What is "real" blade play?

i find more often it depends on whats "tolerable" to the individual... for me if i grab the tip of the blade and can wiggle play out of the blade with 1-2lbs of force its unacceptable but depending on the price i may be able to live with it.
 
I'm talking with a benchmade 710 in m390. It doesn't feel to really move unless I exert a little force, but a $10 winchester doesn't' seem to move with the same amount of force. May just be the nature of the lock though.
 
how much force are you using? i can muscle blade play into most of my folders with enough force.
at any rate, if youre dissatisfied i would drop benchmade an email or phone call and let them know whats going on.
 
VolundoftheForge said:
I'm talking with a benchmade 710 in m390. It doesn't feel to really move unless I exert a little force, but a $10 winchester doesn't' seem to move with the same amount of force. May just be the nature of the lock though.
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first of all, are you talking about vertical or horizontal blade play? By that I mean does the blade wiggle side to side or up and down? In my opinion ANY vertical play (up and down) is absolutely unacceptable with an axis lock. Some back locks will have some normal vertical play and framelocks can have a bit in the form of lock bar flex and may develop vertical play with hard use (abuse). Horizontal play on the other hand, is very much subjective. As mentioned above, almost any folder can be muscled into wiggling a little bit. On an axis lock knife, you should be able to snug down the pivot a bit and tighten out the play at the possible cost of speed of deployment. If you can tighten the pivot so that the blade will not open and close freely and you still have horizontal play you either have ridiculously high standards or something is wrong with the knife and you should contact benchmade.
 
mkjellgren said:
first of all, are you talking about vertical or horizontal blade play? By that I mean does the blade wiggle side to side or up and down? In my opinion ANY vertical play (up and down) is absolutely unacceptable with an axis lock. Some back locks will have some normal vertical play and framelocks can have a bit in the form of lock bar flex and may develop vertical play with hard use (abuse). Horizontal play on the other hand, is very much subjective. As mentioned above, almost any folder can be muscled into wiggling a little bit. On an axis lock knife, you should be able to snug down the pivot a bit and tighten out the play at the possible cost of speed of deployment. If you can tighten the pivot so that the blade will not open and close freely and you still have horizontal play you either have ridiculously high standards or something is wrong with the knife and you should contact benchmade.
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Thanks, and I meant horizontal. The vertical is secure. I have an Emerson on the way and trying to decide if it should take over as the hard user or if this can holds it's own, and play concerns me.
 
My Emerson doesn't move for anything... My Spydercos and Benchmades are the same. If they develop any play, they will be repaired or sold.
Sonny
 
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If the knife is new it can have play until it breaks in. Is it play you can see or just feel. I think many people get caught up in blade play but if its not much then its not a big deal IMO. It is a folding knife and has to move to open and close. I can detect some amount of play in every knife I have held except for 2.

That said horizontal play can almost always be adjusted out. Just a fraction of a turn can go from loose to just right. But on a knife that is new, if you tighten out the blade play it can make it too stiff to open and close. I suggest give it a few weeks to break in and don't be unrealistic when it comes to small amounts of play. I have a couple knives with a little vertical play, enough to see, but it isn't noticeable in use so I don't worry about it. That also depends on the lock though. I wouldn't want any vertical play in a liner/frame lock but I don't buy those anymore because of various issues I have had with them.
 
Blade play is blade play. I have two knives that will not allow any play, no matter how much muscle I use or how fast I wiggle the blade. These are the exceptions though since pretty much every other knife I have will wiggle a little bit if forced.

I don't really find blade play unacceptable unless you can hold the knife by the handle and shake the blade about like a rattle. I don't really like it when I can muscle it into wiggling, but it's not a big deal.
 
KennyB said:
Blade play is blade play. I have two knives that will not allow any play, no matter how much muscle I use or how fast I wiggle the blade. These are the exceptions though since pretty much every other knife I have will wiggle a little bit if forced.

I don't really find blade play unacceptable unless you can hold the knife by the handle and shake the blade about like a rattle. I don't really like it when I can muscle it into wiggling, but it's not a big deal.
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are they fixed blades? :p
 
Thanks a lot guys. I've been playing with it a lot more lately (Trying to rekindle my love) so I think I'm breaking it in. It seems to slowly be getting smoother on the tighter levels so hopefully I can get it to full lock up with smooth opening. Hope I don't wear out the spring ;)
 
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