The Chaparral, Lock Backs and Split Thumbs.

[Wowbagger]

So I finally got my Chaparral LW, I got the spring rate adjusted just right . . . then my dambed thumb split so much I can't enjoy the knife. I mean opening and closing the knife one handed is just more pain than I want to put up with for using my new knife.

Sure I use both hands to open it and the side of my index finger in the lock bar to close it but . . .
With a bit of experimenting I worked out some workaround :


You can see how the split has to run right into the edge of the scale to use the Spyder hole.


So I found I could use my index finger like a Spydie flick to get the hole away from the edge of the scale then I can get my thumb in there with less pain. By the way this is the way Spydie Chick (who is left handed) deals with some right handed knives and she opens them and closes them faster than I can and I'm right handed. Check her YouTube reviews out if you haven't seen them.




You can see here how working the lock bar is a problem, even after I took the knife apart and relaxed the spring rate some.


Some how I discovered this lock bar press without thinking about it. I'm still surprised it works. Might take a bit of trial and error but it gets more natural with repetition. My Chaparral drops when I press the bar so it is obvious how far to press the bar and it is less than one might think. Doesn't look like it would work but it does.


You got to kind of hyper extend the joint and move toward the blade with your thumb.
Pardon the mechanic's hands . . . I do scrub them. Less enthusiastically the more they split. You haven't really lived until you get the scrub bristles down in the splits then you know you are really alive ! ! !

 

[maugust09]

Is this a pre CQI chap? I thought they chamfered the lock bar on newer ones to avoid the painful bite from it haha

 

[AF]

My thumb just did the same. Happens every winter.

 

[Wowbagger]

Is this a pre CQI chap? I thought they chamfered the lock bar on newer ones to avoid the painful bite from it haha

No the finish of the hole edge is spot on. I have some what callused fingers anyway and have never met a spyder hole I needed to chamfer. I like 'em with a bit of an edge.
But sounds like you were kind of kidding anyway.

 

[Wowbagger]

My thumb just did the same. Happens every winter.

I'm curious, do you live at higher elevation as I do ? Less oxygen than lower elevations.
I'm close to 7,000 ft here. And it's pretty dry (but it's even drier in the hot summer and no splits then).
Part of my theory is there is significantly less oxygen in the winter here, what with everyone removing what little oxygen there is from the air by burning it in their cars and the smidgen left over is burnt up in their fire places. Not much green here this time of year. We're dependent on oxygen coming off the oceans and can't hardly get further from the ocean than Colorado. (he said jauntily with no facts to back that up)

With me it's not just cold weather; I work in doors.

 

[on_the_edge]

.....

 

[Sal Glesser]

FYI, we're working on the spring as well.

Hey Wowbgger, Ingenuity and innovation is a very human trait.

sal

 

[maugust09]

No the finish of the hole edge is spot on. I have some what callused fingers anyway and have never met a spyder hole I needed to chamfer. I like 'em with a bit of an edge.
But sounds like you were kind of kidding anyway.

Not the Spydie hole... Spyderco chamfered the lock bar itself because it was particularly sharp for alot of people. Was asking if it was a pre cqi to see if the lock bar was contributing to your poor thumb at all.

Sometimes those Spydie holes are ridiculously sharp. I've taken some 600grit sandpaper to a few of them just to ease up on my thumbs haha

 

[Sharp Guy]

My thumb just did the same. Happens every winter.

Yep! the ol' thumb split! Happens to me often too. It's not as bad now that I've moved south but when I was in the Chicago area I battled it all winter. I had one the other day near the same spot as Wowbaggers. I couldn't use a frame lock for a few day haha

 

[Robert Ptacek]

I've had great results using Gold Bond Ultimate Healing on my chapped hands in the winter.I would also get those cracks in the corners of my thumb.I also see they have got a product that goes in serious cracks kinda like caulk.HAHA.

 

[ferider]

I have a split thumb currently too. Opening is no issue, as I index or middle finger flick, also my back-locks. I do two-handed close (or "hand and leg") with backlocks anyways, but the split is a pain for closing frame- and liner-locks in particular.

