Problems with new Fällkniven GP. Advise needed..

Jacques Mi

Jacques Mi

Gold Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2021
Messages
1,187

Hi guys.

First of all, I have a few good knives but I am no near being a "knives person" hence this post, I seek a bit of help.

I recently ordered the Gentleman's pocketknife directly from Fällknivens own homepage and picked it up from the post office just a week ago. After opening the package I immediately noticed that something seems wrong.

Whereas the blade is 100% centered when the knife is closed it points roughly 1.5 - 2 mm to one side when open. Note that there is absolutely no play in the blade whatsoever.

I can understand from the Internet that Teflon washers might not be the most stable/reliable solution and might cause a blade to go off center. However, I cannot tell if it is considered normal or something that you can expect that a new knife with Teflon washers is not straight. All I can say is that I did not expect it and find it very disappointing. Teflon or not.
I have seen a few YouTube vids of people showing how to re-adjust and center a blade (they only show a closed knife btw) but I haven't tried it myself as I am afraid of ruining the knife (I might send it back).
Most of you in this forum are knowledgeable and experienced knife folks hence I am seeking comments and advises from you.

Furthermore, the distinct lines in the blade from the lamination is not symmetrical. On one side the line sits up high and looks good but on the other side it runs very, very close to the edges grind and straight to the tip. My fear is that after a good amount of sharpening the outer steel layer of the knife will be "pulled down" and become a part of the edge. I cannot figure out whether or not this assumption is true or false.

I contacted Fällkniven but their replies(!) was not helpful but rather quite dismissive and did not life up to their "buying quality will make you smile" statement on their website.

Sorry for the long post, it is a bad habit of mine. Also, I tried to upload some photos but the menu-bar is a bit confusing.
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GP3.jpg
 
Does it being 1.5 to 2 mm off center when you're using it cause issues? If it does, How?!?

I don't know how you can tell the blade is "off center" when open and you're using it.
I can't tell on any of my 60 plus odd knives if the blade is off center when I'm using it.
If any are, it doesn't affect the functionality or performance of the knife, so it's a non-issue to me.

My normal carry is multi-blade slipjoints of various patterns; usually a large stockman, paired with a 4 blade scout/camp/"G.I. Utility"/"Demo" knife, and either a Buck 110 or Old Timer 7OT or two blade slipjoint folding hunter on my belt.
My most used knives are the slipjoints in my pocket.
I could leave the lockback or two blade slipjoint folding hunter at home ... however, I've had a lockback on my belt every day since 7th or 8th grade/1967~1968, and feel a wee bit under dressed if there isn't a lockback or other knife on my right hip.

Very few of my knives possess a perfectly centered blade when closed. Some lean a little to the left, some a little to the right when closed. As long as they are not hitting/rubbing the liner or a (the) neighboring blade(s) when opening and closing, I consider it a cosmetic "defect", and don't worry about it.
 
Hi guys.

I already posted this in another discussion but I'm not sure whether or not it is the correct place. Regardless, I'm seeking out some help.

I am new in the World of knifes and just recently I decided to get my first proper knife for EDC. I ordered the Gentleman's pocketknife directly from Fällknivens own homepage and picked it up from the post office just a week ago. After opening the package I immediately noticed that something seems wrong.

Whereas the blade is 100% centered when the knife is closed it points roughly 1.5 - 2 mm to one side when open. Note that there is absolutely no play in the blade whatsoever.

I can understand from the Internet that Teflon washers might not be the most stable/reliable solution and might cause a blade to go off center. However, I cannot tell if it is considered normal or something that you can expect that a new knife with Teflon washers is not straight. All I can say is that I did not expect it and find it very disappointing. Teflon or not.
I have seen a few YouTube vids of people showing how to re-adjust and center a blade (they only show a closed knife btw) but I haven't tried it myself as I am afraid of ruining the knife (I might send it back).
Most of you in this forum are knowledgeable and experienced knife folks hence I am seeking comments and advises from you.

