Para 3 lock sticking

TAH

TAH

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Jul 3, 2001
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Quick question: Received a Para 3 today. Love the knife. I've been opening and closing it throughout the evening, however, the lock is slightly sticking and making a audible click when disengaging it to close the knife. Is this normal? Any recommendations?

Thanks for your help!
 
I used a little lube and just used it alot and it went away for now.
 
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The lock face is probably just breaking in. I usually use the folded corner of some paper towel to periodically wipe the lock face when new. No need for pencil lead or the like just yet IMO, although those tricks are good advice.
 
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I own several para 3s and my experience is when they stick it’s from the lock bar over engaging. Take it apart and bend the lock bar back a small amount to relieve some tension. Trail and error as you must put it back together to test it and too much creates blade play.

Hope this helps all.
 
I actually have a ton of experience with this. While the pencil/sharpie thing can work sometimes, it's temporary. Despite what Spyderco may or may not call it, I call it defective. It's super annoying and, from my experience, it never goes away. Unless it's some hard to get sprint, I'd recommend just returning it and getting a good one.
 
I felt the same way. Sent a cruwear sprint back and they offered to credit it or send it back as is. Disappointing. I kept it and played around with it until I found bending the lock bar works. Glad I did because I love the platform and cruwear is the best balance of properties for my use.

Try it and see!
 
In my opinion SLIGHT stick is a good thing on compression and liner/frame locks. A little friction between the lock surfaces means a more secure lock. I wouldn’t try to bend it at all as you will make it less safe. I would just use it and enjoy it knowing you have a good solid lockup.
 
Eljay2 said:
I actually have a ton of experience with this. While the pencil/sharpie thing can work sometimes, it's temporary. Despite what Spyderco may or may not call it, I call it defective. It's super annoying and, from my experience, it never goes away. Unless it's some hard to get sprint, I'd recommend just returning it and getting a good one.
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I echo this. My s30v PM2 had slight lock stick and it remains so after four years. I have tried pencil, sharpie, lube, disassembly, and cycling MANY times. None of them works. I wont say its defective, though. It honestly does not bother me much.
 
sharp_edge said:
I echo this. My s30v PM2 had slight lock stick and it remains so after four years. I have tried pencil, sharpie, lube, disassembly, and cycling MANY times. None of them works. I wont say its defective, though. It honestly does not bother me much.
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There are absolutely varying degrees. On the slight end I don't care. I've had several where a very hard break free is necessary and that just hurts. Bending anything leads to warranty problems down the road but, candidly, I very rarely utilize Spyderco customer service because the one person who they have there has no business whatsoever being in customer service. Perhaps things may have changed but the woman I spoke to there several times a couple years back had zero skill in dealing with customers, and that's being polite. The customer service between Spyderco and so many other knife companies just can't be compared IMHO. I'm sure there are outlier stories on both sides here but I can't imagine anyone honestly taking the position that Spyderco customer service is good. I know too many folks who have had the same bad experience. Great company, great products - needs and deserves blue chip customer service.
 
On my pm2 it doesn't bother me anymore, but if I play with rotating the stop pin, I can get it to go away. In certain position of stop pin it stops having locksstick
 
Slightly bending para 3s lock bar fixed all 5 of mine. Over do it and you will have blade play. Lock failure on a comprision lock is almost impossible.

Spyderco CS is better now than it used to be but nowhere close to other select manufacturers. I tune all my knives for best fuction and will continue to do so.

What a have found with para 3s is;

- bending the lock bar slightly corrects lock stick
- blade bore to pivot interface determines drop shuttyness
- pivot tension and smooth washers help fine tuning action
-small standoff screw adjustment can correct blade center.
 
^^^ agree with all of this. Have had a couple of sticky PM3. The problem with bending the lock bar is that it softens the detent. There is a subtle trade-off between having a bouncy blade and a sticky lock.
 
JBH3 said:
Slightly bending para 3s lock bar fixed all 5 of mine. Over do it and you will have blade play. Lock failure on a comprision lock is almost impossible.
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No offense brother, I’m glad you are comfortable bending your lock bars, and I am am too, only when I am adding tension. Relieving tension on a lock bar could lead to the lock being less safe. The compression lock still relies on a certain amount of spring tension to keep the lock where it should be. Removing some of that tension could lead to the lock bar slipping should you accidentally apply pressure or shock to the spine. Again, not claiming I know more than you, just making sure the OP knows the possible cons of removing some of the tension. If the stick is SLIGHT I’d say it’s a good thing and might even be an intentional part of the design. Maybe Sal could let us know?
 
Agree with the above poster. Having bent the liner/lockbar of some other folders, I've come to realize that I will try to avoid doing it because it is actually trickier than one would think, like where exactly should the bending be made plus how much bending is the proper amount.
 
Received a new Para 3 and had no lock stick. As with all new knives I can't help myself but to disassemble the knife. Clean and polish certain parts including washers. When I assembled the knife I had very bad lock stick. Tried the pencil trick, lube nothing worked. I then partially disassembled the knives and only change was rotating the stop pin. Tightened up everything and absolute no lock stick. Fine tuning the stop pin worked for me.
 
I've had my Para 3 S110v for about eight months. Same issue, tried everything and it is still there. I've accepted it as a design shortcoming
 
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