When it comes to your EDC, how much - if any - blade play is acceptable?

S

Starmarion

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May 5, 2023
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When it comes to your EDC, how much - if any - blade play is acceptable? For me, I don't tolerate vertical blade play...PERIOD. However, I'm okay with some very slight horizontal play on EDC knives at certain price points. I mean, that seems to be an issue that just about everyone will have at some point with EDC blades for various reasons. If it does not affect functionality or security of the lock, slight horizontal blade play is permissible on some knives, but that doesn't mean I like it. In fact, I really admire my EDC options that literally have no blade play whatsoever. I don't think there's a right or wrong answer here. It's just a matter of personal preference, but I'm interested in the issue and other people's opinions about it.
 
Depends on the price, if it’s $50-$200 I’ll accept some slight horizontal play especially if it’s a stepped pivot like Spyderco uses. Vertical is never acceptable at any price and no play in any direction is acceptable above $200 in my opinion. That’s why I no longer buy Benchmade.
 
I like to have as little as possible based on what a lot of my knives cost. It also depends on the lock style. I expect a Cold Steel Triad to be next to none, but I can deal with a little side to side on an Axis lock if I have it tuned a bit looser. High end titanium frame locks better be bank vault.
 
I tolerate some play. On one folder I left the play alone to see how worse it got through normal use, and it got a little worse but seem to settle at an amount of play the knife was comfortable at and didn't get worse. Not sure If it will always work out that way however
 
Depends. Some traditional lockback knives have a bit of blade play (means if I grab the blade with my fingers I can force it up and down a tiny bit), and I'm OK with that. For a truly traditional design, it's difficult to eliminate vertical blade play. The tolerances required to eliminate blade play on such a knife are incredibly tight.

On many modern lockbacks, the designers have diddled with the geometry of the lock interface, and I seldom find blade play on those.

I don't accept vertical blade play on other types of locks. If there is any the knife goes into the "for reference only, do not carry" box.

I'm not OK with side-to side blade play in the open position on any knife.
 
Horizontal I am prepared to forgive a great deal IF the blade is thin , the behind the edge thickness is stupid thin and the handle ergos are to die for .

As the blade gets thicker
The behind the edge gets thicker
and the handle gets slick and thin and awkward to hold with that big notch for a frame lock that irritates the ears off me . . .
well
then
it doesn't matter because I'm not going to use it enough to notice horrizontal play in the pivot .

What I am saying is MOST knives suck so bad in actual use that blade play is the last thing that irritates me.
(some are nice to look at though)

NOW
vertical play . . . that depends . . . if I am cutting twigs on a cutting board then I am going to take 'er apart and fix it if it is clunking away.
Many / most manufactures these days can't handle something like : getting all the parts in one place , in the right order, in the right tolerance , and the right way up so that there isn't some dambed problem I have to fix for them . . .so . . .
as I have said over and over again : any tool I buy I consider it a BLANK and take it home and make something useful out of it .

That line of thought just about keeps me sane .
I used to be a perfectionist , like my Dad . . . and we LIKED IT THAT WAY !
now . . . ohhhhhhhhh . . . humanity has fallen on hard times . . .
 
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(Vertical/Horizontal)
None and none. Any blade play on one of my carry knives automatically moves it into either the display-only pile or the giveaway pile….depending upon the value (sentimental or actual).
 
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I prefer no play in either direction. And as far as I can recall (which in many cases isn’t more than a few hours ago, but nonetheless) none of my folders have any noticeable play, and that includes a lot of cheapies. I’ve gotten a few with some horizontal play that I was able to easily tune out without adversely affecting the action, but I guess I’ve been lucky in that the vast majority, whether new or used, have come with no play.
 
No play allowed for me on an EDC. It's why I won't carry a Spyderco or Benchmade. My carries are primarily CRK, Koenig, Arno Bernard, or my new Hawk Talon. Also, my Berg Blades Alpha has amazingly no blade play at the 300 range. I've had very few knives below that point meet my blade play standard. Or if I eliminate the play action goes to 💩.
 
I prefer my daily work knife to have no play whatsoever.
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For SGTM, I carry an old slip joint, and in that case, I'm not too worried about a little blade play.
 
Normally I would say zero. But I just picked up a Delica 4 with slight vertical play, very slight. My understanding is that sypdercos opinion is that is normal. So in this case I am accepting it.
 
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