Delica Blade play

[Munky88]

Does anyone else have a bit of vertical blade play in their delica? its not much, it just makes the knife feel not so solid when cutting. was wondering if i should consider sending it back. It hasn't really gotten noticeably worse.

 

[bigphilbk7]

yep me too, its not much but i do notice it when i do some medium to heavy cutting

 

[mrappraisit]

If you can carefully put some serious pressure on the blade while open and the lock doesn't fail then it should be fine. Sometimes when the blade tang and lockbar are mated up there is a tiny bit of play, most of the time it does not get any worse.
If it really bothers you then send it in, but it could be like that with no failure for years and years to come. My ZDP D4 has a tiny bit of play but hasn't gotten any worse since I have used it, and has never failed.

 

[Salamander42]

I'm assuming that you're talking about the Delica 4, the latest generation of the Delica. I have the waved version and it does have some just barely noticeable vertical blade play, but I never notice it when cutting anything. Has it been like that since you got it? Have you made sure that the locking surfaces are clean and that there's no lint or anything caught in there? I wouldn't expect zero blade movement from a knife in the Delica's price range, but if it's moving around enough that you can really feel it when using the knife then I think there may be something wrong. I'd try using the canned compressed air that they sell for cleaning computer keyboards to blow any debris out of the knife and maybe give it a good cleaning with dish soap and hot water if there may be something sticky in there that won't just blow out. If you're comfortable doing so, you could take the knife apart and give it a real thorough cleaning. It's not too complicated, but getting it back together without damaging the FRN back-spacer/spring holder can be a bit tricky. Or, of course, you could just see about getting a replacement from whoever you bought it from or contact Spyderco customer service and see what they can do for you. It all depends on how much you like to tinker and how bad the blade play is and how much it bugs you. Good luck!

-Chris

 

[Munky88]

alright then. guess il just leave it.

The play is only if you push back on it. there is no play towards the handle so there is no increased risk of... finger severance.

 

[krazichinaman]

I have the same thing with my d4w. I personally feel that its a commn thing with lockbacks, but don't quote me on that. It should serve you just fine.

 

[sir woodley]

I noticed a "slight" bit of play with my new Endura 4 the other day while cutting up some tough a$$ carrots, etc.(useing a bit of force I felt the back fo the blade come towards me. just a slight feeling on my thumb) I'm not gonna worry about it. I'm just gonna monitor it. I think it is to be expected. Just as long as there is no movement in the "knife closeing on fingers" direction!! lol

 

[JR42]

I've had a few Spyderco lockbacks with play like you described. It never caused any issues once I got used to it. I've always tried to keep the blades in these knives touched up, as a sharper blade causes less stress on the mechanism.

JR