Any blade play in the New Green Pac Salt?

[Doc Dan]

I had a dealer tell me that some of the LC200N Pacific Salts have had blade play. On the other hand, another dealer, and some guys I respect here, have said there is zero blade play. What is your experience with this knife?

[MFlovejp]

Mine has a tiny tick of up and down but zero side to side.

[James Y]

Doc,

I haven’t gotten one yet, but when I order knives from online dealers, I always call the dealer and order over the phone. And I always have a brief, pre-written list of things I ask them to check the knife for (things I want, as well as flaws I don’t want; blade play being one of the latter). None of the three reputable dealers I order from exclusively has ever had a problem doing so. Using this method of ordering, I have never gotten a knife with blade play, or any other flaws. It’s not a 100% guarantee, of course, but it significantly lessens the chances of getting a lemon, and certainly beats ordering blind over the Internet and hoping for the best.

As for the new Pac Salt 2, I plan to get mine maybe next year. I usually prefer to wait until a new model has been out for awhile, so that any ‘bugs’ can be discovered and CQI that may be implemented to fix them. Plus, I’m saving up for one of the upcoming Ayoob sprints, which, when it does come out, I won’t be able to wait on.

Jim

[soulspy]

Seki City lockback = a little up/down blade play. Bothers me less than the Siren which has amazing lockup until you grip the handle. The tiniest amount of pressure on the lockback lets the blade rattle.

[Lumpy]

Mine Definitely has a small bit of up and down. After taking it apart and reassembling it went away for a few days, but now it’s back.

[ABX2011]

All Seki lockbacks have a little but my Pac Salt 2 had more than a little. I returned it.

[curlyhairedboy]

it's been variable in my experience. Some have a bunch, some have none.

[justjohn]

I had some minimal side-side blade play that was due to a loose pivot screw. Re-tighten, a drop of blue, that's all I had to do. :D

[spoonrobot]

Mine has the worst up/down and side to side play of any Spyderco I've ever had. It's impossible to tighten the pivot enough to take up the side play without making the knife impossible to open. Up and down blade play is something I expect, but the kind exhibited by my example is pretty extreme IMO. I'm less than thrilled as the knife was relatively expensive.

Almost like it's missing washers:

[Cambertree]

I expected some blade play after reading some of the accounts here of the first releases.

I asked the dealer to check for bladeplay on mine, and they said they had two left in stock and both had play.

In the end, I wanted the knife enough, that I said just send the one with the least play.

When it arrived, the pivot screw was a little loose, so that contributed to the play. Once the pivot screw and other screws were tightened properly, the side to side play was adjusted out, but a bit of up and down play remained.

It’s worse than most of my other Seki lockbacks, and about the same as my K390 Dragonfly, which was also disappointing in that regard.

When I cut something on a firm backing, or slice into binding material like heavy duty industrial cardboard, or pop pallet strapping, I can feel the blade give way a little. Both knives still work fine, of course, but I just don’t like that ‘wiggle’, every time I use the knife and bear down on it.

Honestly, it’s something I would expect from a cheaper knife company, and I’d suggest that the CQI principle needs to go back to looking at fundamentals like loose up and down play in the Seki FRN lockbacks.

[Cambertree]

Mine has the worst up/down and side to side play of any Spyderco I've ever had. It's impossible to tighten the pivot enough to take up the side play without making the knife impossible to open. Up and down blade play is something I expect, but the kind exhibited by my example is pretty extreme IMO. I'm less than thrilled as the knife was relatively expensive.

Almost like it's missing washers:

Hmmm, that’s not good at all.

Stupid question, but have you tightened the lockbar and other screws too? Most of the screws on mine were a little loose. I have a theory it might be the coating on the screws causing them to back out slightly over time, if they’re not loc-tited.

[cabfrank]

That looks excessive to me. A little is undoubtedly within spec, but I would send that one back.

[StuntZombie]

Mine has a little side to side, and just barely detectable vertical. The horizontal is a consequence of where I have the pivot adjusted right now.

All the screws on mine were looser out of the box, but especially the pivot and lockbar screws. Tightening them up helped immensely.

[skeeg11]

Yes. My serrated has that Seki vertical lock rock. A heckuva light weight knife, but it makes me want a serrated Siren even more.

[vivi]

Yes.

Mine didn't have any at first and I reported this, but it has since developed thetypical mild vertical lock rock.

[Doc Dan]

Mine has the worst up/down and side to side play of any Spyderco I've ever had. It's impossible to tighten the pivot enough to take up the side play without making the knife impossible to open. Up and down blade play is something I expect, but the kind exhibited by my example is pretty extreme IMO. I'm less than thrilled as the knife was relatively expensive.

Almost like it's missing washers:

That is pretty bad. That one needs to be sent back.

This picture illustrates what a dealer was telling me exactly, although this is a lot worse that described. Yikes!

Well, I know Spyderco will sort this out, so I guess I'll wait a bit to buy.

[Wartstein]

Mine has the worst up/down and side to side play of any Spyderco I've ever had. It's impossible to tighten the pivot enough to take up the side play without making the knife impossible to open. Up and down blade play is something I expect, but the kind exhibited by my example is pretty extreme IMO. I'm less than thrilled as the knife was relatively expensive.

Almost like it's missing washers:

That´s pretty severe play in your vid... just tested my well used Pac Salt 1 for comparison: Practically no side to side play, in fact when I try to provoke it, the handle starts to flex a bit before the blade wiggles...

I am one of those who does not mind a bit of play at all, but that amount would really bother me. Generally, but also concerning possible bad long term effects.
I also wonder: Will ffg Pac Salt 1s, that DON´T have that kind of side to side play out of the box, be more likely to develope such over time (as said: My Pac Salt 1 still has none, even after a lot of use and abuse)?!

Since this (an Endura 4-ish ffg SE blade) is really my "dream knife" and will most likely become my most used folder by far, I really hope this is not a general issue...

[z4vdBt]

Checking for blade play is like checking your tire pressure - the very act of knowing exacerbates the situation.

[cabfrank]

Fair enough, but...
Wartstein, I checked my Pac Salt 1 also, just to absolutely sure.
Mine has zero blade play, in either direction.

[aicolainen]

Checked mine, zero play in either direction.
Kind of relieved to find out. I forgot to ask the seller to check it, and returning a knife across the Atlantic would have caused me a lot of headache.
The screws weren't very tight, but in no way about to fall out either. Tightening the pivot screw even the tiniest bit further than how it came from the factory makes it almost impossible to flick the blade down on my index finger.
Will add some locktite just for the added peace of mind.