Getting back in after 15 years... what should I get??

[BJ987]

Blade centering is a contentious topic and IMO it comes down to personal preference. If you really mean a few mm as in 3+ mm, that's a lot for a knife with tolerances this tight. Centering is a bit off on mine. I don't mind as long as it doesn't affect functionality.

It's probably not off as much as you think it is. Have you tried tightening the pivot? Might be a bit loose (happened to mine).

I'm so glad I got a hollow ground model. I want to try a flat ground though to compare. My 4max Scout is flat, and it seems like it wouldn't cut all that well because it is pretty thick behind the edge, but it does a respectable job! And is not at all hard to carry. I don't even notice the weight, and I only keep my keyfob in that pocket so I don't have to worry about getting anything out!

Go cut down a tree, the ad10 will do it!

So, maybe not literally a few mm, but you can definitely see here that it is off. The blade looks like it's a mm short of rubbing the liner. The first Kershaw CQC-4KXL I received wasn't centered, and it got worse over only after a few days of playing with it. It got so bad that I could feel/hear the blade scrape the liner when opening (I sent it back and got a replacement). Is that what could happen with my AD-10? If so, I definitely want to send it back. I'm actually already trying to but it looks like it might be the last one that the seller had and I may not be able to get it at that great price again ($120).

 

[soc_monki]

So, maybe not literally a few mm, but you can definitely see here that it is off. The blade looks like it's a mm short of rubbing the liner. The first Kershaw CQC-4KXL I received wasn't centered, and it got worse over only after a few days of playing with it. It got so bad that I could feel/hear the blade scrape the liner when opening (I sent it back and got a replacement). Is that what could happen with my AD-10? If so, I definitely want to send it back. I'm actually already trying to but it looks like it might be the last one that the seller had and I may not be able to get it at that great price again ($120).

Yep, that's off for sure. Have you checked to make sure the blade isn't warped? I had a Kershaw bareknuckle come with a warped (twisted) blade. It was replaced no problem. I'm sure cold steel would warranty it if it is warped.
If it is straight, I'd do all the normal tricks to get it centered. Also, you might want to make sure you have all the washers it's supposed to have. 2 phosphor bronze and 2 Teflon (1 of each on either side). If it's missing one it can cause off center blades.

 

[BJ987]

Yep, that's off for sure. Have you checked to make sure the blade isn't warped? I had a Kershaw bareknuckle come with a warped (twisted) blade. It was replaced no problem. I'm sure cold steel would warranty it if it is warped.
If it is straight, I'd do all the normal tricks to get it centered. Also, you might want to make sure you have all the washers it's supposed to have. 2 phosphor bronze and 2 Teflon (1 of each on either side). If it's missing one it can cause off center blades.

I don't know any of the tricks, but I'm sure I can look into it. Also, I haven't tried adjusting the pivot as you mentioned earlier. The action is so smooth and solid at the same time on this knife--so I'm not sure if that's any indication of missing a washer. I assume if I was missing a washer that the action wouldn't feel so perfect.
EDIT: The blade isn't warped.

 

[BJ987]

Oh for sure, 100%. This is half the fun of the lock. The tolerances are great and it's a genuinely innovative bit of engineering.

To open/close mine, I pinch the G10 portion of the handle between my thumb and three fingers, leaving my index finger free to "snap" the lock up long enough to swing the blade in/out. In videos I've seen Demko do it by sort of pinching it between his thumb and index finger, with no fingers off the handle; that's the bit of the code that I haven't cracked yet.

You got a killer deal on both of them if they're authentic. If they were sold by and shipped by the "big river" (rather than sold by a third party) you can probably rest easy. Although I have heard of folks getting fakes/etc. even in that scenario, it's never happened to me.

