Recommendation? Grimsmo Norseman Detent WAY Too Strong

kman469 said:
I think you missed the point of my post. Some people can’t open a Gatorade bottle, is that the fault of the bottle or is it the person? If the Norseman is working as intended it flips like a dream. However, if someone isn’t accustomed to flipping a larger knife, or any knife in general, I can see how some issues would arise. In this case all it would take is about a week of getting accustomed to it, your muscles will adapt.
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Fair response.
 
You may find that hitting the flipper tab with the very tip of your finger is painful, but if you use the pad of your index finger instead of the tip, it works fine. I have a Norseman with a relatively strong detent (significantly stronger than the other 2 older ones I used to own), and that works for me. You may have to adjust the orientation of the knife in you hand (roll it over about 90 degrees, if that makes sense), but it should make it much easier and more comfortable to open your knife. Sort of a blend between push button and light switch motion. It's how I open all my knives these days, since it works with almost every flipper tab and won't cause discomfort.
 
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Try the flick your bic motion with your thumb. I don't own a Grimsmo but it works on most of my other flippers. Might give it a chance to break in a bit and give your index a break.
 
Hey all, I was able to purchase #1871 from Grimsmo (please don't tell the wife). I'd watched many of Johns videos and many reviews too. So while I knew much about the Norseman I still had no idea how the action would feel. Ive never owned a knife of this quality or tolerances so I had no frame of reference either. I have to say the detent was stronger than anticipated but I didn't know what to expect. That said, I realize the flipping action needs to be executed with authority. The beauty is, it's all in the finger, no wrist required. I think it's analogous to limp wristing a semi auto pistol. If your grip isn't tight, you get a stovepipe.
@BOBO I'd give it a little time and see if you feel some improvement in the action. And certainly don't sweat the warranty. If it isn't right or you're unhappy, I'm sure the Grimsmo team will work with you. They hold their work to such high standards I'm sure they'd want to inspect a possibly defective knife.
 
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Too lazy to read through all the comments, but, if you haven't already, add some lubrication to the detent ball itself. Should help overcome the edge of the detent hole a little easier.
 
F22shift said:
Was this to address the blade bouncing out because the drop shut was too fast.
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As far as I can tell, no. My Norseman, number 1314, still bounces if I let it drop. And it seems everyone else's does too. I think this came some time around Norseman 1000, where they introduced a detent ramp and whatnot. My older Norsemen, number 91 and 396, both had pretty average detents, perhaps on the lighter side. It's not that the lock bar tension was any different, it just seems that the detent ball and hole are more squared-off, making it more difficult to break the detent and deploy the blade, hence the stronger detent.
 
I'm curious Lance Leon Lance Leon , is it the introduction of the detent ramp that creates the almost assisted opening feel or have the Norseman always felt that way? I absolutely love mine and it flips open like a champ no matter the position.
 
BCcrew said:
I'm curious Lance Leon Lance Leon , is it the introduction of the detent ramp that creates the almost assisted opening feel or have the Norseman always felt that way? I absolutely love mine and it flips open like a champ no matter the position.
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I wouldn't say any of the 3 Norseman I've owned/currently own feel assisted per se, but they've all had similarly reliable and satisfying actions, sans the slight increase in detent strength of the newer one. So I don't think the detent ramp has anything to do with that; it should only affect how the knife drops shut (detent doesn't have to 'jump' up onto the tang because the ramp allows it to slide onto the blade smoothly).
 
B0B0 said:
I recently purchased a Grimsmo Norseman in BRAND NEW condition. I have been wanting this knife forever and was so excited to receive it. However, I was very disappointed when I did get my hands on it because it is so painful to flip. It has the drop shot closing action which is great, but the detent is so ridiculously strong when closed that it is not a pleasure to flip at all. Flipping this knife is painful, and I can't imagine EDCing this knife as it sits which is why I purchased it. I was hoping someone would be able to help me out with this.

1) Is this normal?
2) Does it have a break in period?
3) Is something wrong with my knife?

Please help me! I contacted John via Instagram but did not get a response. I can't imagine with all the reviews out there no one would mention this if it was a thing.
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I just picked up my first Norseman and am fairly annoyed by the detent strength. Did you ever sort this out or was it just a matter of breaking it in?
 
