Question regarding the Endura 4

[The General]

When I first started using my E4 something felt a little strange. I did not put too much thought into it at the time but I have just worked it out.

When you open the knife and it locks open, the first time you press the knife into the cutting medium, the blade rocks upward a bit.

If you grab the knife blade and pull it up and down it noticably moves up and down and it makes a faint sound of metal hitting metal.

The lock up seems solid and the lock well is clean and fluff free. Is this movement built into the lock on purpose as a safety feature as I suspect or is it a fault?

 

[yablanowitz]

Mine does the same thing. As I have said in other threads, I believe it is caused by the clearances between the pins (pivot and lockbar) and the holes in the blade tang and lockbar. I actually noticed it on mine because I use a saber grip for heavy cutting, and I felt the lockbar raise against my thumb, since the blade and lockbar fit together solidly. I have noticed the same thing to different degrees on most of the lockbacks I have used. Personally, it doesn't bother me.

 

[CMSpeedy]

Mine does it too. It does not seem to affect performance - as mine cuts GREAT! It only occurs on mine when putting alot of effort into the cut. I believe we are feeling the play between the Blade/Lockbar and the FRN Handle.

 

[USSR]

I have five Spyderco lockbacks, and they all have some degree of vertical play. If it is a very tiny amount, it's nothing to worry about. If it is actually visible, and the movement makes you question the lock's integrity, by all means send it in to Spyderco and they'll take a look at it.