So, really digging this so far. I like the blade much better than the AD-10, not as stout, a tad longer, with the same thickness and swedge. No expert but I think it gives this blade more of a penetrating point, which I like. But MAN, is the yoke stiff on this thing. I was so looking forward to fidgeting/playing with this one and ATM, the action, even disengaging the lock is a world's difference from the AD-10. In fact, the AD-10 is surprisingly the easiest and smoothest Tri-Ad lock to disengage (out the box) of all the ones I own. But this Scorpion Lock feels 10x harder to manipulate than the Tri-Ad, something I definitely didn't expect. I know it should break-in and ease up over time, but I wonder if I got a particularly strong one? After lifting the yoke maybe 20-30 times today, I have an impressively sore forefinger. For me to be able to swing the blade shut (AXIS-lock style), I have to exert enough force in my wrist flick that the blade stop pin hits the frame and bounces the blade back out. To be clear, I wasn't expecting the Scorpion Lock to be exactly like the AXIS lock where I could swing the blade open and closed with glee and non-bruised fingertips, but I still never expected it to be even tougher to disengage than a fresh Tri-Ad lock. I do hope it eases up significantly in a reasonable amount of time. Otherwise, it'll still be a solid workhorse and beautiful to look at, but a major pain to open and close!

I also have to mention this.. The first few times I was closing the knife I heard the sound of metal swiping against metal... So I investigated. If I lift the yoke completely clear of the pin, and pivot the blade with my other hand, the sound occurs during the first 30 degrees of the blade closing, so it's not the blade scraping against the liners. It also doesn't happen every time. Maybe 60% of the time, I can reproduce the sound. Are these clear indicators of a washer problem, defect? Is it something that should go away with break-in and maybe some oil? I sure hope so... I'm sick of sending knives back .

 

[DocJD]

OP , beware your pocket book !

Your original $50 budget must be rapidly approaching $500 by now .

This place is full of shameless enablers .

It's your business , only , of course , what you do .

But , personally , I had to set a "guy toy " budget , long ago . And stick to it , to keep the peace at home .

 

[Dadpool]

I was so looking forward to fidgeting/playing with this one and ATM, the action, even disengaging the lock is a world's difference from the AD-10. In fact, the AD-10 is surprisingly the easiest and smoothest Tri-Ad lock to disengage (out the box) of all the ones I own. But this Scorpion Lock feels 10x harder to manipulate than the Tri-Ad, something I definitely didn't expect. I know it should break-in and ease up over time, but I wonder if I got a particularly strong one?

Out of the box, my AD-10 is the smoothest, easiest-to-use Tri-Ad knife I've ever handled. It doesn't even feel like it needs a break-in period, which all of my others have needed. (The 4-MAX Scout is a close second.)

It took me some time to get used to the Scorpion Lock. Sore fingers, all of that. It's not a familiar mechanism, so that makes sense to me. Mine also got bad lock stick if I squeezed the knife even a little while it was open; that went away, in time.

Keep the tang, including the notch and the "hump" on the opposite side, and the yoke pin that drops into the notch, clean. Whenever mine slows down a bit I'll tear off a little strip of index card, slip it under the yoke pin, cycle the action a couple times, and then pull it out while it's still under tension. This clears out the schmutz and returns it to glassy-smooth action.

Once you get used to this knife, I predict you will enjoy it. And it should break in quite nicely indeed.

I also have to mention this.. The first few times I was closing the knife I heard the sound of metal swiping against metal... So I investigated. If I lift the yoke completely clear of the pin, and pivot the blade with my other hand, the sound occurs during the first 30 degrees of the blade closing, so it's not the blade scraping against the liners. It also doesn't happen every time. Maybe 60% of the time, I can reproduce the sound. Are these clear indicators of a washer problem, defect? Is it something that should go away with break-in and maybe some oil? I sure hope so... I'm sick of sending knives back .

Try a drop of oil in either side of the pivot (Nano-Oil, KPL, etc.) before doing anything else. AFAIK it shouldn't make a metal-on-metal sound in the situation you've described; mine never did.

It could be metal shavings or something else along those lines, but I'm not super experienced at disassembly and maintenance.

This place is full of shameless enablers .

Ohhhhhhh yeahhhhhhhh it is. Guilty as charged, and the karmic balance is maintained by how often BF enables me.

 

[Chronovore]

I don't know any of the tricks, but I'm sure I can look into it. Also, I haven't tried adjusting the pivot as you mentioned earlier. The action is so smooth and solid at the same time on this knife--so I'm not sure if that's any indication of missing a washer. I assume if I was missing a washer that the action wouldn't feel so perfect...

If you don't already have these things, I'd recommend getting some swabs or patches, 91% Isopropyl Alcohol, and ordinary non-toxic mineral oil from the drug store. Then you'll need:

Torx bits or drivers - T6 and T8 are the most common for pocket knives. Inexpensive kits are widely available but can sometimes be softer steel. In my experience, that doesn't matter much for a T8 but it can for a T6. T6 and smaller are delicate tools. I now use a cheap bit kit plus a quality T6 bit from Wiha.

