Disappointed..Blade scratches near lettering.. Too tight?

[animportant]

Just received one of my grails, and disappointed to say there are scratches on the blade where it says spyderco and the blade steel. Could this be from the knife being too tight? Has anyone else ever seen this? I worry that these scratches will wear down the more I use it. I have never taken the knife apart.

http://m.imgur.com/Kf9ls7K

[Mr Blonde]

The 402j in that blade is really easy to scratch, I don't think there's any way to prevent any form of scratching on that particular blade. I've even scratched it cutting some tougher cardboard. On the plus side, the super blue steel is a joy to use. However, this soft aspect of the 420j layer works both ways (so to speak). You can regain a nice polished finish by applying a mild abbrasive metal polish like Flitz.

[Laethageal]

Be prepared for it to be scratched this way around the pivot area. Any kind of dust that set itself in there is enough to scratch that 420J1. I wished they were solid superblue... :)

[animportant]

I have the delica as well and I have seen how easy it is to scratch from cutting, but my delica doesn't have this kind of scratching around the pivot

[The Deacon]

Doesn't happen to every knife, but I've seen scratches like that on a lot of different models in just about every blade steel Spyderco has used.

[rycen]

For some reason there aren't washers in the FRN stretch.

[bearfacedkiller]

My delica looks just like that. Same with my Stretch. Unfortunately I believe that you just have to deal with it.

[The Deacon]

For some reason there aren't washers in the FRN stretch.

Odd. I just checked all of mine, as I was sure I'd seen washers. Turns out that I was half right. My older (blue) FRN/ZDP-189 Stretch, and all 3 of my FRN/VG-10 ones, have washers that are thick enough to be very easy to see. OTOH, my green FRN/ZDP and grey FRN/SB Stretch either don't have washers or Spyderco switched to ultra thin ones. Certainly could be a factor in those concentric scratches. All it would take would be the slightest burr on one or more of the clip screw holes in the liners. Haven't bought a new VG-10 one in quite a while, so can't say for sure whether they still have them.

[bearfacedkiller]

I believe it is the frn scratching on my knives. I removed the scales and sanded them down a little to create some clearance. I didn't do this because I was worried about the scratches but because I wanted to smooth the knife out as much as possible and figured that if I was seeing scratches that I was experiencing some drag. My SB Delica has seen a ton of carry and it is as smooth as you could ever ask for and the sanding helped. My Stretch and Endura were much better out of the box. My SB Delica, Stretch and Endura all have washers.

[wrdwrght]

I believe it is the frn scratching on my knives. I removed the scales and sanded them down a little to create some clearance. I didn't do this because I was worried about the scratches but because I wanted to smooth the knife out as much as possible and figured that if I was seeing scratches that I was experiencing some drag. My SB Delica has seen a ton of carry and it is as smooth as you could ever ask for and the sanding helped. My Stretch and Endura were much better out of the box. My SB Delica, Stretch and Endura all have washers.

Darby's experience and motivation are mine, as well.

I've lessened such scratches with gentle use of 1000 grit sandpaper followed by some Flitz.

[Evil D]

That's pretty typical of 420J1/2 from what I've seen, but also typical of most back locks. I'm shocked my VG10 Stretch doesn't have them yet, but every Salt knife and Caly 3/3.5 I've ever seen have scratches from opening and closing. It's just a byproduct of tight tolerance. My H1 Dragonfly literally scratched the very first time I opened it.

[bearfacedkiller]

The Caly knives lack washers so scratches do seem inevitable. My kiwi4 is also a Moki lockback and it has scratches already.

The 420 and H1 steels just scratch so easily that it is tough to avoid really.

[xceptnl]

FWIW, I find that the newer 420J1 scratches less than the older 420J2. My Caly Jr models have tang scratches and that's from just the FRN since those are linerless. OTOH, my Superblue Endura hasn't scratched around the pivot yet. Go figure.

[Screwdriver]

That is a flaw with the Stretch.....even my ZDP-189 is scratching.

Here is my SB Stretch....

[Johnnie1801]

That is a flaw with the Stretch.....even my ZDP-189 is scratching.

Here is my SB Stretch....

My SB Stretch is just like yours.

@Deacon - My SB Stretch has the same bronze washers as my Delica

[The Deacon]

@Deacon - My SB Stretch has the same bronze washers as my Delica

Mine probably has them too, but they're much thinner than the ones on the older FRN Stretches. Not curious enough to take any of them apart, but I can just barely slide a piece of cash register receipt paper between my SB Stretch's blade and liners on both sides with the knife open while a piece of cardboard from a tissue box won't fit. Same with the green FRN/ZDP one. For perspective, that same cardboard drops in easily between the blades and liners of the older ones.

[Evil D]

If memory serves me right there are indeed washers in the Stretch but they are super thin, so thin that the slightest amount of lateral flex in the pivot is going to allow the blade to rub the FRN scales.