Question for knifemakers, especially those who make folders...

[commodorewheeler]

I recently traded for a custom folder that retailed for about $600 new when it was being produced, and I'm having a bit of a minor debate with the person whom I traded with over the condition of the folder upon its arrival. His responses so far haven't been extremely satisfactory to me, so I just wanted some opinions from people who know this stuff better than I do. Here are my questions:

1. Is it possible for a folder to develop up/down blade play as a result of shipping damage if the knife arrives in otherwise pristine condition? If so, how likely is it to happen?

2. Is wrapping a $600 custom folder in one layer of bubble wrap and then shipping it in a padded envelope with no other packing material considered adequate?

Obviously, I have my own opinion on these questions, but I really wanted to hear from the experts, so I can know for sure if my opinion is reasonable or out of line. Thanks all!

 

[STR]

The wrapping sounds fine to me. I've recieved more expensive knives not wrapped up at all but just thrown into a padded envelope and mailed off.

As for the vertical blade play. Sounds like a lock issue to me or perhaps a blade stop pin.

If the stop pin is the type that just sits there and is not screwed down by any means, just held in place by the pivot pin tightness then yes shipping could dislodge it if say the pivot pin was lose causing blade play but that should be evident right away visually.

If this knife is a liner lock, the blade could be moving up and down because of the lock wearing where the blade and the lock meet when the blade is opened. In some cases I have fixed this by going to the next size up in stop pin diameter with the end cut of something like a drill bit that I had discarded. But on a $600 knife you certainly don't expect that to be necessary.

If there is a slight bit of vertical movement and this is a lock back or mid locking folder. This is very common. Most are this way and made to give just a little as this actually makes the locks stronger based on many testing procedures to see how much pressure it takes to make them fail. Spyderco makes theirs this way and I can honestly say that every lock back in my collection no matter who made it has various amounts of movement up when the blade is pushed down in a cutting motion. Some move easier than others and some are border line faulty but the standards vary from one make to another. No exceptions, even in my own hand made lockbacks.

I would suggest if this person you bought the knife from is not the maker and does not want to make you happy, to contact the maker and explain the situation. If it were me I'd work with you and try to make you happy about a purchase, especially one that expensive.
Hope that helps some.
Steve.

 

[Cougar Allen]

Sticky: How Should You Package Knives for Shipping?