A Folder To Back Cut With?

T

Tonie

Joined
Jul 20, 2000
Messages
111
I posted a question on the general forum asking about the strength of the "super locks" and got a lot of good responses. But I'd really like to sharpen the focus here and ask if anyone makes a folder that can be used to back cut with?

Somebody might wonder why I would even consider doing this with a folder. The answer is simple, I train with and carry both fixed and folding blades. My fixed blade training is in Keatings Western Bowie. This means that back cutting is part of my training. We all know that what you train with comes out under stress.

So if it's possible, I would like to have a folder which can be used to back cut with.

I bought the CRKT Crawford KFF because of the secondary lock, and it works. But I wanted a longer blade so I bought the Sifu. It doesn't cut it, it tends to fold right up. I sent it back to have it looked at and they said it was in perfect working order.

So is there anyone out there as crazy as me who does have a back cutting folder?

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All you need is love... a sharp blade and a full clip
 
I have no experience with it, but you might want to look at the Spyderco Chinook. I believe it was designed by James Keating, and it incorporates a bowie-style blade, and what Spyderco says (and I tend to believe them) is an extremely strong lock.
 
Check out the 4/2/01 Shotgun News--Ayoob reviewed the Chinook there. Part of it is a description of how to do the backcut since there's a dull false edge and an upswept tip.

The effect is to do a tip rip but it will still hurt.
 
Try using a balisong then
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It hurts to be on the cutting edge.
 
Tonie,

The chinook can do the backcut. JAK reported that there are "refinements" in future editions. I suspect a sharper swedge which means that it will probably do it better.

Sounds though like you're looking for a megafolder. If SIFU can't do it, Maybe Darrel Ralph's Mad Max (clip point) with the integral lock is the way to go. Beautiful design but a chunk of cash. Maybe Camilus will produced that at some point in the future and give a run at the megafolder market.
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sing
AKTI #A000356
 
Chinook, Spyderco/Keating folder. My reasons:

Lock is strong and should not be effected by "white-knuckling".

Tip is upswept by design to facilitate a backcut stroke.

The master of the backcut himself, Keating, designed it so that should be a plus in my opinion.

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Faith, Family, Blades & Bullets "My Definition of Strength"
 
I'd suggest either a Benchmade 710 or 42. You could sharpen the false edge on either, and an Axis or bali is not going to fold on you in a back cut.

--JB

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e_utopia@hotmail.com
 
I haven't tried this knife for this particular task, but have you seen the CS Scimitar?

It would appear that this knife has what your looking for.

--The Raptor--
 
A couple of months ago, I sharpened a portion of the swedge on my Chinook. The new false edge is about 11/16ths of an inch long from the point and very slightly convex. I just used a Dremel to get the basic shape of the edge bevel and then finished with a medium Norton India stone. Spyderco's 440V is relatively soft, so it wasn't that difficult.

Getting cut while carrying the knife isn't a worry. The handle is designed to cover a small false edge and, since it's a lockback, the blade stays closed.

I actually sharpened the swedge on my Chinook primarily for utility. Since it has such a dramatic belly, it's hard to make "box cutting" type cuts with it. Now though, you can just flip it over and cut with the back edge. Also, an upswept point doesn't penetrate well. Although penetration, surprisingly, wasn't bad on the Chinook, after sharpening the swedge there's a huge improvement.

Backcutting, in a tactical sense, works great with the false edge, of course. You're actually cutting through part of the stroke, instead of just ripping with the tip. Keating wrote in the defunct ROS forum that his personal Chinook has a small false edge, so I guess that was one of the ideas behind the knife's design.

Whether or not you want to backcut with a folding knife is still debatable, I think, but the Chinook would be a great canidate.

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Cerulean

"My good reason to carry a knife is that God gave me rather weak teeth and rudimentary claws in an evolutionary trade-off." - J.K.M.
 
Why not ask on the specific forums like REKAT, Spyderco and see if it is covered by the intended design. You could also post in the custom forum and get comments from the various makers.


-Cliff
 
I would think the MOD Duane Dieter CQD might serve well in this particular role. It sports a decent sized blade with a false edge that can be easily sharpened, the grip is very secure, and in addition to its very reliable primary button lock, it also has a secondary back-up slide lock.

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Semper Fi

-Bill
 
back cut?! dont you mean cut back?
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[This message has been edited by tom mayo (edited 04-02-2001).]
 
Forget about the back cut, and work on your cut back!
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Seriously, the Chinook has a number of things going for it. It is extremely strong, and the choil is designed so that if the blade were to fold, the edge won't immediately hit your index finger, as long as your hand has not slipped down or anything.

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But the Chinook will suffer from repeated back cuts. If you train doing back cuts on a cutting dummie regularly, you will eventually degrade the lock to the point that it may not be reliable. The Chinook is an awesome knife, and doing tip rips with it are definately in its game, but the back lock, even one as brawny as the Chinook, is not up to on-going, daily abuse such as hard backcuts.

Mine developed a small amount of play, that appeared to be getting worse after a couple hours of training doing sporadic back cuts. The knife is an amazing brute though, and will take as much or more abuse than any liner lock.
 
Don't know if you can't for legal reasons, but you might want to consider a short fixed blade for this purpose. Something like Bob Dozier's Arkansas Toothpick would do the job, or if you want to go even smaller I recently acquired a Christ Hatin neck knife with a sharp back edge that I like very much. It's only about a two inch blade, but tip rips are about damage, not penetration.
 
I'f you don't mind a used blade check out estate sales. I'm sorry I tried to keep my mouth shut but I can't do it. Would you train to fire a hand gun backwards?

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CHARRED CHOCOLATE FRIED STEAK IS WORSE THAN REGULAR CHOCOLATE FRIED STEAK
 
Chinook! You don't need to sharpen the false edge. I have a nice inch long scar from the tip of my Chinook. Long story on how I got it, but this knife will back cut!

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If ignorance is bliss,
why aren't more people happy?
 
I spent some time doing backcuts with two Guntings yesterday. They were done on a soft target (a large mat), and were done at very high force, pretty much as fast and as hard as I could swing. The lock held up fine and I did not notice and different in the lockup. However I only did it a couple of dozen times with each blade. You might want to ask Sal and/or Bram concerning long term effects.

-Cliff
 
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