Lil' Temp blade play problem

[Huu]

I read on another thread of a Li'l Temp that went back to Spyderco due to some blade play. Spyderco deamed the lock unsafe on the Lil' temp. I have three Rhino Lil' emps and all have some play in the blade. Should I be concerned with the locks failing ,or should I accept the Li'l Temp for the sweet little knife that it is and learn to live with the blade play?

[DAYWALKER]

Aloha Huu,

Good to see you my friend!

Anyway, depends on what ya mean by, "play". Is there a lot? FWIW, I would send them all to :spyder: for a check up. Just to be on the safe side...OR, IIRC, some guys have adjusted their comp locks, solving the play problem, perhaps they will tune in soon.

I got a Rhino Lil' Temp 2nd, and there is no play at all. It is a great knife!!!

God bless and take care okay? :cool:

[BlackNinja]

I'm not too worried, but both my rhino and leaf have a little side to side play.

[Huu]

Thanks Chad. The play on one is almost not noticable, but you can see the blade move on the other two. It's verticle, not side to side. I'll watch for more replies before I send them in. I'd hate to loose them, they would be a bear to replace. But if they aren't safe then sending them in is the only option.

[BlackNinja]

Thanks Chad. It's verticle, not side to side.

That's weird, neither of mine have verticle, and both have a little side - side. :confused:

[smcfalls13]

Of the three I owned, two were like vaults, and one had vertical play.

[VultureParade]

Mine has slight vertical play, but it also opens smoother than buttered silk, so I'm not really worried about it

-Bryan

[Ferreter]

Thanks Chad. The play on one is almost not noticable, but you can see the blade move on the other two. It's verticle, not side to side. I'll watch for more replies before I send them in. I'd hate to loose them, they would be a bear to replace. But if they aren't safe then sending them in is the only option.

G'day Huu

Depending on you Li'l Temp it may have an excentric pivot which you can adjust to get rid of the vertical blade play.

The first time I put mine back together after a clean and service there was that mich blade play I thought i'd forgotten to put something back in! After pulling it apart again I noticed that the pivot pin was eccentric and after a bit of fiddling around I found the correct alignment for it and voila! no vertical blade play.

Ferreter

[Dannyvi]

Try this. In the open position, push the lock to the right(inward) with your nail or something(not too too much) and see if the vertical play is still there. If none the lock needs more tension. I would take the knife apart and give the lock more tension by by bending,not toomuch, just until you see thatit's out more than before. I did this to mine and it worked.

[Huu]

My thanks to all who chimed in to help me out with this. I'll try what was suggested, but looking at it closer I see that the pin that the back of the blade locks up against is moving too. I think I'll try to find some torx screwdivers that small and tighten down that pin. I've sent one of these back to Spyderco with this problem and it came back a little better. I hate to void the warranty by taking it apart myself so It might be easier just to send this one in to the shop also. Since no one has warned me about lock failure directly related to the blade play I'm not as concerned as I might be other wise.
thanks again

[zenheretic]

My thanks to all who chimed in to help me out with this. I'll try what was suggested, but looking at it closer I see that the pin that the back of the blade locks up against is moving too. I think I'll try to find some torx screwdivers that small and tighten down that pin. I've sent one of these back to Spyderco with this problem and it came back a little better. I hate to void the warranty by taking it apart myself so It might be easier just to send this one in to the shop also. Since no one has warned me about lock failure directly related to the blade play I'm not as concerned as I might be other wise.
thanks again

Home Depot has torx drivers for about $8, it is a nice set as all the tips fit into the handle when not in use.

[JD Spydo]

I have just got out all 4 of my Lil Temps. On one of the Rhino horns I can feel just the very slightest, minute amount of blade play. But you would have to have a micrometer or vernier caliper to register even the slightest amount it.

I personally think that all of this cross current I am hearing about Lil Temp blade play really borderlines on the totally ridiculous. I am sure if someone has a Lil T with substantially noticable blade play that the Spyderco repair department could/would probably make it good as new.

In all fairness to Spyderco even with their superlative, magnanimous quality that you have to consider that it is a factory knife. You will find very tiny flaws in any factory/mass produced item. But Spyders are as close as you can get to custom made as any factory that I have seen. :spyder:

[hrdwrguy]

All the issues I've had with blade play on comp locks has been solved by twidling with the stop pin a bit, not the pivot. If it is or looks a little loose you should tighten it up, just a little play in that pin really opens up the frame.

