may i suggest tik tok, for the younger people with adhd. personally i cant stand 20 second videos, but i suspect you will find exactly what you are looking for on that china provided service. i prefer long and boring videos, hence thats how mine turn out.
I bought one of these on sale for $18 before Christmas. I do own a Microtech Ultratech OTF, but I like this Elite to carry around for daily chores. I liked it a lot for three weeks. Then it began failing to lock up at opening every other time I tried it. A temporary fix is to Grab the blade and pull it out until it locks open. The issue is, you never know if it’s going to really lock when you open it. If you needed this for defensive purposes, you might find yourself in trouble. The short-term fix is to practice snapping open the unlocked (loose) blade by flicking your wrist down hard when it doesn’t lock open. Same way you would extend the bolt in an AR bolt carrier group. That way you can make the “Elite” functional with one hand in an emergency. The long-term fix is the buy an Ultratech.
even microtechs fail like this... i have the axial shift and it also has failure to retract, like 20 times and it fails after the 20th time (ish). i just keep lubing that bitch
Got the 50 dollar Akc f16 because I didn’t want to spend 300 and after seeing reviews they seemed reliable. Sometimes it’ll misfire 10x in a row sometimes it’ll deploy no problem 50x in a row. Super annoying because some people have akc f16 that have never misfired. The random misfire is the ONLY thing that stops me from daily carrying it over anything else I love that knife but I hate that it’s unreliable
thanks!! i would be lost without them. its fun trying to find that perfect knife for your tasks, especially if your tasks change over time. i usually just open packages every day, but now i am truly factoring self defense against human and dog attacks, hence the bigger fast deploying knifes, but i pray i dont have to kill with a knife, that would not be the way to meet your maker.
just got my lightning otf and it broke on the second day. The blade didnt lock back when retracted. Took a lot of file work and some brain storming but finally got it to work again. Seems that when you get a good one they're awesome but the quality control just isn't there. glad you found a solution though!
what needed filed in your knife? i am just curious. i thought i was the only one to have issues with these. its been a while since i made that video so i dont remember exactly what all i talked about but my issues have been the dang hook things...twice now on a knife that maybe 6 weeks old at the point of the second failure. dont get me wrong i love these cheap little otfs, but there is a failure rate based on how many times you open and close them, on these but i suspect the manufacture didnt bother to test for this or dont care
I know it's been a year since you made this.I took your video and with my knife brand new.I took the knife apart.I took those two hooks and got the bends cherry red hot with a little propane torch.I then dipped them into cold water.Heat treating them.Hopefully they don't bend like yours.We'll see.Thanks for the info on what may happen..John.
i still havent solved it for my self. i tried what you did at some point but i didnt know what i was doing and it was not effective. i did get a lightning otf elite and it seems to be holding up better so far.
@@jasonbrown467 Ok. 1 year has passed since I've had the knife and like I said,I heat treated the hooks before I used it much.Opened and closed hundreds of times.Took apart a couple of times to clean and I really like this knife.Super good knife to carry,I use it for everything I'd use a pocket knife for.I'm glad I watched your video.Thanks for posting it.
Good video. - The longer hook in the rear actually grabs the back of the blade. The shorter one catches on the circular step, just like you pointed out.
Completely degrease the inside, ad “sharpy marker” all over the inside of the cover (lightly) that goes over the spring. Then assemble. If you launch the blade 1 or 2 times and then disassemble you should be able to see where it rubs. Maybe with a Dremel and a small grind you can solve your rubbing problem.
To unlock stiff linerlocks I use my middle finger rather than thumb. In a typical grip it is already wrapped around the underside and alsmost lined up with the release. Point the knife down and it wont fold on you before getting fingers out the way.
In 2014 I paid $37.95 on BladeHQ for my LIGHTNING and have had it as an EDC since. Only time I clean it is when it miss fires. I'm gonna say you got some faulty hardware.
