Native 5 and my first spyderco

[DT!]

Good day
Just bought a Native 5 and my first Spyderco.
The knife looks and functions perfect.
Questions...


1)
I put a few drops of a top quality light oil into the moving parts.
And have cycled it open/closed 75 times.
How do those guys on u tube open a Native 5, or any Spyderco with just a flick?
Special tuning? Parts been changed out?
Or practice and a well broken in knife?

2)
Is there one best way to close this knife and not risk having a finger get in the way?
Like perhaps in the dark, or when cold, or in a hurry.
Note I have above skill with tools, hope these questions are ok...

[TazKristi]

Hi, DT:
Welcome to our forum. We hope you enjoy your time with us!

Kristi

[Ramonade]

Welcome to the forum !

Do you own a Native 5 in G10 or a Native 5 Lightweight, in FRN (it has a very grippy "volcano" texture) ?
I own several of them and there are many factors. The Native 5 lockbar applies constant pressure on the blade during the whole travel for opening. The guys on Youtube you saw flicking it open certainly are used to this knife. If you want to open it that way let's say with your thumb, you have to build pressure pushing towards the pivot and then re-orienting that pressure more and more to the left until the blade just goes.

And even then, it might not work since it takes practice. I recommand doing it at a desk, sitting down. If the knife were to fly out of your hands, at least it would not land in your leg or foot

[DT!]

Thanks for the reply's.

My Native 5 came with the G 10 handle.
And my note indicate a back lock design, hope this helps.

My other folder is a ZT 562.
Found the 562 just a little big for my most EDC needs.
I am just an average retired guy...

The Native I intend will become the "go to" for 6 days a week.

But I want to start with good habits for closing safely.
So I do it right when in a busy or difficult situation.

[ChrisinHove]

Hello!

1. You can do it with practice but other lock types are much more flickable.

2. When pressing the release with my thumb, I place the meat of my forefinger all the way forward and drop/shake the unsharpened section (ricasso) of the blade onto that. I then use the tip of my thumb in the spydie hole to fully close the blade.

This isn’t so good for some serrated blades, however, and there are also other ways. I’m sure others here will expand on those ….

[ImHereForTheMilitary2]

Honestly, you're much better off just resigning yourself that it's going to be a slow roll open knife. I can't think of any situation where you'll need to flick it open. If you're going to a bad area and self defense deployment is your mind then go for a pm2 or a manix xl or something. It's a great excuse to start building your collection.

But if you're just tooling around home or work or your workshop or yard, and you want to carry your native just slow roll it.

[Wartstein]

Honestly, you're much better off just resigning yourself that it's going to be a slow roll open knife. I can't think of any situation where you'll need to flick it open.

Completely agreed: There definitely is no need to flick a knife open ever (except perhaps in sd, to which I can't speak at all though)

That said: A short, efficient flick with a backlock is a bit more convenient, a bit quicker and a hair more secure (less to no repositioning of the knife / fingers necessary) to me than slow rolling.

I do it all the time and also did it with my Natives.

Again: Slow rolling and flicking open imo are both valid and solid opening methods, it's just personal preference which one might prefer.

[Wartstein]

Good day
Just bought a Native 5 and my first Spyderco.
The knife looks and functions perfect.
Questions...


1)
I put a few drops of a top quality light oil into the moving parts.
And have cycled it open/closed 75 times.
How do those guys on u tube open a Native 5, or any Spyderco with just a flick?
Special tuning? Parts been changed out?
Or practice and a well broken in knife?

2)
Is there one best way to close this knife and not risk having a finger get in the way?
Like perhaps in the dark, or when cold, or in a hurry.
Note I have above skill with tools, hope these questions are ok...

Welcome to the forum!

1.) Flicking open a backlock takes a bit more force to overcome than with other locks (good thing:This also means a backlock tends to be more secure and less prone to opening in pocket)

But it's really not that hard with just a bit of practice. I can flick open all of my lockbacks with each finger of at least my dominant hand (except the Chaparral).

What helps: With the finger in the opening hole imagine that you try to "shoot" the blade out the FRONT of the handle, and not that you want to flick it outwards/away from the handle. So move the thumb rather PARALLEL to the handle, not perpendicular away from it.

2.) Here are three clips I made how to close a backlock one handed, each shown one time slow for demonstration, two times regular speed. Of course you can also let the pronounced Native choil drop on your forefinger and then proceed to fully close the knife, as many seem to prefer (not me though)

https://streamable.com/myzlt

https://streamable.com/bhhzs

https://streamable.com/j7fjd

[Wartstein]

...

And even then, it might not work since it takes practice. I recommand doing it at a desk, sitting down. If the knife were to fly out of your hands, at least it would not land in your leg or foot

Lots of flicking-discussions lately ... can't hurt though, at least those are about a practical aspect of knife use and not less or more meaningful than such about color, handle texture, carry depth...

In my experience when flicking a knife open it is very unlikely to fly out of the hand, in a way the handle is even pushed back into the palm.

On large knives with (almost) no thumbramp like Chief, Siren, Goddard imo flicking open makes the knife actually sit MORE secure in hand than slow rolling.

[Ramonade]

...

And even then, it might not work since it takes practice. I recommand doing it at a desk, sitting down. If the knife were to fly out of your hands, at least it would not land in your leg or foot

Lots of flicking-discussions lately ... can't hurt though, at least those are about a practical aspect of knife use and not less or more meaningful than such about color, handle texture, carry depth...