Quality Oil - Mineral oil is good for wiping down a blade or internal metal surfaces after cleaning with alcohol. It creates a protective film. It does lubricate and that's all some people use. However, I like using a thinner specialized oil for the action, especially on caged bearings. I prefer Lubriplace FMO 350-AW. It's a non-toxic oil made for food-prep machinery. After some analysis by Grant Cunningham, it caught traction in the gun community. Turns out, it's awesome on knives. You can get it in reasonable quantities from Lubrikit. You might also want to pick up a cheap oil bottle with needle dropper from the river.

There are other things but that's most of what you'll need for tinkering, adjusting, and performing basic maintenance on your pocket knives. Although some warranties forbid disassembly, I've found that to be an important part of long-term maintenance. In fact, I often do it right out of the box with new knives. It's a good way to inspect and get to know a knife. Depending on the brand, knives can sometimes leave the factory with gunk, grime, a fleck of something or even a metal shaving stuck somewhere. They might not be packed with the best oil for daily use and carry. I like starting fresh with clean internals, quality lubrication, and everything tuned the way I want.

 

[BJ987]

Quick post: I ordered some KPL and some cheap Kershaw branded torx screwdriver kit. (I'll upgrade to Wiha when I need to). I planned to get some food grade mineral oil but couldn't find a good deal online (physical store visits are still limited due to COVID-19 right now). Almost bought some Tsubaki oil. I was trying to find an all purpose knife oil (for pivot lubrication and to coat my D2 blades for corrosion protection) but couldn't find one through my research. What I read wasn't clear that mineral oil should be used to lubricate knife parts, only to wipe blades with. Anyway, already have KPL on the way anyway (seems way overpriced to me). So I'll probably wait to get some mineral oil at the store for blade coating in the future. Should I really disassemble the knife, remove any oil, and re-oil with KPL? Never done that before... Would be more comfortable just dropping into the pivot without disassembly if that is an "accepted" alternative.

 

[Dadpool]

I'm pretty cautious about disassembly. As long as you get the oil into the pivot, and ideally not onto the lockbar of a liner/frame lock, into other areas, etc. then IMO the least-invasive option -- not taking the knife apart -- is the best first option.

Some knives, like Emersons, are explicitly built to be simple for end users to disassemble and have a warranty that backs that up. If I don't like the action on an Emerson, I take it apart first thing because I know I can do it without messing anything up and I prefer my lube to theirs.

FWIW, I use 10-weight Nano-Oil in my pivots and mineral oil for coating blades.

Don't skimp on your Torx wrenches. Buy a Wiha bit kit or a set of dedicated Wiha wrenches. Your T6 and other small screws will thank you.

 

[BJ987]

I'm pretty cautious about disassembly. As long as you get the oil into the pivot, and ideally not onto the lockbar of a liner/frame lock, into other areas, etc. then IMO the least-invasive option -- not taking the knife apart -- is the best first option.

Some knives, like Emersons, are explicitly built to be simple for end users to disassemble and have a warranty that backs that up. If I don't like the action on an Emerson, I take it apart first thing because I know I can do it without messing anything up and I prefer my lube to theirs.

FWIW, I use 10-weight Nano-Oil in my pivots and mineral oil for coating blades.

Don't skimp on your Torx wrenches. Buy a Wiha bit kit or a set of dedicated Wiha wrenches. Your T6 and other small screws will thank you.

Yeah. I def would go for the least invasive option. I am a tinkerer, but I would def want to watch a tutorial or something for the specific knife before attempting disassembly. Though, looking at some of my knives, I don't see what kind of applicator would allow me to get oil only into such a precise tight spot. I'll YT it or something. I also remember reading somewhere that you shouldn't oil, adjust pivot screw, etc. until a good couple weeks of break-in. But I've also read some oil, adjust, even disassemble and clean their knives OTB. I guess it's a preference. Picked up some mineral oil today. I feel like an idiot. I just realized that the regular mineral oil in the laxative section IS food-grade, since it's meant to obviously be ingested. I was literally searching online for "food-grade mineral oil".

 

[Chronovore]

Quick post: I ordered some KPL and some cheap Kershaw branded torx screwdriver kit... Anyway, already have KPL on the way anyway (seems way overpriced to me)...

