Bladeplay, how much do you tolerate and how to remove it?

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short

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Mar 14, 2012
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I am quite new to BF and bought my first folder several days ago.
Now, that folder seems to have had some bladeplay to begin with around 0.7mm. It can be clearly seen when held in front of a lightsource.
Nevermind, I thought... Take it as proof it's handmade. The blade however is wobbling from left to right when I cut food or do carving, making it feel highly unreliable.

How much bladeplay do you tolerate.
And more important, have you found a way to remove or reduce bladeplay on your folders?
 
Depends on the knife, how much you paid for it (quality expectations) as well as whether the pivot is fixed or adjustable.

You are asking a rather open question and you didn't identify the knife.
 
I tolerate small up and down blade-play in knives that are lock-back, but side to side is annoying. That said, side to side play can be corrected by adjusting the pivot screw.
 
vertical play is not tolerated unless its a lock back... side to side depends on the price point and smoothness of operation. if it can be snugged up by adjusting the pivot it doesnt bother me. on some knives its a compromise between speed and side to side play

try adjusting the pivot, if that doesnt work and its a liner or framelock you could take her apart and slightly bend the lock bar in more.
 
CWL said:
Depends on the knife, how much you paid for it (quality expectations) as well as whether the pivot is fixed or adjustable.
Click to expand...

My bad, I am talking about a custom made Buck501. Under normal circumstance I'd be sending it for repair or warranty. However I am not sure if I am just too nit-picky and as I am currently living in europe, sending it would be quite a hassle.
I am just not experienced with judging knives yet. Thats where I need help.
 
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If this is new and from Buck's Custom Shop, I wouldn't be happy to find slop in my brand new (custom) knife.

Buck does has their forever warranty, will they be willing to pay for return shipping?
 
I tolerate zero. On less expensive knives I'd deal with it, but I don't have such knives anymore. Ergo, I do not deal with that. After a certain price point (and this varies per person), one should just not accept it.
 
If your knife is a Buck Custom Shop product, you should give them a call and tell them about it. Buck has the (arguably) best customer service in the industry.
 
Looks like I will have to :(
I had hoped that I could fix this wobbling myself somehow, but seeing everyone advising to send it back in makes me asume that there is just no other way without voiding warranty.
 
I dont like blade play and that is why I carry an Alan Davis folder! He will not send you a knife with blade play. You are going to get blade play in some production folders but if you pay for a custom you should get what you pay for! Good Luck! Kevin :D
 
This is just for your own information as I don't know how you feel about working on knives yourself. I also had some horizontal play in my 110. It is out together with pins. In order to fix this easily without marking the knife up you take a thick phone book, put it on the edge of a stable table pages facing you. Open it about halfway and stuck the front bolsters in and shut the book. Holding the knife level with the book, take a hammer and hit the book where the pivot is. You have to hit it somewhat hard. Check to see if the pivot is how you want it and if not hit again. It won't mar up the bolsters and you can't really mess the knife up. Those pivot pins are pretty reselling to the hits. Mine still hasn't loose e 3 years down the road.
 
I hate blade play and it's hard for me to tolerate it, save for slight up and down on lock backs. My reasoning is that I get as many cheaper knives with centered blades and no play either direction as I do the expensive knives. If the cheap knives can do it, then I expect the better knives to do it every time.
 
eh.... i hate bladeplay. its just annoying. up and down is worse, because i tend to feel it more when cutting, but horizontal seems wayyyyyy more "dangerous". im always scared that horizontal will bend my blade.
get a tri-ad-lock. (cold steel)
0 bladeplay
 
Side-to-side play doesn't tend to bother me so much as it used to, but I really can't stand up-and-down play.
 
SuzukiGS750EZ said:
This is just for your own information as I don't know how you feel about working on knives yourself. I also had some horizontal play in my 110. It is out together with pins. In order to fix this easily without marking the knife up you take a thick phone book, put it on the edge of a stable table pages facing you. Open it about halfway and stuck the front bolsters in and shut the book. Holding the knife level with the book, take a hammer and hit the book where the pivot is. You have to hit it somewhat hard. Check to see if the pivot is how you want it and if not hit again. It won't mar up the bolsters and you can't really mess the knife up. Those pivot pins are pretty reselling to the hits. Mine still hasn't loose e 3 years down the road.
Click to expand...

So there is something that CAN be done after all.
Yeah, bladeplay is pretty evil. It makes a perfectly fine knife feel cheap in an instant you start whittling or cutting with.

I got the whole package, some up and down bladeplay (which is normal for a lockback, as refered to reeek) and some very annoying side to side- I can move the blade slightly axial as well :(
Will report back after trashing my phone book
 
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