Spyderco Forums

i dont know if its just me but im not happy with my pacific salt
Not only is there side to side, up and down blade play, but it seems to be pretty dull.
Some people said to tap the pins lightly.....Which side should i tap, clip side or non clip?
I want to fix this otherwise im gonna have to return it. I really dont want to.
Thanks!
BTW is this for real???
(Does the knife have horizontal blade play? If so you could try "peening" the pivot carefully to tighten-up the scales. That's about the only option on a non-disassembling knife like the Pacific Salt.

I just checked my Pacific Salt and it has no blade play horizontal or side to side. If you could be more give a more specific description about what you're experiencing it would help. Lockbacks sometimes have a little bit of up and down play, but that's generally small. Is the knife new or used?

Just trying to help.

Charlie

its new.

tuffthumbz wrote:i dont know if its just me but im not happy with my pacific salt
Not only is there side to side, up and down blade play, but it seems to be pretty dull.
Some people said to tap the pins lightly.....Which side should i tap, clip side or non clip?
I want to fix this otherwise im gonna have to return it. I really dont want to.
Thanks!
BTW is this for real???
(Does the knife have horizontal blade play? If so you could try "peening" the pivot carefully to tighten-up the scales. That's about the only option on a non-disassembling knife like the Pacific Salt.

Lockbacks always have up and down play - don't let it bug you. As for side to side, that peening is for real and it works. I did it on a small Leatherman multitool. Works best with a punch with an cupped end that conforms to the shape of the rivet better. Do it lightly and carefully until you reach the desired tightness. Remember that you can't undo it, so go slow. As for dullness, that's not normal but I'd simply sharpen it. I hope this helps calm you. :)

- best wishes, Jazz.

No offense to anybody that says there spyderco doesnt have any play,but i dont buy it.I own 2 enduras,a native,and used to own a black H1, and they all had play.I,m not saying they should,in fact just the opposite.I have an Outdoor Edge lock back that locks up tighter than any spyderco i ever had,and i paid like 30 bucks for it.Maybe its the way there made,but i think they could make them tighter.As far as hitting it with a punch,i tried it with my H1,and it actually made it worse.I,m not bashing spyderco,i just like them tight.Maybe i,m just venting a little,just had this conversation with my nephew and he is a spyderco freak big time.

JEFF B wrote:No offense to anybody that says there spyderco doesnt have any play,but i dont buy it.I own 2 enduras,a native,and used to own a black H1, and they all had play.I,m not saying they should,in fact just the opposite.I have an Outdoor Edge lock back that locks up tighter than any spyderco i ever had,and i paid like 30 bucks for it.Maybe its the way there made,but i think they could make them tighter.As far as hitting it with a punch,i tried it with my H1,and it actually made it worse.I,m not bashing spyderco,i just like them tight.Maybe i,m just venting a little,just had this conversation with my nephew and he is a spyderco freak big time.

I have 3 Enduras, a Delica, a Caly3, and a tasman... and there is no noticeable (by human means) play in the blades when locked up! NONE. Unless you use it as a pry-bar, the blade does not move relative to the handle! at least my 6 back lock blades don't.

That's my experience... so you must have been unlucky, or me very lucky... just my 2c

No such thing as being that unlucky.

Some people can't appreciate the limits of a lock design's tolerances. I'm one of them! :D

If you're not careful with the knife, you'll throw off the clean lockup. It's a fact of life.

Some of mine have a bit of vertical movement and this is within acceptable tolerances. Some of my spydies are absolutely solid. As for horizontal play, I have never received a spydie that had anything measurable.

Peening will work, but realize that you cannot undo it and if you screw up the warranty isn't going to cover it. Peen very slowly. I have used a small ball peen hammer for this issue on old used knives. Lay the lower pin head pin on a hard surface such as a vice or anvil. Tap the opposite side lightly with the hammer. Tap and check then repeat until you are satisfied. If the play is very slight, I would just deal with it and recognize that it won't affect the knife's safety or function.

As for seeming dull, either it is or it isn't and there is an
easy way to take care of a dull knife.

My Pac Salt has a small amount of play but not enough for it to be a cause for concern.

If the knife was purchased new from a dealer, and you're not satisfied, the best solutions would be to either request a replacement from the dealer, or return the knife to Spyderco for evaluation. Trying to peen the pivot yourself may accomplish nothing or result in a knife that's impossible to open and, in either case, would void the warranty. It can work, if done just right, but should be reserved for knives that have developed horizontal play due to years of hard use.

As for the rest, Spyderco considers a small amount of vertical play to be within tolerances for midlock knives. Side to side play with the knife closed is normal. Such play with the knife open would not be, but some folks go so far overboard testing for it as to find it where it does not really exist.

The Deacon wrote: Such play with the knife open would not be, but some folks go so far overboard testing for it as to find it where it does not really exist.

I would tend to agree... as I said, I have 6 knives with no play, that I can detect, which leads me to believe your statement is very true!

Personally with a brand new knife i wouldn't risk hammering on it. Either get it replaced from where you bought it or send it in to Spyderco and have them look at it. The last thing you wanna do is hammer on it and screw it up and then not be able to return it AND void your warranty.

I want to note that the Pacific Salt does not have liners. It is a FRN handled knife and FRN is the only thing holding the blade and lock. In normal operation the handle will flex a little bit and to some people it may feel like blade play.

If you were expecting a more sturdy knife, you might need to get something with liners or a stainless handled knife.

do any of the others in the salt series feel more sturdy?

tuffthumbz wrote:do any of the others in the salt series feel more sturdy?

My Tasman Salt feels very sturdy to me... don't have any others to compare to, but considering getting an Atlantic Salt.

On unlined FRN handled knives there's something of an inverse relationship between blade length and perceived rigidity. By that logic, the Tasman, Saver, and Salt I might seem sturdier than the larger models. The all stainless Mariner Salt would definitely be the sturdiest.

I once gave my Pacific Salt a bit of a task it wasn't designed for and it developed a bit
of side play so I peened it on my anvil, very lightly at first, then checked it each time I
gave it a hit just so I'd know how hard to hit it the next time. It worked out great and
I'd say it's just about perfect.
I agree with posters who say that the lockbacks have a bit of vertical play. If you open
your folders and lay the edge of the blade on a piece of wood and press downward you
can detect a bit of movement or sometimes a "clicking" sound. This is normal but when
I put it to use in everyday affairs I don't notice it as a problem.

I kind of like the way "nutnfancy" on youtube checks his blade play and lockup on his
knives. He puts an index finger on one side of the blade and his thumb on the other
and then wiggles side to side and up and down and more often than not he comes up
solid. If you grab a blade with several fingers and a thumb and really "give 'er" and can
detect a bit of play, that's a bit unfair especially when dealing with frn linerless knives
such as in the Salt series.

I do hope it all works out for you though. :)

The Deacon wrote:On unlined FRN handled knives there's something of an inverse relationship between blade length and perceived rigidity. By that logic, the Tasman, Saver, and Salt I might seem sturdier than the larger models. The all stainless Mariner Salt would definitely be the sturdiest.

Yeah, the longer (and thinner) a piece of FRN or any material for that matter, will bend and flex more.

I'm not an expert on structural stuff. I think I failed the structural part of the last test I took. That is how it seems to be.

Seems like it should go back for an exchange or credit.

Hey Tuffthumbz...Wecome to the Forum :)
I had a Pacific, but sold it; I had no blade play @ all...The only thing I experienced was when dissengauging the lock, the blade would swing shut quickly. In my opinion, I'd get a replacement, or send it to W&R.
It's a great knife!
Good luck bro...hope things work out.

John