Yeah, people literally drink the "food-grade mineral oil" as a laxative. I've been using it on tool surfaces for decades. It's super cheap and if you're just using it on knives, a single bottle will seem to last indefinitely. It's just a little thick on the action and long-term, some of the more specialized oils seem to work a lot better.

I tried KPL. It was okay as a lubricant. It was also scented, which I thought was strange. I feel like knife or gun oils should stick to their intended purposes: lubricating and protecting. Extra additives such as scents and colors do not belong. You're right about the cost too. KPL is ludicrously expensive. It's roughly $15 for a 10mL bottle. That's like $45 per ounce!

Definitely try the Lubriplate FMO 350-AW. Its specific properties will be helpful if you're dropping it into an action without disassembly. Even after tax and shipping, it rounds up to $3.25 per ounce. You might want to buy an empty bottle with a needle applicator on the river but that's cheap.

 

[BJ987]

Yeah, people literally drink the "food-grade mineral oil" as a laxative. I've been using it on tool surfaces for decades. It's super cheap and if you're just using it on knives, a single bottle will seem to last indefinitely. It's just a little thick on the action and long-term, some of the more specialized oils seem to work a lot better.

I tried KPL. It was okay as a lubricant. It was also scented, which I thought was strange. I feel like knife or gun oils should stick to their intended purposes: lubricating and protecting. Extra additives such as scents and colors do not belong. You're right about the cost too. KPL is ludicrously expensive. It's roughly $15 for a 10mL bottle. That's like $45 per ounce!

Definitely try the Lubriplate FMO 350-AW. Its specific properties will be helpful if you're dropping it into an action without disassembly. Even after tax and shipping, it rounds up to $3.25 per ounce. You might want to buy an empty bottle with a needle applicator on the river but that's cheap.

I looked up the Lubriplate FMO 350-AW that you suggested and could only find it in aerosol spray cans, so I figured it wasn't optimal for the precise application needed to get it right into a pivot without disassembly. I'll look into more options for it after I finish my tiny $15 bottle of KPL (which I expect to be a long time).

Have you ever known mineral oil to affect the finish on a knife blade? It doesn't make sense to me that it could... To be more specific, I recently wiped down a black DLC coated blade with mineral oil, and now there appears to be a faint white residue or something, but only on the top portion of the blade. To be fully transparent, I did wipe down the blade with an alcohol prep pad (70%) before following with the mineral oil. But I can't imagine 70% isopropyl alcohol damaging a DLC finish either... It certainly hasn't on other black DLC coatings on a couple other knives I have. The coating on this one though is not glossy, but more of a matte, cerakote-looking coating... I hate to think I damaged my brand new blade (98% of my knives are brand new as anyone following this thread knows).

Also, for those of you who have really been following this thread and my relatively hard dive back into the knife game (hope it's amusing you guys), you could probably deduce that yes, I'm referring to yet another new knife that I have yet to share on this thread. I'm not gonna post about it immediately like I've done with the others. I realized that by posting about a new knife almost every day, I'm not really leaving room for feedback on them. So, this next one is a little surprise for you guys. Maybe this thread would be more appropriately titled something like: "Lost all my knives, follow me on my crazy 2 week journey to rebuild a collection". To DocJD who posted a very nice post the other day showing concern for my rapid escalation from "looking for a $50 budget knife to replace my SOG Flash II" to 5 knives and hundreds of dollars later, thank you...really. Just to give a little insight without putting my life on the web, I've recently undergone a life-changing event of sorts (no, I definitely did not win the lottery). But, I have a lot more freedom now to explore and enjoy hobbies/interests that I dropped many years ago. So, I am having fun, and I hope you guys are too.

 

[soc_monki]

Clean the knife again, dlc needs no oil on it, and you likely did not damage it at all. Dlc is tough, many spydercos have been used hard and the dlc holds up to almost everything you can throw at it.

As for lube, I use kpl. I bought it when it was like 11 bucks. Imo it's worth it, scented or not. I did use 3 in 1, but I hate that citronella smell. Kpl works great, no complaints, and it will last for almost forever. And yes, you can just put a few drops on either side of the washers and work it in. I prefer disassembly but many people do just fine without taking things apart.

