Folder Break-In
The break-in period for your new knife can be long. Depending on your level of use, expect the opening and closing of the blade to be stiff for the first couple of months, at least.
A drop of oil in the pivot area every once in a while will help ease the operation of the knife until it is broken in. I recommend Starrett Tool Oil.
A Note on Liner-Locks
While technically a liner lock knife, the lock on Erling Knives liner locks is purely a safety feature. As with a regular slip-joint pocket knife, it's the back-spring that is responsible for holding the blade open and closed. As such, your knife should be used as if it has no lock at all. While the lock will stay tight and self-adjust somewhat as it wears, any major strain on it can deform it enough to render it useless.
Care
Sharpening
I recommend watching some YouTube videos on sharpening a scandi grind blade.
Basically though, you lay the beveled surface of the blade on your sharpening stone and push the blade along it. Start with a coarse stone and move to finer grits. I like to finish it up with a leather strop. Scandi-grinds are easy to sharpen because of the big bevel, but they also take a lot of time because you’re removing metal across that whole surface.
General Maintenance
The blade and spring are made of tool steel and so can rust. The best way to keep your knife rust free is to use it. If the knife is going to lay dormant for a while, give the blade and handle a light coat of WD-40 with a rag.
Put a drop of oil in the pivot every few months!
The payoff of the long break-in period is that the blade should remain free of wobble through years of use. However, if the blade does eventually loosen up, it can be tightened back up. You'll need:
-a small ball peen hammer (5oz or less)
-an anvil or vise with flat anvil surface
-some blue painter's tape
With the blade open, tape over the cutting edge for safety, and wrap the handle in tape leaving only the pivot pin exposed. The tape will protect the handle from any errant hammer blows. Lay the knife on its side on the flat anvil surface so one end of the pivot pin is resting on it. With the ball peen of your hammer, GENTLY tap around the perimeter of pivot pin, using not much more than the weight of the hammer. Imagine you're trying to make the mushroom flatter and wider. Flip the knife over and repeat. Repeat and repeat until there is no more lateral play in the blade.