Where is the fine-line?

B

bladeboss

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Mar 6, 2012
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I've noticed more and more since I got into pricey-ish knives, that I am checking it all the time.
I never did this before I got better knives.
I guess it also has something to do with the fact that I know what to look for now.
Im always checking my knives for centering, bladeplay when opened AND when closed, and self-closing-handle retention.
"Having" to check my knife after each use is annoying.
And it kinda sucks the fun out of being a knife-guy. I kinda feel like a fool for doing so, and my inner-self says "STOP WORRYING".
But, curiosity overpowers me.
So, my question.
How often do you check your knife?
How much checking, is too much checking?
Or maybe I'm the only one who OCD's about his knife. :o
 
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I'm a fairly OCD person. I usually check my knives in the morning before they go in my pocket mainly for sharpness, centering, loose screws, ect...I'm not especially thorough, but I do make sure my knives are ready for the day:thumbup: (in other words your not weird haha, at least for a knife nut)

-niner
 
I check every time I let someone borrow a knife, even if I watch them use it. And I always wipe the blade. Even with $15 knives :rolleyes:
 
I check for blade play and centering fairly often on some knives that need to be adjusted just right (Kershaw skyline comes to mind...), otherwise I pretty much check out a knife when I get it and if everything is performing as expected I leave well enough alone. For instance, I don't really ever check my sebenza for play or centering because I know for sure it is rock solid and centered, and essentially, the same is true for all of my current edc rotation. Some knives have a tendency to loosen up with use, in which case loctite is your friend. For those knives I get them set up the way I like and loctite them there, it's pretty apparent just by a change in the action if they need to be readjusted, no need to be grabbing the blade and wiggling constantly. I guess you could say I just know my favorite knives well enough to be able to tell when they need a tune up. Now, if you were to ask me how often I reach down subconsciously and make sure my knife is clipped where it should be...the answer would be a lot...
 
I certainly don't check my knives after every use but i do examine them about once every 2-3 weeks.
It keeps me in tune with each knife and any possible changes to the action, lock, blade etc.
 
oh constantly, I generally check my knife when i sharpen it or am sitting on the couch playing with it.

the thing with nicer knives is the better maintained they are the longer and better they will last.... same with cheaper knives
 
I never check because I've never had a knife that suddenly got off-center or developed blade play. I guess I just assume they are good to go.
 
This is a problem I used to have, I would clamp down on the blade pretty much as hard as I could and shook it, checking for play. Even when I felt the slightest hair of wiggle, I thought something was wrong with the knife and carrying the thing simply bugged me, even though it showed no performance difference whatsoever.

Though over time, I have learned that production knives simply cannot be perfect in every way. It's almost impossible to have a lock-up so perfect that it doesn't move whatsoever. They'll be alright. They're tools. I don't mind some scratches and wear on finishes nearly as much as I used to (in my mind it makes it look nicer, shows battle scars :)) It's just going to happen, it's pretty much inevitable. What's the point of buying a car if you're just going to keep it in the garage and never drive the thing?

I think you should draw the line where it actually makes a difference in the knife's performance. If you can feel blade play with your fingers but don't actually notice it while using the knife, well then there's no reason to worry about it, is there? That's my way of coping with it, anyway.
 
I check my knives whenever I sharpen them generally, though this includes when I strop them between stone sessions which is every couple times I carry them. And of course before I buy a knife or after I get it in the mail I give it the whole rundown!
 
only time I check is when I sharpen.

I carry spyderco knives. I use them hard. I've never had to adjust for centering or blade play. only once on the cheaper tenacious have I had to tighten a pivot, and that was when I first got it, must've been assembled just a hair loose. I've never used loc tite or anything either.

either I am much more forgiving about these subtle nuances, or I've just been lucky on having knives who need no maintenance other than sharpening and maybe a drop of oil twice a year...

I think the knife gods must love me or something. I hear people say their 1095 pocket knives rust away in their pocket after two hours, meanwhile I take the same knife swimming in a creek, riding a bike through thunder storms, and left in soggy clothing all day and I have no issue besides some light discoloration.
 
Take care of your tools and they will take care of you. Some of us spend more time checking out the finer points of maintenance. Trust me, that's not OCD. :)

I have worked with true OCD people. Ever see someone who takes a tissue of paper towel to open a door because they won't touch the knob everyone else left germs on?

Depending on how solidly constructed your knives, and how hard you use them, checking them regularly is a good way to make them last a long time.
 
I only check my knives now and then.

Unless I feel something is wrong with a particular knife, then I will make any necessary adjustments.

But I've never had any of my knives develop blade play or end up with screws loosening.

And sometimes if I'm sitting around the house flicking/flipping a knife, then I may check it afterwords just to be safe.
 
Esav, that reminds me of my wife asking why I don't tell her I love her anymore. I asked her to remember back when we met, 30 years ago, that I told her I loved her and if I ever changed my mind I'd let her know. When I get a knife, I get a really good one and check it out thoroughly. Then I trust it will stay that way (with maintenance, of course).

Esav Benyamin said:
Take care of your tools and they will take care of you. Some of us spend more time checking out the finer points of maintenance. Trust me, that's not OCD. :)

I have worked with true OCD people. Ever see someone who takes a tissue of paper towel to open a door because they won't touch the knob everyone else left germs on?

Depending on how solidly constructed your knives, and how hard you use them, checking them regularly is a good way to make them last a long time.
Click to expand...
 
I don't check the function all that often, but I do check that it is still in my pocket where I put it all the time.
 
I check my blades fairly often to see if they need sharpening after I use them. Some tasks I don't expect to dull an edge and they do. I'm not a "hair popping sharp" guy but I don't want to have to work too hard at cutting. As for centering a lockup, I check them every now and again. I want most of folders to open with little effort.
 
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