Recommendation? Blade Play Brand New 4 max Scout

[Jsl_73]

I received a 4 max scout in the mail today from knifeworks and it may have some lateral blade play issues. Just trying to make a decision on whether it’ll buff in time or can be fixed or if it should be returned as this is my first CS folder.

Everything is fine about the knife except when I took it out of the box and inspected it I could laterally move the blade about 1/32 either way. I can feel when metal/teflon hits metal/teflon as it “vibrates” through the handle, not drastic though.

If I tighten the pivot screw it almost entirely goes away but opening it is very stiff and it won’t drop closed when the lock is released.

I measured with a ruler and the blade looked like 4.5mm thick. Not an exact way to measure but I wondered if it was ground too thin.

Lockbar is a hair over 5mm thick.

Knife still weighs 10.19oz though.

I could be putting a lot of pressure laterally, I understand that any folding knife will move if pressed hard enough. This could be the case.

Here’s two vids:

Lemme know if I’m just worrying too much haha. I guess after the reviews I expected it to lock up like a vault door for real not just figuratively! Otherwise awesome knife I want to keep it, fix it, or get a replacement. Any suggestions are welcome, thanks.

 

[d762nato]

Well it should lock up like a vault door and drop shut with no play at all, at least mine is as well as my AD10. I think I'd send it back, I just sent back an SR1 tanto stuff happens and especially at some of these prices that Cold Steel sells at, or used too anyway. That's the first Scout I've heard of having issues.

 

[Drop bear]

My sr1 doesn't have play either.

 

[Jsl_73]

Good to hear, yeah I figured it was probably a bad one. Partly on me as I got it for cheap and there’s always that chance.

 

[sean2021]

Same here, none of my CS folders have any lateral blade play. They lock up very solidly. I would send it back. The triad lock can be a PITA to disengage (speaking from personal experience), but once it’s locked....no movement. Sucks to return a knife but you’re better off in long run.

 

[d762nato]

Good to hear, yeah I figured it was probably a bad one. Partly on me as I got it for cheap and there’s always that chance.

It happens heck I sent back a 600.00 dollar knife that had a terrible grind, not a cold steel either. That is a really good price you got your scout at though. Maybe when you call see if someone will look the next one over before they ship it.

I'm kind of looking for a dealer that will do just that but most won't or are too big to take time. I think in the end it would pay off for a dealer to not have to pay shipping back and forth for defective knives or products. I guess they rely on quality control from the manufacturer being on top of things though.

 

[Jsl_73]

It happens heck I sent back a 600.00 dollar knife that had a terrible grind, not a cold steel either. That is a really good price you got your scout at though. Maybe when you call see if someone will look the next one over before they ship it.

I'm kind of looking for a dealer that will do just that but most won't or are too big to take time. I think in the end it would pay off for a dealer to not have to pay shipping back and forth for defective knives or products. I guess they rely on quality control from the manufacturer being on top of things though.

I always think the same thing, this company doesn’t cover return shipping because they say returns are costly for them. Always gotta check the return policy first but they had good reviews on here so I just went with it without checking. Oh well hopefully the next one is good!

 

[Daniel]

One thing that I notice on a lot of Cold Steel folders is that you don't want to mess with the pivot until is is broken in. They are really tight. If you mess with the pivot when new, then you will be tightening it again after it is broken in.

Personally, "drop free" is overrated. I prefer to have a nice tight fit with smooth opening and closing. I don't care about whether it drops closed when the lock is released. To each his own! Just like a "perfectly centered" blade. If it doesn't rub the liners, it is OK.

 

[rycen]

Might want to check the other screws if you haven’t already

 

[Jsl_73]

I appreciate the replies so far, everyone. I disassembled it twice, cleaning it and lubing it on contact points. On the second go I swapped the steel liners but it hasn’t fixed the problem.

I agree with Daniel, it doesn’t have to drop closed but it still has slight play even when really tightened.

My original theory seems to hold up. I think the blade blank was ground just a hair too thin and the lock bar too thick causing a larger than normal gap around the pivot as the liners touch the lock bar.

The metal of the blade around the pivot screw is closer to the thickness of the lockbar and then immediately tapers down where the blade begins.

 

[Jsl_73]

For anyone still following this, I just received the second 4 max Scout in the mail today. It looks so similar to the last one I thought they tried to send me the same one until I looked at my pics.

Could someone take pics of the spine of theirs while open? Just want to see a comparison. See the gaps between the blade and liner? I didn’t notice that from pics online.

 

[Jsl_73]

 

[d762nato]

Pics aren't showing up, at least for me their not.

 

[Jsl_73]

Pics aren't showing up, at least for me their not.

They don’t seem to wanna upload from my phone. I’ve copy and pasted to notes, uploaded on FB and sent them as an e-mail to myself, google drive. I’ve run out of ideas

Disregard. Got it through imgur.

 

[jux t]

I can see the first pic.

There are spaces for the washers on the sides. The lock bar doesn’t need room for washers, so it’s thicker than the blade.

If the spaces were very uneven, that would be out of the ordinary. Does this one have play as well? If so, try lubricating the pivot area and adjusting the pivot screw.

 

[d762nato]

I can see them now, does it also have play. The one I have has a little daylight on the sides as well, but I believe a little less. My blade is tight though with no play. I've got another Scout coming next week for my son's birthday and I'll check it out when it arrives.

 

[Jsl_73]

I can see the first pic.

There are spaces for the washers on the sides. The lock bar doesn’t need room for washers, so it’s thicker than the blade.

If the spaces were very uneven, that would be out of the ordinary. Does this one have play as well? If so, try lubricating the pivot area and adjusting the pivot screw.

I haven’t disassembled it yet but I will shortly. Yes it has some play but better than the last one.

 

[whp]

I haven’t disassembled it yet but I will shortly. Yes it has some play but better than the last one.

To have gotten lateral blade play in your first two Cold Steel folders is extraordinary bad luck.

Out of the 15-20 Cold Steel folders I have, I ve only noticed the tiniest bit of lateral play in a Holdout2. This was easily corrected by tightening the pivot a bit. Still opened smoothly afterward.

I ve never understood why having the blade on a folder drop shut after releasing the lock up is a good thing.

Send the second one back. If this happens on the third one, find another vendor.

 

[Jsl_73]

To have gotten lateral blade play in your first two Cold Steel folders is extraordinary bad luck.

Out of the 15-20 Cold Steel folders I have, I ve only noticed the tiniest bit of lateral play in a Holdout2. This was easily corrected by tightening the pivot a bit. Still opened smoothly afterward.

I ve never understood why having the blade on a folder drop shut after releasing the lock up is a good thing.

Send the second one back. If this happens on the third one, find another vendor.

How do you personally check for blade play? I’m wondering if I’m just putting too much pressure—I’m sure any folding knife when pressed hard enough will have some “play”. I may be coming at this 4 max Scout with too high expectations.

They charge return shipping. I really do like this knife, seeing it go again would be difficult .

I took this one apart, cleaned, lubed and reassembled. Centering is dead on. I don’t really care either if the blade drops on this particular knife but if I tighten it much more it’ll be unnecessarily difficult to open.

Only thing is is I used a dry lube so unless another lube would improve the action while letting me tighten the pivot screw more...I dunno.

 

[unklfranco]

I just purchased the 4max scout last week. Mine drops free and no blade play. Mine has two dings in the edge from hitting the back spring or something metal in the handle. The dings are in the belly of the blade. Not the best QC on this one either.