Anyone ever do a spine test on a vantage pro?

If the spine test is an industry standard, then they are wasting their time if they are doing it for me.

That's the same test that got the Sawby lock system recalled and replaced. I have three Bucks with that system and even though I know it "failed" that test, I'm still perfectly comfortable using the knives since I feel just like fritz and can't think of any possible way that I would use a knife that would replicate the actions that "caused" the failure.

In other words, I still feel that it's a useless test and only shows that something can be broken and/or made to fail by extreme misuse. No manufacturer or safty mechinisim can protect you from your own stupidity, stupid always finds a way.
 
pjsjr said:
runninmike said:
I'm a happy new resident to TX since I relocated to Cedar Creek QUOTE]

Sorry Mike, I didn't need to rub salt in wounds:).

Glad you've moved and wish you nothing but the best and the same for those you've left in CA. They do have a steep hill to climb!

A hammer, knife or gun as mentioned does have limitations...you bought out another important fact that the operator also has limitations...which can not be corrected by legisation. Preston
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Well noted pard:thumbup: We need to support all of our statesmen wherever they may face unfair legislation! USA for the win-ALWAYS!
Best, Mike
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Hey, my 301 Stockman failed on the first whack! I'm going to miss that thumb...

Stainz

(TIC - No body parts were lost or maimed in this conceptual experiment.)
 
Being that I have no plans to "spine whack" my steak this evening with my Avid, I feel the back of my hand will be cut free after dinner. :D
 
You guys are a hoot...The Sawby #532 was a very interesting model for us. It was a new lock that if you "whacked" it just right the momentum of your strike would actually compress the locking spring which would unlock the knife. In a funny way it was designed to be a great knife that would fail the spinewhack everytime. There is a humorous in hindsight story of our Sales manager explaining why we were withdrawing the knife from production at a trade show to an account. He "spinewhacked" the heel of his shoe only to have the very sharp knife close on his hand. Bleeding profusely, he was not asked any further questions by the account. We went on the introduce the knife as a mid-lock instead.

One other caution I would say is the lock-up with liners and lockbacks is aided by the sharp corners of the two meeting materials. Each time you cause a lock failure you have broken down those corners so it will fail easier the next time. We put more testing in how much weight can the lock bear the wrong way. We use our #110 as a bit of a standard.

With that said I would also tell you to disengage whatever locking mechanism you are using fully before moving your blade closed. I watch people half unlock their knife and kind of force it the rest of the way and all they are doing is reducing their engagement for next time.
 
I agree with chuck in that the sharp angle of the liner and where the knife meet give it's strength. But I have looked at a dozen different knives over the last couple days and think the 3 vantage knives I have looked at are 1. the liner is cut wrong. 2. poor design. And I say that when I look at the area where the liner and knife make contact, there is a gap in the vantages. I can see light and on all 3 there is only 1/8" making contact. When I have looked at the other liner lock knives I have and one's my friends have, the liner matches the knife and there is no light visable and it can see that the liner makes almost a complete rub mark on the blade. Im not bashing or picking on anyone just sharing what I have found and sharing with you guys. If anyone with more design knowledge than me wants to share some thoughts, please do. But with the vantages I have looked at, not sure they are cut right. I know that the area where the liner locks up on the knife is a compound angle, but I would think the the liner should match the angle toward the pivot to give maximum liner and blade surface contact?
 
draftpick said:
I agree with chuck in that the sharp angle of the liner and where the knife meet give it's strength. But I have looked at a dozen different knives over the last couple days and think the 3 vantage knives I have looked at are 1. the liner is cut wrong. 2. poor design. And I say that when I look at the area where the liner and knife make contact, there is a gap in the vantages. I can see light and on all 3 there is only 1/8" making contact. When I have looked at the other liner lock knives I have and one's my friends have, the liner matches the knife and there is no light visable and it can see that the liner makes almost a complete rub mark on the blade. Im not bashing or picking on anyone just sharing what I have found and sharing with you guys. If anyone with more design knowledge than me wants to share some thoughts, please do. But with the vantages I have looked at, not sure they are cut right. I know that the area where the liner locks up on the knife is a compound angle, but I would think the the liner should match the angle toward the pivot to give maximum liner and blade surface contact?
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hmmm...
1) I looked at the mating surfaces on my Vantage Pro and they match. I see no gaps. I think you got one that wasn't quite right. Were I you, I'd take up Mr. Keys on his kind offer to personally make sure you get your knife fixed right.

2) I have done mild spine whacks with my Vantage Pro and had no issues with the results. I do mild spine whacks with any locking blade just to make sure the lock fully engages. I never pound hard during spine whacks, that is not what a knife lock is supposed to withstand.

3) I always use a locking-blade knife as if it were one of the slipjoints I grew up using. If I thought I were going to need to put pressure on the spine during use, I'd use a fixed blade.
 