 

[000Robert]

Quick post: I ordered some KPL and some cheap Kershaw branded torx screwdriver kit. (I'll upgrade to Wiha when I need to). I planned to get some food grade mineral oil but couldn't find a good deal online (physical store visits are still limited due to COVID-19 right now). Almost bought some Tsubaki oil. I was trying to find an all purpose knife oil (for pivot lubrication and to coat my D2 blades for corrosion protection) but couldn't find one through my research. What I read wasn't clear that mineral oil should be used to lubricate knife parts, only to wipe blades with. Anyway, already have KPL on the way anyway (seems way overpriced to me). So I'll probably wait to get some mineral oil at the store for blade coating in the future. Should I really disassemble the knife, remove any oil, and re-oil with KPL? Never done that before... Would be more comfortable just dropping into the pivot without disassembly if that is an "accepted" alternative.

I recommend this kit. I was going to also buy a kit for gunsmithing, but the screwdriver tips in the iFixit kit fit gun screws, electronics, and everything else that I repair so well that I decided it was the only kit that I needed!

 

[Chronovore]

I looked up the Lubriplate FMO 350-AW that you suggested and could only find it in aerosol spray cans, so I figured it wasn't optimal for the precise application needed to get it right into a pivot without disassembly. I'll look into more options for it after I finish my tiny $15 bottle of KPL (which I expect to be a long time)...

I hyperlinked it both times I mentioned it. Maybe it didn't display correctly for you. Here is the link explicitly:
http://lubrikit.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=54

As I said, this will be helpful if you choose to drop it into a pivot without disassembly. It really is the best for working into an action that way, either as a touch-up or for Step 6 in the process described below. As I mentioned previously, this stuff costs like 90% less than KPL by volume. It's totally worth having on hand.

Now, while disassembly is best for cleaning and inspection, it isn't always possible. This is the best way I've found to clean an action without disassembly. Yes, it can be helpful to do this with a new knife. (See my previous post about factory lube and how some knives leave the factory.)

1. Put on safety glasses.

2. Either get one of those empty bottles with a needle applicator or use a thumb tack to poke a tiny round hole in the cap of a totally clean, dry, plastic soda bottle.

3. Put 91% isopropyl alcohol into the bottle of choice and tightly affix the cap. (91% works better and dries faster in my experience. It can be found at most drug stores in the United States.)

4. Hold your knife upside down. (Either go outside or do this over a sink.) Invert the bottle and begin flushing the pivot with a steady stream of alcohol. Take your time. Vary the angle of the stream to thoroughly wash out the pivot. You may work the action slowly as you do this. This helps to remove grease, grime, debris, subpar lubricating oils, etc.

5. Leave the knife half-open to dry overnight. (You can speed this up with compressed air.) Avoid working a totally dry action.

6. Put a few drops of quality oil into both sides of the action. Give it a second to soak in and adsorb across all the working surfaces. Tilt or invert the knife as needed if a drop wants to leave the pivot. Gently start working the action. Add more oil if needed. Get a drop in the detent hole if able.
​

Note: Isopropyl alcohol is safe for metal, FRN, G-10, and some other materials. It may not be appropriate for natural materials such as wood.

 

[BJ987]

Clean the knife again, dlc needs no oil on it, and you likely did not damage it at all. Dlc is tough, many spydercos have been used hard and the dlc holds up to almost everything you can throw at it.

As for lube, I use kpl. I bought it when it was like 11 bucks. Imo it's worth it, scented or not. I did use 3 in 1, but I hate that citronella smell. Kpl works great, no complaints, and it will last for almost forever. And yes, you can just put a few drops on either side of the washers and work it in. I prefer disassembly but many people do just fine without taking things apart.

I have no idea what is up with this knife, but I cleaned it again, both using just water and a microfiber cloth and wiping down with 70% isopropyl prep pads. And after drying, and light buffing with fine microfiber cloth, the "residue" is still there. It basically looks like the portion of the blade that is exposed when closed is a lighter shade than the rest of the blade. I've exposed this thing to no other substances/chemicals than 70% isopropyl alcohol and water. I'm really confused here as to what might have done this to the DLC coating. And no, it didn't come this way OTB, I definitely would've noticed that with my OCD tendencies.

I hyperlinked it both times I mentioned it. Maybe it didn't display correctly for you. Here is the link explicitly:
http://lubrikit.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=54

As I said, this will be helpful if you choose to drop it into a pivot without disassembly. It really is the best for working into an action that way, either as a touch-up or for Step 6 in the process described below. As I mentioned previously, this stuff costs like 90% less than KPL by volume. It's totally worth having on hand.