Max S said:
I just picked up my first Norseman and am fairly annoyed by the detent strength. Did you ever sort this out or was it just a matter of breaking it in?
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What number Norseman is it? I just had a couple in the 2k’s, and the detent was moderate. Have you tried varying techniques? Mine deployed nicely, even with accidental pressure on the lockbar. I tend to ‘pre-load’ some before, which the Norseman’s seem to like. Hope you find a solution. Best of luck!
 
It’s 2097. It seems to be entirely the detent. Pressure on just the scales (not lockbar) also makes it worse. It’s not the worst thing in the world but it is too strong
 
Damn, sorry to hear that. Maybe some sort of inclusion in the track? I’d send it in. The detent shouldn’t feel overly stiff like that. Hope you get it sorted out.
 
You've got some good advice already but I'll add what I know from other knives with strong detents.

First, have you taken the knife apart for inspection? This is the first thing I do with a new knife. I usually rock budget knives, which are more likely to come with dirty internals. That doesn't mean that higher end knives never have a little gunk or a little piece of something in there. Whatever the case, it's nice to get to know your knife. Clean it up with a little alcohol. Wipe down metal surfaces with a little mineral oil. Put some quality oil where it matters, including in the detent hole and along the track.

The latter could help you even if you don't disassemble your knife. Put a few drops of quality lube into the pivot and one in the detent hole. Gently work it in for a few minutes. Wipe away any excess. You could always flush the pivot area with a little alcohol first if you want a cleaner start. (Grab some safety glasses. Use a pin or thumb tack to poke a hole in the cap of some isopropyl alcohol so you can squirt a small stream. Hold the knife pivot-down and rinse it out with a steady stream. Seal up the hole in the cap with a piece of tape. Let the knife dry before adding new oil.)

The last thing you can do is to just use your knife. Be patient. If it hurts, try flipping it in different ways or with different fingers. Get creative. The detent should smooth out a little on its own as you do. See how it feels in a few weeks.
 
If I were you, this is what I would do -

First, ensure you aren't applying undue pressure on the lock bar. I usually achieve this by cupping the clip with my fingers as opposed to applying pressure on the knife body.

Second, try and break it in. Flip it roughly 200 times. This may make a serious difference.

In my experienc, Grimsmo Bros make an effort to perfect their action. Sounds like an oversight. If all else fails, send it in.

I have large strong hands, so that may be a bias, but, I found Norsemen to have very agreeable detents.
 
same experience. As a collector, I have approximately 1000 knives. This Norseman is simply designed with a mammoth hand in mind. If you don't have a large hand then I don't recommend the grand in dollars. It's not the strength. It's the angle of attack of the specific pressure point. It can be opened. But let's face it. You aren't going to get much wear in on a Grimsmo treated RWL 34 folded steel blade at the detent ball area. You could bend the Frame lock, but what's the point in buying a dialed in knife if that's the case? if you choke up on the knife unnaturally and then use your finger on the button, you will find that the angle works better. But it's so unnatural that the design really reveals itself as the issue. Out of the hundreds of flippers within steps of these hand, this is by far one of the must difficult and wacky operating flippers I have in the collection. But #3562 is mine, and I like it. It will be handed down to my youngest Son. Blue and Pink is his thing. It's a great knife and isn't going to fail in it's function. I have 100% confidence that I could have it altered if I called John and discussed this with him. But when I think about the future of this blade and the next 100 years, it's just not worth it. The next person down the line is going to love it exactly as it sits. I like it, too. It's just not perfect for me. If you have long fingers and/or large hands, you probably will be extremely happy.
 
Ryan Hawkins said:
You are def. Squeezing the Lockhart while flipping...
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I don't think he's doing that. They actually have this issue. i've had 8 in my hands and 6 of the 8 (which are the newer ones) are just designed with a certain angle in mind. Smaller fingers are at a disadvantage. It's not the squeeze that does it. In fact, their design makes it very difficult to squeeze the frame-lock and open at the same time.
 
Max S said:
I just picked up my first Norseman and am fairly annoyed by the detent strength. Did you ever sort this out or was it just a matter of breaking it in?
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agree. try choking up on it. It's unnatural, but it needs a different angle. that helps. The newer ones in the last couple of years are this way. Long fingers are at an advantage.
 
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