If you really want one-handed closing without relying on the choil, and you have a split thumb, time to get a compression lock just for this purpose.

 

[Wowbagger]

Not the Spydie hole... Spyderco chamfered the lock bar itself because it was particularly sharp for a lot of people. Was asking if it was a pre cqi to see if the lock bar was contributing to your poor thumb at all.

Sorry, sorry. I miss read that. I didn't get enough sleep lately. Heaven knows what else I screwed up around here. Apologies . . .

Nah the lock bar on mine is fantastic. Zero need to do anything to it in my opinion. I expected it to be too narrow or sharp but there was no problem there.

I jumped back in there, before I saw how I flubbed that lock bar comment, to gush and say how much I like this FRN Chaparral ! ! ! !

WORTH EVERY PENNY ​

I'm so glad I have one. I've carried and used it every day since I got it. I like it very much. I like it better than I thought I would.
As others have said the pattern on the scales is so perfect.

I will say that if you get one and the lock release takes more force than you like that I'd say it is worth what it would cost to send it to one of the pros here to have the spring adjusted. I find it so dang friendly to use since I did that. The action has smoothed out so nice with just a little use and the lighter spring force is the icing on the cake.

Usually I encourage people to work on their own stuff and learn but the spring bar almost kicked my butt and I'm really mechanically minded. I finally understood what I needed to do but it can be frustrating if you unbend the spring and think you got it and that it should work and put it back together and the spring is too straight and that causes the lock bar to not be able to travel into the knife enough to release the lock.

Seriously, unless you are willing to really work the problem send it to some one who does this for living.

When you get the knife back you will treasure the little sucker for ever !
And really out of the box it is pretty danged good. It is not a deal breaker.
But when it's good it's REALLY good.

 

[Wowbagger]

Gold Bond Ultimate Healing

Thanks I put it in the cart. They even have fragrance free.
I'm not optimistic. I've tried every other liniment on the planet.
What helps the most is to keep some things out of my diet in winter. That thumb is pain free after a week of work. All I had to do is eliminate my favorite crackers from my meals. I hate to have to do that. They are kind of like a healthier version of Ritz crackers. Something about the oils they use and what I suspect happens to the oil before they get it. Something shady or goofy. (coconut oil or crisco can make me unable to work) Still though all I have to do is eat plain old whole grain oat meal plain and the same thing or worse will happen. If I stick to refined, white every thing, (flour, rice etc.) I'm pretty much OK but add in the whole grains and split, split, split.

 

[Wowbagger]

If you really want one-handed closing without relying on the choil, and you have a split thumb, time to get a compression lock just for this purpose.

That's what I thought a couple of years ago.
With taped fingers that to changes.
Here is a thread I started back in the day click here

 

[Sergeua]

Hey less oxygen and you will live longer as you won't oxidize as fast. Add that to your theory
Great little knife.
Here is how I close mine

 

[Wowbagger]

Here is how I close mine
Great little knife.

I've seen that vid before. Tricky.

Thankfully mine drops shut like a Big O' Dog so I won't be doing that.
I still have to press the thumb lock though to do the Sergeua.

Hey less oxygen and you will live longer as you won't oxidize as fast. Add that to your theory

But I LIKE oxi riding !


Oh you said oxidizing,

. . . er . . . so you're claiming a low oxygen environment might be invigorating . . . check out what Scott Kelly has to say about that in his book ENDURANCE A Year In Space.
Their atmosphere recycler would break down regularly. Not pretty.

 

[Wowbagger]

Here is how I close mine

PS : I did practice doing that some. Thank You !
Kind of reminds me of how I HAVE TO close my Ouroboros one handed because of the sluggish pivot.

 

[P2P]

.

 

[gull wing]

I have trouble unlocking most lockbacks. I had thumb surgery years back and it's a problem.
I solve it by lessening the spring force on ALL of them, no problem they all lock up fine.

Glad to see Sal and gang is working on it. I do like my Chap's.

 

[Cscotttsss]

FYI, we're working on the spring as well.

Hey Wowbgger, Ingenuity and innovation is a very human trait.

sal

So, they'll be another CQI model released? Any timeline?