Furthermore, the distinct lines in the blade from the lamination is not symmetrical. On one side the line sits up high and looks good but on the other side it runs very, very close to the edges grind and straight to the tip. My fear is that after a good amount of sharpening the outer steel layer of the knife will be "pulled down" and become a part of the edge. I cannot figure out whether or not this assumption is true or false.

I contacted Fällkniven but their replies(!) was not helpful but rather quite dismissive and certainly did not life up to their "buying quality will make you smile" statement on their website.

Sorry for the long post, it is a bad habit of mine. Also, I tried to upload some photos but the menu-bar is a bit confusing.
 
Thank you for the reply Afishunter.

When I hold the knife in my hand it is clearly noticeable that the blade is not centered when open. I also drew a straight line on a piece of paper, placed the handle on the line and.. yeah.. the blade is definitely about 2 mm off.
The thing is, I spent a bunch of time reading about and looking at knifes, considering what my needs fot an EDC knife are and slimming down my choices until I landed on this exact knife - it is my first "proper" folding knife too, so naturally it kinda saddens me that the blade is off when everything else looks like it is made with a lasers precision.
 
For what that brand costs, I would send it back. If it was a 15.00 Rough Ryder, I would live with it - however, the Rough Ryders I have, and the hundreds that I have sold, mostly after modifying to be better whittlers, are straight. If Rough Ryder can do it at their price ......
 
Norcaldude Norcaldude .

That I can. I will loose money then because of the taxes I paid to have it shipped to where I live though. And I'm frankly more interested in the knife. I contacted Fällkniven, they replied the same day that I could get the money back. I suggested that I'd rather have the knife replaced. They've been silence ever since which is only three days ago. The tone in their mails ... is not what you'd expect from a professional yet family owned company.

So I´m really just seeking info from you guys whether or not this is an issue or not. Is it normal that knives of this quality is not centered and how would you deal with it? I don't know, as said it's my first "proper" knife - or folding knife that is.

As ironic as it is, the best fixed knife I have is the F1...
 
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I'm having a hard time figuring out how a blade can be centered when the knife is closed, but crooked when it's open. That knife is a simple design, I can't think of a reason why it would be this way. If you try to 'adjust' the blade so that it's straight when open, it will be off center when closed. Or just broken.

Some people obsess over blade centering, I don't. My advice would be that you don't worry about what the internet says about the knife and just enjoy it. But, that's up to you.
 
Jacques Mi said:
So I´m really just seeking info from you guys whether or not this is an issue or not. Is it normal that knives of this quality is not centered and how would you deal with it? I don't know, as said it's my first "proper" knife - or folding knife that is.
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I have a GP in micarta and the blade appears centered opened and closed.

If you are ok with the lamination issues I would suggest just unscrewing the pivot and taking it apart. I have had mine apart several years ago and don't recall there being much problem putting it back together. I replaced the stock plastic washers with some copper washers I got from someplace.

Might just be a bit of debris in there messing up how the washers set.
 
You need to upload your photos to an image hosting site, like Imgur, vgy or google photos.
Using the 7th icon from the right along the top of the posting box enter the url to your photo.
If that doesn't work you can just post the url itself and readers can go see it.
Its very hard for people to offer opinions unless they can see exactly what you are seeing.
 
I think the short answer is that no, it is not normal and at that price point, I would expect everything to line up perfectly. Notably I own a gp in micarta and mine does not have the issue. If it bothers you enough to pay those taxes twice I would send it back and purchase another, maybe having the vendor checking it before shipping.
 
Oh I would also NOT take it apart unless you plan to keep it no matter what. A vendor will probably not take it back if you have disassembled the knife.
 
dsutton24 said:
I'm having a hard time figuring out how a blade can be centered when the knife is closed, but crooked when it's open. That knife is a simple design, I can't think of a reason why it would be this way. If you try to 'adjust' the blade so that it's straight when open, it will be off center when closed. Or just broken.

