Blade wobble. Is it really that bad?

E

ElCuchillo

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As I have been on my one knife experiment, I have been using the crap out of my Peanut. Not abusing it, but really using it alot, many times a day, everyday. All the cutting has put a little wobble on the main clip blade of my Peanut, and I used to go NUTS over it. I HATED blade wobble and have even gone as far as to through knives in the trash if I couldn't get the wobble out. Well, as my Peanut has become a real working tool for me, it seems the wobble doesn;t really seem to matter to me anymore. What happened? It used to be the sign of a weak or shoddie knife to me, but now it's all good. It's not too bad, you know? Just a little looseness, a little side to side movement. However, as I am using it, I don't even notice it, and have yet had the desire to tap it with my rubber mallot to remove it.
Does anyone else on here not mind a wobble? Too much wobble obviously is bad (too much of ANYTHING is bad), but if it's a little, do some of you just say "Ahh, it's ok" and proceed to use it regardless?
Is this a sign of maturity that it doesn't really bother me anymore...... or am I growing complacent?
 
Ahhh, you are growing, grasshopper.

Not only is a little blade wobble not a bad thing, a case could be made for it to be a little good for the knife. Like the old 1911A1, or the AK-47, that could be shaken and rattled, a little clearance can let the dirt and grime filter out. A little washing to flush out the crud is easier with a bit of a clearence. Wear and tear will be a bit less because of lack of tight joint. I'd rather have a pocket knife with a little wobble than none at all.


As far as you becoming complacent, you're just learning that somethings just don't matter as much as you once thought.:)
 
I honestly don't think a little wobble, or even a good amount of wobble is a problem. I have had a few knives that had weak springs and bit wobble and all served me well. After all like you said it is a tool. It bothers me the most when I am sharpening as it seems more noticeable then. Joe
 
A little or moderate blade wobble in a used knife is not an issue for me, but I must confess, when I purchase a new or unused knife out of the box and its got wobble, it gets me in a mean spirited sort of way..

The way I figures it, if the maker of a new production or custom slippy doesn't care enough about the quality of his tools to set close tolerances for his users, then its c-ya!.
 
sunnyd said:
A little or moderate blade wobble in a used knife is not an issue for me, but I must confess, when I purchase a new or unused knife out of the box and its got wobble, it gets me in a mean spirited sort of way..

The way I figures it, if the maker of a new production or custom slippy doesn't care enough about the quality of his tools to set close tolerances for his users, then its c-ya!.
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Thats the way I feel, after serious use, a little wobble is fine but to me blade play right off the bat isn't a sign of quality and it's not going to get better as you use it.
 
neeman said:
As we get older we also develop a wobble, but we call it maturity.
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Maybe you wobble, but my joints feel like they were never oiled!:eek:

If I get any worse Karen says she gonna put me in the "For Display only" case.
 
For myself, out of the box, I also prefer my knives without wobble, but if it does develop after some time of use, yet still serves its purpose well, then it's no big deal. I've had a few slipjoints that developed a little to a lot of wobble, yet still cut fine and even continued to "walk and talk" as well as ever.

Though I find blade play is most common out of box with many lockbacks, only that's more vertical play.
Jim
 
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