- Joined
- Feb 16, 2010
- Messages
- 471
I've noticed that the 940, 943 Osbornes have a very free moving blade with practically no resistance on the tang between partially open and locked. Unlock the open knife and the blade free falls. Of course this can be diminished by tightening the pivot screw, but generally speaking, in their sweet spot, this is how the 940/943 seems to me.
In contrast, with my 551 Griptilian (just arrived today - woo hoo!), even with a loosened pivot screw, there is an ever-so-slight resistance on the tang in this knife than with the 9xx Osbornes.
Is this an anomaly with my 551 or characteristic of the 5xx Pardues?
I did notice in my 551 a very slight, fine line indentation on the lock engagement surface of the tang, which I could just barely feel against the axis lock when opening and closing the blade. So I removed the blade and washers and reduced the tang engagement edge just enough to remove the tiny indentation with 900 grit, then polished with 1500 grit, followed by polishing with Flitz on a buff pad driven by my Dremel. (Your basic "Fluff & Buff" as often done with gun parts). I also buffed the phosphor washers and tang flats & lock engagement edge with the 1500 grit, followed by Flitz on the Dremel-driven buff wheel. Then a little FP-10 lube at reassembly. Result is a SUPER smooth action! But still the blade doesn't seem quite capable of having the same total-free-fall looseness that is characteristic of the 9xx Osbornes.
Is this pretty much characteristic of these different designs? Just curious what your experience with this has been.
I love my super smooth 551 now, but just wondering why it doesn't have the same totally loose (shall we say, floppy?) action that my 943 has. There is a significant price difference between the knives, of course. Would that indicate that the pivot elements of the 9xx line are given more polishing effort than the economy priced Griptilian? Or is the primary differentiation in price due to S30V vs. 154CM and aluminum scales on the 940/943 vs. polymer on the 551?
In contrast, with my 551 Griptilian (just arrived today - woo hoo!), even with a loosened pivot screw, there is an ever-so-slight resistance on the tang in this knife than with the 9xx Osbornes.
Is this an anomaly with my 551 or characteristic of the 5xx Pardues?
I did notice in my 551 a very slight, fine line indentation on the lock engagement surface of the tang, which I could just barely feel against the axis lock when opening and closing the blade. So I removed the blade and washers and reduced the tang engagement edge just enough to remove the tiny indentation with 900 grit, then polished with 1500 grit, followed by polishing with Flitz on a buff pad driven by my Dremel. (Your basic "Fluff & Buff" as often done with gun parts). I also buffed the phosphor washers and tang flats & lock engagement edge with the 1500 grit, followed by Flitz on the Dremel-driven buff wheel. Then a little FP-10 lube at reassembly. Result is a SUPER smooth action! But still the blade doesn't seem quite capable of having the same total-free-fall looseness that is characteristic of the 9xx Osbornes.
Is this pretty much characteristic of these different designs? Just curious what your experience with this has been.
I love my super smooth 551 now, but just wondering why it doesn't have the same totally loose (shall we say, floppy?) action that my 943 has. There is a significant price difference between the knives, of course. Would that indicate that the pivot elements of the 9xx line are given more polishing effort than the economy priced Griptilian? Or is the primary differentiation in price due to S30V vs. 154CM and aluminum scales on the 940/943 vs. polymer on the 551?
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