Fixing side to side play - adding washers?

Comeuppance

Comeuppance

Fixed Blade EDC Emisssary
Joined
Jan 12, 2013
Messages
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I recently purchased a blem Junkyard Dog II Composite blade, and, come to find out, the blem is side-to-side and slight front-to-back play. Given that it's a blem, and I can't send it in for manufacturer maintenance, I have to get creative.

I stole a nylon washer from an Enlan EL-02, which isn't a perfect fit (the Enlan has a slightly larger pivot), and it seems to have fixed the side-to-side play, but the lockup is a little later now.

Is there a better way to fix play? Is what I've done dangerous or damaging in some way?
 
I assume you have tried adjusting the pivot and body screws.
I'll also assume that you bought this from kershawguy.

Unless there's still up a and down play I'd just live with the late lock up, if there is still up and down play I'd shoot kershawguy a email and see if he'll replace it (if its bad, I'm sure he will....)

And no it shouldn't be dangerous in any way..

Just my 0.02....cheers!!

-niner
 
Aye, I tinkered with screw tightness for about a half hour. It would either be so tight it couldn't flip with no play, or could flip but still had play. The up and down play is pretty slight, as was the side to side, but it was enough to be frustrating.
 
And, no, the irony of using spare parts to fix a "Junkyard Dog" has not escaped me :)

Edit: I switched the sides on the nylon washer (washer is now on the opposite side of the lock/clip), and now the lockup is earlier! Dope. I just added to the life of the knife.

...Hopefully.
 
Alright, I've dialed it in to the best rigid lockup / smoothness compromise I could find, and loctite'd it. We'll see how it holds up.

I really, really, really would like to hear some other suggestions, though. Anything at all. I don't like having to decommission my EL-02 just to get my JYD a solid lockup. I mean, luckily, I bought the EL-02 and EL-02B and made a Frankenlan by switching the blades (micarta with a stonewashed blade? Yuss.), so I still have at least ONE left, but I'm still not a fan of it. There has to be a better fix.
 
Kindly ask Kershaw for spare washers?

Either that or you kindly ask Enlan for spare washers :foot:
 
Did you try using any sort of lube? I use a bit of Lansky Nathan's honing oil as lube and all my knives are very smooth. I also put a drop of Loctite in the pivot, adjust it to where I am happy, then let it sit overnight. It has worked flawlessly for me. Any knife I've had that developed blade play slowly was fixed by this method. My Spyderco Pacific Salt has no washers and a flexible FRN handle. The flexing of the FRN would put stress on the pivot screw, slowly loosening it. Loctite fixed this and allowed me to keep the screw tight and the lube kept it smooth at the same time.
 
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I would try lubing the pivot or taking it apart and completely cleaning it off with no oil.
Sometimes oil(factory or yours) can gum it up a bit.

You could possibly get some new bronze washers from Kershaw?
Also try moving the blade back and forth with your hands to work in the pivot and maybe smooth the action.

I'll post more tips if I think of them.
 
Knifekits.com sells a variety of pivot washers in different sizes, thicknesses, and materials. Look under "Knife making parts" on their website.
 
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