Buck 110 Slim Pro -- Break in period?

[Uncle Buckmaster]

So, I received a very nice Buck 110 Slim Pro as a Christmas Gift which I had planned on making my new EDC and have even been carrying it ever since.

Only trouble is, (gee whiz) it has an extremely tight/stiff pivot which I cannot loosen because the knife is pinned together, and although I have been working the blade for at least half an hour per day ever since the day I got it almost two weeks ago now, it's still too tight to deploy quickly with one hand, and it's starting to turn me off to it.

The knife deploys much more smoothly when clean than it did when I first got it, but I still cannot quickly/easily open it with one hand because I can only push it open so far with the thumb stud without having to adjust my grip, and it's just too tight/stiff to flick the rest of the way open reliably.
Furthermore, if it gets even the least bit dirty inside, it becomes disturbingly sticky/gritty.

I'm hoping that it just has a longer break in period than most knives, but after almost two weeks of playing with it trying to get it to loosen up with use, I'm beginning to get discouraged.
All that I've done so far are the basic methods of breaking in an action; opening/closing it while watching something on TV, cleaning it out, and I left it halfway open overnight once to reduce the lock spring tension a bit, but that's it.

Does anyone here own one of these, and if so, how long did it take to get it running smoothly to the point that it can be deployed with a flick of the wrist?
Can anyone give me some pointers on how best to break it in?

 

[plb]

Super nice gift you have there Sir. I doubt that you'll get this knife, or any other lockback, to "flick" open as easily as other types of locking blades, e.g., liner locks, frame locks, compression locks, axis locks etc. The constant pressure from the lockbar on the tang of the blade makes for slow roll opening - it's the nature of the beast. That said, there are a couple of things you can try that may help. If you have access to an air compressor, I would blow tons of air through the knife, especially around the pivot area. Then, lubricate the mating surface where the tang and lockbar make contact. I prefer to use Victorinox multitool oil for this, but whatever you have handy will help smooth out the action. This is the process I use with all new lockbacks. I've seen some knives that were opened hundreds or thousands of times when brand new and galling got started and the action was gritty and ruined forever. Best to clean and lubricate from the start. Hope this helps.

 

[HolyRoller]

Admittedly, I haven't carried my Slim Pro a lot (shouldn't have gotten the limited edition carbon fiber... But damn it's just so pretty...). But...

When it comes to the length and shape of the 110, I very much prefer the Kwik thumb stud to the drill-through factory studs on slim models.

The slightly higher position (and location adjustability) seems to make a world of difference.

But even so, they're not much for flicking. That's where the Spitfire comes in.

 

[pjsjr]

I doubt that you'll get this knife, or any other lockback, to "flick" open as easily as other types of locking blades, e.g., liner locks, frame locks, compression locks, axis locks etc.

What plb says is exactly what I found to be true with mine.
It took several weeks, maybe longer of oiling and working it back and forth.
I wrapped the blade and worked it back and forth without having it lock up. It doesn't 'flick' open now after months of use but it's much easier to open. Keep at it...

 

[Lesknife]

My 110 slim pro was a bit snug and at first I tried cleaning and oil and that helped but still tighter than my other 110s.

I then used a punch and small hammer wi the down side of pivot pin over a washer and lightly tapped the pin. Then switched to the other side and tapped it again. That did the trick and now it opens and closes much better.

If you don’t feel comfortable doing that I’d send it in to Buck and let them fix it.

 

[Lesknife]

I know it’s a bummer when a new knife isn’t in perfect adjustment. The thing is that some people don’t like any blade play at all and others don’t like a tight pivot. So It’s kinda hard for Buck to satisfy everyone to their taste. I think it’s a good thing they are starting to use screw together construction, maybe that will help. Hope you can get yours to work better.

 

[Old Hunter]

I bought a 110 Slim Pro last year and it is tight, about even with a standard 110 (and I like it that way). A hunting buddy saw my 110 Slim Pro and bought one, he carries it everyday (I don’t), his is now very loose and easily flicked, don’t know why the difference but a year of carry has his quite loose. I wouldn't want mine that loose, however I think it will loosen up for you with time. OH