endura opening tension

[mkd]

the endura i just bought is stiffer than i like when opening in spite of the fact i have adjusted the blade screw and liberally lubed all the surfaces associated with opening and closing.will this ever loosen up or is there anything i can do to reduce the opening tension? the delica i just got must have a weaker spring because the tension is less and more to my liking.the endura seems to take too much effort to open. does the tension applied have anything to do with the lockup or closed position while being carried?are all the knives in each model with either frn,g2,or carbon fiber scales built the same way mechanically ? i had to put some tension on my afck(side lock) to keep it from opening while in my pocket,this is not a problem with the back lock designs?

[dsmegst]

Most lockbacks need some break in so give it time. Spend a few evenings playing with it and it will loosen up. And I've found that stronger spring in lockback knives translates into a stronger blade retention.

Mechanically, all the Enduras are similar in design. And they won't open up in your pocket unless there's a mechanical failure.

[JBE]

Accidental opening of a backlock in the pocket is almost unheard of unless something snags the blade in the pocket. The AFCK is a liner lock(side lock) and there have been several reported instances of liner locks coming open on their own in the pocket, although I have never experienced this myself. With that said, the only liner lock I have ever carried is a Military.

As far as difficutly opening, the Endura is a bigger knife and you're probably looking at a stronger spring then what is on the Delica. That and the fact that the knife is new probably has a lot to do with it. I'd be willing to bet that over time the spring will "loosen" a bit and you'll start finding it much easier to open.

[mkd]

well i took the endura down to bare bones after reading here how to put it back together.reassembly was the liners,scales,and tension spring together first.the butt end screw i snugged up,the middle two screws that hold the tension spring loose.put the backlock bar in loose at an angle so no tension was present while inserting pin.pin was also left loose.pivoted the backspacer bar down and then applied a zip tie as tight as i could to hold the bar in the blade release position.this pulled the blade end of the knife in too close so i used a door shim cut to spread the blade open making it very easy to install the blade and shims because of the extra clearance.once the pivot screw was installed i cut the zip tie which put tension back on the blade.hardest part was the little brass washers in place.all together about 1 1/2 hrs start to finish including polishing the liners and blade where it pivots.it did help some on tightness while opening but not much!for all those that are dying the knives with this lock mechanism wasn't that bad to disassemble and put back together.

[Octanis]

I did the same thing with my Endura. My advice to you is tighten the pivot screw back up. The reason; I loosened mine and it stripped the locking mechanism from the parts having more space to move around inside when locking and unlocking the blade (now i can close it without depressing the backlock). The right way to do it is oil it and play with it to break it in. My SS Endura was tight when I first got it and now after 7 months of having it I can open it with my pinky. If you break it in wrong you'll be hating yourself like I am. But seriously tighten that pivot screw it'll do ya good.

[mkd]

the tightening sequence was only used to increase the clearance so i could install the blade and the washers on each side.once everything was in place i tightened everything up with just a dab of blue locktight on the screws.octanis yoy say to use oil for lube!is that the prefered lube for these knives or is grease? i have been using a zebco reel grease that is red in color called hot sauce.

[araneae]

octanis yoy say to use oil for lube!is that the prefered lube for these knives or is grease? i have been using a zebco reel grease that is red in color called hot sauce.

Lubes are a personal choice. Lots of opinions and lots of good products. Never heard of anyone using grease though. That would attract dust and particles and keep them where you don't want them.

I use mineral oil for most of my knives. Just the smallest drop will do. Its food safe and very cheap. Ballistol is also good and non-toxic. Militec-1 is great too, but I wouldn't use it on a knife that might come near food.

[Pneumothorax]

MKD,

Here is the thread I was referring to since it still sounds like your issue is the lock spring.

http://spyderco.com/forums/showthread.p ... fly+spring

Good luck.

[Octanis]

Yeah, oil is the only thing i use. I stay away from grease because its harder to apply to the small parts in the knife.

[mkd]

i'll try some oil as they need lubrication and see which i like best.i read the threads on adjusting spring tension with two quarters and decided to try lightening the tension some.i set the knife blade open with the spline down on the work bench and positioned the knife over my shop light to have full view of the spring between the liners. i used a pin punch and positioned the punch right on top of the arc of the spring.i started out with a light tap with a small machinist hammer and then would check the open tension.trial and error on the light side of force was the solution to too much spring tension.

[The Deacon]

I would expect more spring tension on an Endura than a Delica. The larger blade needs it in order to insure it won't open in the pocket when carried tip up.

