Opening and closing my Spyderco knives

[John_is_my_name]

Opening and closing a Spyderco too many times?

I'm a recent Spyderco convert, and I find that I just can't stop opening and closing my knives, a Sage 1 and a Para-military 2. I love the feeling, the sound, and the motion; I find it all very relaxing.

My question is, do I need to be concerned with creating excess wear and tear on my knives?

Before my first Spyderco, I carried a Kershaw with the Ken Onion speedsafe assisted opening and read that the assisted opening is good for about 10,000 openings before it needs servicing. I don't have one, but I read on Chris Reeve's site that flicking open a Sebenza can cause wear and tear on the knives.

So, back to my Spyderco knives.
1) Will absentminded opening and closing wear down my knives noticeably faster? And
2) Will flicking my knives open versus a slower deployment harm my Spydies?

I love the way these feel in my hand and can't seem to put then down.

[00max00]

The answers are obviously yes and yes. A safe queen will certainly outlive you but what the point of owning it? If play with the knives make you feel better so be it.

[chuck_roxas45]

Opening and closing a Spyderco too many times?

I'm a recent Spyderco convert, and I find that I just can't stop opening and closing my knives, a Sage 1 and a Para-military 2. I love the feeling, the sound, and the motion; I find it all very relaxing.

My question is, do I need to be concerned with creating excess wear and tear on my knives?

Before my first Spyderco, I carried a Kershaw with the Ken Onion speedsafe assisted opening and read that the assisted opening is good for about 10,000 openings before it needs servicing. I don't have one, but I read on Chris Reeve's site that flicking open a Sebenza can cause wear and tear on the knives.

So, back to my Spyderco knives.
1) Will absentminded opening and closing wear down my knives noticeably faster? And
2) Will flicking my knives open versus a slower deployment harm my Spydies?

I love the way these feel in my hand and can't seem to put then down.

Dude, you'll break your knife in two weeks. LOL kidding.


I don't flick my knives. I think that flicking borders on abuse. Opening and closing my knives is one of the ways I enjoy them, and If I wear them out in a couple of years just doing this and not doing any cutting,then I'll consider it money well spent.

[LDB]

Can you afford to replace the knife whenever you need to? Can you replace the knife when you need to (a different question)? If the answers are yes and yes then do whatever you want. Everything has a definite lifespan. Playing with your knife will use up some of the number of open/close cycles it will last. If it's no hardship to replace then enjoy it however you choose to. If you can't get that model anymore and you want to maximize it's useful lifespan then don't play with it.

[Dr. Snubnose]

Yes flicking the knife will shorten it's lifespan....not by much...opening and closing...well I have opened and closed some spyderco knives still in my possession for more than twenty years, some for years 50X or more a day...guess what...they still open and close.....Doc :D

[O,just,O]

If you had a crap knife maybe you could be justified in having some degree of concern. But seeing as how your blades are top shelf your concern is undue.
Worry about something real, like when is your Chokwe getting delivered, or have you got enough green backs for a TI Military. Both are good Spydie batters. :)
O.

[fast.ed]

O yea......i do it a lot....but, its a ladybug, when or if it wears out, I'll take $20 and get another. I especially like to hold it real close to my ear and slowly open it, when the lock clicks it makes my ear ring.

[p3pe]

I do it all the time with my knives to. I think the steel lined knives can handle it alot if regularily lubricated. On my delica frn it only took about two weeks before I noticed a snag, but that really is no biggie

[The Deacon]

Opening and closing any knife causes friction, which in turn causes wear. Opening it violently, by thumb flick or wrist snap, adds damage due to steel surfaces hammering against one another. How long it will take, how many gentle opening or flicks can only be guessed at. Do I let that knowledge stop me from repeated opening and closing my favorite Spyderco? No, I do not. I figure that, given my age, it won't wear out in my lifetime. Flicking is a different story, I avoid it.

