I did this to my code 4 tanto and it made a big difference and I also found a huge burr where the spring contacted the lock bar. I stone off the burr polished up the spring and now operation is butter smooth, thanks for another great video.
Thank you for the nice How To. My first thought would have been to flatten the spring profile to reduce tension but I think your way gives a better result. I reduced mine down to .030", polished it up and now my Code 4 tanto is a much more usable knife.
I think the stock removal method does indeed work better than bending the spring. You still retain consistent strength throughout the travel of the spring. When you bend it, it tends to run out of gas where you need it most -- when locked up.
Thx, this is just the info I needed. I've heard/read many times that bluing steel prevents rust. I don't believe this to be the case, and certainly hasn't been in my experience. I've altered many firearms and left the altered parts unblued. I haven't noticed any difference at all between the blued and unblued areas in terms of rust formation. In fact, my experience has been that the blued areas actually rust faster.
Awesome work. I'm not as smart as you . I depressed the back lock and tied it down with paracord. Kept it wrapped tight down for about 48 hours. Loosens the lock significantly.
I appreciate the info - thanks! [People sometimes question why I respond to seemingly dead or archived comments; it's because I run on my timeframe, not the timeframe of other people 😜]
i HATED my medium voyager for exactly this backspring issue. i wish i watched this video before drinking and 3 days of fiddling with parts lol. i ended up bending the spring, ending in much trial and error and even a rattling lock bar that drove me NUTS. im sure its not as smooth but its tolerable. next time around ill be doing it your way. one of the cold steel code 4 spear points like in this video is on my to buy list. id love to just buy it straight from you with this mod performed so i can enjoy it right out of the gate. thats beautiful
Good mod. I am going to try it on one of my Spartans. I slightly bent back the spring on my Raja II and Rajah III and it did the same thing. However, I have rework the Rajah III because I bent it too much and it would not stay locked. The way you do it, it just weakens the spring tension but it stays geometrically the same. Good idea. Worth a try.
Its easier to just put it in a vise and tap it with a hammer. If you go too far you just tap it back. If you grind off too much you're screwed. Then you have to buy a new spring. Or if it loosens up over time as many do you have to buy a new spring or bend it. You can bend it just right to where its easier to open but still stays closed very well. Just my experience on it. YMMV.
You da man Apostle P! Soon as I get time I definitely will send my Benchmade out to yea. Who knows? I might just buy a cold steel now and send it too. Very impressive, sir! God bless, mate!
I'M ROYCE IN RIVERSIDE CA AND I AM EAGERLY AWAITING THE RETURN OF THIS KNIFE AND MY SWFT. I TRUST ROB WITH ALL MY KNIVES AND I WOULD TRUST HIM TO DO ANY MODS TO ANY KNIFE. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO LIKE ME SUFFER FROM BOUTS OF ARTHRITIS TRUST ME THIS WORKS. MUCH THANKS TO THE MASTER ROB @ APOSTLE P !!!!!!
I cannot remove the pivot screw because the pivot on opposite side spins when I turn the screw, has anyone else had this problem? I really wanted to take it apart because my lock is very very stiff.
Great how to vid Rob. I was wondering if you could do a how to video on how you mirror finish your edges on the edge pro, any advice on it would be appreciated too! Thanks! -Scott
Rob, I plan to do this mod with my Talwar. Can you suggest an alternative to gun blueing for the exposed metal of the spring? I don't have access to any. If I keep the knife fairly dry, do I need any?
+Richard Cloud You definitely don't want this spring to rust. You cold force a patina with vinegar, but I'd really suggest going to your local sporting goods store and picking up one of these gun blue pens. They're under $10, and I use mine for lots of things, not just guns.
Can there be a big difference in lock stiffness between different models? I've heard that tri ad locks are so hard that some people can't use them one handed. My friend's 4 months old large Voyager works quite light. He bought it new and said that only put some oil on pivot, no mods. But is it much easier to operate than axis on my Enlan.
+Omnius Prime Generally speaking the longer the knife, the harder it is to unlock. My only CS knife requiring any amount of strength to speak of to unlock is the XL Espada.
