Spyderco byte - April 2017
The Spyderco byte April 2017 e-newsletter was sent out on 27 April 2017, and it contained the following articles.
C219GP The Q Ball
MSRP: $274.95
Origin: Japan
Good knife designers always seem to cultivate a distinctive “look” that makes their knives immediately recognizable and unmistakably theirs. The best designers go a step further by combining those signature aesthetics with tangible performance benefits that achieve a superior synthesis of form and function.
From his earliest designs, Spyderco’s Eric Glesser has shown a talent for that “higher level” of functional aesthetics. His unorthodox Dodo™ and Scorpius™ designs quickly went from questioning convention to attracting a near-cult following among performance-oriented knife users. Now the rebellious spirit of those early designs is back with Glesser’s all-new Q Ball folding knife.
The Q Ball is a highly functional, all-purpose folder that blends an unconventional approach to ergonomics with a compact, exceptionally capable blade style. The heart of the design is its dramatic Wharncliffe-style blade, which is precision machined from VG-10 stainless steel. It combines the perfectly straight cutting edge of the classic Wharncliffe pattern with a beautifully executed full-flat grind to offer cutting performance far beyond its compact size. The spine curves gracefully to meet the edge, creating a utilitarian point that balances structural strength with scalpel-like precision. For maximum control, the blade features an index-finger choil that allows a forward “choked up” grip and puts your hand closer to the cutting action for enhanced power and precision. Our Trademark Round Hole™ is positioned high on the blade for excellent leverage during one-handed openings and is equally accessible with both hands.
The ergonomic handle of the Q Ball features the same curved profile and tapered butt as Glesser’s early designs, but expressed in a sleeker, more understated style. This unique shape fills the hand and complements the different lengths of the fingers to ensure maximum surface contact and control. The handle’s construction includes skeletonized full stainless steel liners, a solid stainless steel backspacer, and textured black G-10 scales.
Linking the blade and handle is Spyderco’s Ball Bearing Lock™—a patented mechanism that offers exceptionally smooth operation and extreme lock strength. In the Q Ball, this lock proudly showcases a white ceramic ball bearing—the inspiration for the knife’s name—a stainless steel piston and a coil spring. When the blade is opened, the spring and piston drive the ball bearing onto a ramp on the back of the tang, wedging it securely between the ramp and the handle’s steel backstrap. Pulling the bearing toward the butt of the handle releases the pressure and allows the blade to be easily closed with one hand without having to place your fingers near the edge. Easily accessed and operated with either hand, the lock and the blade’s Trademark Round Hole make operation of the Q Ball completely ambidextrous. A reversible deep-pocket wire clip further supports this theme, offering a choice of left or right-side tip-up carry.
The Q Ball is an amazingly capable and pocket-friendly cutting tool and the latest chapter in a truly distinctive family of knife designs.
Overall: 6.58in / 167mm
Blade: 2.72in / 69mm
Edge: 2.19in / 56mm
Weight: 3.5oz / 99g
Grind: Full-Flat
Origin: Japan
Edge-U-Cation®: Adjusting and Removing Screws from Your Spyderco Knife
The earliest Spyderco knives all featured pinned or riveted construction similar to that used on traditional pocketknives for centuries. While durable, this style of assembly left little opportunity for adjustment of a knife’s action (short of tapping it with a hammer). Although we still make a few knives this way, most of our current production uses screw-together construction. This method makes it easier to precisely align all the components of the knife during assembly, allows tuning of the knife’s action, and simplifies repair of the knife. However, it also leaves the screws vulnerable to loosening or even getting lost over time.
To ensure that the screws of our knives stay where they belong and retain their proper factory adjustment for as long as possible, Spyderco uses threadlocking compound (most commonly known by the brand name Loctite®) on our assembly screws. Applied as a liquid to a screw’s threads, threadlocker cures and hardens after the screw is tightened, binding to the female threads to help keep the screw from loosening with time.
Loctite comes in several different strengths to support different types of industrial applications. Its strength is also measured at two levels: The “break” strength is its initial resistance to torque after it cures, while its “prevail” strength is its resistance to torque after the initial bond has been broken. After extensive in-house testing and an in-depth review of the knives that were returned to us for warranty repair, Spyderco chose to use high-strength Loctite in all its US-made products more than 10 years ago. For the vast majority of our customers, this has worked out very well, maintaining the proper tension of their screws over a long service life and preventing the loosening and loss of screws.
Today’s knife customers, however, are more inclined to adjust their knives, add aftermarket parts and accessories, or simply take their knives apart to see how they “tick.” For some of them, removing assembly screws that have been treated with high-strength Loctite has proven challenging. To help ease that burden, we thought we would share the method used by our own warranty repair technicians to remove stubborn screws.
1. Ensure that you have the proper size Torx® driver for your screws and that the driver head is in good condition. A straight, screwdriver-style driver works best. 2. Place your knife on a workbench or other hard surface. Use a few layers of paper towel or rag to protect the handle from scratches. 3. Insert the tip of the Torx driver into the screw head and ensure that it seats properly. 4. Tap the end of the handle of the driver several times with a hammer to “shock” the screw and break the Loctite bond. 5. Maintain a firm, constant, downward pressure on the Torx driver as you rotate it to remove the screw. 6. If this method is not successful on the first try, repeat as necessary.
Although Loctite’s manufacturer recommends using heat to loosen its bond on screws, their specifications state that a temperature of more than 360 degrees Fahrenheit must be reached for high-strength Loctite to soften. Such temperatures could easily damage the scales and other components of your knife. Instead, we recommend the process described above. If it is not successful, please remember that you can always send your knife to Spyderco with $5.00 for return shipping and we will loosen the screws for you. To make life even easier, we recently decided to change our policy. All US-made Spyderco knives are now being assembled with medium-strength Loctite to make end-user screw removal easier.
2017 Oregon Knife Show
On April 8-9, the Spyderco Crew shared our wares at the 42nd Annual Oregon Knife show, organized by the Oregon Knife Collectors Association (OKCA). Attracting more than 3,000 visitors from all over the United States, this show is a time-honored tradition in the Northwest and brings together a broad spectrum of custom knife makers, collectors, and manufacturers to share their common interest in all things related to knives.
Our Crew was very pleased to visit with old friends in the knife community and make many new friends who share an interest in our products. We greatly appreciate everyone who visited us at the show and the OKCA for all its efforts to make this wonderful annual event possible!
Gift Guide!
Mother’s Day is rapidly approaching! Are you ready to buy the awesome Mom in your life the perfect gift? If not, consider these hand-picked suggestions from Spyderco and get ready to be your Mom’s favorite!
Under $50.00
K09PBK Mini Paring Knife $34.95
K05SRD 4-inch Utility Knife $39.95 (Multiple Variations Available)
Under $100.00
K01SBK Bread Knife $74.95
C189PBL Roadie $79.95 (Multiple Variations Available)
LSSP3T Ladybug 3 Stainless Tattoo $94.95 (Multiple Variations Available)
Under $150.00
C127PGY Urban (Sprint Run) $109.95
C12SBK2 MatriarchTM 2 $139.95 (Multiple Variations Available)
204MF Tri-Angle SharpmakerTM $104.95