[p3pe]

what is the difference of thumb flick and flick?

[The Deacon]

what is the difference of thumb flick and flick?

Flick is a more general term. It can be used to describe a thumb flick, where you put the tip of your thumb into the Spyderhole and use a "marble shooting" thumb motion to flick the blade open with your thumbnail. But, it can also be used to describe a wrist or arm flick where you hold the handle and make a wrist or arm snapping motion as if casting a fishing lure, only faster. There's also the "Spyder drop" opening where you hold the blade and jerk the knife to snap the handle open. All of those, and I'm sure there are additional techniques as well, cause more wear and damage than a normal controlled opening.

[Joshua J.]

The lock should break in over the first few hundred regular openings, after that it should open to the same spot for years to come, if not indefinitely. Thumb flicks will wear it in a little further, but that should only go so far as well.
Wrist flicking is the real problem. Just like a good fast pitch, if you get your arm and body into it, you can generate huge amounts of force and bend the stop pin. This is how some people unintentionally destroy their knives, and why CRK has the no flick policy.

[dbcad]

I really enjoy opening and closing my knives. And it is somewhat relaxing.

I do believe that super rapid deployment with a flick or Spydie drop isn't needed for 99.99% of the users out there, it does look cool to others, but does nothing for me.

Chinese Lum has been opened and closed many thousands of times, so has the delica and Manix, no signs of wear yet. More damage will come from hard use. That's why I have fixed blades. My folders will be around for many years to come.

[John_is_my_name]

Thanks a lot, everyone! I'll open and close to my hearts content and enjoy the flicking sparingly.

Woo Hoo!

[DaRTH SfaRi]

with there being so many spyderco locking mechanisms which ones are more durable when it comes to flicking and opening? i.e. back lock, liner lock, compression lock etc...

[mongatu]

Not sure about durability but I find with my Para 2 I can spyder drop it open pretty gently so it doesn't put much, if any, more stress than a regular non flicked thumb deployment. Love the sound it makes, and the feel of the lock engaging so very solidly, no matter how it's opened. I already have a backup in case I wear it (or the blade) out.

[Jordan]

I flick, drop (both spydie and on-the-floor), and generally play with my spydies constantly. I've yet to have a lock wear out on me. My current police model (personal favorite... I've run through a few of them due to gifting, trading, and loss) I've had for... probably a year or two. Lets call it a year. I've probably opened it around 50 times a day, every day, in ways ranging from deranged abuse to careful two handed openings. If we figure that I can average those out to the only mildly abusive thumb flick method... I've opened and closed it a little over 18000 times subjecting it to mild abuse each time. As I am, in fact, currently flicking it open and closed... I can attest to the fact that at this time, the lock still works perfectly.

I'm thinking that, while previous posters are certainly correct in that wear will eventually cause problems, it probably won't happen for quite some time :) . Flick away my friend.

[STAK]

:spyder: Many of my friends like to play with their keys or other related things . . . . I LOVE to constantly open and close my SPIDIES . . . . Mostly my EDC ENDURA4 PE, my PACIFIC SALT Y PE, my PARA2 S30V (my PARA2 S90V IS MY SAFE QUEEN) . . . . Sometimes i "flick" my knives like as if i had to open them super fast in a dangerous situation . . . . I informe you that nothing bad happend till now . . . . As i write i open and close my PACIFIC SALT Y PE . . . . Enjoy your knives, "open and close" and "flicking" is their job . . . . SPIDIES perform their job very well and for many years . . . . Just add a little drop of oil, it will make "open and close" and "flicking" smoother and the lock will live longer . . . . :spyder:

[chuck_roxas45]

Which lock types are more prone to wear with repeated cyclings?

[gull wing]

Find a less destructive idle time.
I must say I like to flick my liner/frame locks, it's so easy with a HOLE in the blade. I do it as gently as possible and not continuously. I still open the standard way most of the time.

Have fun!