Would leaving the knife open for a period of time to fatigue the spring work out better in the long run? Or physically remove stock from the spring, but it'll fatigue easier over time?
I don't find spring fatigue to be a reality with this type of spring in a lock back knife. There are thousands of Buck 110's floating around the universe, and I've never seen a fatigued spring in one. Modified, yes, but fatigued, no.
@TheApostleP Hi Rob, I like the thinking of your mod but it is really easy to mess up... If you go too thin or if you can mess up the heat treat. I think it's much easier to just bend it inward to reduce the spring tension (wich I always do on my numerous CS).
i did that. trial and error my man! i took the knife apart so many times to get it to my liking i think id rather grind every one of them to the same thinness and fix the coating too LOL! but....i did this over days of drinking and swearing so yeah...
@Manthieu, actually it's the other way around, IMHO. I have lightened the strength of springs in many of my pocket knives by bending them. Like others have pointed out, it's a trial-and-error method, since each spring is made/designed differently; and if you go too far on the bending it's extremely difficult to get the spring back into its desired shape and strength, especially with a thick, strong spring like the ones CS uses in their knives. This method is much more precise and can be done gradually, and the progress can be monitored (hence controlled) by the use of a caliper. As for heat treatment, it's no different than re-profiling/sharpening knives on a grinder, you just have to go slowly and cool the knife/spring down (or let it sit for a few seconds to cool down at regular intervals). It's no rocket science and practiced by all of us who use the grinder on knives.
if you ever find a reason or have the time..please show how to open up a finnwolf or ultimate hunter...im taking all the srews out but it just wont come apart and im afraid to use more force...might damage the scales
very cool, you are half an engineer. Here is a problem Spyderco Native 5, is bit too stiff to flick deploy , i can do it with my thumb but not my index finger and have to use wrist action. would be nice if could get it to deploy like a Sage 3 or a Tenacious. know its apples and oranges if you want to try will send you mine to play with.
I don't understand these complaints about the triad lock. I have not had a single problem closing it one handed on my code 4. had a buck 110 that was stiffer
you might have gotten a really good code 4. ive had 3 voyagers, 2 xl and 1 medium, and the medium reaaaaaaaaally was bad. i bent my spring to fix it and its gritty but tolerable now. gonna run it by a few ladies i know to see if they can close and open it. but it was leaving an indent in my finger, taking a lot of pressure, and generally just made me not even want the knife. i was gonna gift it to someone but i was bored and decided i wanted to try and smooth it out. i also had a sog salute that was horrible. ive got kershaw cryo's, leeks, crkt m21 and m16's, and ontario rats that dont need this as much. even ganzo's and sanrenmu's. but when i bought the cold steel, i wanted the stab through a car hood strength and slash through slabs of meat sharpness i laugh about in their videos and i got that....but the action was horrible. i needed to fix that. not even gonna address how fat the scales are on the voyagers because the code 4 is perfect after the action job...dare i say it? LIKE A 1911 OR CZ75!
Jeremy Gardner i dont have problems with either but most people cant close it .i never noticed till i watch some of these mod vids .looking back like almost everybody hands it back opened . but thats not only cold steel thing .a lot of lock backs are difficult for a lot of people
There maybe a component problem with the part supplier. Its CS quality control issue. All manufacturers have parts issues. CS is not testing these knives. I got 4 last year all 4 do the same thing. Spartan and Code 4 is really tuff.
Hmm... a Note you can't get a good read on tri-ad locks by trying to depress them closed, as that usually takes more force then when they are open. I've always just bent the spring, a less involved process, that said this solution is interesting.
Oh wow, a reply and a quick one as well /thx I fully admit your way is likely better, not a modification I'm going to try myself anytime soon though. I recently had to mod the spring on my Cold Steel Talwar, the spring tension on the detent didn't make for safe one handed opening. My way was a bit more barbaric though. involving a shop table and a mallet. (I don't know if I can completely recommend this method, if anyone emulates the hammer method, be thoughtful and patient with light strikes.) Then again the Talwar unmodded would have sat on my desk instead of my pocket.
