Accidental folder closures?

[V-1]

I've heard the tales and "a friend of a friend" stories but I would like to hear some real experiences from fellow members. Has anyone ever had a folder accidentaly close on them? If so what sprung the lock and what was the results? I apologize if this brings back painful memories but I'm curious since I haven't had one close on me yet under some pretty heavy use but I imagine it would be a devastating accident. You know, with my trigger finger taking most of the impact.

 

[Samurai6]

I have personally observed a significant percentage of the liner lock folders I have held in my hand fold under moderate closing pressure. I have seen a few more close when given a moderate whack on the spine with a stick. Some have closed when twisting the handle while the blade is stuck into something or other. Very few of the folding knives I've owned, from production lockbacks to pricey handmade liner locks have not folded on me.

Admittedly this was when I was intentionally trying to get them to fold, but if they will fold in testing, they will fold in use. From my Cub Scout days, I have formed the habit of treating every folding knife as though it had not lock during ordinary use. Almost any knife can be a useful tool if you know its limitations. I want to depend on some of my knives in extraordinary situations too though.

 

[K Williams]

The only accidental closures that I've had with folders were by Swiss Army Knives. The cuts were never serious.


[This message has been edited by K Williams (edited 24 November 1999).]

 

[Axel Yup]

I agree with Steve that you should approach folders with the view that there is the real possibility that they will fold up on you during use. Much the same as viewing cars as potentially being involved in a crash. You don't have to worry about how well a car will do in a crash if you never have an accident, but that isn't being realistic.

With this in mind, I have recently had two custom folders made on which I had the maker leave an extra 1/2" of unsharpened blade near the pivot end of the blade. Combined with the deep finger cutout on the handle, if an accidental closure were to occur the unsharpened edge will contact my finger. I don't feel that this modification is needed on every folder, just on folders that might be used hard (such as for self-defense).

Axel

 

[sevenedges]

yep, my linerlock failed a few months ago and boy did i get it. i was just getting done showing a friend the knife and was setting it down on the bathroom counter when the back of the blade barely, and boy do i mean barely, tapped the tile on the bathroom vanity, and the lock failed cutting me to the bone on the top of my index finger by my knuckle. i spent that eve getting stitches and now i just dont trust linerlocks 100% anymore. as for the knife its in my pocket right now. i just got done sharpening the thing to razor sharpness. the whole thing was a big dissapointment considering the price of the knife $200.00.

 

[Samurai6]

Ooooo, ouch. Yup, there's a lock that would have failed the stick test, a.k.a. the spine whack test. Well it did fail the spine whack test didn't it. That is just the sort of accident that the spine whack test is intended to warn the user of.

[This message has been edited by Steve Harvey (edited 26 November 1999).]

 

[sevenedges]

the knife that cut me fails the spine whack test miserably. in fact i can make it fail by tapping it in my hand or on my knee. i own two of them and both fail. i have become more of a fixed blade fan after the incident. although the sebenzas seem to lock up really well. it is the one folder i would buy.

 

[tbark]

That is Why I Like lockback's made by me I cut My lock notch extra deep and make the lock bar a little deeper than most I would love to have a knife that was not too deep to close easy but I havent found one that I could trust you will shear off the 416 ss pin before you will close one of my knives on your hand

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tbark

 

[Hal]

V1,
I've wondered the same thing myself more than a few times. I've used a non-locking knife or knives for years and never had a problem with an accidental closure. I wonder at times if, like air bags or seatbelts, people place more faith in a mechanical safety, rather than common sense. I mean common sense tells me that if I pudh something too hard, bad things are going to happen. Interestingly, the only accidents i have ever had have been my fault, not the fault of the knife's design. I don't mean to imply that it never happens, but I wonder how many times it is the users fault, and not the design?

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(!)

 

[A T Barr]

I also wonder how many of the pivots were loosened, to speed up the opening feature? If a person has to put 150 lbs. or more pressure on the spline of the blade, maybe they need to carry a fixed blade.

Does anybody have an idea, just many knives Case has made? Those Case sliplocks are only as safe as the person. That goes for *any* type of locking folder.

I'm a firm beliver of the "whack" test. In fact I'm the one that came up with the it. I do feel that it shows if the maker did his/her job. I do that test on each folder I make. I also feel that most makers do that or something very similar.

The bottom line is, it is a *folding* knife.



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A.T.
http://www.customknives.com