Compression lock - blade play under pressure

[krol]

Hi,
I've had a Para 3 lw in 4V for a few months now, and it's probably my favourite knife for pretty much everything, but one thing is bothering me quite a bit: the knife has a substantial vertical blade play when I use a hammer grip. The pivot was adjusted pretty carefully to the point that the blade almost falls down on its own, and there's no blade play in either direction - as long as I don't grip the knife properly. When I use thumb ramp there's no issue, because my hand does not touch the liner at all (obviously, when I use choil it's fine as well). But the thing is, I mainly use hammer grip. I can visually inspect just a tiny bit of liner movement when I squeeze the knife hard. I tried tightening the pivot and the problem still occurs; it's pretty much the same in forward/reverse and edge in/out position. Is it...normal? I feel like there's still quite a lot of distance for the liner to disengage, and I usually don't mind a small lock rock, but I've never had a knife with a progressive blade play. Is it something to live with when it comes to a comp lock? Would G10 version be prone to that? Or perhaps there's something wrong with my particular knife?

[Sharp Guy]

I just tried to simulate what you're experiencing with 3 different Para 3 LWs and I can't get any vertical play when using a hammer grip, reverse hammer grip etc. I'm reasonably strong but you must have a grip like Thor. Regardless it seems strange to me that you're getting vertical play considering there's a stop pin there. I have all kinds of knives with the compression lock and I've never felt any kind of play when I'm using them

[JSumm]

Can you try to load a picture of your knife. Instructions on the below thread I find very useful.

viewtopic.php?t=83968

I have only had a couple of Para 3 LWs, and I personally have never experienced any perceivable vertical play. Never experienced it on any of my Compression Lock models. Side to side, but not vertical.

[wrdwrght]

Is the movement a one-time deal per opening, or does it repeat when you press?

[vivi]

I just checked all my comp lock knives and there's a touch of vertical play on my Yojumbo user.

[krol]

I tried to film it - can't really see the movement on the video, but there's a clicking noise. Now I start to wonder if the blade play is always there, but I only notice it when I grip the knife firmly - maybe it's not really progressing, but it's just easier to spot with a stronger anker.

https://www.veed.io/view/905ee569-ad10- ... anel=share

[Wartstein]

....But the thing is, I mainly use hammer grip. I can visually inspect just a tiny bit of liner movement when I squeeze the knife hard. ....

So you are definitely not even close to actually disengaging the lock, right?

This is what I read I think two times: People accidentally disengaging a comp.lock when gripping the knife really hard.
Personally I think this is extremely unlikely to happen and only could due an also extremely unfortunate combo of a certain "hand geometry / meatiness" and a certain comp.lock cutout shape.

The few comp.locks I owned did lock up rock solid in every direction, regardless how and how hard I gripped the knives.

[krol]

Sorry for the delay, but my post just got approved.
Anyway, I'm adding pictures of the lockup. The blade play is definitely increasing while I'm holding the knife in a hammer grip. I've noticed it's not even the matter how strong I hold it, but rather where - the moment I wrap my hand close to the pivot, it gets really noticeable; if I back down and don't touch the pivot area, there's no play at all.

[wrdwrght]

So it’s your grip, not a pressing of the blade on a surface, that results in the blade playing vertically?

[krol]

I think it's just easier to spot it when I sort of force it like in the video above, but the blade play is there, so if I put pressure while cutting it does slightly move vertically.

[James Y]

One of my two G10 Para 3's (the DLC one) sometimes has some very slight vertical play. It sounds weird, but most of the time there is no play. It only happens occasionally. It's not a disturbing amount; a barely perceptible amount by slightly pushing back and forth with my hand. The liner also moves over further than my other comp locks, maybe about 60% across the blade tang's mating surface. I would definitely prefer there wasn't any play at all, but it doesn't affect its safety as a cutting tool.

Jim

[wrdwrght]

Had this knife been a midlock, especially without a Boye dent, I could understand the described blade-play. I have many Spydies with a compression lock and can’t even imagine what is described. Were it mine, I’d send it to Golden for the fix.

[krol]

Thanks, I'm not from the US though, so sending would be quite a struggle. I tried to live with it, but it drives me nuts...
I think I know what's going on, although I don't know why: all it takes to start moving is the slightest pressure on the compression leaf; it doesn't have to be from the side - just a slight touch perpendicularly, from the top. Using the knife like that (hammer grip without forcing it), the leaf tends to move (very little) to the left. That creates big amount of blade play. I don't have to grab the knife hard to accomplish that.

I tried to film it: https://www.veed.io/view/55d67bc2-4f04- ... anel=share Again - it's easier to hear it than see anything.

I tried rotating the stop pin, and it didn't help. Tightening the pivot all the way up does nothing as well. It doesn't make any difference if I open the knife very gently or flick it hard.

Any thoughts? Anything I can do about it?