I love benchmade, but I find the triad lock more reliable. It's the only lock that I haven't made fail in one way or another. Axis is awesome tho! It's the best lock for edc and people with arthritis like you said.
i find a spyderco paramilitary 2 better OHHHHHH I SAID IT! cuz im right handed! how about a kvt bearing frame lock? ohhh i carry that at work, zt 0450! yeah my knives have their own issues lol.
dale carpenter More than adequate. That's why I thin the spring instead of bending it. You still get full travel on the tension with less force. If you bend it, the spring runs out of gas at the end of its closed travel.
+Fisherman732 I just tried it, took a cloth and lightly bent it with a pair of pliers to take tension off. 1 small tweak and it is perfect now and you don't have to mess around with a grinder. The knife still has rock solid lockup as well.
aaaaaaand you get rattle. aaaaaaand you can bend it too far....or not enough. aaaaaand you have to take it apart, put it together, you know that trial and error thing? robs mod is proven and buttery smooth. after about 3 days of drinking and bending, id rather grind to his specs, coat, and reassemble...but im lazy. hell, i only bent the part of the spring that touches the lock bar, adjusted angles from too much, to too little, to fuck it thatll work, until i decided it was satisfactory. if you have the time and patience, do it that way! some people dont. on my voyager? i didnt like the knife enough to pay for an action job. if i had a code 4 spear point in cts xhp? id pay the extra for a nice sharpening and action job...itd probably keep me from buying a bunch of cheap knives that im gonna give away because id like what i had from the get go
Yes it works fine, but save your self some time and as your dialing it in just put the handle on without the screws until you get it where you want it.
I got 4 you need a hammer to close it on Code 4, Lawman, Spartan, Hunter its way more than 11#. A hammer is more than 11#. Cold Steel better fix this. Spartan is dangerous. This is a machine shop or gun smith job. No $70 knife should require rework Like this. This is bull sh$[]
I think quite a few people who own a knife for heavy use also own a belt sander, they aren't that expensive and very useful for a massive array of projects.
yea, never got a cold steel knife out of box that i could easy hone on sharpmaker, and hate the amount of metal you need to remove to reprofile, and plunge lines takes hours even with diamond stones
I did this to my code 4 tanto and it made a big difference and I also found a huge burr where the spring contacted the lock bar. I stone off the burr polished up the spring and now operation is butter smooth, thanks for another great video.
Thank you for the nice How To. My first thought would have been to flatten the spring profile to reduce tension but I think your way gives a better result. I reduced mine down to .030", polished it up and now my Code 4 tanto is a much more usable knife.
I think the stock removal method does indeed work better than bending the spring. You still retain consistent strength throughout the travel of the spring. When you bend it, it tends to run out of gas where you need it most -- when locked up.
Thx, this is just the info I needed. I've heard/read many times that bluing steel prevents rust. I don't believe this to be the case, and certainly hasn't been in my experience. I've altered many firearms and left the altered parts unblued. I haven't noticed any difference at all between the blued and unblued areas in terms of rust formation. In fact, my experience has been that the blued areas actually rust faster.
Awesome work. I'm not as smart as you . I depressed the back lock and tied it down with paracord. Kept it wrapped tight down for about 48 hours. Loosens the lock significantly.
I appreciate the info - thanks!
[People sometimes question why I respond to seemingly dead or archived comments; it's because I run on my timeframe, not the timeframe of other people 😜]
i HATED my medium voyager for exactly this backspring issue. i wish i watched this video before drinking and 3 days of fiddling with parts lol. i ended up bending the spring, ending in much trial and error and even a rattling lock bar that drove me NUTS. im sure its not as smooth but its tolerable. next time around ill be doing it your way.
one of the cold steel code 4 spear points like in this video is on my to buy list. id love to just buy it straight from you with this mod performed so i can enjoy it right out of the gate. thats beautiful
Good mod. I am going to try it on one of my Spartans. I slightly bent back the spring on my Raja II and Rajah III and it did the same thing. However, I have rework the Rajah III because I bent it too much and it would not stay locked. The way you do it, it just weakens the spring tension but it stays geometrically the same. Good idea. Worth a try.