OTF knives are a gimmick because of the relatively fragile mechanics and regardless of the price you pay, it will always be a fidget toy. The best automatic knives are the single action side openers with leaf springs, aka the old fashioned italian switchblades. If the spring should somehow break, the blade can be manually opened and locked and would be a great last ditch survival knife if the button/firing mechanism fails.
Instead of sacrificing a good knife you should be able to fabricate better hooks if you measured with calipers you could source the right sizes of square steel flat rod. Are the hooks even attracted to a magnet? I also think you could try removing one of the springs, it may still work good and put less stress on the hooks. the lightning elites use one spring.
nope, now i am noticing my akc f16 is getting loose, i know with out even opening it that its those hooks. someone could make these parts and make a few bucks while they are at it
i thought i responded, i guess not? anyways, what studs? the one that passes through the blad in very end of the blade that is normally always inside the handle? btw, no matter what that is i wouldnt know, maybe try to make a knew one? most hardware stores sells raw metal stock, maybe you could make one? maybe a machine shop could build you one?
theyre cheap knives. They really are meant to be tossed when they fail. I lost a lot of finish on the painted version. They are nice for the price. A good one would be 8x the price and I just think a disposable one is the way to go. If you lose it no big deal.
yeah i have a video showing how i did that on a few knifes. its super simple and the short version is coat the springs with grease, not to lube them but the quiet them down.
I have a Benchmade clone and I opened it and found out the tension spring broke and I just curled it into a ring and slipped the metal L shaped piece into it and put it back together and it worked , after I saw this video
i am not in this for the money, nor will i drop 1k on a camera to talk about cheap knives. most of youtube is filled with low quality content that is over produced hoping to get that youtube money in a sea of millions of uploaders uploading every day. no bs merch, no patreon, no ads, no sponsors, no music, no script, no plugging and you bitch about a 1080p video, i can do 4k 30fps, but i assumed it wasnt worth it
@@jasonbrown467 :Settle down JB, I said JP(just playin) I was not trolling you, I was merely making an obvious joke. Since you made a camera comment, I thought I’d make one as well. I watched the whole video(half out of focus) but I didn’t realize that you are so sensitive about your comment section. You’ll be happy to know I won’t be back to bother you again, I didn’t subscribe. I prefer high quality picture and audio with more production quality, like the content from those you described in your rant. Keep on keepin on!
@@rickybobbyinc293 looks nice, my most expensive knife and probably best is a crkt counter point xl. i have thought about grabbing a bench made bali, but that cost is prohibitive for me, im sure its worth it though
@@jasonbrown467 : Yes, knives are addictive and I only own the one Benchmade because they cost so much but when you see something you love cost rarely matters. I have many CRKT knives, I just got the Carson M-21-14 in desert sand. Damn pretty! Too pretty to edc though.
Too much talking and not getting to the point
may i suggest tik tok, for the younger people with adhd. personally i cant stand 20 second videos, but i suspect you will find exactly what you are looking for on that china provided service. i prefer long and boring videos, hence thats how mine turn out.
I watched you to the end, I’m not sure what you accomplished but it was entertaining, thank you.
I bought one of these on sale for $18 before Christmas. I do own a Microtech Ultratech OTF, but I like this Elite to carry around for daily chores. I liked it a lot for three weeks. Then it began failing to lock up at opening every other time I tried it. A temporary fix is to Grab the blade and pull it out until it locks open. The issue is, you never know if it’s going to really lock when you open it. If you needed this for defensive purposes, you might find yourself in trouble. The short-term fix is to practice snapping open the unlocked (loose) blade by flicking your wrist down hard when it doesn’t lock open. Same way you would extend the bolt in an AR bolt carrier group. That way you can make the “Elite” functional with one hand in an emergency. The long-term fix is the buy an Ultratech.
