bad play in all direction. I'm going to try tapping the pivot pin with a small hammer at some point to see if I can remedy the side to side play at all. It's a really nice folder otherwise.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Vivi can blade play be remedied after purchase or only on screw construction folders?

On most screw construction folders side to side play can be eliminated.

Vertical play is usually permanent in my experience.

Today I'm carrying a Pacific Salt 1 that's pinned that has really bad play in all direction. I'm going to try tapping the pivot pin with a small hammer at some point to see if I can remedy the side to side play at all. It's a really nice folder otherwise.

That is also why I started the blade play thread in Off Topic. To discuss blade play in general. With the Pac. Salt it should still remain safe and functional even with that play right?

[Bolster]

However, I do make a point to check for side to side play with the knife open and the lock release depressed. Often times a knife feels perfectly adjueted but this will reveal side to side play the lock masked.

Interesting, never thought of trying that. I just tested a number of knives and sure enough, there's a little bit of S2S play when the lock is released in several.

[vivi]

However, I do make a point to check for side to side play with the knife open and the lock release depressed. Often times a knife feels perfectly adjueted but this will reveal side to side play the lock masked.

Interesting, never thought of trying that. I just tested a number of knives and sure enough, there's a little bit of S2S play when the lock is released in several.

That's plays into my belief that I feel like others don't check as carefully as I do for blade play. Same idea with checking two ways for vertical play - gripping the blade in my off hand and moving it up and down, then pressing it into a cutting board.

Can't think of the last genuine lockback to pass the vertical tests, including the buck 110's I recently picked up. Tri-ad locks can if you count those, but it's quite rare coming across a lockback that truly has no vertical movement.

[cabfrank]

Well, a pivot screw backed out again. Apparently, when I got my first replacement screw I only put loctite on that side. So not only is this this first Spyderco I've had that a pivot screw backed out of, it happened twice.
I freely heap praise on my Spydercos, but this one is different. I said before either in this thread or another, if this had been my first Spyderco, I would have had a completely different impression of the brand. I'm saying it again. There are multiple frustrating issues with this model.

[zhyla]

That’s really weird. I haven’t had this issue… but I also haven’t really carried it and used it.

[vivi]

I had that happen with para 2's and Military 1's. Didn't carry my Chief LW enough before I returned it to see if it'd happen for me with that model.

Hope the Chief LW's coming out these days are solid in terms of QC. It's a great design.

[cabfrank]

I also love the design, which is the only reason I kept mine. I suppose I'll get it sorted out eventually.

[RazorSharp86]

Well, a pivot screw backed out again. Apparently, when I got my first replacement screw I only put loctite on that side. So not only is this this first Spyderco I've had that a pivot screw backed out of, it happened twice.
I freely heap praise on my Spydercos, but this one is different. I said before either in this thread or another, if this had been my first Spyderco, I would have had a completely different impression of the brand. I'm saying it again. There are multiple frustrating issues with this model.

I mentioned this issue in a post a short while ago, only to have a bunch of ppl telling be the Spyderco design team knows better than real world experience.

My Native Chief LW is my least favorite LW model from Spyderco. They need to do something about it and CQI that thing pronto .

[cabfrank]

Tight pivots with rough action, blade chips, floppy blade play flops back and forth when closed, pivot screws back out, blades not centered, it's a lot to ignore. I love the design (my first Native) so I didn't return mine like vivi did, then I noticed too many flaws to resell. It'll be a user/beater, but I also hope CQI fixes these issues. It's not typical Spyderco.

I forgot, the clip not aligning with the smooth spot on the scales, a common complaint.

[Manixguy@1994]

Reading all these threads makes me curious if one’s having QC issues are falling on same production date ? I only have two G10 variants but have seriously considered the lightweight . Seems odd there are two camps of negative and positive impressions . MG2