Some people obsess over blade centering, I don't. My advice would be that you don't worry about what the internet says about the knife and just enjoy it. But, that's up to you.
Click to expand...

Something is bent. It means if the blade was straight when open it wouldn't be centered when closed. Id send it back. Anyone who says it wouldn't bother them is full of it. If you open your knife and set it on the table with the edge facing down and look straight down on top of the spine and notice the blade bending over to one side 2mm that would bug anyone.
 
The alignment "issue" of a couple mm when open is perhaps subjective, but if the lamination is that close to the cutting edge on one side... yep that would bother me as it dramatically shortens its useful life as a tool.
 
steelhead seeker said:
Something is bent. It means if the blade was straight when open it wouldn't be centered when closed. Id send it back. Anyone who says it wouldn't bother them is full of it. If you open your knife and set it on the table with the edge facing down and look straight down on top of the spine and notice the blade bending over to one side 2mm that would bug anyone.
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No, it wouldn't bug 'anyone', it wouldn't bother me and I'm not full of it.

Anyone who would even believe that has never handled tradtional knives. With very few exceptions (Buck being one of them who leaps to mind) multibladed knives have krinked blades. Essentially, the blades are bent so that they will nest when the knife is closed. If the blade is bent when the knife is closed, the blade will be bent when the knife is open. That's basic geometry. Look at most of the stockmans, whittlers, and congresses made in the past six hundred years and you'll see that I'm right. All of the millions of stockman knives in collections and daily use aren't defective, and their owners aren't clueless dolts.

Yes, I realize the OP's knife is a single blade knife. That doesn't change the fact that sweeping generalizations are so easily proven wrong.

Modern Bucks avoid this by riding each blade on its own spring. It simplifies the manufacturing process, but results in a bulkier knife. Swiss Army type knives also do this, I think.

Try to find a way to make a point without havig to resort to name calling.
 
Warning for insults.
dsutton24 said:
No, it wouldn't bug 'anyone', it wouldn't bother me and I'm not full of it.

Anyone who would even believe that has never handled tradtional knives. With very few exceptions (Buck being one of them who leaps to mind) multibladed knives have krinked blades. Essentially, the blades are bent so that they will nest when the knife is closed. If the blade is bent when the knife is closed, the blade will be bent when the knife is open. That's basic geometry. Look at most of the stockmans, whittlers, and congresses made in the past six hundred years and you'll see that I'm right. All of the millions of stockman knives in collections and daily use aren't defective, and their owners aren't clueless dolts.

Yes, I realize the OP's knife is a single blade knife. That doesn't change the fact that sweeping generalizations are so easily proven wrong.

Modern Bucks avoid this by riding each blade on its own spring. It simplifies the manufacturing process, but results in a bulkier knife. Swiss Army type knives also do this, I think.

Try to find a way to make a point without havig to resort to name calling.
Click to expand...
Lol using multi blade knives as your example saying they are all like that for the last 600 years and that makes you right...hahaha your a tool. I stand by my statement that if anyone with a single blade knife looked straight down at the spine of the blade when open and saw it bent off to the side would take issue with that. Especially a knife that cost several hundred dollars!! If it really wouldn't bother you why don't you take it off the OP's hands. A knife should not come with a blade bent to the side when open. Even if it's not a bent blade something is causing it to do that and that's NOT normal. And I don't have to look at anything from 600 years ago. Machining today and tolerances are a lot better now than they were even 30 years ago let alone 600!
 
dsutton24 said:
Huh.
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I said your a tool. Cant comprehend that? When I said it would bother anyone of course there's the 0.01% who wouldn't even look or notice or care yet because your in that bracket you felt the need to be like it wouldn't bug me! And im not full of it! And look at ALL these examples from the last 600 years and they will prove IM RIGHT!!!
 
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