The gap is in my 6/10 built knife. Locks up just where it should, to allow for wear. I've never done a spine whack, but did it Friday. Failed. Ain't going to let it worry me though. That gap had been worrying me, so I just had to do a mild spine whack. Had the gap not been there, I would have never tried it. It simply doesn't look right. I got a lady at Wal mart show me another one, to see if mine was an exception or a fluke. The other one I looked at had the same gap. I'm no engineer, by any means, but it ain't right to see light in part of a liner lock on a portion that should be making contactt. Did it on a plastic garbage can handle and it was a mild tap.

Won't be using it for extreme heavy duty. Don't do that much anyway. Still love the knife. Awesome buy. Shouldn't trust locks anyway.

I love Buck, but there liner locks have always seemed a weak link. Buck can improve them IMO. Maybe STR could be consulted.
 
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I have a small and large Vantage S30V steel and did a few spine taps on them along with just putting force on the back of the blade to see if the blade would close. Nope to both! STR recommends the force test to check the lock and I agree with him on that. In the force test I just push on the back of the locked blade with gradually increasing force. I like these Vantage folders from Buck a lot and they are the BEST buy on G10 S30V folders on the market and are made in the USA. Thank you Buck.

RKH
 
I did the same test with my Vantage Pro in the yesterday evening.
There was nothing with the knife and with the liner lock.
The knife is rock solid.
 
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I pruned a tree in my yard with my Vantage select. It is a wicked slicer.

I don't think anybody mentioned it, but the finger gaurd serves as a backup locking mechanism, in the unlikely event that the liner fails in a real world hard use situation.

This is a very good knife, and it might be better with a little teaking. Then again, it may be just about perfect.

You can't expect a $20 knife to have a liner that is a good as a $130 Spydie Military, IMO.
 
This is why I pretty much stick with the 110s and 112s.

I've been carrying the 112 more and more lately even if ol' Dave does think it's a girlie knife.

:)
 
It will be interesting to see how much (if any) damage to the locking device was caused by the test itself.

Anyone that is that worried about the Vantage's lock (or any linerlock) must be scared s**tless if they ever had to use one of these: :eek::rolleyes:

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Nice knives, Dave. I didn't respond to this thread because I don't see the value of not using something as it was designed.
 
draftpick said:
I guess you guys think I'm bashing here. But I'm not. To me a spine test is the only way to test to the lock. My other 2 liner lock knives I was not able to make them close, so maybe there is a problem. Even Mr. Keys said they do it in the factory. I'm not bashing, so can we please keep the whole why would you do that and no real application down. I was just asking a question if this was normal. I will send it in to Bill.
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I opened my Vantage Pro and threw it out of the truck window while doing 75 on I-90. I went around at the next exit and picked it up. There was some damage to the blade, scales and bolsters. I am wondering whether this is normal? I think a knife should be able to take this kind of use. Have any of you guys ever tried this? I don't think the knife should have been damaged by this.
 
I once found a 309 in the middle of a four way corner where two dirt county roads met on the Ok/Tx state line. It had been run over several times by who knows what, i.e. cattle trucks, tractors, ? roadgrader......the blade well was pinched a little down and the bolsters were beat up.....I opened it up, carefully pryed the brass blade well liners back even and polished her up. Was a little stiff but worked. My small select and avid both look even under a jewelers loup and bright light. I have another in a clam pack but I am not cutting it open just to look....
300Bucks
 
I like reading how you guys say that doing a spine test is wrong or possibly damaged the knife. If the knife is damaged from doing a spine test then I don't want the knife to begin with and it's not being buck worthy!! And i have had to go the emergency to get stiches a few years ago when a knife folded up on me doing some whittling on a walking stick. Reason was the lock failed when the knife got stuck and tried to pull it out. So yeah I have a reason to not feel good about a knife if the lock is suspect. Like I said in my original post that I was not hitting the knife as hard as I could, and even said I left no marks on the blade. I do think a spint test is a good test not abuse. How else are you going to test the strength of the lock. If you guys have something valuable to add please do, but lets not argue about what is abuse or not abuse.
 
draftpick said:
If you guys have something valuable to add please do, but lets not argue about what is abuse or not abuse.
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OK, how about this. If the knife that cut you closed when you were pulling it out of the stick, then a straight pull test towards the closed position or pushing hard from the spine side would be a valid test, not whacking the spine IMO. You obviously weren't whacking the spine of the knife when it closed on you.

Visualize this. A door with a board under the doorknob and wedged against the floor to keep someone from opening it from the other side. A straight hard push from the otherside won't open the door. Ramming the door with your body or a ram, time after time will cause the door to bounce and vibrate, dislodging the board. I think the spine whack test is the same principle.
 
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