Blade play - so what?

Like the guy who called up Dell to complain his cupholder broke on his computer, knife users aren't always up to speed on their favorite tool and how to use them. Too many broken tips to ignore that, including my own! So conclusions that one is better than another because they think there is too much blade play is like complaining about the H&K91 bolt rattling - but it can digest handfuls of gravel and fire. I've done it. Same for the AK. They are designed that way.

But simple carbon jams an M16 - it requires lots more cleaning. So a knife used in the field needs large pivot clearances to handle dirt, and clean office EDC's can use tighter clearances because they don't. It's a matter of the designer's application to the end use, but many choose knives designed for a completely different set of circumstances than what they need. It's the emotional aspect of choice, and when they discover the knife doesn't meet their quality expectations, they demean the knife, not their selection criteria.

If we want tight fitting blades, tighten them up. Pick the ones that are, and will stay that way. But don't automatically assume it's poor quality control if you get one that isn't rock solid, especially on tactical or field knives, like Benchmade, Spyderco, Buck, CRKT, and Kershaw, all of which have play I've experienced, many out of the box.
 
I'm not sure that you're getting my point.

Let's take your firearms example...
So conclusions that one is better than another because they think there is too much blade play is like complaining about the H&K91 bolt rattling - but it can digest handfuls of gravel and fire. I've done it. Same for the AK.
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It's really about how the firearm compares to its peers.
Anyone who is familiar with the AK knows that it has loose tolerances by design.
However, by that same token, anyone who is familiar with a wide selection of AK's will have no problem recognizing one that has EXCESSIVELY loose tolerances, or looser tolerances than is typical.
The more familiar you are with firearms, the easier it is to detect excessive wear, loose fittings, and sloppy craftsmanship.
All AK's are not equal, some are definitely better man than others.

The same is true of knives and those familiar with knives.
Nobody is going to have much success in trying to sell me a lockback, that rattles like a maraca, while telling me that it's designed that way.
I've used far too many lockbacks to buy that BS.
 
I re-read your post and I also have to disagree with this statement:
So a knife used in the field needs large pivot clearances to handle dirt, and clean office EDC's can use tighter clearances because they don't.
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I disagree because of what I have witnesses with my own eyes, and from my own knife use experience.
I have, at various times, used Victorinox Swiss Army Knives, a Schrade LB7, a Leatherman Tool, and a Buck 110 (all of which had minimal blade-play, almost to the point of zero "wiggle") while in the field when I was active Army.
I've used them in all kinds of weather and in all kinds of terrain, and I have never had a folder fail to perform because of dirt.
 
where's Noss4?

He needs to some folders in a bucket of mud then whacked with a hammer tests.
 
allenC said:
I re-read your post and I also have to disagree with this statement:

I disagree because of what I have witnesses with my own eyes, and from my own knife use experience.
I have, at various times, used Victorinox Swiss Army Knives, a Schrade LB7, a Leatherman Tool, and a Buck 110 (all of which had minimal blade-play, almost to the point of zero "wiggle") while in the field when I was active Army.
I've used them in all kinds of weather and in all kinds of terrain, and I have never had a folder fail to perform because of dirt.
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probably because of tighter tolerances there wasn't room for debris to accumulate. I had no issues with my folders and multitools on ftxs as well. I used an Al Mar SERE Attack at times, and I can feel no play in it (and how about that AMK Falcon?). I got another, unused SERE off the forums to collect, as well as a Tomcat 1, and they both have significant blade movement when opened.

A CS Voyager didn't jam up from three years of offshore work and shadetree monkey wrenching. It ended up with some lateral play, not surprising from a linerless frn handle, but the lock did not deflect vertically by any amount I could feel.
 
all this arguing about blade play seems kind of silly to me whether you are an engineer, farmer, or student. If I have a knife and I can detect any blade play at alll when i use the knife, I will either get the knife fixed or not use it. Taking the time to measure blade play to tolerances beyond any normal use is a total waste of time IMO. In anycase, if spending your time finding blade play in your knife at different temperatures and pressure floats your boat, by all means go ahead :)
 
Thalestin said:
all this arguing about blade play seems kind of silly to me whether you are an engineer, farmer, or student. If I have a knife and I can detect any blade play at alll when i use the knife, I will either get the knife fixed or not use it. Taking the time to measure blade play to tolerances beyond any normal use is a total waste of time IMO. In anycase, if spending your time finding blade play in your knife at different temperatures and pressure floats your boat, by all means go ahead :)
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:D Amen To That!
 
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