It's like getting a good trigger job, but for a knife!
Same issue with a Buck 110. Great video Rob.
Its easier to just put it in a vise and tap it with a hammer. If you go too far you just tap it back. If you grind off too much you're screwed. Then you have to buy a new spring. Or if it loosens up over time as many do you have to buy a new spring or bend it. You can bend it just right to where its easier to open but still stays closed very well. Just my experience on it. YMMV.
You da man Apostle P! Soon as I get time I definitely will send my Benchmade out to yea. Who knows? I might just buy a cold steel now and send it too. Very impressive, sir! God bless, mate!
I had to send back my Code 4, I could not release it with my arthritis in my thumbs. Now am going to get the XL Voyager I always wanted !!!
Best way to mod that lock - well presented
Helps tremendously! Thank you!
You need to do more of these, many more.
It's relaxing to watch you work : )
Great mod to a great knife.
Awesome video Rob!!
Will the same method also work for the ad 10?
@TheApostleP You mentioned the Cold Steel Swift... are there any modifications you would suggest for that?
You're late. I just finished about an hour's worth of modding on my American Lawman to do the same thing! ...but you're waaaay better at it!
3 drunk days for me on a voyager LOL bending the spring, trial and error. im UPSET
Excellent instructional video.What grit belt were you using?
TheApostleP do u offer a service to make opening the Cold Steel Recon 1 easier? What would u do and how much?
I'M ROYCE IN RIVERSIDE CA AND I AM EAGERLY AWAITING THE RETURN OF THIS KNIFE AND MY SWFT. I TRUST ROB WITH ALL MY KNIVES AND I WOULD TRUST HIM TO DO ANY MODS TO ANY KNIFE. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO LIKE ME SUFFER FROM BOUTS OF ARTHRITIS TRUST ME THIS WORKS. MUCH THANKS TO THE MASTER ROB @ APOSTLE P !!!!!!
I cannot remove the pivot screw because the pivot on opposite side spins when I turn the screw, has anyone else had this problem? I really wanted to take it apart because my lock is very very stiff.
Great how to vid Rob. I was wondering if you could do a how to video on how you mirror finish your edges on the edge pro, any advice on it would be appreciated too! Thanks!
-Scott
Worked great! Thanks for the help!
Wouldn't this mod also weaken the blade retention when folded?
Good question..I would think yes
I have CS knives that have the same issue. (Code 4, Lawman , Spartan, Hunter) what is your contact information to repair, they are all new 2019.
awesome job ROB!
I have 3 cold steal XL knives, and would love to have the tension adjusted on the lock release, how can I get a price for a job on one?
Yo, Apostle, I'm interested in your sharpening services. How does one contact you. You do offer sharpening/cleaning services right?
Rob,
What is the down side of not rebluing the spring?
Where to get bluing pen - Brownells?
You could get some rust if you don’t reblue and you can get a bluing pen at almost any sporting goods store.
You can coat it with a black Sharpie. It works !
Rob, I plan to do this mod with my Talwar. Can you suggest an alternative to gun blueing for the exposed metal of the spring?
I don't have access to any. If I keep the knife fairly dry, do I need any?
+Richard Cloud You definitely don't want this spring to rust. You cold force a patina with vinegar, but I'd really suggest going to your local sporting goods store and picking up one of these gun blue pens. They're under $10, and I use mine for lots of things, not just guns.
You can recoat the surface with a black Sharpie. I do it all the time on large saltwater fishing hooks after I resharpen them.
Can there be a big difference in lock stiffness between different models? I've heard that tri ad locks are so hard that some people can't use them one handed. My friend's 4 months old large Voyager works quite light. He bought it new and said that only put some oil on pivot, no mods. But is it much easier to operate than axis on my Enlan.
+Omnius Prime
Generally speaking the longer the knife, the harder it is to unlock.
My only CS knife requiring any amount of strength to speak of to unlock is the XL Espada.
Would leaving the knife open for a period of time to fatigue the spring work out better in the long run? Or physically remove stock from the spring, but it'll fatigue easier over time?
