All About Pocket Knives

ok ya'll - I've wanted to ask about this for awhile. I'd like some opinions. My question is this - Is blade wobble inevitable?

I call it blade wobble. I've heard others refer to it as 'play in the blade' or loose blades. I know some knives can be new and have it. Others develop it over time.

Most of my knives are less than 15 years old and have tight blades. If I look at a knife and you can wiggle the blade after it's been opened I won't buy it. I've had a few of my Case knives with this problem and after sending them to Case, they came back with the problem fixed.

So, if you carry and use certain folding knives regularly, are they going to start wobbling? If so, how much play do you think is acceptable?

it is inevitable with use. not just opening and closing. can be fixed. depending on how blade is set(with slackner) determines the tolerance.

i agree with johnnie, but if you use your knife as a knife instead of a screw driver or prybar, blade wobble usually wont happen. most of my knives or 75 years or older and i dont think any of them wobble.

yeah, I kinda' figured it was inevitable- just like death and taxes right?

Of course I would have liked to have heard something like, 'no way a well made knife would ever develop blade play' But I guess deep down I knew that wasn't the case.

i never pry(well, not much) with a blade but hard cutting can cause lateral pressure which can cause blade wobble in any knife. i have some old knives that wobble and some as tight as the day they were made. the better examples we collect are less used and will of course not be loose. but, a skilled knife mechanic can eliminate most wobble.

Johnnie,
Does a knife have to be torn apart to tighten it up??

hey ray, in most cases, no. the proper clearance is established with a slackner and the original pin is not worn, it can be lightly re-peened and then finished. if the pin is severely worn it can be replaced with a new pin and finished.

Simply opening and closing a knife will eventually cause a degree of wobble, the smallest amount of friction on the tang will remove microscopic particles of metal, you can see wear marks on old knives that have had lots of use. Any knife used regularly requires an aplication of fine oil to its joints periodically to reduce this wear, the old guys in Sheffield sometimes stamped their tangs with this very information! As regards side play brought on by the joint opening up, I suppose you get what you pay for, a quality built joint will last longer

I have a few very nice EDCs that have anywhere for just a slight wobble to allmost embarrassing to let anyone see you carrying, some of them are case and camillus,Schrade, Boker, and a few mid 70s Winchsters almost all of which are stockman designs.
I would be interested in knowing just what has to be done to take care of them???
Enjoy The Day
Rusty

One other reason blades develop this "play" is sharpening. When you bear down on a stone with the blade held sideways you are putting pressure on the joint. Sort of like levering on a prybar. If you remember to back up the blade with your fingers you will lessen this effect. However, I have seen more knives ruined, or at least defaced, by the blades being laid flat or almost flat on the stone or worse, a grinder.