Why do some blades not align with the springs?

315

315

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So when I've been looking around the internet at some traditional folders I've noticed something. Sometimes the blades do not appear completely open when they are fully deployed. The spine of the blade is offset at an angle compared to the springs. Is it by design or lack of quality control? I get it in the case of a stockman or other serpentine design that the spine flows with the contour of the spring, but when the spring is straight I would assume they would align, or at least be very close.
 
315 said:
So when I've been looking around the internet at some traditional folders I've noticed something. Sometimes the blades do not appear completely open when they are fully deployed. The spine of the blade is offset at an angle compared to the springs. Is it by design or lack of quality control? I get it in the case of a stockman or other serpentine design that the spine flows with the contour of the spring, but when the spring is straight I would assume they would align, or at least be very close.
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Depends. I've seen knives whose blades were designed to droop a bit. I'll see if I can find some pics.
 
I think this Case Sowbelly illustrates, even though the handle itself is curved.
When I am holding the knife, the blade definitely droops down from the handle. I have two. They both have this. Definitely part of the design and not a manufacturing flaw.

Y0p7vAh.jpg
 
Some Case Slimline Trapper blades have a definent cant (thanks Jack Black Jack Black ). I don't think it's by design as most are okay.
 
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glennbad said:
I have always felt that was poor fit and finish in production knives.
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I agree Glenn and whatever the reason this is one issue that drives me crazy to the point I won't carry a knife with this issue.

Frank I sold my Case Sowbelly but don't recall the spring sitting high with the clip deployed could be wrong so I did a quick search for photos and found this page that have a few Sowbellies shown with the clip deployed HERE they don't seem to have this problem but with photoshop the could have been "fixed". I could be totally wrong (wouldn't be the first time".
Anyway great idea for a thread and maybe someone will chime in with a definitive answer. In the meantime I guess I'll be in research mode for a while because I'd really like to know myself.
 
I think I know what you mean. The Pen blade on this Railsplitter might be a good example. The backsprings do have a very slight curve but not enough to cause the blade to droop as much as it does.

IMG_2892.JPG
IMG_2727.JPG
 
knarfeng said:
I think this Case Sowbelly illustrates, even though the handle itself is curved.
When I am holding the knife, the blade definitely droops down from the handle. I have two. They both have this. Definitely part of the design and not a manufacturing flaw.

Y0p7vAh.jpg
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Railsplitter said:
I think I know what you mean. The Pen blade on this Railsplitter might be a good example. The backsprings do have a very slight curve but not enough to cause the blade to droop as much as it does.

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That's pretty much what I was seeing in a few knives, it just looks odd to me. Not a deal breaker but I wonder if a little filing might be able to adjust that if a guy found a knife he wanted but didn't care for the droop?
 
r redden said:
I agree Glenn and whatever the reason this is one issue that drives me crazy to the point I won't carry a knife with this issue.

Frank I sold my Case Sowbelly but don't recall the spring sitting high with the clip deployed could be wrong so I did a quick search for photos and found this page that have a few Sowbellies shown with the clip deployed HERE they don't seem to have this problem but with photoshop the could have been "fixed". I could be totally wrong (wouldn't be the first time".
Anyway great idea for a thread and maybe someone will chime in with a definitive answer. In the meantime I guess I'll be in research mode for a while because I'd really like to know myself.
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As I read it, the OP isn't talking about a spring sitting high. He is talking about a blade which does not come 180° straight out from the springs. Some designs do this. Others don't.
 
knarfeng said:
As I read it, the OP isn't talking about a spring sitting high. He is talking about a blade which does not come 180° straight out from the springs. Some designs do this. Others don't.
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Well I knew I was old and blind but I guess I forgot how to read too. :D:D
Sorry Frank I have a one track mind.
 
I don’t know why some blades “droop” or “drop point” - but I personally like it when they do, especially on slip joints.

For some reason, I feel that the “droop/drop point” is more ergonomic, especially when using the tip of the blade. I have no proof nor have I ever thought about why, but it just feels more useable for me.
 
I have knives that come out straight and some that droop. That doesn't bother me either way as much a blade tang that sits way above or below the edge of the spring when the knife is open.
 
I think I know exactly what he's talking about. I can also attest that
A) It can be corrected by removing material from either the end of the spring or the blade tang where it mates against the spring.
B) It is not easy to do without marring surrounding surfaces.
C) For me, correcting the alignment of the blade makes the incidental damage acceptable.

I believe that the term used in a previous discussion of the subject here was "underbladed" if the blade is not opening to straight and "overbladed" if it opens past straight. If I rooted through my knife box I could probably come up with examples of both. But since the great Photobucket debacle, I couldn't post the pictures if I took them.
 
I might have got the wrong end of the stick, but if we're talking about a blade 'drooping', what we're talking about is blade cant. Underblading/Overblading is a slightly different thing. Underblading is where the spine of the blade sits fractionally lower than the back of the spring, and can be a deliberate design, the purpose of it being to prevent 'overblading', where due to wear, the blade rises. I had a long discussion about this with Stan Shaw after a request by Mr @JDWARE , and I think part of that discussion will be here - somewhere! o_O :thumbsup:

I also have a few examples of a deliberately overbladed pruning knife, but it's a very unusual knife :thumbsup:

TEW Comet Pruner 1.JPG
 
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I agree with Jack, CANT is blade droop whereby a blade does not open out smartly against the spring. Of course this is more likely with krinked blades or curved/serp springs. It's very noticeable on EE Pen patterns or Jacks. I have a CASE Small Texas in CV that shows pronounced cant for the Pen blade whereas its stainless cousin has no such thing. This suggests it is a manufacturing laxity or perhaps the stainless one was made on newer more precise equipment? Canal St. Forum Knife 15 shows no problem, the minor blade opens out very smartly, GEC's White Owl also has a smart looking minor blade, very crisp. CASE's Penknife is a good example of the opposite, the minor blade shows very noticeable cant. It may well be that many people don't mind it, or manufacturers don't regard it as a point of interest/honour, I do....;)
 
IMO just a simple design choice, I designed some stuff to not be parallel on purpose. Function over form :D
 
Ernie1980 said:
I have knives that come out straight and some that droop. That doesn't bother me either way as much a blade tang that sits way above or below the edge of the spring when the knife is open.
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I have a brand new Case Swayback Jack with a blade tang that sits quite a bit above the edge (overbladed, thanks for reminding me of the correct term Jack Black Jack Black ) of the spring and the back spring is pretty close to flush in all three positions. I've seen more knives with the tang below the back spring slightly when fully open than above. I'm sending it to Case Repair.

IMG_3254.jpg
 
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Some nasty cant on this mid 70's Joseph Rodgers Jack o_O

Blade droop.jpg
 
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