Smoothness vs. Blade Play?

singularity35

singularity35

Joined
Mar 1, 2010
Messages
10,844
Would you prefer a smooth opening knife at the price of a little blade play? Or would you prefer no blade play at the expense of a very smooth opening?

I prefer to tighten my pivots to the point of minimizing blade play even if my blade does not fly open.
 
I try to find the 'sweet spot' on my knives to have both smooth deployment and solid blade stability. I believe most quality folders are able to provide both, but if I had to choose, I'd go for zero play every time. I don't really have a need for speed. :)
 
I feel with the quality of folders out today this choice doesn't have to be made too often.
 
I think a little people are confused about just how smooth we're talking about. With a Benchmade for example, if I tighten mine up just to the point where there's no blade play, it still doesn't open quite as smoothly as if I had loosened it from this point. On the other hand, it's still certainly much smoother opening at this point than any of my other knives.

I really don't like blade play though. I peened my Case Trappers pivot a little bit to get rid of some blade play at the expense of absolute smoothness.
 
Not sure what some makers do but as an example the AGR Acies blade deploys as if AO. Smoothest I have ever felt yet lock up is vault like with zero blade play.
I am hooked on having both. The Ken Onion Ripple is another example.
 
If I had to chose, I would take no blade play. Fortunately, I dont have to chose with my knives. If I cant get both smoothness and no blade play, I sell it.
 
With a little crafty work many blades can be smooth and have what many would claim to be "no blade play". Some manufacturers and knife types are more prone to having undetectable blade play and smooth action than others.

I have knives in the 100-150 price range that rival some of the blades I have 3-5 times that price range. They just required a bit of tuning to get there.

OTOH, some knives are prone to detectable blade play at lock up...it is an acceptable component of the design.
 
Obviously , in an ideal world ,I would prefer to have a smooth opening and no blade play, but in a scenario that I had to pick just one knife , one being smooth opening , and the other had blade play, I would pick the knife with no blade play. FARON
 
cziv said:
Now that's a real juggling act there! :D
Click to expand...

A good lube (I use Militec-1), a T10 Torx driver, blue Loctite and a fine adjustment is all that's needed.

I like to have mine set so the blade won't quite move by gravity if the Axis bar is held back.

That's very smooth (I'm not confused :p) .. but with zero play.
 
There is no confusion. I will adjust my knives to the point of zero blade play and then judge how smooth it is to deploy. Maybe that's just me...
 
timberweasel said:
There is no confusion. I will adjust my knives to the point of zero blade play and then judge how smooth it is to deploy. Maybe that's just me...
Click to expand...

Same here. I always adjust to where there is no bladeplay (and I mean NO BLADE PLAY). I usually move the pivot screw little by little to the point where there is a little blade play. I tighten it from there, and that's the best I'll get.
 
No blade play is key to me. Speed of depoy isnt a huge factor to me. That being said, if the knife is gritty I wouldnt keep it
 
I always tighten my blades to zero blade play regadless of how smooth it ends up being.
 
With most locks, I keep it as loose as I can with no blade play. With the Axis lock, however, I like to loosen it as much as I can before the blade hits the handles. That way the blade will swing freely with the lock disengaged.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top