I don't find spring fatigue to be a reality with this type of spring in a lock back knife. There are thousands of Buck 110's floating around the universe, and I've never seen a fatigued spring in one. Modified, yes, but fatigued, no.
@TheApostleP Hi Rob, I like the thinking of your mod but it is really easy to mess up... If you go too thin or if you can mess up the heat treat. I think it's much easier to just bend it inward to reduce the spring tension (wich I always do on my numerous CS).
+Mathieu Bastien Just tried this and worked great. Like you said much less chance of error too.
i did that. trial and error my man! i took the knife apart so many times to get it to my liking i think id rather grind every one of them to the same thinness and fix the coating too LOL! but....i did this over days of drinking and swearing so yeah...
@Manthieu, actually it's the other way around, IMHO. I have lightened the strength of springs in many of my pocket knives by bending them. Like others have pointed out, it's a trial-and-error method, since each spring is made/designed differently; and if you go too far on the bending it's extremely difficult to get the spring back into its desired shape and strength, especially with a thick, strong spring like the ones CS uses in their knives.
This method is much more precise and can be done gradually, and the progress can be monitored (hence controlled) by the use of a caliper. As for heat treatment, it's no different than re-profiling/sharpening knives on a grinder, you just have to go slowly and cool the knife/spring down (or let it sit for a few seconds to cool down at regular intervals). It's no rocket science and practiced by all of us who use the grinder on knives.
if you ever find a reason or have the time..please show how to open up a finnwolf or ultimate hunter...im taking all the srews out but it just wont come apart and im afraid to use more force...might damage the scales
Have you tried the presto on a GEC blade yet? Oooh could look sweet
+TheAidansdaddy17 I realize the question is facetious, but... I HATE PATINA ON MY POCKET KNIVES!!!
I would much rather have a more softer and pliable pocket clip for quick deployment.
very cool, you are half an engineer. Here is a problem Spyderco Native 5, is bit too stiff to flick deploy , i can do it with my thumb but not my index finger and have to use wrist action. would be nice if could get it to deploy like a Sage 3 or a Tenacious. know its apples and oranges if you want to try will send you mine to play with.
take it apart stuart, you can do it!
What kind of oil are using? I can't deploy mine like that!!!
leave it alone. it works fine just the way it is
Joe Piezzo Not all of them.
10 pounds? Mine is like 40!
awesome video .....love my cold steels!!!
I don't understand these complaints about the triad lock. I have not had a single problem closing it one handed on my code 4. had a buck 110 that was stiffer
you might have gotten a really good code 4. ive had 3 voyagers, 2 xl and 1 medium, and the medium reaaaaaaaaally was bad. i bent my spring to fix it and its gritty but tolerable now. gonna run it by a few ladies i know to see if they can close and open it. but it was leaving an indent in my finger, taking a lot of pressure, and generally just made me not even want the knife. i was gonna gift it to someone but i was bored and decided i wanted to try and smooth it out. i also had a sog salute that was horrible. ive got kershaw cryo's, leeks, crkt m21 and m16's, and ontario rats that dont need this as much. even ganzo's and sanrenmu's. but when i bought the cold steel, i wanted the stab through a car hood strength and slash through slabs of meat sharpness i laugh about in their videos and i got that....but the action was horrible. i needed to fix that. not even gonna address how fat the scales are on the voyagers because the code 4 is perfect after the action job...dare i say it? LIKE A 1911 OR CZ75!
Jeremy Gardner i dont have problems with either but most people cant close it .i never noticed till i watch some of these mod vids .looking back like almost everybody hands it back opened .
but thats not only cold steel thing .a lot of lock backs are difficult for a lot of people
unless you clip your thumb nail to much, then it's not fun for few days
There maybe a component problem with the part supplier. Its CS quality control issue. All manufacturers have parts issues. CS is not testing these knives. I got 4 last year all 4 do the same thing. Spartan and Code 4 is really tuff.
Hmm...
a Note you can't get a good read on tri-ad locks by trying to depress them closed, as that usually takes more force then when they are open.