even microtechs fail like this... i have the axial shift and it also has failure to retract, like 20 times and it fails after the 20th time (ish). i just keep lubing that bitch
You will cat yor balls if its litle open. But it's only 17$
Or the akc for 20$ more instead of 200 lol…
Got the 50 dollar Akc f16 because I didn’t want to spend 300 and after seeing reviews they seemed reliable. Sometimes it’ll misfire 10x in a row sometimes it’ll deploy no problem 50x in a row. Super annoying because some people have akc f16 that have never misfired. The random misfire is the ONLY thing that stops me from daily carrying it over anything else I love that knife but I hate that it’s unreliable
Great video!! I like that you clearly use your knives as the tools that they are.
thanks!! i would be lost without them. its fun trying to find that perfect knife for your tasks, especially if your tasks change over time. i usually just open packages every day, but now i am truly factoring self defense against human and dog attacks, hence the bigger fast deploying knifes, but i pray i dont have to kill with a knife, that would not be the way to meet your maker.
just got my lightning otf and it broke on the second day. The blade didnt lock back when retracted. Took a lot of file work and some brain storming but finally got it to work again. Seems that when you get a good one they're awesome but the quality control just isn't there. glad you found a solution though!
what needed filed in your knife? i am just curious. i thought i was the only one to have issues with these. its been a while since i made that video so i dont remember exactly what all i talked about but my issues have been the dang hook things...twice now on a knife that maybe 6 weeks old at the point of the second failure. dont get me wrong i love these cheap little otfs, but there is a failure rate based on how many times you open and close them, on these but i suspect the manufacture didnt bother to test for this or dont care
I know it's been a year since you made this.I took your video and with my knife brand new.I took the knife apart.I took those two hooks and got the bends cherry red hot with a little propane torch.I then dipped them into cold water.Heat treating them.Hopefully they don't bend like yours.We'll see.Thanks for the info on what may happen..John.
i still havent solved it for my self. i tried what you did at some point but i didnt know what i was doing and it was not effective. i did get a lightning otf elite and it seems to be holding up better so far.
@@jasonbrown467 Ok. 1 year has passed since I've had the knife and like I said,I heat treated the hooks before I used it much.Opened and closed hundreds of times.Took apart a couple of times to clean and I really like this knife.Super good knife to carry,I use it for everything I'd use a pocket knife for.I'm glad I watched your video.Thanks for posting it.
Good video. - The longer hook in the rear actually grabs the back of the blade. The shorter one catches on the circular step, just like you pointed out.
So have you been able to find any replacement spring and hooks?
Completely degrease the inside, ad “sharpy marker” all over the inside of the cover (lightly) that goes over the spring. Then assemble. If you launch the blade 1 or 2 times and then disassemble you should be able to see where it rubs. Maybe with a Dremel and a small grind you can solve your rubbing problem.
To unlock stiff linerlocks I use my middle finger rather than thumb. In a typical grip it is already wrapped around the underside and alsmost lined up with the release. Point the knife down and it wont fold on you before getting fingers out the way.
Hey, great video. How do I remove the stop pin to remove the blade from the housing completely? Thabks
Where do you get the springs from for the lighting otf
and the hook pieces that might apparently fail...?
@@luceatlux7087 no im not talking about those, im talking about the tiny springs that pushes the thing to lock the blade in
@@Elias78506 Could probably make some from springs in an ink pen for those little locking bars.
@@saltysteel3996 i tried so hard i just gave up
@@saltysteel3996 ive tried over 40 springs and it was either to stiff or won't work.
Just wondering if the cheap otf combs off Amazon have same spring set up I bet they are identical
i have another cheap otf and its a single spring design, but its a bigger knife and a bigger spring. i bet you are right
@@jasonbrown467 whats it called
In 2014 I paid $37.95 on BladeHQ for my LIGHTNING and have had it as an EDC since. Only time I clean it is when it miss fires. I'm gonna say you got some faulty hardware.
Just got a F16 YESTERDAY EVENING.
It mostly misfires.
Junk
Same here. Thankfully Blade HQ gave me a half refund. Now to take it apart and figure out why.
OTF knives are a gimmick because of the relatively fragile mechanics and regardless of the price you pay, it will always be a fidget toy. The best automatic knives are the single action side openers with leaf springs, aka the old fashioned italian switchblades. If the spring should somehow break, the blade can be manually opened and locked and would be a great last ditch survival knife if the button/firing mechanism fails.
