"Zero Blade Play" Production Folders

dakota

dakota

Joined
Oct 3, 1998
Messages
247
I've owned a few production folders that have had zero blade play under any conditions and even after extensive use. They were all Sebenzas and Axis locks. I've owned other knives that I loved dearly, but their blade play led be to eventually sell them. My full size Spydie Calypso is one that comes to mind.
What other production folders have you owned that were long term rock solid?
 
The only production folders I have owned with Zero blade play have been all of my Benchmades, the Kershaw Spec Bump, and a Buck Strider 880.

All others have had blade play that could not be adjusted out.
 
The Military, Benchmade 630, Buck 880, Lonewolf T2. Several William Henrys including the T-12 and T-10 in different styles. Kershaw splinter. Even after use these names come to my mind as to still not having play, they were all tight and still are(the ones I still own). I have found most axis locks to have blade play in contrast to your experience, most of my linerlocks and framelocks have not. I have only had one axis lock not have play (960). All my sebbies are rock solid, even more so then my SNG.
 
barrabas74 said:
The Military, Benchmade 630, Buck 880, Lonewolf T2. Several William Henrys including the T-12 and T-10 in different styles. Kershaw splinter. Even after use these names come to my mind as to still not having play, they were all tight and still are(the ones I still own). I have found most axis locks to have blade play in contrast to your experience, most of my linerlocks and framelocks have not. I have only had one axis lock not have play (960). All my sebbies are rock solid, even more so then my SNG.
Click to expand...

The Axis locks you had that had blade play, did you try to tighten the pivot? Do you mean they had it and you couldn't get rid of it by tightening the pivot? If so, I have a hard time believing that. I have never had a knife with an adjustable pivot that I couldn't adjust to the point of zero blade play. I don't mean tightening it down to the max either. I mean being able to use it still and open and close it but with no play.

I always tighten my pivots down to the max and then I back them off just a tad and they are fine. I also use loctite to keep them all exactly how I like them.
 
Spyderco chinook II, SOG Flash II, buck juno and 110, and cold steel scimitar are a few folders i have that have no blade play that i can tell.

the 2 bucks have seen a lot of use and abuse while the others mostly just chill in a draw. Another i forgot to mention is the benchmade mini pika. Another knife i use a lot with no blade play.
 
I have had a lot of production knives with no blade play. I have many Spyderco's, Benchmades, Buck/Mayo, Ernest Emerson, Striders knives, all with no blade play. And how could I forget my large Sebenza AAND my Combat Elite RRF are all rock solid as well.
 
My Benchmades with bronze bushings have been good.

My Shinobo was tight, till I really, really abused it.

Suprisingly, my Boye "eagle wing" is still tight also.
 
My Spyderco Police and the two Spyderco Militaries that I have owned have or had no play. My older Buck 110 and new Buck 503 also have no play. My Buck Strider 880 did have a small amount of play.
 
Just going from what i've played with:

Frame Locks:
Large or Small Sebenza, Strider PT, and the wee little Spydie Cricket come to mind.

Arc Lock:
SOG Titanium Vision

Compression:
Spydie Para Military, Spydie Gunting
 
Joe Dirt I did tighten down one that still had play a 940. I thought you were talking about blades that had play w/o you altering them. The other benchmades were solid after I tightened them. The knives I mentioned were rock solid out of the box and stayed that way. The 940 had back and forth blade play i dont know why but I eventually traded it. I had an SNG that I tightened down really tight and it still had blade play back and forth even when side to side was gone, it had to be sent back to strider, USAFSP has witnessed this. But yes after tightening my benchmades all but one has cleared up I apolagize for any confusion.
 
My 30+ year old Buck 110 is still rock solid. None of my Benchmades have blade play. About 50% of my Spydies have some play. My new Para is perfect though.
 
Actually, if you don't watch the torx screws, axis locks develop vertical play every few weeks or so. Not a big deal, just tigthen it up slightly and it's back to normal. My blue bump and mini mojo have no blade play, my dodo (and d`allara) has no blade play, my 560C has no blade play, obviously my 41MC and Spyderfly have no blade play...my CRKT Urban Shark has no play, and like my M16 that has no play, they both have been beaten the hell out of. My Axis locks and Benchmite work really well play wise, but the axis lock develops some lateral play as the screw works itself out.

I've only had one knife that came with OR developed permanent play, and that's the para.
 
My Small Sebenza, Spydie Calypso Jr. and Dragonfly don't have any blade play. Strangely enough, my Calypso Jr. developed a minor blade play about 2 years ago, then it mysteriously went away:confused: It's real solid now (and yes, even after a good cleaning and lube).

The 3 or 4 Victorinox SAKs that I owned were also rock solid, considering the absence of a lock.

The only knife I have that has play is the blade on my Gerber Legend. It's just terrible.

Guy
 
Out of my small collection;

Spyderco SS SE Harpy; solid as a bank vault, *zero* blade play, feels as rigid as a fixed blade when locked open

Spyderco Dodo; no *effective* vertical blade play, if forced maybe the width of a human hair, no more, *slight* horizontal blade play, 2-3 hairwidths or so

Spyderco SS PE Cricket; solid as a bank vault, *zero* blade play

Spyderco Dyad Jr; PE blade, *no* vertical play, slight horizontal (a couple hairwidths), SE blade....hmm, this is not good, substantial horizontal play, noticeable vertical play, then again, i *did* buy this one used, no idea of it's history.....

Spyderco PE Native; no play

Spyderco SE Jester; no vertical, slight horizontal

Kershaw Scallion; slight horizontal, no vertical
 
I have a lot of knives with no blade play but the two that stick out as feeling the most solid are my Sebenza and Skirmish. They also have the best overall fit and finish of all of my knives.
 
Believe it or not, I have two Cold Steel Voyagers that are rock solid. One of these, a 4" tanto has been used a great deal.

All of my Benchmade's have been solid.

Two REKAT's were not solid but REKAT replaced them.
 
Artfully Martial said:
Actually, if you don't watch the torx screws, axis locks develop vertical play every few weeks or so. Not a big deal, just tigthen it up slightly and it's back to normal. but the axis lock develops some lateral play as the screw works itself out.

I've only had one knife that came with OR developed permanent play, and that's the para.
Click to expand...

I have noticed the same exept the 5000A auto axis, which stood solid even after long use.

I have loctited all BM screws and they are fine.

Spyderco has the better idea which pivot screw to instal. Seems, double screws work better even though loctite is not that big deal.
 
SOG Vision, but that was because there was absolutely no room for wear on the arc-lock, the pin was at 100% of travel and the blade was still not locked up tight. And a Kershaw Random Task, the liner was cut short and didn't even touch the blade tang. Other than that my knives are tight, and I don't have to touch the pivots.
 
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