I've always just bent the spring, a less involved process, that said this solution is interesting.
TheKillerKlok it makes the spring tension a bit more linear if you remove material rather than bending the Spring. That's why I do it this way.
Oh wow, a reply and a quick one as well /thx
I fully admit your way is likely better, not a modification I'm going to try myself anytime soon though.
I recently had to mod the spring on my Cold Steel Talwar, the spring tension on the detent didn't make for safe one handed opening.
My way was a bit more barbaric though. involving a shop table and a mallet. (I don't know if I can completely recommend this method, if anyone emulates the hammer method, be thoughtful and patient with light strikes.)
Then again the Talwar unmodded would have sat on my desk instead of my pocket.
hello i was wondering if you knew anyone wanting to sale a gayle bradley.... please let me know thanks
Pretty genius
best way to remedy this issue is to get a Benchmade with the axis lock...😁
yes, the Axis lock is perfect for people with arthritis
I love benchmade, but I find the triad lock more reliable. It's the only lock that I haven't made fail in one way or another. Axis is awesome tho! It's the best lock for edc and people with arthritis like you said.
i find a spyderco paramilitary 2 better OHHHHHH I SAID IT! cuz im right handed! how about a kvt bearing frame lock? ohhh i carry that at work, zt 0450! yeah my knives have their own issues lol.
Did it on my AK47 now it work like charm! Thanks Rob.
Just contacted GSM about
Nice mod!
how about blade retention ( closed ) after the spring job?
dale carpenter More than adequate. That's why I thin the spring instead of bending it. You still get full travel on the tension with less force. If you bend it, the spring runs out of gas at the end of its closed travel.
Very nice work you did on that knife. It Sure looks smooth now. My the good Lord bless.
My recon 1 does this mess
oh boy.....this is so over the top. whats next? I know...cold steels new line up: ''folders for weaklings?''.......then buy a schrade then
Has anyone ever tried bending it slightly instead of grinding it?
+Fisherman732 I just tried it, took a cloth and lightly bent it with a pair of pliers to take tension off. 1 small tweak and it is perfect now and you don't have to mess around with a grinder. The knife still has rock solid lockup as well.
+Fisherman732 You could do that, but then you'd lose range of spring tension, i.e. the tension would be less linear from top to bottom.
aaaaaaand you get rattle. aaaaaaand you can bend it too far....or not enough. aaaaaand you have to take it apart, put it together, you know that trial and error thing? robs mod is proven and buttery smooth. after about 3 days of drinking and bending, id rather grind to his specs, coat, and reassemble...but im lazy. hell, i only bent the part of the spring that touches the lock bar, adjusted angles from too much, to too little, to fuck it thatll work, until i decided it was satisfactory. if you have the time and patience, do it that way! some people dont. on my voyager? i didnt like the knife enough to pay for an action job. if i had a code 4 spear point in cts xhp? id pay the extra for a nice sharpening and action job...itd probably keep me from buying a bunch of cheap knives that im gonna give away because id like what i had from the get go
jacob manalang your not to bright, huh
Yes it works fine, but save your self some time and as your dialing it in just put the handle on without the screws until you get it where you want it.
I got 4 you need a hammer to close it on Code 4, Lawman, Spartan, Hunter its way more than 11#. A hammer is more than 11#. Cold Steel better fix this. Spartan is dangerous.
This is a machine shop or gun smith job. No $70 knife should require rework Like this. This is bull sh$[]
I think quite a few people who own a knife for heavy use also own a belt sander, they aren't that expensive and very useful for a massive array of projects.
some guys 1 pound is to much.
First ily vids
i bent the spring .got it perfect .but i wouldn't recommend that to the average joe .better to send it to you ..
Keep in mind that cold steel will sharpen any of their knives for free for life all you pay is postage......
Dave Wilkey yeah on a belt sander and uneven
Dave Wilkey almost every new knife I buy gets my edge put on it
yea, never got a cold steel knife out of box that i could easy hone on sharpmaker, and hate the amount of metal you need to remove to reprofile, and plunge lines takes hours even with diamond stones