Droopy blades - pet peeve

sceva

sceva

Gold Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2002
Messages
1,836
Who else prefers their knives to have the blade spine straight and parallel to the back spring when fully open rather than drooping or pointing downward. Even worse to me is a blade that angles upward when it is open - I currently have none like this as I consider it a bad defect.

As for angling downward slightly when open; I consider this not as bad and I can live with it if I like the knife otherwise unless excessive and it seems to occur even in premium knives. Witness the Canal Street 2006 BF knife below compared to the GEC. I do not know if it is a matter of design or geometry but it does seem somewhat common or perhaps GEC just takes more time in fitting the knives. I do wish that CSC had made it straighter though.

THIS IS NOT a GEC vs CSC post - The photos are what I have available of my knives and are for comparison to show what I am referring to.


DSCN09192.JPG

DSCN09182.JPG
 
Last edited:
I don't like the looks of that blades angle, but I don't think that has any bearing on CSC vs. GEC. I own quite a few knives from both companies and I'd say that they both have excellent fit and finish. The only difference is that I'd say GEC provides much better customer service. FWIW, both companies make very different knives and for the most part, use complete different materials. It's like comparing apples and oranges.
 
It's actually kind of an easy fix. If you don't mind the spring dropping a teeny bit, you could lightly file the corner between the rise up and spine of the blade. Hit it with one or two swipes with the file, then check it, repeat the process until the blade is in a better position for you. Make sure to keep the file angled close to the run up so that you don't end up filing it at an angle that will create a gap between the blade and the spring. If you have more questions, I'll try to post some instructional pics on Monday when I get back into the shop.
 
I actually LIKE droopy blades in a folder, its a pet peeve of mine when they come perfectly straight! :eek:

I feel that it gives a bit more leeway when the tang and spring are 'breaking in,' as they tend to mash together from use, causing a perfectly straight blade to droop upwards. Like Evan said, it it's still drooping too much after a while of use, then I can always file the tang down myself.
 
That is just not right. I have several Rough Rider and Marbles knives with me, all made in China, all well under $20, and a Buck 389 canoe, also made in China. None of them has a drooping or raised blade.
I may be wrong, but if they can get it right on a sub $15 to $20 knife, shouldn't they be able to get it right on a knife costing many times more?
 
afishhunter said:
I may be wrong,
Click to expand...

You know all the pics I can find of the CS ring opener with the blades opened all show the blade drooping a bit. That suggests to me that it is part of the design and not a manufacturing flaw.

Some designs are like that. The Case Sowbelly is another with blades which droop by design.
 
I guess I'll count myself lucky that I've never experienced any of these issues :confused: I would be irked if there were a knife blade off of alignment with the backspring that wasn't part of the pattern's intention.
 
I agree with what you are saying and my intent was NOT to start a GEC vs CSC thread. I just happened to have photos of these two knives of mine together that illustrated what I was referring to. I also agree that some knives, such as the CSC ring opener, seemed to be designed to have the droop built into them. On the CSC the backspring is curved to match the bolster at it's end and it's end is cut at an angle that creates the slight downward angle. The knife is perfectly usable like this. That said, I still prefer the blade to be straighter.

As far as the seating or wearing in and rising; I may be wrong but I would think a properly hardened and tempered blade and spring would have negligible wear over time. I know that I have had knives that were carried and used a lot, especially when I was much younger growing up in a rural area working on farms and cannot recall any of them changing blade position over time and they were usually they same in relation to the back when lost or broken. Perhaps I simply haven't used one enough years.


draggat said:
I don't like the looks of that blades angle, but I don't think that has any bearing on CSC vs. GEC. I own quite a few knives from both companies and I'd say that they both have excellent fit and finish. The only difference is that I'd say GEC provides much better customer service. FWIW, both companies make very different knives and for the most part, use complete different materials. It's like comparing apples and oranges.
Click to expand...
 
Every Opinel does this. Add to it the yataghan shape blade and you have a very angled profile. i have filed a few until they straighten when open. Not the No 12, though.

Zieg
 
I think we've had a thread about this before. Droopy blades are something I HATE! :grumpy:
 
I don't mind it either way, honestly. However I guess it depends on the knife pattern. If the walk and talk is nice with very little wiggle to the blade, I'm happy.
 
knarfeng said:
You know all the pics I can find of the CS ring opener with the blades opened all show the blade drooping a bit. That suggests to me that it is part of the design and not a manufacturing flaw.

Some designs are like that. The Case Sowbelly is another with blades which droop by design.
Click to expand...

I just checked the CS Kudu I have with me ... it may be an optical illusion, but the spine seems to be straight/flat to the back of the handle, excluding the drop at the butt end, of course. If the blade is drooping, it does not droop past the swell of the handle on the pivot end. I'll check the other Kudu and the Eland I have at home, if I remember, by the time I get there. I don't know, like I said, it may be an optical illusion, because of the blade shape?
 
afishhunter said:
I just checked the CS Kudu I have with me ... it may be an optical illusion, but the spine seems to be straight/flat to the back of the handle, excluding the drop at the butt end, of course. If the blade is drooping, it does not droop past the swell of the handle on the pivot end. I'll check the other Kudu and the Eland I have at home, if I remember, by the time I get there. I don't know, like I said, it may be an optical illusion, because of the blade shape?
Click to expand...

????
When I used CS I used it as the acronym for Canal Street. Not Cold Steel.
This thread is about is the Canal Street Ring Opener.
The Kudu and Eland are made by Cold Steel.
Those are not identical designs to the Canal Street knife and have no bearing on the question at hand.
 
I think the name 'ring opener' threw him off. The Canal Street opens by twisting the ring on the bolster whereas the Cold Steel Kudu has a 'ring lock'. The lock is released by pulling the ring. Two completely different designs.
 
I've noticed that all of my Buck knives open out very smartly, no hint of 'droop' there ( some years ago I believe I heard that the term for this droop is 'cant' but I can't be sure)

I certainly prefer the appearance of a knife with a straighter blade/frame aspect but it doesn't impact on use. Indeed it may be a design or it might be to do with the shape of the frame and bolsters, a Serp backed knife is going to make it harder to get the blades 'straight' CASE's Penknife's secondary blade really droops down for instance. GEC's 56 which has a distinct hump in the frame before the bolster also shows droop whereas its cousin the 68 White Owl has a straight backspring and its blades are straight out. Underblading/overblading may play a role here too, perhaps a knife-maker or cutlery worker can comment?

Thanks, Will
 
knarfeng said:
????
When I used CS I used it as the acronym for Canal Street. Not Cold Steel.
This thread is about is the Canal Street Ring Opener.
The Kudu and Eland are made by Cold Steel.
Those are not identical designs to the Canal Street knife and have no bearing on the question at hand.
Click to expand...

my bad. I'll get lost. I thought you were referring to the Cold Steel.
 
This "drooping" is not a flaw. The knife is designed to have the blade in this position when fully open. Depending upon handle size and shape and blade profile, this position of blade angling down slightly can be more ergonomic for the type of cutting that blade is intended for. i.e. could be a better angle for whittling but not good for slicing.
All knife companies have some patterns in which a blade is angled when fully open. This is intentional as it puts that blade in the correct position for use. If you don't like it then most likely you do not do the type of cutting it is intended for.
I hope a cutler chimes in here to give a professional explanation. (especially a CSC culter).
kj
 
Interesting comments in this thread. I have not given it any thought prior but I am in the it doesn't bother me either way camp. Some designs obviously do droop and others do not. I like both.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top