Hmmm got mine today too...
First Spyderco in... yes over 20yrs.. and well, the lockbar sticks majorly and engages at 60-70% (engaging at 60-70% not an issue). The lockbar is so stiff and placement of hand makes it almost impossible to close one handed... The detent is very stiff and gritty. The "Spyder Hole" has sharp inside edges.. no edges knocked off, no chamfering or rounding. I still don't like that it was made over seas. All of that all really bums me out..
THE GOOD.. The blade is sharp out of the box. The blade is centered. No blade play or lockrock. The lanyard hole tube acts as some structural support and the one screw near lanyard hole has a large tube to help spread out pressure. This all looks good.
I think the way the lock side is made, forces most people with normal to large sized hands to put pressure on the lockbar itself.. This obviously goes against the direction you want to push when trying to release the lock and close the damn knife!
So... size and weight.. I like.. I'm over 6'2" and have large hands. I really like the clip placement. In the pocket it rides great.
I've come to the conclusion, that.. I don't care for Spydercos-still. I like the K2 design. I will buy a Farid K2 custom. I think for a production knife, this is very well made with the exceptions noted in my first paragraph...
So... what am I going to do? Use it.. cut stuff and more than likely sell it used on the X in a month or so after I've decided I don't like using two hands to close a knife.
I hate crashing down on this party... I can't wait to test the steel/ht... but the lockbar stiffness and how hard it is to position hand to even try to open hand close it is quite a disappointment.. And that sharp inside hole, gah...
This is just my first impression and first day with this knife..
I hope others are finding this knife easier to close than I am.. Please comment on lockbar stickiness, closing one handed, and how you think the placement of the bar works on this handle.. Hard to explain what I mean there.. sorry
The scales are nice. The overall design looks great and feels good in hand. I like that it is 10v.. I like that it is from Farid's design.
It IS a beast of a knife. This is good
If one thing could be fixed, it'd be how impossible it is to disengage the lock... it is a bit insane. I might send it back, but if this is how the knife is... then...
If I were going to do it I would scrap the stock clip and just go with the regular 3 hole pattern. Milling that patch adds to the complexity quite a bit. Although, I had my machine shop mill the two slots for a wire clip in the Ti of my Chokwe. I will say if you have a guy mill the slot have him also do a filler piece for the tip down slot.Can anyone tell me the name of someone who would be able to mill a new spot for the clip so that its tip up carry? Like with the cut out and everything, I really hate tip down carry.
...
I'd rather not add scales to make it work.
The look and feel of the knife is awesome!
More feedback!
... damn you gooey. That does look good and I can see how it would eliminate the fingers pressing against the lockbar problem when trying to close.
Farid, thanks for responding. I mean no bash on your design or Spyderco for that matter. And the lockup % is fine, but the stickiness of this Spyderco K2 is a bit much. Also I'd be afraid if you bent it back any, it wouldn't engage the tang for tight lockup. So again, the lockup being "late" is fine And hope you are doing well so far sir!
That being said, I suppose the folder of yours that I am used to is the T1000, which is a liner lock... O_O And a great knife!
And I'll chat with you about the custom version later, no rush yet? Thanks again.
Also after putting some nano oil in this Spyderco K2, the washers seemed to have purged the grit and it is not smoother and still no blade play any direction after several test openings and closings and some wood cutting. Cheers!
I do have a few questions/observations about the design and looking at the changes from the customs to the Spyderco collaboration.
Why so much space between where your finger is and where the cutting edge begins? There's about an inch and a half distance between them. That decreases the leverage you can apply during a cut. Was decreasing the applied force intentional?
The Spyderco collaboration decreased that distance. It also changed the saber grind to FFG, again increasing cutting performance but decreasing strength. I'm wondering why the custom uses a saber grind and not FFG? Or conversely, why the FFG on the Spyderco versus a saber grind for additional strength at the cost of cutting performance? What were the thoughts behind this feature choice?
What are the lefties going to have?
Gooeytek: I really like the look of those scales with the design. Less industrial, but I'm sure the feel is awesome. Always preferred the feel of G10/Micarta/wood to metal.
Mastiff: get to do any testing with your copy? Anything planned?
Farid: "rolled edge" = convex edge?
I have no issues disengaging the lock one-handed. It's definitely on the solid tough side and you need a strong thumb. Lockup is solid at 70% and not moving. The lock stickiness is gone. Seemed more a function of the tight lockup. Very solid construction. Very light for how big it is. The big donut standoff at the bottom is quite a pillar of support.
Mastiff: get to do any testing with your copy? Anything planned?