Mike

[Dannyvi]

As I mentioned before, I don't think the pivot or the stop pin has to do with it. I have a titanium salsa that had a little vertical play. I took it apart and opened up the lock a little bit and now is tight. I say it's the pressure from the lock that has to be more to keep the blade from moving vertically.

[Rockbuster]

If you send it to Spyderco, they might not send it back - they kept mine but gave me credit. I asked Amanda to send it back, but she said it would not be sent back

If my next Lil' T has a little vertical play, I can learn to live with it. Oh, yeah, my new one just came in from New Graham and is waiting for me at home. Gotta run..... Pics later.

[smcfalls13]

If my next Lil' T has a little vertical play, I can learn to live with it. Oh, yeah, my new one just came in from New Graham and is waiting for me at home. Gotta run..... Pics later.

Got the last one huh? Let us know all is at it should be.

[JD Spydo]

If you send it to Spyderco, they might not send it back - they kept mine but gave me credit. I asked Amanda to send it back, but she said it would not be sent back

If my next Lil' T has a little vertical play, I can learn to live with it. Oh, yeah, my new one just came in from New Graham and is waiting for me at home. Gotta run..... Pics later.

Rockbuster are you really sincere about that? I can't hardly believe that Amanda wouldn't send you the knife back. Don't get me wrong because I believe what you are saying and I am sure you are an honest man but did she tell you why she wouldn't send the knife back? Why on GOD's blue planet would they not give you YOUR KNIFE back? That's weird :confused: I will start repairing the knives myself if that is truly the case.

Unless there is a liability or legal situation that they are bound by or are doing it by the advice of their attorneys>>that just makes no sense to me what so ever. All of the knives I have sent in either got repaired or replaced with new ones of the very same model. I'm sure there is an explanation> I take it that these were discontinued knives?

[Rockbuster]

I received my Lil' Temperance last night from NewGraham. All I can say is: YES. No vertical blade play at all! - it has the lock with the really small tab and the top of the lock is even with the G-10 (doesn't stick up past the scale at all). Production date on the box was 9-3-03.

Glad I didn't miss out on this one. If they had another one and I was a wealthy man, I would own two. I just don't ever want to be without one. I heard a rumor about a titanium sprint run (or was it the Lil' T II) with enhanced ergonomics (fewer pointy corners). If so, I'm in.

I see why this knife is so expensive when you can find one (aside from being disco'd). It take a lot of material to make. Leaf blades have more material (S30V) than some other lower profile blades. The G-10 handles could have been made from a solid block of the stuff - thick and beefy.

The things I like about the knife:
1. Doesn't look like a knife to sheeple - I can sit at my desk playing with it at work for a Fortune 500 company and not set of any alarms.
2. Very grippable and love the indexing holes - excellent icepick grip profile.
3. Flat-Ground baby!!!!!!!!!!! See my post about a week ago about adding all Spyderco Flat-Ground folders to my shopping list. (I love my FB05Ps too).
4. Fits in the in-the-pocket pocket of my dress pants without needing to be clipped onto anything. This keeps it from clanging around or sitting sideways in my dress slacks when at work.

Here is my pure speculation on not returning the knife to me - I believe that there was a determination made by someone at the company the the lock style on my last Lil' T, which was larger and protruded above the G-10 scale, was not safe for whatever reason. It could be because of the more pronounced lock and its ease of deactivation or from the blade play, but I don't know. As far as I am concerned, Spyderco did a stand-up by giving me credit for it, so I am happy. Now if I hadn't been able to find a replacement, I might feel differently.... nah, I wold have just bought a mini-Manix.

Edit to add: The mini-Manix has many similar features and could have been a contributing facotor to the Lil' T's discontinuance (speculation again - I think I read that it was also material supplier-related).

[bowarrow2000]

Have had the same problem with a new Para Mill. Some blade play and the lock was not quite right. Sent it backto Spyderco and it was made right.
You paid good money for your knife so send it back and let them work their magic on it.

[redhawk44p]

My Manix has some vertical play. What is strange though is all 4 of my Byrd lockbacks are rock solid, no play at all.