You can't heat treat low carbon steel, like mild steel. I bet those hooks are just plain mild steel. It'll never heat treat or get harder.
good to know, i know very little on this subject
Instead of sacrificing a good knife you should be able to fabricate better hooks if you measured with calipers you could source the right sizes of square steel flat rod. Are the hooks even attracted to a magnet? I also think you could try removing one of the springs, it may still work good and put less stress on the hooks. the lightning elites use one spring.
i think i ended up making my own out of something
anyone know where i can order replacement lightning hooks?
nope, now i am noticing my akc f16 is getting loose, i know with out even opening it that its those hooks. someone could make these parts and make a few bucks while they are at it
@@jasonbrown467 See if a local machine shop could mill you out some new hooks from a solid bar stock of a high quality strong steel.
Is there no place to get replacement parts? My clip is bending like yours did.
i really dont know. my lightning otf front hook is bending and cracked again. i suspect its becuse i play with it all day when i carry it
My thumb nail always has weird wear when I get a new liner lock
I fell of a roof. Broke my the metal studs on the blade. Any advice
i thought i responded, i guess not? anyways, what studs? the one that passes through the blad in very end of the blade that is normally always inside the handle? btw, no matter what that is i wouldnt know, maybe try to make a knew one? most hardware stores sells raw metal stock, maybe you could make one? maybe a machine shop could build you one?
@@jasonbrown467 the world will never know... Lol
U get what u pay for. Microtech is the leader in OTF knives
Not gonna pay Microtech prices for a beater/box opener knife.
Lol sure for 11x the price of this knife
I carry my f16 for general propose but it does make me want to spend the money to buy a microtech
theyre cheap knives. They really are meant to be tossed when they fail. I lost a lot of finish on the painted version. They are nice for the price. A good one would be 8x the price and I just think a disposable one is the way to go. If you lose it no big deal.
I started having the same problem with my back hook once I dropped it
Hi do you have any solutions for the AKC f16 buzzing sounds? I just wanna remove or dampen the sound
yeah i have a video showing how i did that on a few knifes. its super simple and the short version is coat the springs with grease, not to lube them but the quiet them down.
I have a Benchmade clone and I opened it and found out the tension spring broke and I just curled it into a ring and slipped the metal L shaped piece into it and put it back together and it worked , after I saw this video
Great advice, tku
This is the quality of camera 147 subs buys. Lol jp
i am not in this for the money, nor will i drop 1k on a camera to talk about cheap knives. most of youtube is filled with low quality content that is over produced hoping to get that youtube money in a sea of millions of uploaders uploading every day. no bs merch, no patreon, no ads, no sponsors, no music, no script, no plugging and you bitch about a 1080p video, i can do 4k 30fps, but i assumed it wasnt worth it
@@jasonbrown467 :Settle down JB, I said JP(just playin) I was not trolling you, I was merely making an obvious joke. Since you made a camera comment, I thought I’d make one as well. I watched the whole video(half out of focus) but I didn’t realize that you are so sensitive about your comment section. You’ll be happy to know I won’t be back to bother you again, I didn’t subscribe. I prefer high quality picture and audio with more production quality, like the content from those you described in your rant. Keep on keepin on!
@@jasonbrown467 : BTW my EDC is a Benchmade McHenry OTF...so sometimes it’s the finer things that catch a mans eye.
@@rickybobbyinc293 looks nice, my most expensive knife and probably best is a crkt counter point xl. i have thought about grabbing a bench made bali, but that cost is prohibitive for me, im sure its worth it though
@@jasonbrown467 : Yes, knives are addictive and I only own the one Benchmade because they cost so much but when you see something you love cost rarely matters. I have many CRKT knives, I just got the Carson M-21-14 in desert sand. Damn pretty! Too pretty to edc though.
WOW, My hands aren't nearly as pretty as yours and I don't give it a thought.