" All folding knives have some form of blade play"

texas gun person said:
Well of course there is some blade play. A feeler gauge would probably show you you that. Afterall, like others have said, you wouldn't be able to open the knife without blade play. However, when it is to the point where you can feel it by moving the blade with your hand... well that is too much.
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I don't think the ability to open a folder constitutes blade play, just a properly working pivot... ;)

Now, if there was slop around the pivot that would be different as it would most likely lead to true bladeplay or the ability to have the lock slip a bit.
 
Depends on the degree of force used to test a locked folder for blade play too. I always figured if I try lightly to feel it and don't feel any, it is good. But some people hold near the tip and try as hard as they can to feel it. And often they do, where I would not.
 
I'd just whip out my Microtech Select Fire and ask him to give that a shot. That's my tightest-locking knife, you couldn't put any play in that blade if you tried.
 
blame it on god said:
Correct. If you can feel it I would call it excessive. But as a blanket statement "all knives have some form of blade play" is not wrong.
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This is correct. Everything man-made has some sort of tolerance (in this instance "blade play"), it is just whether or not it is perceivable by the human eye. In precision devices, tolerance is measured in thousands of a millimeter. If it moves, there is some level of tolerance.
 
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Why is the discussion about what is technical blade play versus what we feel as blade play in our knives?
That seller doesn't seem to want business from you :)
 
I don't wrench on the blade when looking for blade play, but I do very firmly check. None of my knives have any noticeable amount by hand. I cannot feel any play or rock in any of my knives.
Though all folding knives need to have some form of movement to be able to open and close, especially smoothly.
But, as far as being able to be perceived by the human eye or hand, the knife should have no movement that can really be felt or seen.
If you wrench really hard at the tip of a knife, you will possibly get some flex. But this is completely unnecessary and not the correct way of checking for "play".
I have checked at the tip of mine firmly and still feel no play.
But like I said, I don't wrench on them.

If he is saying the knife has blade play, chances are, he can feel it or see it. He shouldn't really be able to. But he may be wrenching hard on the blade or at the tip and be feeling "flex", you can usually tell the difference though.
If anything, some new knives need the pivot adjusted a little.
 
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Sounds like the merchant has to deal with these petty questions way too often - probably multiple inquiries on a daily basis.

I couldn't stand it myself....... these are production pieces, folks. Blades will be slightly off center. The lock may have a small amount of vertical or horizontal wiggle, depending on how the tight the pivot screw and stop pin screws are. There might even be a small paint chip missing off the clip!

Can you imagine how many returns these high volume sellers get back due to something silly like the blade is off to one side by 5% or 6% when closed? The mind reels....
 
Properly made folders should have no discernable blade play on either the horizontal or vertial plane.
 
SomeNewGuy said:
Technically doesnt it have to have play? With zero movement at all wouldn't the knife be unable to glide freely around the pivot when opening and closing? Maybe you would need like the Hubble telescope to look down the pivot of the knife but doesnt it have to have the most minute amount of play even if its not able to be seen by the naked eye or felt by the bare hand?
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Yes, that is precisely what I was asking. Surely. Pedantic people, unreal.
 
symphonyincminor said:
Sounds like the merchant has to deal with these petty questions way too often - probably multiple inquiries on a daily basis.

I couldn't stand it myself....... these are production pieces, folks. Blades will be slightly off center. The lock may have a small amount of vertical or horizontal wiggle, depending on how the tight the pivot screw and stop pin screws are. There might even be a small paint chip missing off the clip!

Can you imagine how many returns these high volume sellers get back due to something silly like the blade is off to one side by 5% or 6% when closed? The mind reels....
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Thats probably why you don't sell knives.

And to avoid such a return, I asked beforehand. Forking out money, and then just hoping it shows up in what I consider acceptable shape, and then just shrugging my shoulders and accepting anything less seems a bit foolish.
 
jill jackson said:
Depends on the degree of force used to test a locked folder for blade play too. I always figured if I try lightly to feel it and don't feel any, it is good. But some people hold near the tip and try as hard as they can to feel it. And often they do, where I would not.
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Nicely said. I am with you on this.

However, it seems that many sellers these days try to pass off their $100 knives as "working knives" and all kinds of other explanations/justifications for poor fit and finish. I have knives from CASE that I have used for 30 years that have less blade play now than some of the newer ones have.

None, and I mean none, of my many Kershaws have any blade play that would concern me. My RAT1 has been used for all manner of things that we won't use a good knife to do, and it still has NO blade play after three years of construction work.

I have had this theory for a few years now that the manufacturers and vendors are working hard to get us to lower our standards when judging their products. The bad thing is that many here have been knife folks for too long, and remember what we used to buy sight unseen, with no concern for quality issues.

That ship sailed...

Robert
 
Knife Vendor:

"All knives have blade play" "No new knife is really sharp" "Pocket knives are supposed to be heavy" "Surgical steel is the best you can buy"


midnight flyer said:
Nicely said. I am with you on this.

However, it seems that many sellers these days try to pass off their $100 knives as "working knives" and all kinds of other explanations/justifications for poor fit and finish. I have knives from CASE that I have used for 30 years that have less blade play now than some of the newer ones have.

None, and I mean none, of my many Kershaws have any blade play that would concern me. My RAT1 has been used for all manner of things that we won't use a good knife to do, and it still has NO blade play after three years of construction work.

I have had this theory for a few years now that the manufacturers and vendors are working hard to get us to lower our standards when judging their products. The bad thing is that many here have been knife folks for too long, and remember what we used to buy sight unseen, with no concern for quality issues.

That ship sailed...

Robert
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Locutus D'Borg said:
Knife Vendor:

"All knives have blade play" "No new knife is really sharp" "Pocket knives are supposed to be heavy" "Surgical steel is the best you can buy"
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"Gerber is the best you can get"
"These Bear Grylls knives are really strong"
"Dont buy that one. Its too expensive. Get this one instead"

I was at Cabelas, and I overheard someone trying to buy their kid his first hunting knife. The "counter guy" instantly brought them to the Gerber section, RIGHT PAST the Spydercos and Benchmades, Kershaws and CASE, where they decided on a Gerber Paraframe 2.
I wanted to scream.
 
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