Centering Issues

[str8shtr]

Hey All,

I was reading an older post, and in the OP of this thread,

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=733035

mention is made of centering issues. I'm curious, is a centering issue primarily one of aesthetics, or is there some other reason to be watchful for this? Does it lead to problems down the road or what? The OP returned his knife to the factory, so I'm assuming there is more to this issue than I might be aware of.

 

[Tsujigiri]

The main thing is that you don't want the blade to rub against the handles when you open and close the knife.

 

[SpartanSaint]

i would assume that mostly it comes down to the fact that in our dollar range, that kind of flaw is unacceptable

i mean we're paying hundreds of dollars for a tool, shouldn't it be made the utmost of standards? most centering flaws aren't severe to the point of touching. but its bothersome and with the amount that we can and are spending on these knives its slightly ridiculous

[cough] benchmade [cough]

what??? did you hear something?

 

[Alann45]

Sort of aesthetics (particularly in traditionals) and one of the things many folks look for as an index or overall quality.
It can be an indication of faulty parts or poor assembly, which means it may get worse with use.

It's suppose to be centered, so you have to ask yourself why isn't it, and do you care.

 

[str8shtr]

It's suppose to be centered, so you have to ask yourself why isn't it, and do you care.

That makes sense. The one I tried at the store was difficult as hell to open one handed, I ended up using two hands.

I was just wondering if maybe this lead to problems down the road, or if it was something that corrected itself over time as the mechanism settled.

 

[kawr]

That makes sense. The one I tried at the store was difficult as hell to open one handed, I ended up using two hands.

I was just wondering if maybe this lead to problems down the road, or if it was something that corrected itself over time as the mechanism settled.

If its not centered out of the box its not going to be centered when its broken in later on. I also have never seen centering get worse after use/time. I have a near 2 year old Delica that came a bit offcentered and its looked the exact same during that time. Sometimes if you take apart a knife and assemble it again you can fix the centering issue but that isnt common. As long as the blade isnt touching the other side completely its purely an aesthetic issue and nothing to do with function.

 

[knarfeng]

Hey All,

I was reading an older post, and in the OP of this thread,

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=733035

mention is made of centering issues. I'm curious, is a centering issue primarily one of aesthetics, or is there some other reason to be watchful for this? Does it lead to problems down the road or what? The OP returned his knife to the factory, so I'm assuming there is more to this issue than I might be aware of.

In that thread, the OP returned the original knife for problems with the lockbar, as well as for centering issues.

In a high end folder, one expects the blade to be perfectly centered in the handle in the closed position. This is a matter of aesthetics, which is part of what you are paying for in a high end knife. Centering issues only affect function if the blade actually rubs against the sides of the handle. I have several lower end knives with blades that are not centered. They do not rub against the sides and it is not an issue to me.

 

[Alann45]

I was just wondering if maybe this lead to problems down the road, or if it was something that corrected itself over time as the mechanism settled.

I hate to say something can't happen, because as soon as I do, someone proves me wrong.
But I will agree with kawr, it ain't likely to fix itself.

In slipjoints or traditionals there isn't a lot you can do about it without some pretty good "skillz".
In those with an adjustment screw, sometimes just a minor tweak can set things right.

 

[Cosmic Superchunk]

If it's a modern folder you can try tightening the pivot screw a bit to see if the blade straightens out some. Just don't overtighten to the point where you can't open it. It may work or it may not. As long as the blade isn't rubbing against the liner you have nothing to worry about. I've had a bunch of production folders over the years with blades that weren't properly centered when closed and it never impacted their usability. Uncentered blades are just a minor aesthetic issue as far as I'm concerned and not worth getting worked up over.