Checking for blade pay. How do you do it?

[bernard_s3]

Define blade pay. Can you feel it, or do people consider flexing at the pivot play? I think some people really crank down on knives when they check for play. Also, do you check at the bottom base of the blade, or near the tip? Checking close to the tip creates A LOT of leverage, and I think with most folders you'll find some wiggle. I check for play near the bottom of the cutting edge, move it side to side, back and forth. If it feels solid, it's good. But I have noticed when it feels solid at the bottom of the blade, you can detect play near the tip, because of leverage. And some (I used to) consider flex at the pivot play, like the Delica will do. It feels solid, can't feel any movement, but you can see the blade move it between the liners a little. I guess it's all a matter of preference.

I remember before I found this forum, I carried a SOG Flash 2 that had play in every direction, and an off center blade. Now, I'm picky as hell because of all you.

 

[Sonnydaze]

I check ONLY at the tip of the knife, where I have the leverage. Just wiggle that sucker left and right, up and down. NONE of my knives have any blade-play. That's my way; there will be others.
Sonny

 

[Shotgun]

Never put that much thought into it really. Grab it and wiggle it. Then use it.

Ha! Dirty.

 

[Reeek]

I hold the handle firmly in my right hand (strong side), pinch the spine just above the tip with my left hand and wiggle up and down and side to side with medium firmness.

Blade play is a pet peeve of mine because I have had <$50 knives with zero blade play while I've had >$200 knives that had it. If the cheap knives can do it, all of them should be able to. Same with blade centering.

 

[OrdnanceBubbaUSMC]

I check pretty close to the tip and do it gently with just enough wiggle to check for play. After I take it apart in first day or two, I also put tiny bit of white nail polish on the pivot screw and on the handle scale right above it to see if it will loosen when testing it out real good with heavy use during the first few weeks - don't know if anybody else does it.

 

[Szilard]

I hold firmly with my right hand on the handle. Then I use my index and thumb at the base of the knife, then at the tip. I check front and back and side to side on both locations. The tip is the real best measurement.

You are checking to see if the blade moves at all while the handle remains stationary. You should be able to feel it pretty easily. Front to back blade play is totally unacceptable. I don't like side to side play but very very minor side to side play via the tip is acceptable depending on the locking system and "feel" of the knife. The griptilian is a good example. One of my grips has almost undetectable side to side play at the tip but it still is just fine.

Blade centering is a different beast. Off-centering is OK if and only if it doesn't touch the liners. It is also often very easy to adjust and just means there was an error in assembly or tolerances.