Caly3 Sprint Run Questions/Help Needed

[DCJ]

I have a number of Spyderco's, but all with FRN handles, so this knife (G10, Hap40, 3") is my first Spyderco with G10 scales. There was no vertical play at all out of the box, but there was a tiny bit (only the anal could perceive it) of side-to-side play, which I could eliminate by tightening the pivot bolt just a hair. So lock-up is very solid, but the deployment feels rough. It's almost as if there's grit somewhere inside the pivot, or the parts are not really smooth. I put a drop of Tuff-Glide on either side of the pivot, and that helped tremendously for a while (very smooth), but as the lubricant has been "scraped" away, it's gone back to feeling rough.

My question is whether this will disappear as the knife pivot breaks in, or whether the only option is to back out the pivot screw a hair, which probably will introduce a bit of that side-to-side play in the blade. My other comparably-sized mid-back locks (Native 5) take an equal amount of pressure to deploy, but they are much smoother.

Any thoughts/advice would be greatly appreciated.

[ChrisinHove]

My experience on the Caly is that it will break in. Giving it a flush through, dry and light lube wouldn't do it any harm in the meanwhile.

... and welcome to the forum!

[SG89]

I have the exact same knife and at first it was gritty. canned air sprayed at each side of the lockbar while the knife is half open and at the pivot fixed the grittyness. knife is smooth as glass now

[DCJ]

Many thanks for the responses. ChrisinHove - When you say give it a flush, just running water or some cleaner (soap), too? May try canned air if I have any handy.

[ChrisinHove]

Many thanks for the responses. ChrisinHove - When you say give it a flush, just running water or some cleaner (soap), too? May try canned air if I have any handy.

Either/both. Neither will do it any harm provided you allow it to dry.

[Basetta70]

Personally I avoid the pivot to enter in contact with water always, specially in the case of carbon steel.
I only use a brush and camellia oil, if you proceed to remove the pivot and take out the blade you can clean it with lint free cloth and put grease to the pivot hole.
Oil unfortunately has the tendence to evaporate and leave nothing to the friction parts.

[BrianMcCord]

I have the exact same knife and at first it was gritty. canned air sprayed at each side of the lockbar while the knife is half open and at the pivot fixed the grittyness. knife is smooth as glass now

Have you ever had a white film spray out of the can of air? We used to keep these on the engine to blow out problematic smoke detectors, and every once in a while, some of the propellant would spray out and coat the mirror inside the detector with a white film.

Maybe it was brand specific...?

I have a small 3 gallon air compressor that I use, but I am also a fan of compressed air...especially after washing in water.

[SG89]

I have the exact same knife and at first it was gritty. canned air sprayed at each side of the lockbar while the knife is half open and at the pivot fixed the grittyness. knife is smooth as glass now

Have you ever had a white film spray out of the can of air? We used to keep these on the engine to blow out problematic smoke detectors, and every once in a while, some of the propellant would spray out and coat the mirror inside the detector with a white film.

Maybe it was brand specific...?

I have a small 3 gallon air compressor that I use, but I am also a fan of compressed air...especially after washing in water.

only time that happens to me is if the can is almost empty and the white film quickly disappears bc its frost? idk it's cold lol

[dodgie02]

The caly 3 is sort of gritty out of factory.

What I did was just taking the pivot and blade out. Just unscrew the pivot and take both sides out. Clean the blade and handles, some oil of the choice (I went with Benchmade blue oil. Put the caly back together which I have found easiest in open position. Mind the lock, place the blade and push the pivot in (it only fits one way) and screw it as tight as preferable. It should be considerably smoother then before and just the center it and done. One of the the easiest to clean and dismantle knives even a child could (but shouldn't Haha) do it. A few weeks of use and your caly will be even free dropped upon pressing the lock bar till the halfstop, like the native 5. Zero play even. From there on just give it a rinse or some pressed air to get rid of dirt from time to time time and have fun taking that's edge to a scalpel. It's a my absolute favourite middle sized knife. I was a bit taken back by the gritty feeling at first, unimpressed event. Rigid actions, gritty, or hurt me to open and open evening thought it had us faulty model due to all the there praise everywhere. That however changed completely after a few little treatment like shove written and usage. Got a 2nd as we'll which was sort if sprite financial surprise but now we I have wouldn't sell it for then world godforbid on lose one's of the my favourite knives. Its like there best of a native in shape, delica in ergos, size ander thumb ramp design. Hap 40 takes wildly sharp edge.

