Drop Free Blades

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russ25

Joined
Jun 19, 2012
Messages
249
Hey everyone, I saw this on another post and without hijacking that thread I have a quick question.

"With most 21s I've had, the blade will free drop when the lock is fully disengaged."

How many people here feel the blade should drop free when the lock is disengaged?

Not questioning just curious, I thought they should not fall free completely. Hence my question.

Thanks everyone
 
Personally not into the drop free fad. I like the slow hydraulic opening and closing of the Sebenza. They will drop free if you push further on the Lockbar, but I choose not do that.
 
Mine all drop but I deliberately set them up that way. You don't have to and can just over tighten the screws. 21s, 31s, Zaans and Inkosis.
 
russ25 said:
Hey everyone, I saw this on another post and without hijacking that thread I have a quick question.

"With most 21s I've had, the blade will free drop when the lock is fully disengaged."

How many people here feel the blade should drop free when the lock is disengaged?

Not questioning just curious, I thought they should not fall free completely. Hence my question.

Thanks everyone
Click to expand...
Doesn't that mean that the lock bar, including detent, is no longer contacting the blade at all? If yes, then the blade should swing freely. Now, if you are talking about the popular fad of drop shutty action, I think that is a different thing, and not all that important.
 
All my CRKs would drop free before I started using a heavier teflon grease, but I would have to really push the lock bar to the side for the blade to drop free.

I discovered this summer that the CRK grease likes to melt and run here in the hot Texas weather, so I went to a heavier teflon grease to prevent that. The heavier grease slows the action somewhat, but that's fine by me.
 
Thanks everyone, appreciate the feedback. Personally I prefer mine to not drop free, a little tighter action is my preference.
 
I have never even tested a knife for it, but in general would say dropping free is a negative. I would rather have controlled opening and closing.
but that is just my opinion
 
A large part of that is the thickness of the washers and the lockbar tension. If the washers are not broken-in, the blade will not move even if all lockbar pressure is removed. If the washers are broken-in, the degree that the lockbar is pushed off of the blade would determine how drop-shut the blade will be.
 
Alsharif said:
A large part of that is the thickness of the washers and the lockbar tension. If the washers are not broken-in, the blade will not move even if all lockbar pressure is removed. If the washers are broken-in, the degree that the lockbar is pushed off of the blade would determine how drop-shut the blade will be.
Click to expand...

I agree 100%. When they are brand new, it seems all are some degree of tight even with the lockbar held off the blade. All of mine have gotten to the free drop point. However, if they are freshly cleaned and lubed, the lube prevents it. It takes a few days and then they free fall when holding the lock. I don't think it's possible for it to happen if the lockbar is pushing on the blade.
 
russ25 said:
Hey everyone, I saw this on another post and without hijacking that thread I have a quick question.

"With most 21s I've had, the blade will free drop when the lock is fully disengaged."

How many people here feel the blade should drop free when the lock is disengaged?

Not questioning just curious, I thought they should not fall free completely. Hence my question.

Thanks everyone
Click to expand...

That was me. Here's the rest of my quote:

abbazaba said:
You should be able to firmly tighten the pivot bolt. With most 21s I've had, the blade will free drop when the lock is fully disengaged.

Some needed a little break in time, but you should still be able tighten it fully because of the bushing tolerances in the pivot. Also, too much flouro grease can make it feel tight.
Click to expand...
 
I’ve got a mixed bag with my 21s. Some will free drop the whole way with the lockbar fully off of the blade, some about halfway and some barely move at all. I’m sure how dirty they are makes a difference as well. None of mine will free drop just in normal use, opening/closing
 
My 21 will only drop free if I push the lockbar far enough off that the detent is no longer in contact with the blade which is not normal use. In normal use, it is a controlled close (IMO exactly like it should be on a framelock where your finger passes the path of the blade). The only time I would personally want a drop shut would be on something like an axis lock or compression lock.
 
Mine has freely dropped shut when the lock bar detent isn't touching since new.
 
my only two 21's both drop shut, this and the lock-up are the main reason I prefer the 21's over other CRK's folders.
 
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