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Current Byrd Back Lock Quality?
Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2021 10:54 pm
by ugaarguy
I had a G10 Meadowlark, Cara Cara, and Robin that I bought from Amazon all that same about 8 years ago. They were bad. The clip screws wouldn't tight ten down enough to prevent clip wobble, and they stripped out easily. Upon disassembly, they were full of metal and G10 dust from manufacturing. The liners, lock bars, and back spacers were very poorly finished, if they were finished at all. My Cold Steel Tuff Lite has been a far better knife at the same price point. Or, as Nick Shabazz said, "This is a cheap thing done well (Tuff Lite), and this an expensive thing done cheaply (Meadowlark FRN).
However, I got a Byrd Tern a few months ago, and it felt and looked much better fit and finished than those old G10 back locks. So, have the Byrd back locks, both G10 and FRN, gotten significantly better over past several years?
Re: Current Byrd Back Lock Quality?
Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2021 11:12 pm
by skeeg11
The Byrds I've gotten within the past couple of years have precision locks. (Back Locks) Absolutely no play in any direction even when leaning on them with quite a bit of force. Drop shotty, too. Whichever Chinese manufacturer it is gets a huge thumbs up from me. Wish I could say the same for the some of the Seki lightweight back locks.
Re: Current Byrd Back Lock Quality?
Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2021 10:57 am
by araneae
Mine have been pretty good recently, although I never had any that I would call bad in the past. Certainly they weren't perfect, but to expect an exemplary knife at $25 back then was setting yourself up for disappointment. Never had clip issues, but finish was never what I'd call great, but I didn't expect that. Sounds like you had bad luck getting 3 you weren't happy with. I'd give them another go.
In regards to the prolite, I can't get past the fairly soft 4.116 steel and cumbersome, 2 hand close of the triad lock. I agree it is well finished, but with inferior steel.
I generally clean up my Byrds and even my Spydies if I feel the pivot is a little dirty from the factory, it's worth 10 minutes to have a nice smooth action IMO.
Re: Current Byrd Back Lock Quality?
Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2021 6:13 pm
by ugaarguy
araneae wrote: ↑Sun Jan 24, 2021 10:57 am
Mine have been pretty good recently, although I never had any that I would call bad in the past. Certainly they weren't perfect, but to expect an exemplary knife at $25 back then was setting yourself up for disappointment. Never had clip issues, but finish was never what I'd call great, but I didn't expect that. Sounds like you had bad luck getting 3 you weren't happy with. I'd give them another go.
In regards to the prolite, I can't get past the fairly soft 4.116 steel and cumbersome, 2 hand close of the triad lock. I agree it is well finished, but with inferior steel.
I generally clean up my Byrds and even my Spydies if I feel the pivot is a little dirty from the factory, it's worth 10 minutes to have a nice smooth action IMO.
I have a Cold Steel
Tuff Lite, not a Pro Lite. The Tuff Lite is made in Taiwan with Japanese AUS-8 blade steel, so not inferior to the Chinese 8Cr13MoV copy that the Byrds use. The
Tuff Lite also a has full thickness finger choil, so I can close it one handed just as safely as my Natives, albeit with the deeper lock bar press that the Tri-Ad lock requires.
I don't expect an exemplary knife at $25-$30, but I do expect it to match its competitors. The Byrd back locks I had 8 years ago didn't come close. The Tern was much better. If the Meadowlark, etc are now up to that level of quality, I may try them again. Also, those Byrds I had back then weren't just a little dirty and in need of a quick cleaning. The internals were absolutely filthy. Maybe I'll order another Byrd from Amazon so I can return it for free if the quality hasn't significantly improved.
Re: Current Byrd Back Lock Quality?
Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2021 7:27 pm
by rangefinder
Over a year ago, I got a Byrd Raven 2, Harrier 2, and Cara Cara 2 Rescue. None had dirty internals, and the fit and finish was good on all three. The Raven 2 is a liner lock, so it's a bit of a different knife, but first impressions of the Harrier 2 (and a little about the CC2) are here:
viewtopic.php?p=1352354#p1352354
Although I ran into an issue moving the clip for tip-down carry (the screws were slightly too long) the screws didn't strip and I was able to tighten them down good and tight so the clip was firmly attached. I used a tiny bit of blue LocTite on the screws when I installed the clip, and have not needed to adjust the screws since then.
The Harrier 2 still has a stiff lock action. Opening has smoothed out some with use, but unlocking it is still stiffer than my Spyderco backlocks. OTOH, it locks up with a nice solid "click" when the blade is opened. I could probably file something down a bit if I cared to take apart the knife, but I don't really mind it.
The H2 has become one of my regular EDC knives. I still carry a PM2 probably 80% of the time when I'm away from the house, but the H2 gets carried a lot around the house. (The H2 is in my pocket now as I write this.) And the R2 gets carried when I'm doing work in the garage or in the yard. So both have seen a fair bit of use.