You'll love it.

Forgive the spelling here and there. My Dutch/English autocorrect did a number on my phones keyboard.

[DCJ]

OP here - Thanks for all the responses. I've been opening and closing my Caly 3, and although it's not non-functional, it is so much "rougher" than the Native 5 and Dragonfly 2's that I have. At times, it almost seems to bind. That said, I can open it with one hand, and the blade does "suck" into the handle at the end (but nowhere nearly as strongly as my FRN Native 5, which is borderline scary). I may try taking out the blade and giving it a good clean, after getting some suitable oil. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Spider bite]

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Do you have access to an air compressor? I used one with just my blow gun attachment on it for my last caly. I blew the crap out of it. Mine arrived very gritty. I was shocked how many metal shavings came out of the pivot. Flushed with water, hit it with the air again and more came out. After water flush I let a hair dryer sit on the pivot for a minute to assure no water left behind. A few drops of oil and the pivot was like butter. Good luck.

[TriggerThumb]

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Do you have access to an air compressor? I used one with just my blow gun attachment on it for my last caly. I blew the crap out of it. Mine arrived very gritty. I was shocked how many metal shavings came out of the pivot. Flushed with water, hit it with the air again and more came out. After water flush I let a hair dryer sit on the pivot for a minute to assure no water left behind. A few drops of oil and the pivot was like butter. Good luck.

If not I have used a gas station tire inflator (to dust off after work ) and asked the dudes at Walmart tire and lube to use theirs, both with good results. No obstacle too big to keep this fella from compressed air when needed :D

[DCJ]

OP here - Flushing with water and compressed air didn't seem to make much difference, so I just unscrewed the pivot and took the blade out (which, as noted above, could not be simpler), and cleaned everything thoroughly will some alcohol wipes. Waiting for some Benchmade Blue Lube to be delivered today, so I can use that on the pivot. Question I have is: Should I use some light grease on the other parts (e.g, lockbar/spring interface, spring/blade interface)? As a cyclist, I pretty much use Park Tools Polylube everywhere (other than the chain: Rock n Roll Gold!), and was wondering whether that would be a good alternative because it won't dry out and may stick to the surfaces longer. The downside, of course, is that grease will pick up lint/dirt like crazy in a pocket environment. Or just use the Benchmade lube, or Tuff Glide (or some other dry lube).

My observation re. the design of the knife is that is an incredibly simple design, but relies completely on the interface between the liners and blade beyond the pivot, so unless they are smooth, the action cannot be smooth. I guess I will just have to break it in, but that seems to be the real downside of a washerless design.

Thanks in advance for all the help!

[Strider]

I own 2 of this knife - one was gritty, the other wasn't. Air and a drop of oil made it as smooth as the other.

[DCJ]

I reassembled the knife, using a smidge of high-grade grease on the pivot screw and Benchmade lube on the blade/liner interface. Now as smooth as my other Spyderco's, and very easy to make small adjustments to the pivot screw. (Interesting that the Benchmade lube appears to be a paraffin based lubricant, which is the same as high-end lubes for bicycle chains.) It will be interesting to see how long that lasts - whether the knife will break in, or whether it will need regular lubrication. I love the design of the knife generally (fits my hand much better than the Native 5, which I find too "fat"), but the washerless design isn't ideal. Tiny changes in how tight the pivot screw is affects side-to-side blade play (or at least perceived blade play) and smoothness of the action - unfortunately in opposite directions. i just picked up a Lil' Native (compression lock version), and it has the same general construction (G10 scales, skelontonized steel liners), but the brass (I assume) washers make it very smooth, but it is thicker as a result.

Thanks for all of the help here. Great forum and community.