Free dropping compression lock?

K

Kraken347

Joined
Jun 8, 2018
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I've seen lots of ads in the exchange and posts on the forums about people saying their compression lock knives have free dropping blades right out of the box. Ive gotten both new and lnib examples, and the closest ive gotten to a "drop-free" is the new Rex 45 which, with a bit of a downward angle, will drop about halfway before getting stuck. I'm just wondering if I'm unlucky or if my definition of drop free isn't the same?

I also know that after some tweaking/break-in they will get better, this mostly pertains to the initial "out of the box" point.
* Insert gratuitous collection pic*
fuc0tY6.jpg
 
Para 3 S90V was excellent out of the box. Cruwear free dropping. Too free so i tightened it a bit.

I prefer when its tight a bit and loosen within the first weeks...
 
ric75 said:
Para 3 S90V was excellent out of the box. Cruwear free dropping. Too free so i tightened it a bit.

I prefer when its tight a bit and loosen within the first weeks...
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My Cruwear was the absolute stiffest action I've had. I opened it a few hundred times and it still took a hard wrist flick to get it to budge. I loosened the pivot screw maybe an eighth of a turn and now it drops free and even bounces closed.
 
I dont need free dropping action out of box. In fact, I dont care that much even after break in. As long as with a tiny bit wrist action the blade can get closed smoothly and reliably, thats good enough for me. This is what most my PM2s were like out of box (couple of them were indeed free droppers).
 
Kraken347 said:
I've seen lots of ads in the exchange and posts on the forums about people saying their compression lock knives have free dropping blades right out of the box. Ive gotten both new and lnib examples, and the closest ive gotten to a "drop-free" is the new Rex 45 which, with a bit of a downward angle, will drop about halfway before getting stuck. I'm just wondering if I'm unlucky or if my definition of drop free isn't the same?

I also know that after some tweaking/break-in they will get better, this mostly pertains to the initial "out of the box" point.
* Insert gratuitous collection pic*
fuc0tY6.jpg
Click to expand...

There are various definitions of free dropping. Are you referring to free dropping while holding the compression lock over? (Fairly common) Or free dropping where you don’t hold the lockbar off the side of the tang. (Fairly uncommon, atleast I’ve never seen it.

The reason so many knives free drop while holding the compression lock is because there isn’t the detent ball exertjng pressure on the side of the tang.

So far I have got 2 pm2s that would drop shut if I held the lockbar off the tang and one that wouldn’t. Spyderco knives are well made but even CRKs don’t all come with identical actions on a particular model. All the more likely Spydies will have variances in their actions.

You could also try adjusting the stop pin which also has an effect on how freely a knife will drop along with the pivot.
 
Add oil and use the knife. If after a couple weeks it doesn't drop free then I would adjust the pivot about an 1/8th turn at a time until you get the action you desire. I love that BHQ pm2 mat I really want one!
 
Kraken347 said:
compression lock knives have free dropping blades right out of the box.
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Well lets see what I have here :
There's Mr Stealth . . . was not free dropping out of the box; loosened pivot a couple of degrees and I'm pretty happy with it.
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Then there is S110V Man . . . all bow down . . . it is S110V , S110V oh my gosh it is S110V:rolleyes:
Ok that's enough of that nonsense.
Required some pivot loosening; carried it this week . . . still hesitates some.
I like the blurple scales and stainless hardware; I bought it for it's looks.
but it is S110V , S110V oh my gosh it is S110V
now lets not start all that again. :mad:
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. . . because here HERE COME DA' JUDGE !
HERE COME DA' JUDGE !
now THAT's a knife !
Loosened the pivot. Pivots and drops pretty good . . . and just when I think that it says WHAAAAAA ? ? ? ? and hangs up a little.
I will never sell this knife. Love this thing :D :D :D :thumbsup:
(((even though that 940 could teach it some things in the action department)))
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Nah I'm totally happy with the Para2 M4
I am just so glad to have one. :thumbsup:

You want to talk perfect action and no play right out of the box ? ??
This is it dudes : My Para2 S30V DLC Cami scales.
Perfection out of the box. Could NOT be better. I haven't touched the pivot.
Drops like a rock every single time. I have carried this one a whole bunch but DID NOT NEED ANY BREAK IN.
And dropping and swinging like this is actually very important and desirable to me.
I point the blade down (not shown), release the lock, then swing my wrist up effectively pivoting the handle around the blade. This way I don't get bounce / rebound.
I learned that from using my Ouroboros (a compression lock knife that doesn't pivot perfectly (could use some bronze washers)).
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I have various versions. some came free dropping, others not at all. others partial dropping. the partial droppers tend to break in from use without pivot manipulation and become free dropping. the ones that don't free drop at all......dont break in, for me anyways. if I manipulate the pivot I can get them to be free dropping.

I dont really like free droppers as much as I use to want them. I prefer a most dropper and I close the rest of the way so it doesnt bounce back up during closing.
 
I've owned one PM2, a plain Jane, and it free-dropped right out of the box. Overall fit and finish was unreal, too.
 
I got two bhq m4 jades and one dropped completely stock one wouldn’t move unless you moved it
 
Mine did not wear in with use. I took it apart and oiled it, then it turned into a free dropper that I could now spydy flick. Don't think it was the oil, may have been a stop pin or tight pivots like people suggest. For my Para 3 I adjusted the pivot but also had to add lube. One day I'll take it apart and clean it. Not sure if any of that might help in your situation.
 
It's just not a big deal to me.

My S110V PM2 drops like a champ after a bit of lube, (Slip 2000 EWL), and repeated opening and closings...my new PM2 in Cru-Wear and PM3 in Maxamet drop not at all (as yet).

I've lubed the latter two, (just because), but if they don't break in and drop freely, I don't think I'll be losing any sleep over it nor adjusting the pivot. (Certainly won't be taking the knives apart just for that.)

To each his own.
 
A drop of oil and a very slight adjustment to the pivot is all it has ever taken me to make them drop free. I have quite a few.
 
I tend to carry for a few weeks before adjusting anything to see how the knife breaks in. Some are just looser than others. I also found different lubes work better than others. I’ve only used ALG go juice on one knife but that seems to really have slicked up the action.
 
I have three knives with compression locks & they all required a very slight pivot adjustment to drop free. A drop of oil & using them for a week probably would've achieved the same results.
 
I think my Maxamet PM2 free-dropped out of the box. It certainly does now, without me ever having adjusted the pivot.

My REX does not.

It's very interesting how we have all had different experiences with the same models.
 
All of my new PM2 arrivals immediately go to the bench and receive a few drops of Nano-Oil in the PB washer area and detent. After a few open/close cycles only 2 or 3 required a 1/4 turn on the pivot screw to be free dropping.

Regards,
FK
 
SpySmasher said:
It's very interesting how we have all had different experiences with the same models.
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and Skivic's two identical models from the same batch being so different.
aw well made by the hand of man . . .

I wonder : the people who find the pivot breaks in just as well with a little lube and use . . .
do you tend to use the knife in twisting (sort of prying ) like motions ?
I never do so that might be why mine don't break in much; that and the fact I don't fidget with them.

Here you go . . . this knife has it ALL in one package. I pick it up off the table and it is a free dropper with significant blade play. I carry it for a while until it warms up from body temp and it starts hesitating and more friction forms. Get tired of that ? Just pop it in the fridge for a minute annnnnnnnd as if by magic . . . free swinging again.
(gotta love it).
Someday I will take it apart and fix it the freak UP !
(Nice knife otherwise though; I like it a lot).
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