The 8cr steel obviously doesn't hold up as well as the S35VN or Cruwear in the PM2 I have. Or even the VG10 in a Delica. But it's super easy to sharpen.
So at least for my sample of one unit, I'm very happy with Byrd back lock quality.
I haven't really used the CC2 at all. It was purchased to go in my big FAK, and that's where it is now. I did test it against a piece of nylon webbing (an old shoulder strap from a duffel bag) to make sure it'd slice through a seat belt easily, but that's about all the cutting I've done with it. Hopefully I'll never need to use it.
Re: Current Byrd Back Lock Quality?
Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2021 10:16 pm
by ugaarguy
rangefinder wrote: ↑Sun Jan 24, 2021 7:27 pm
Over a year ago, I got a Byrd Raven 2, Harrier 2, and Cara Cara 2 Rescue. None had dirty internals, and the fit and finish was good on all three. The Raven 2 is a liner lock, so it's a bit of a different knife, but first impressions of the Harrier 2 (and a little about the CC2) are here:
viewtopic.php?p=1352354#p1352354
Although I ran into an issue moving the clip for tip-down carry (the screws were slightly too long) the screws didn't strip and I was able to tighten them down good and tight so the clip was firmly attached. I used a tiny bit of blue LocTite on the screws when I installed the clip, and have not needed to adjust the screws since then.
The Harrier 2 still has a stiff lock action. Opening has smoothed out some with use, but unlocking it is still stiffer than my Spyderco backlocks. OTOH, it locks up with a nice solid "click" when the blade is opened. I could probably file something down a bit if I cared to take apart the knife, but I don't really mind it.
The H2 has become one of my regular EDC knives. I still carry a PM2 probably 80% of the time when I'm away from the house, but the H2 gets carried a lot around the house. (The H2 is in my pocket now as I write this.) And the R2 gets carried when I'm doing work in the garage or in the yard. So both have seen a fair bit of use.
The 8cr steel obviously doesn't hold up as well as the S35VN or Cruwear in the PM2 I have. Or even the VG10 in a Delica. But it's super easy to sharpen.
So at least for my sample of one unit, I'm very happy with Byrd back lock quality.
I haven't really used the CC2 at all. It was purchased to go in my big FAK, and that's where it is now. I did test it against a piece of nylon webbing (an old shoulder strap from a duffel bag) to make sure it'd slice through a seat belt easily, but that's about all the cutting I've done with it. Hopefully I'll never need to use it.
Thanks. It sounds like the Byrds have gotten better and the clip screw issue has been solved.
Re: Current Byrd Back Lock Quality?
Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2021 11:40 pm
by sal
Hi Ugaarguy,
We've had to work hard with these makers to get where we needed to be. It's been 20 years with the same makers so we're making progress. I must admit that we've gone through a few that didn't work out. We had the same issue in Seki and ended up with 3 after 40 years.
sal
Re: Current Byrd Back Lock Quality?
Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2021 12:29 pm
by N. Brian Huegel
Other than your three current Seki makers, how many others in Seki that you tried are still in business?
brian
Re: Current Byrd Back Lock Quality?
Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2021 3:16 pm
by sal
Hi Brian,
I don't know. I know there are some, and they've been taken over by their children, but we no longer work with with them so I've not kept track.
sal
Re: Current Byrd Back Lock Quality?
Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2021 12:35 am
by Salty Dog
The Hawkbill and Crossbill I just received have rock solid back locks, I was really impressed.
Tight, zero play in any way, both snap into place with a crisp sound and action.
Im very taken with the little hawkbill, really nice little knife
I definitely feel confident about Byrd backlocks now.
I also carefully moved the clips, the torx heads were fine and they screwed in well.
The finish on both is good, the Hawkbill is bang on, the crossbill has a little scrape on the top of the blade spine but its nothing my Dremel buffing wheel won't remove in a few seconds.
Also that may have been the sellers doing, not the factories
I cant compare with the older Byrds but standards seem pretty good now, if those two are anything to go by.
Re: Current Byrd Back Lock Quality?
Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2021 7:14 pm
by Oloung1
ugaarguy wrote: ↑Sun Jan 24, 2021 10:16 pm
Thanks. It sounds like the Byrds have gotten better and the clip screw issue has been solved.
My FRN Cara Cara 2 arrived the same time my Delica Cruwear did last year and for house carry, it's replaced the Delica due to blade length. I've dissembled the Cara Cara three times and changed out the clip another three times, all hardware are solid.
The only thing with my Cara Cara is that the blade favors the clip side but it doesn't rub. This is my first but it won't be my last.
Re: Current Byrd Back Lock Quality?
Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2021 10:42 am
by spydie-fan
I wasn't aware Spyderco was working with multiple factories in Seki city. For some reason I always thought it was one factory making all the Seki city knives.