An Epidemic Is Afflicting Knives
Over the years I have been a big proponent of avoiding “out of the box” evaluations of knives. While, of course, I prefer my knives sharp and tight out of the box, I came at this knife thing from woodworking where chisels and planes are shipped “pretty sharp” with an expectation that the end user would finish the job. So if knife needs a bit of stropping once it gets to its home, I am not bothered. I am also not super concerned if a knife needs a screw or two tightened. But this past year, things got really bad on this front. Dozens of knives I have handled for reviews and otherwise have had not just a bit of wiggle but outright sloppy pivots. I used more Loc Tite (Blue 242 if your curious) 2023 than all 14 years combined.
When I got the Hinderer Compact Dauntless, I, like a lot of other people in that first batch, had to use some Loc Tite. No big deal—open up the knife, dab a bit on the pivot, and then cinch it down until it is just right. After that it has remained as stationary as a statue for years now. But the knives coming across the review desk now, they come sloppy and stay sloppy. Its hard to evaluate this because I am not sure, absent something like the outcry for the Compact Dauntless, if this is just my review sample or if it is ALL of the knives being made.
It is also different than it used to be. The old school Benchmade Axis lock knives, pre-Bugout, always had a bit of slop in them. It was just how they made the lock. But the locked up fine, wiggled a little, and open and closed fine. It also didn’t get worse over time. What I am seeing now is not only getting worse over time, its to the point where some of the knives just fail eventually. I have had a few knives that simply stopped locking up. That’s a real problem.
It is ironic that all of this is happening now when machining has never been better. Entry level knives from China are coming in with PERFECT lock up—like the CRJB Pyrite—so when knives over $100 from good companies come in with loose pivots there is a problem. It means that this is not a capability issue but a attention issue. And for that, as a reviewer, I have absolutely no mercy. If you don’t care enough to make a wobble free knife when you can, I can’t possibly care about issuing a low review score.
Look, its not like we don’t know why this is happening. The reason is clear—for most people, a knife is a fidget toy and how well it functions in that role is more important than how well it functions as a knife. If your main uses for your knives are flicking them open and posing for pictures, a loose pivot means next to nothing. If you actually use your knives, then the pivot sloppiness and inability to lock up matters.
So what can we, as consumers, do?
First, I think we need to be more active in objecting to sloppy pivots. The obsession with “action” has led to people accepting sloppy pivots when they really shouldn’t. I am going to issue a hot take here, but “fall shut action” isn’t a good thing. Its dangerous and while it can be done with an air tight pivot, more often than not it is caused by a blade that is too thick and a loose pivot. If you get a knife with a sloppy pivot, try once to fix it, and then send it back if that doesn’t work. Send it back to the factory and eventually folks will get the hint.
Second, reviewers and influencers should be willing take companies to task for sloppy pivots. At their worst, when the prevent lock up, sloppy pivots are actually very dangerous. I have watched reviews where I KNOW the pivot screwed up and the issue goes unmentioned. That is not good for us, consumers, or the reviewer/influencer. Don’t mislead people. Mention mistakes. Be honest.
Third, we need to patronize the brands that don’t pander to us with sloppy pivots. You can made a flipper that snaps open every single time with authority and NOT have a sloppy pivot. My Sharp by Designs Micro Evo 2.0 has the best action I have ever seen (with one possible exception in the form of the Indiana Knives EDZ) and it has never budged even a small amount. The ZT 0545 had a rock solid pivot, even if it doesn’t have fall shut action. I’d rather have a safe knife than a flippy one.
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