Now, while disassembly is best for cleaning and inspection, it isn't always possible. This is the best way I've found to clean an action without disassembly. Yes, it can be helpful to do this with a new knife. (See my previous post about factory lube and how some knives leave the factory.)

1. Put on safety glasses.

2. Either get one of those empty bottles with a needle applicator or use a thumb tack to poke a tiny round hole in the cap of a totally clean, dry, plastic soda bottle.

3. Put 91% isopropyl alcohol into the bottle of choice and tightly affix the cap. (91% works better and dries faster in my experience. It can be found at most drug stores in the United States.)

4. Hold your knife upside down. (Either go outside or do this over a sink.) Invert the bottle and begin flushing the pivot with a steady stream of alcohol. Take your time. Vary the angle of the stream to thoroughly wash out the pivot. You may work the action slowly as you do this. This helps to remove grease, grime, debris, subpar lubricating oils, etc.

5. Leave the knife half-open to dry overnight. (You can speed this up with compressed air.) Avoid working a totally dry action.

6. Put a few drops of quality oil into both sides of the action. Give it a second to soak in and adsorb across all the working surfaces. Tilt or invert the knife as needed if a drop wants to leave the pivot. Gently start working the action. Add more oil if needed. Get a drop in the detent hole if able.
​

Note: Isopropyl alcohol is safe for metal, FRN, G-10, and some other materials. It may not be appropriate for natural materials such as wood.

Thanks so much for this tutorial. I will definitely try it out. I do have a little 91% isopropyl, but it is scarce these days due to the pandemic.

Update on my AD-15. So, I totally took advantage of the "big river" retailer's simple return/replace policy and already received a second AD-15 replacement. I have no shame (if I'm gonna spend over $100 of my hard-earned money on something then I should get a 100% non-defective product), and I'm soooo glad I did it. Because for the second AD-15 I received, not only does it not make that concerning metal on metal sound, but the action is noticeably smoother OTB, and more importantly, the tension on the lockbar (yoke) is probably a good 30% less. Just took it out the box 10 min ago and I'm flipping this thing closed with ease as I post. Now I'm pretty convinced the first one I received had a particularly strong spring. I didn't mention this earlier, but, I realized after I got the AD-15 that Demko had already made an AD-20, which I heard was an "evolution of the Tri-Ad and Scorpion Lock". Now, I have no idea if CS will end up making a production model of the AD-20 someday (sure hope they do). But, initially I was regretting my purchase thinking, why didn't I just wait for the possible CS AD-20 since I wasn't really shopping for this thing anyway. I'm reaffirmed with the most recent AD-15 I received. This is an awesome knife, and I'm glad to have it in my collection (especially since I got it at a steal).

 

[000Robert]

BJ987

I am glad that the replacement has worked out well for you. Have fun!

 

[soc_monki]

I have no idea what is up with this knife, but I cleaned it again, both using just water and a microfiber cloth and wiping down with 70% isopropyl prep pads. And after drying, and light buffing with fine microfiber cloth, the "residue" is still there. It basically looks like the portion of the blade that is exposed when closed is a lighter shade than the rest of the blade. I've exposed this thing to no other substances/chemicals than 70% isopropyl alcohol and water. I'm really confused here as to what might have done this to the DLC coating. And no, it didn't come this way OTB, I definitely would've noticed that with my OCD tendencies.


Thanks so much for this tutorial. I will definitely try it out. I do have a little 91% isopropyl, but it is scarce these days due to the pandemic.

Update on my AD-15. So, I totally took advantage of the "big river" retailer's simple return/replace policy and already received a second AD-15 replacement. I have no shame (if I'm gonna spend over $100 of my hard-earned money on something then I should get a 100% non-defective product), and I'm soooo glad I did it. Because for the second AD-15 I received, not only does it not make that concerning metal on metal sound, but the action is noticeably smoother OTB, and more importantly, the tension on the lockbar (yoke) is probably a good 30% less. Just took it out the box 10 min ago and I'm flipping this thing closed with ease as I post. Now I'm pretty convinced the first one I received had a particularly strong spring. I didn't mention this earlier, but, I realized after I got the AD-15 that Demko had already made an AD-20, which I heard was an "evolution of the Tri-Ad and Scorpion Lock". Now, I have no idea if CS will end up making a production model of the AD-20 someday (sure hope they do). But, initially I was regretting my purchase thinking, why didn't I just wait for the possible CS AD-20 since I wasn't really shopping for this thing anyway. I'm reaffirmed with the most recent AD-15 I received. This is an awesome knife, and I'm glad to have it in my collection (especially since I got it at a steal).