[mkd]

well have had my endura apart 3 times since my last post and have polished all mating surfaces and adjusted the spring tension. although i have lightened the drag by lightening the spring tension i still am not completely satisfied with the smoothness when opening.it seems the farther out the blade travels towards the lock the rougher and less smooth the action is.i am way more satisfied than as it was purchased though!my question is this!the endura i have been having problems with as well as the delica that i had to exchange for cosmetic flaws were both bought at the same place off the web.could it be that both knives were seconds?seems both knives were less than what i would expect.the delica for fit quality and the endura for function quality. the only way to get the roughness out of the feel when opening the endura is to load the bearing surfaces that drag across each other with grease.oil as recommended by some just doesn't cut it.also noticed the knife is easier to open and close by backing off all the slab screws 1/4 turn from snug.

[spoonrobot]

Seconds are marked with a small notch on the spine of the blade near the Spyderhole; examples can been seen on Mr. Deacon's page:http://paulberetta.com/spy101_notched_seconds.htm

I smoothed out my ZDP Endura by removing all lubrication and opening it several hundred times while watching TV. After the break-in I lubed it like normal and found it a lot smoother.

[Scottie3000]

if they were seconds, there will be small notch ground into the spine of the blade. Its on the right side as the point is held away from you. It will look like someone accidentally nicked it with a grinder. If there isnt a notch, its not a second, but it is possible it was just missed by Spyderco QC before sending out.
That said, I agree with most on here that time and use are the best ways to break in your action.
As for lube, the majority of people here seem to use CLP, Rem-Oil, mineral oil, and Tuf-Glide.
If you are really unhappy, you could send it back to Spyderco, but with you taking it apart and messing with it so much they might charge you to make it right. (IIRC, disassembly voids the warranty)

[npueppke]

The only Spyderco lockback that I have that I would call smooth is my Stretch II. The other ones all have what you describe-a smooth start with some rough areas or a rough finish. I have learned to appreciate the knife for what it is, and though smooth opening is something that I really like in a knife, as pointed out in many threads on the forum this is one of those issues that is just an effect of mass production. They do break in eventually but they don't really smooth themselves out. My advice is to try not to worry about the opening action and instead appreciate the knife through using it.

[Pneumothorax]

Your or my Endura must be a one-off. Mine is very smooth all the way. It does take a little more effort due to the longer blade, but mine has a great action. As far as smooth lockbacks go, I dont own a stretch, but both my Caly 3 SE and Caly 3 ZDP CF are like silk. Sorry for your Endura issues. I know its frustrating.

[sal]

Hi Mkd,

To what are you comparing your Endura?

Self close is a big issue with safety and the lockbacks have proven to be the most secure in the self close area. The better the self close, the more resistance to opening. Lock-backs take a little more effort to one hand open.

One hand open Slip-joints take even more effort.

sal

[mkd]

sal! i have had the endura for about four months and one hand opening was a chore and the hole was irritating my thumb.the lock was so stiff that i could hardly open it one handed.i have had it apart approx 6 times and tried to smooth it out and reduce the effort without messing with the spring tension.finaly i started tweaking the spring to get the feel i wanted.i do realize that staying closed and blade lockup was a function of the spring tension and it seems to be fine now.if it ever does weaken i know how to get the tension back.i just don't think a $100 knife should be or feel less than it is.i like the side lock milli i have for effort and feel,as well as my cf cali opens fine,and so does the delica,the endura was just too darn stiff to one hand.

[sal]

Hi Mkd,

Sorry for your frustration.

Might have been less hassle to send it to us and we could determine pretty quickly if it's an anomly or normal.

The ball detent linerlock of the Millie is much easier to open, but the ball detent is not as good in self close as the lock-back. There are always trade-offs with locks. That's one of the reasons for the Sage series. the opportunity to compare locks with the same model.

sal

[mkd]

sal! thanks for your concern but i am happy with what i have...... now. i am a flipper so i am constantly opening and closing knives as i'm sitting .it used to be my 800 afck.now it is my endura and ladybug hawkbill.just got back from the badger knife show and bought an etched pe dragonfly for a gift and a ss harpy for me.have a tasman salt pe somewhere in the mail coming my way also.i like the cutting edge inivations that spyderco has and that's what strayed me away from the competition.i'm old school and unique at the same time.sometimes it's down the same path sometimes it's not.i have bought not quite a dozen spydies since xmas.