How do you feel about blade centering?

I've had a couple of $500 knives that were not centered, not quite enough to bother me because it's not off centered enough to rub. So with that said, knives in the sub-$200 range, you can't expect perfection. I think I've only had a small handful of knives in the sub-$200 range that were perfectly centered... most were not.
 
Accelerator said:
Thanks guys! It's hard for me to accept a NIB knife from a top maker that isn't right straight out of the box. The blade lays over to the left like it's trying to turn a corner. As I mentioned earlier, it isn't rubbing on the scale but it's pretty bad.
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If it bothers you send it back. Contact BM's customer service, tell them it's a new knife, you just received it that way and would like it fixed. They will either send you a shipping label or give you their UPS account # and you can send it back on their dime and they will fix it up for you no problem.

I know how disappointing it is to receive a new knife and out of the box your trying to decide if you should send it back or not. It sucks! The good news is Benchmade is a top notch company and will go out of their way to make it right for you.

As much as it sucks, all the top makers and I do mean all of them let one slip threw from time to time. Is the nature of productions knives.

Personally as long as it isn't rubbing, blade centering really never bothered me all that much but that doesn't matter. If you aren't happy send it in and they will take care of it for you.

Best of luck.
 
I'm as OCD as they come when dealing with my knives. I want everything to be as near perfect as possible, and this includes blade centering. Fortunately I have discovered a couple of tricks when it comes to centering an off centered blade, and every knife I have has a centered blade. Course I've pretty much had to start my collection all over and only speak of 8 folders, but all 8 are perfect when it comes to having a centered blade. I have seen too many $19.99 exports with perfectly centered blades to be satisfied with an uncentered blade on any of the knives I have. And there is nothing wrong with that!!:D:thumbup::)
 
Ken44 said:
On a $120 knife it doesn't bother me at all as long as its not rubbing a scale.
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This. If it bothers you the fix it. Knife centering is a stupid immaterial thing to complain about on anything short of a custom/high end production.
 
I don't really care. Most aren't off centered enough to really matter...now if its rubbing the liner that's a different story. But I think it's silly to obsess over a blade a little off centered. My .02
 
An off center blade on any knife bothers me, but, at this price range, as long as it it not rubbing, I can live with it. Although my brother just bought a 16$ Kershaw, made in China, and that thing is centered with a rock solid lock up. So at $100 plus, I honestly expect a centered blade. Manufacturing standards and quality control might be the same on knives in this price range $20-$100, I don't really know. I love Benchmades designs, and the axis-lock, but on the three I have bought, currently own one, they have all had slightly off center blades and some blade play, if I want the blade to swing freely. Actually my 707 I have right now, has blade play even if I tighten the pivot to the point the blade wont move. It really doesn't effect the way the knife cuts, so for now I am living with it, I can't decide if I should send it back or not. Honestly if something about the knife really bothers, I say send it back. Even if for some reason you are not happy after sending it in, at least you know you tried. My problem is even though things about a knife might bother me a little, as long as it opens, closes, and cuts, I feel like it is serving it's purpose. I am kind of OCD, but practical at the same time.
 
Mr. Sogetsu said:
This. If it bothers you the fix it. Knife centering is a stupid immaterial thing to complain about on anything short of a custom/high end production.
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I don't believe in rewarding mediocre manufacturing. If three $10 SRM knives I ordered can come centered, should I expect less from a $120 knife? I don't think so.
 
cutter17 said:
I'm as OCD as they come when dealing with my knives. I want everything to be as near perfect as possible, and this includes blade centering. Fortunately I have discovered a couple of tricks when it comes to centering an off centered blade, and every knife I have has a centered blade. Course I've pretty much had to start my collection all over and only speak of 8 folders, but all 8 are perfect when it comes to having a centered blade. I have seen too many $19.99 exports with perfectly centered blades to be satisfied with an uncentered blade on any of the knives I have. And there is nothing wrong with that!!:D:thumbup::)
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Would you care to share? I'd love to know a way to fix up centering without messing up my pivot or detent
 
IMHO, persons that don't know squat about knives can notice an uncentered blade and talk on and on about it, saying nothing, really.

The couple of times I've used BenchMade's customer service have been good, even when they sent my knives to the wrong person. They went head over heels to make it right.

My 2¢

:cool:
 
Accelerator said:
I just got my new Benchmade Ritter Grip (full size) in the mail today, and although everything else is great, the blade leans heavily to the left when viewing it closed from the tip to the back. It doesn't contact the edge of the scale when opening or closing, but when fully closed, it's damn near leaning on the scale.
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A slight amount of off-centering doesn't bother me, but if it's almost touching the scale, that is too much. You can fix it yourself without taking the knife apart, or you can send it back to BKC for warranty repair.

This bothers me as I cannot get over a $120 knife (one where they cut considerable corners on the quality of the scales to provide premium steel) to come out of the factory that far out of alignement. I would feel differently if this were a "value" folder, but I'm paying a fairly good price for something made in the USA that should be right every time.
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They did not "cut considerable corners on the quality of the scales," as the are standard Griptilian scales. The only difference between the Ritter Griptilian and the standard one is the blade. You're paying extra for s30v steel and a proprietary (and better) blade design by Doug Ritter.


Brad9660 said:
Actually my 707 I have right now, has blade play even if I tighten the pivot to the point the blade wont move.
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That is not right. That knife should go back to Benchmade for warranty work.
 
At this point I wouldn't be surprised if a Sebenza came horridly off center. On a custom knife (high value) someone should have been paying enough attention to get it straight, but if it came out of a factory pretty much nothing would surprise me. If the blade rubs on the scales I would send that back, otherwise it's "good enough".
 
powernoodle said:
Listen, you aren't happy, and thats where the discussion ends (for me). Send that puppy back to Benchmade, and ask them to pay the shipping. I sent a Contego back for a minor repair (the glass breaker was chipped), and they sent me a shipping label so I didn't have to pay for anything. Just spend 2 weeks getting it fixed, and then you are a happy camper for as long as you own the knife. If you don't do it, you'll look at that off-center blade and have a frowny face from now on. So just get it fixed.
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This.
 
I have a lot bigger and more important things to worry about than if my folders have perfectly centered blades or not.....

As long as they work and the blades don't scrape the sides they are fine....
 
^^^I'm concerned that it is leaning so far towards the scale as it is, that as the knife is used and it starts to wear it will start rubbing the scale. For those who are good with measurements, I'm looking at approx. 0.0155" of clearance. In my book, that's pretty damn tight.

I'm going to try the method mentioned above to see if that gives me any more clearance that what I have now. If it works, then it's a non issue, if not, then I'll take the next step and call Benchmade.
 
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Yeah I'm not too worried about it. In fact my knife is in their hands right now (there was nothing wrong with it btw) and I didn't even mention that the blade was off center a bit.

Don't get me wrong. I demand quality, it's just a personal thing to decide what that means.

I say send it back.
 
I'm big on F&F and care of assembly and that means centering too. It bugs when I have a $100 to $500 knife that's not centered so much that you notice it right away while I can have several <$50 knives that are dead centered. Same goes for lockup. It's a real shame when cheap knives can have solid lockup and dead centered blades when more expensive knives don't right out of the box.
 
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