In my experience when flicking a knife open it is very unlikely to fly out of the hand, in a way the handle is even pushed back into the palm.

On large knives with (almost) no thumbramp like Chief, Siren, Goddard imo flicking open makes the knife actually sit MORE secure in hand than slow rolling.

Yes, a lot of discussions on that subject ! And since most of these discussions were not, let's say... calm, I decided to simply provide the best answer I could

I had a Domino fly out of my hand when trying to "reverse-flick" once. So, I tend to keep that in mind, now .

[SaltyCaribbeanDfly]

Welcome to the forum DT! My Native 5 Salt is the least flickable of all my Spyderco’s but with a little practice you’ll be able to flick it open no problem…it took me awhile but I can use any finger now although the pinky is hit or miss…I slow roll it a lot too which is what I’m sure it was designed for…such a solid first choice

[Doc Dan]

https://streamable.com/myzlt (Thank you Gernot)

This video is how I do it. I never, ever let the blade drop on my finger as I see some do. Muscle memory is a real thing and if one gets a hold of a non-Spyderco and drops the blade and cut is sure to follow. My 2¢.

[huyfishin]

I don't flick the native5. I just find it a waste of time and effort especially when you fail at it. I just leave any flick for my para military 3.
I just slow roll the native 5 and i love the loud audible lock snapping in place. Its sooo satisfying.

[Wartstein]

https://streamable.com/myzlt (Thank you Gernot)

This video is how I do it....

Doc, I feel honored!

[Notsurewhy]

Welcome and congrats. The native 5 is probably my most carried and one of my favorite Spyderco knives.

Flicking a small to mid sized back lock is possible but generally requires a well tuned and lubricated knife and practice. I don't bother flicking my natives. My success rate is low and I find the smoothness of the slow roll followed by the click of the lock engagement satisfying.

For unlocking, I generally press the release and let the ricasso/choil drop onto my index finger and then guide the blade down from there once my finger is clear. As long as you keep your finger fairly far forward it is safe, but the video posted above is probably safer. I find it easier to safely close a back lock than a comp lock. I've never cut myself closing either, but the finger tip pinch way off closing the comp lock has caused me to drop a knife.

[huyfishin]

Welcome and congrats. The native 5 is probably my most carried and one of my favorite Spyderco knives.

Flicking a small to mid sized back lock is possible but generally requires a well tuned and lubricated knife and practice. I don't bother flicking my natives. My success rate is low and I find the smoothness of the slow roll followed by the click of the lock engagement satisfying.

For unlocking, I generally press the release and let the ricasso/choil drop onto my index finger and then guide the blade down from there once my finger is clear. As long as you keep your finger fairly far forward it is safe, but the video posted above is probably safer. I find it easier to safely close a back lock than a comp lock. I've never cut myself closing either, but the finger tip pinch way off closing the comp lock has caused me to drop a knife.

This is exactly what i'm talking about!!! the nice snap makes me feel giggly inside. compression locks don't give me this satisfaction.

[Wartstein]

Welcome and congrats. The native 5 is probably my most carried and one of my favorite Spyderco knives.

Flicking a small to mid sized back lock is possible but generally requires a well tuned and lubricated knife and practice. I don't bother flicking my natives. My success rate is low and I find the smoothness of the slow roll followed by the click of the lock engagement satisfying.
....

In my humble experience it actually does not require an overly well tuned and lubricated knife (no offense meant, and ymmv! ).

I stopped lubricating my FRN backlocks quite some time ago, and can flick all of them (actually with each finger of at least my dominant hand) even when they are pretty dirty (exception: Chap. Can only thumb flick that one reliably)

Perhaps it actually is about practice? I began opening and closing backlocks before I ever saw or read how other folks do this, and my closing methods (see the vids in my previous post) as well as doing a short, efficient flick rather than a "roll" just came to me naturally.
Especially with a knife like the Native, where due to the lack of a hump the opening hole is rather close to the handle / hand, I find flicking just tiny a bit more convenient than rolling (and it works 100% of all tries).

But again, to each their own! No "better or worse" here, just different preferences

[Wartstein]

...

For unlocking, I generally press the release and let the ricasso/choil drop onto my index finger and then guide the blade down from there once my finger is clear. As long as you keep your finger fairly far forward it is safe, but the video posted above is probably safer. I find it easier to safely close a back lock than a comp lock. I've never cut myself closing either, but the finger tip pinch way off closing the comp lock has caused me to drop a knife.

Yes, that´s what I´d consider too if overall "safety" was a concern of mine.

With a comp.lock one still has to move all fingers deliberately out of the blade path (and can potentially forget to do so), plus with the mentioned method the knife is not overly secure in hand.

Actually dropping the knife is more likely with that pinch grip comp.lock method than when flicking a backlock in my opinion.

Especially when the action is a bit tighter, the pinch grip comp.lock method requires a movement that is kind of similar to actually throwing the knife away (in order to accelerate the blade to drop in the closed position).

While when flicking a backlock, in some way the handle is pushed back into the palm (not that the knife can´t fly at all when flicking, don´t get me wrong, but chances are rather low imo).

[Blaine in the Rock]

Hey DT! and welcome!

The best advice I read was to imagine the knife is on a clock face and flick towards 10-11 o'clock.