Thanks again for the additional help, and a bit of LOL!
As a quick update; I've been opening/closing it quite a bit, my fingers are sore from the lock. It may have gotten slightly better from that so far (it's not long I know). However, my torx set arrived today and I loosened the pivot about 2-3 ticks, maybe 1/10 to 1/8 of a turn total. It made a noticeable difference. It will flick open easier and drop shut (slowly), still with no blade play. So, much better action overall and still very solid.
I'm really liking this knife. I get what people say about the ergonomics; it just fits so well in my hand. I thought my Sage 5 LW had awesome ergonomics; and it does, but mainly when choked up on the choil. With a "normal" grip on the Sage 5, it's not stellar, but it shines when using the forward choil.
But the Manix is a perfect fit either way. Whether using a normal grip or using the forward choil, it's just great. I also love the blade size and shape, as well as the finish. Maybe it's just the nature of BD1N, but it's got a cool bead-blasted or stonewashed-looking finish that I like. It's also razor sharp with a very pointy tip.
It's just great all around so far. I'll stop before this turns into some kind of review or something.
Thanks again all!