Vertical Blade Play on Pacific Salt

W

whw

Joined
Aug 15, 2008
Messages
21
I am a new knife collector.

Received my Pacific Salt two days ago. My other Spydercos (bought a few months ago) are a Lady Bug and a Tenacious. Love them both.

Was really looking forward to the Pacific Salt, but when I received it I was somewhat disappointed because of the upward vertical blade play. When I push down on the knife on the eg. a book (ie. a push cut) the blade moves upwards slightly. But enough so that you can feel it. The part of the lockback that contacts the hilt of the blade also moves up very slightly. There is a also a thud like click sound. So when I press down and release, press and release etc you hear thud thud thud.

So whenever I want to cut something, I first have to feel (and hear) the blade move upwards a bit first. And as I am cutting, releasing, cutting releasing etc I can feel that blade movement. It's irritating.

Note that there is no downward vertical play (ie when pressure is put on the spine). The lockback is secure.

I did a search online and apparently others too have this problem on the Pacific Salt specifically, and with Spyderco lockbacks in general.

Is this normal? Should I live with it? I live in Malaysia so sending the knife back to the USA costs like USD35 for shipping! So that's like half the value of my knife!

Let me know your thoughts and feedback.
 
All lockbacks do that to some extent. If yours is an extreme example, I would write to spyderco and ask about it.
 
My ladybug has not vertical blade play. Neither does my Buck 110.

I can exchange it for sure. But I need to send it back to the USA (from Malaysia) and that will cost me over USD35 for the shipping (I paid USD70 for the knife).

I asked a couple of other knife enthusiasts here in Malaysia who also own the Pacific Salts and theirs all lock solid with no vertical play.

Dilemma!
 
Up and down blade play is something that needs to be fixed. You don't want the knife eventually closing on your fingers, do you?

I recommend returning the knife if you can. If not, contact Spyderco's Warranty&Repair department.
 
Virtical play on lockbacks is normal.
If none of yours do it you got lucky, that's all.

Edit: just checked seven of my lockbacks. There's a tangible amount of play in all of them. the worst is an H-1 Spyderhawk, the ZDP Caly 3 has almost no play.
 
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my delica is the same way I ckecked my other lock backs an none of them done this I have been edc it for about a mounth an it seems to be geting worse use to only notice it when cutting rope but now I notice it cutting anything
 
I recently got a Salt 1, and the lock up is not great. Not as bad as you are describing but compared to my cf Stretch(solid no play) it is very noticeable. I just figured it was due to the price difference. I'm not worried at the moment, but if it gets worse with normal use..........Other then that I like the knife.
 
whw said:
My ladybug has not vertical blade play. Neither does my Buck 110.

I can exchange it for sure. But I need to send it back to the USA (from Malaysia) and that will cost me over USD35 for the shipping (I paid USD70 for the knife).

I asked a couple of other knife enthusiasts here in Malaysia who also own the Pacific Salts and theirs all lock solid with no vertical play.

Dilemma!
Click to expand...

You asked them - go test their knives, trust me. I would take it back to the dealer and see if he/she will exchange it. But I am telling you, they all do that a little bit.
 
I hear you Smash05. I feel somewhat better knowing that a little vertical play is normal. But doesn't that vertical blade play bother you whenever you use the knife to cut even if it is a tiny bit (but sufficient to feel it)?
 
whw, it's up to you if you can live with bladeplay or not. I can't. None of my lockbacks has blade play (except for one of the Ladybugs). To me, blade play means poor fit and is only acceptable in cheap knives. But perhaps I am more demanding than most...:)
 
No, it doesn't - I know that it is a part of the design characteristics of the knife. Now if it is alot of play it might, but I have no idea of knowing how much yours is moving, or how much force you are applying. I never hear an audible pop when I use mine, so that might make me think its moving too much, I have no idea. But since I have multiple lockback style knives, I can do comparisons as I go. I know folks think that they have solid lockup, but I say its not as solid as they think.
 
I also just bought a pacific but mine has no vertical blade play at all and lockup is rock solid like my Tasman.With my other endura 4's, they all have quite a bit of vertical blade play with the exception of my G-10 endura with full steel liners which has none.
 
Take the knife, put a phone book on the table and placing the edge on the book bear down like you are trying to push cut. - its going to move, trust me. My blades are solid when I try to pull them, but bearing down on hard woods or push cutting on a hard surface will cause them to shift a bit.
 
Like Smasho5 said, that sounds normal for lockbacks. Unless the movement is extreme I wouldn't worry about it. Mine does the same thing and I don't think it is a defect.
 
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