Does a little side to side play bother you in a folder?

Steel130

Steel130

Joined
Sep 17, 2010
Messages
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I just bought a Kershaw Needs Work from a Snap On Rep that comes to my work. It has some slight side to side play that even with tightening on the pivot screw wont go away. It doesn't bother me a ton although the knife wasn't cheap so it seems like it shouldn't be there. Also this seems characteristic of Kershaw's assisted opening knives. The Skyline I bought had no play if I remember correctly. So does this bother anyone or is it not a big deal to you guys?
 
I mostly have slipjoints, and most of them have some sort of side by side play and I kind of expect that.
I can most cincerely say that it doesn't bother me, nor littlebit of bladescratching in multiple blade patterns.
 
I wouldn't accept it. Call Kershaw at (503) 682-1966 and see what they can do for you.
 
I don't enjoy blade play, but recognize that many knives will exhibit it. Excessive blade play is not groovy, nor is any blade play on a very spendy knife. But as a general rule, blade play does not really affect anything. JMO.
 
I won't stand for bladeplay! If I can't adjust it out then the knife gets sent back or sold.

I have owned tons of knives from price levels of $50 to $1000 with no play, so I don't feel that I need to accept it. A well made folder shouldn't have play, in my opinion, and you don't need to pay through the nose to get a folder without play either.
 
40Degrees said:
all autos MUST have some play. I think it's pretty common in assisted as well.
Click to expand...

This is only true for otf's. It's possible for side opener to lock up tight. I personally handled thousands of side openers with no play when I worked at Microtech!
 
Depends on the knife, if it's well used and develops some side to side then that's OK.

If the knife is new and has some side to side and can be taken out that's fine too.

That's for standard production blades though, in customs and high end productions I won't tolerate any blade play.
 
Yes. Any blade play bothers me. I can live with a blade that's not centered when closed, but I can't stand a blade that has play.
 
Bothers me a lot, to the extent that I don't keep knives with noticeable blade play, even if I really want them.
 
Return it to your snap on dealer and buy one with no play for 1/2 the price from somone here on the forums.
 
It bothers me if it can't be adjusted away. The end user should be able to select his preference between play and easy opening.

For knives with pinned pivots or pivots using some sort of bushing system, I modify the bushing or gently peen the pins with the understanding that any screw ups are my responsibility.
 
The only side to side blade play that I don't mind is a "wee bit" on a BM axis lock, otherwise you're fighting that silky smooth deployment that it affords you. :)
 
I also hate blade play. I don't agree that this seems characteristic of Kershaw's assisted opening knives. I have a few of Kershaw's assisted openers and none of them has blade play. To the OP, you can return the knife to Kershaw to fix the knife for you.
 
On lower cost production stuff a bit of bladeplay doesn't bother me. When you start getting into productions that are in the $150 area and above I won't tolerate much blade play. When it comes to customs I want zero blade play.
 
I'll take a slight side to side wiggle before up and down. No Kershaw I own has any play whatsoever. My g10 Tyrade is the proverbial bank vault of lock ups.
K
 
any blade play to me is absolutely unacceptable and can be hazardous unless it's an inherent property of the lock; I believe axis lock knives need to have a very slight amount of horizontal play, and lockbacks have a small amount of vertical play, but that's by design.
 
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