I have a small issue with my 707 sequel. When I bought it it had some pretty significant side to side play that was fixed relatively easily by tightening the pivot. For a while it was smooth as butter and was seeming to only get better. Then I started to notice a slight side to side play again. Granted, I needed to really try to make it move but still, It is there. I tightened it up again and found the sweet spot where there is no play and still opens buttery smooth. My question is, is there a way to keep it in the "sweet spot"? Why doesn't it stay there? we are talking about 50-100 openings and it starts to come slightly loose again. I guess if I wasn't so picky I probably wouldn't notice it. Thanks for your assistance and any advice you could give me.
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Slight blade play- how to fix it?
- Thread starter MRaymond
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- Nov 9, 2009
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- 44,314
The answer to why doesn't it stay there? Because yu are dealing with moving pieces. Anything (in this case a knife) that is composed of moving pieces will move slightly over time. It's the nature of the fasteners used. Use teflon tape or loctite on the threads of the picot screw. A little goes a long way.
Another bit of advice, being "very picky" over mass produced cutting tools is a sure way to ruin the enjoyment of the hobby for yourself. Knives are made by humans (not perfect), and at the price point you are looking at it will not be found easily. The other pitfall to being overly critical is that you get tagged as a "whiner". There are legitimate issues that fall through a QC check with ay company out there. However, learning and knowing the difference is what identifies normal and out of spec. Enjoy your knives, but remember, they are not perfect. If you want perfect, it comes at a price and it is usually in the several hundreds and even thousands range.
Another bit of advice, being "very picky" over mass produced cutting tools is a sure way to ruin the enjoyment of the hobby for yourself. Knives are made by humans (not perfect), and at the price point you are looking at it will not be found easily. The other pitfall to being overly critical is that you get tagged as a "whiner". There are legitimate issues that fall through a QC check with ay company out there. However, learning and knowing the difference is what identifies normal and out of spec. Enjoy your knives, but remember, they are not perfect. If you want perfect, it comes at a price and it is usually in the several hundreds and even thousands range.
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I use Loctite blue on all my knives. Just a small amount on the pivot screw. Works great!
RevDevil, You are right I suppose. I don't want to sound like a whiner and perhaps have to adjust my expectations a bit. But, to be honest, I don't think expecting a knife over $130.00 to not loosen to the point of blade play after 100 or so opening is asking too much. That being said, The loctite solution seems to be the way to go. I don't mind putting a little effort into making something better, as long as I start with something that is well made otherwise. By no means am I implying the 707 isn't well made because it is. It is perfectly centered and it does have the "sweet spot" on the pivot tension that allows it to fly open with no play. Now that I have a solution to my issue, I am sure that this will remain a favorite for many years to come. It is an awesome little knife.
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The pivot loosening after repeated opening is not something new to Benchmade knives, in fact the are several other knives that have this issue. I cannot say what that is attributed to, aside from the obvious tolerances used between the scales, blade, and washers.The aspect of putting in a little effort is something that comes with the territory. It is understandable that in that price range, we all have a more critical eye on the details. I own a few Benchmade knives where the pivot will back out a little. I can press the screw with my thumb anda tighten it back up a little.
mongomondo
SUPPRESSING FIRE
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I've had Benchmade, Kershaw, ZT, Spyderco, Striders, and a few others have knives where the pivot comes loose. Doesn't really matter how much th eknife costs. I put teflon tape the same way on my $30 Skyline as well as my $200 ZT 301.
I use blue Loctite too and it works. I used it on my Volt flipper and it really helped. The pivot was moving just a tiny bit, enough to make the blade move from center
and made it harder to flip after a while. I wondered what was going on with the flipping getting harder......used the blue Loctite, flips easy every time now.
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