GEC Lockback Blade Play, is this common?

[pinnah]

Frank, could you say more (or post a link) on the differences between traditional lock backs and the Syderco variant?

FWIW, my grandfather never carried a new tangled lock back. I got one when I was in high school in the 70s and was the first in the family that I am aware of to get one. 'Course, he thought my hiking boots were ski boots. Such was the generational divide.

I accept lock backs as traditional but only just barely. I'm pretty sure I could accept evolutionary design improvements a la Spyderco within the realm of traditional. But, I would like to hear more on the differences.

 

[puukkoman]

Frank, excellent post.
(Especially the last sentence.)
Thank you.

 

[AreBeeBee]

Well put, Frank, and I echo the comment about reasonable wants.

What I'm wondering about is just how much hand-fitting went into the early Bucks, today's GECs, and by extension all other classic lockbacks that snap up tight and stay tight.

 

[Hammer67]

Lots of good and interesting thoughts in this thread.

I currently own three different GEC lockbacks - a #23, and two #72s. All have a very, very slight amount of blade play, if I really make an attempt to move the blade around. And within normal use parameters for knives of this type, I can honestly say that it doesn't affect the functionality of the knife at all.

As others have said, these are traditional pocket knives. And while they are definitely built well, and built to be used in the real world, there are limits to what is sensible to expect from them. I don't see this as a shortcoming in construction or quality, any more than I would if my short hatchet did a poor job of splitting large rounds.

 

[Peregrin]

I have a few more lockbacks, but this is what I could put my hands on right now. They are all fairly old. Some were used fairly heavily and some not at all. Having been used or not, doesn't seem to have any effect on the results.
I didn't do this to argue a point, only to report my observations based on this sample.

Here we go, Left to right

Manufacturer Vertical blade play in the locked position

Schrade - slight
Browning - none
Case - slight
Camillus - none
Gerber - slight
Lakota - none
Gerber - none
Puma - none
Puma - slight+
Buck - none
Buck - none

So that's 4 with slight movement out of a sampling of 11. None means no discernible movement. I would feel completely comfortable using any of the knives that had movement. In fact until this discussion started I didn't even think about vertical play in lockbacks.

 

[knarfeng]

Frank, could you say more (or post a link) on the differences between traditional lock backs and the Syderco variant?

I looked, but could not find the posts. It was a couple of posts by Sal in a couple of different threads here on BF several years ago. I think it was in the Spyderco subforum. Sal gave no details beyond the fact that it was in how the bar engaged the notch and that his son Eric had done the work.

 

[stormylntz]

It's our money, we get to decide how it is spent. But, I think a lot of these problems might go away if our hobby was still of the "old time" collectors that loved the old Remington, Case, Winchester, etc. knives for what they were. The new generation (me included) have put requirements on the manufacturers that simply didn't exist 20 year ago - much less 80 years ago. And we all say, "this is 2013, not 1940"; but what we have to remember is that these factories are running on the same equipment they did then. Queen has very old equipment and GEC specifically bought equipment from this era to make knives like our grandfathers loved. I have seen near mint Remington Bullets that I could watch tv thru the liners and Case lockbacks that flopped like ringing a bell. But the owners were as proud as a peacock to have them.

We all like the history behind old knives that got us started collecting; but want them built like only the lasers and automated machines in high tech factories can - that didn't exist in 1940. Could our craftsman in these factories make a rock solid knife without any room for complaints? But I couldn't sell one for the price it would require.

There are a lot of problems that show up here and there that can be fixed; and we need to keep them towing that line. But there are some issues that cannot be fixed without a company spending 20 years profit to modernize. They might as well shut down and send the 20 employees packing.

So, we do a lot of whining, I include myself in that as I complain to the factories about something nearly every time I talk to them. Most justified, some not. But I don't think we have heard real whining until we slam the doors shut on these factories forever and then go looking for the knife made like grandpa's.

But this is exactly the conversation we have had over and over. Normally ends with me getting accused of defending the factories - maybe I need some commission for being an apologist.

This post is so true!!! Thank you!!

 

[stormylntz]

I just purchased a GEC #99 lock back that has a slight amount of up/down play which is elicited Only when the blade is purposely moved up and down and you can see slight movement at the blade/lock interface.I realize traditional knives are made on traditional machines ant probably cannot be made to the same standards as modern machined high end knives. I am new to traditional knives and am just wondering about anyone else's experiences or opinions.Thank you!