Proper pivot tension after reassembly?

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padwan08

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Dec 21, 2008
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Question: How does one know if the pivot tension is properly set on his knife? Had to disassemble my Endura 4 today and was able to put it back together with a bit of patience and some video help from YouTube.(thanks to Spydercollector from the Netherlands.)

I know folks have varying opinions on the subject but how does one know if the tension is too heavy or too light? Are there standard checks used by the factory? Have more experience with guns than knives so I have better luck knowing if a 1911's extractor is too loose or too tight. Am a total dunce when it comes to blade tensions.
 
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you should be able to adjust it yourself depending on how fast you want the blade to come out. screw the pivot in untill you find the balance of play and speed of opening. If there is side to side blade play it needs to be tighter, if it is to stiff looser, right in the middle is good
 
It's pretty much up to your preference. If the knife is fairly new to you, and you're still developing the muscle memory for opening it quickly, you might set it a little on the looser side. But over time, you might find that a little bit tighter is better.

One thing to consider, if you live in a jurisdiction where so-called 'gravity knives' are illegal, you may be wise to set the pivot tight enough that the blade can't be opened simply by flipping the handle so the blade comes out on it's own. This may or may not be a concern for you, I don't know. But keep that in mind. And, if the pivot is too loose, there's always the possibility that the blade might try to open up inside your pocket, if the tip gets snagged on your pocket (or keys, etc.).

I've noticed with my Endura, if the pivot is a bit loose, it'll more likely unscrew itself unless the screw is loc-tited in place. I tend to set mine a little bit tight after re-assembly for this reason.
 
Tighten all the way down then back out 1/16 turn at a time until it is the way you like it.
 
Thanks for all the tips. Great help to someone who's never had to disassemble any of his blades before.

I can't place the article, but I remember reading a piece so many years ago that a folder should snap shut if you open the blade slightly and then release. Something about proper blade retention. Is this critical for setting tension?

I ask since if I tighten all the way down, the blade won't snap shut if I perform the aforementioned check. As an aside, even with the screw fully tightened, I can still get the knife to flick open. Fortunately, local law is not very paranoid about gravity knives.

Thanks again!
 
I can't place the article, but I remember reading a piece so many years ago that a folder should snap shut if you open the blade slightly and then release. Something about proper blade retention. Is this critical for setting tension?
Click to expand...

This is a test commonly used for lock back knives.
 
padwan08 said:
Hi knifenut!

Isn't the Endura 4 considered a lockback? Would this test be necessary then for the G4?

Padwan
Click to expand...

The Endura is indeed a lockback. Blade retention is important, it's one of those things that may bite you (literally), if the blade isn't fully closed while it's in your pocket (I speak from experience). If the blade isn't fully snapping closed, it'll take a little more experimentation with the pivot screw to find the 'sweet spot'. Others here on BF have taken it a step further, by polishing the pivot washers and the blade tang, to minimize friction between the two. Obviously, it's very important to make sure that all of the contact surfaces in the pivot are as clean as possible, and sufficiently (but lightly) lubricated. In a case such as this, I'd put a drop or two of teflon or graphite-based lube in the pivot, then exercise it a bit. That ought to loosen it up just enough to make sure it'll close fully every time.
 
On a lock back it should be done so that when you grab the blade and just lift the point up and let go that it snaps back down so the spring defeats gravity as well as the pivot pressure inward on the liners. If the pivot is so tight that the point remains up its too tight. You don't want the point remaining up. By contrast if the tension is so loose that the blade bounces when it bottoms out you don't want that either or the associated lateral (sideways) blade play. There is a margin for preference even still as you can make it slightly loose and still be in tolerance or slightly stiffer and still have proper safe carry for the tip staying down, however the margin for preference is not usually as great on a lock back as other type locks. Most you want the back spring to be able to keep the point down while it is still easy enough to open and close so as to not be too hard on your thumb.

STR
 
1. Tighten until when you look through the gap in the light and wiggle the blade, you can see that most side-side play is eliminated.

2. Tighten/loosen (whichever is needed to get the proper tension such that the blade still gets "sucked" into the handle during the last part of closing.

3. Check again to see that there is minimal side-side play.

Tip: Don't tighten the lock bar pivot all the way. In fact, only tighten it just so that it is snug. If you do any more, then you'll have too much tension at the point where your side-side play is gone.
 
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