what knife is it? are you sure its DLC? A lot of people call Benchmade's coating dlc, but its cerakote. still tough (my super freek has seen some things and still looks good!) but dlc is almost impervious to wear. almost. you may need to try something with a little more oomph than alcohol.

good deal with the ad15! i still want one, but still havent pulled the trigger. maybe ill trade or sell another knife or two and snag one. I love the ad10, and the 4max scout, i need to complete the collection. cant wait to see if cold steel does an ad20, ill need one of those too...lol

 

[BJ987]

what knife is it? are you sure its DLC? A lot of people call Benchmade's coating dlc, but its cerakote. still tough (my super freek has seen some things and still looks good!) but dlc is almost impervious to wear. almost. you may need to try something with a little more oomph than alcohol.

good deal with the ad15! i still want one, but still havent pulled the trigger. maybe ill trade or sell another knife or two and snag one. I love the ad10, and the 4max scout, i need to complete the collection. cant wait to see if cold steel does an ad20, ill need one of those too...lol

This knife...

I've heard that the DLC is very good on these. That's why I'm so confused. I cleaned it with a little alcohol prep pad again today, and it's not like I'm rubbing hard or scouring it or anything--literally wiping it down as gently as possible. I've maybe wiped it 3 times since I got it. But the "faded" part appeared after the first time. That's how I would describe it now, not a residue which I said previously, it looks more like I actually managed to wipe some of the coating off somehow. What's even weirder is I took this pic about 10 min after I wiped the whole blade down, but only that top portion looks affected.

EDIT: Btw, if you had to choose between your 4Max Scout and AD-10 (like you could only keep one), which would you keep? I love my AD-10, but I'm thinking of taking advantage of that deal on the 4Max Scout, and I only have room for one knife that fits that niche in my collection. Then again,...if CS makes an AD-20, I will most definitely get one, at which point I would be forced to reacquire an AD-10 to complete the collection...

 

[Chronovore]

I have no idea what is up with this knife, but I cleaned it again, both using just water and a microfiber cloth and wiping down with 70% isopropyl prep pads. And after drying, and light buffing with fine microfiber cloth, the "residue" is still there. It basically looks like the portion of the blade that is exposed when closed is a lighter shade than the rest of the blade. I've exposed this thing to no other substances/chemicals than 70% isopropyl alcohol and water. I'm really confused here as to what might have done this to the DLC coating. And no, it didn't come this way OTB, I definitely would've noticed that with my OCD tendencies.

Thanks so much for this tutorial. I will definitely try it out. I do have a little 91% isopropyl, but it is scarce these days due to the pandemic...

You are welcome. Let us know how it goes.

The 91% sells out faster than the 70% in my area as well. Of course, hording behavior isn't always rational. Stronger is not better as a germicide! While 91% is the better solvent, 70% isopropyl alcohol is actually more effective against many microbes due to its better cell penetration.

I don't know what's going on with that coating. I haven't heard of DLC being affected by alcohol. As soc_monki suggested, it might not be "DLC". There are lots of types of coating. I'd like to get opinions from people more familiar with the different kinds of coatings out there. I have a few "blackwashed" knives and they seem okay. Over the years, I've almost exclusively carried uncoated blades.

You might have some other residue on there. Alcohol is a fantastic cleaner but it doesn't dissolve everything. I'd wait for some more opinions on the coating but you can try other solvents or just scouring with the mineral oil. Talking about cleaning new knives, I recently had a surprise cleaning new knives from CJRB. Wiping down the steel liners with 91% isopropyl alcohol, my patches came up clean. After rubbing them down with mineral oil, my patches looked gross. I cleaned some yellow residue off the caged bearings with the alcohol and then they seemed clean. After applying the FMO 350-AW, I could see a dark residue leeching out from around the bearings. It took a few times applying and wiping away to get rid of it. So for both sets of parts, oil was needed to fully complete the cleaning.