Ok, I can see that maybe a bounce could cause that. But explain to my why, I have tried this test on now 14 different knives from 3 different companies all the knives were used , liner locks, and cost less then $60 and after atleast 25 hits I have yet to make ANY fail, and have now tried 3 other vantages, a 2 large Avids and small paperstone, and all 3 have light at the liner lock up area on the blade and guess what? All 3 failed. Hmmm. So why can all of the other knives pass this including 2 different model bucks but the vantages seem to have problem? Wheather or not you seem to think it's a dumb test or see no reason to do it, A LOT of people do this test even buck does it, and there seems to be a bad batch or something with the vantages. If your theory was right all the liner locks would fail due to bounce,because all liner lock knives should all have the same strenghts and weaknesses, but they have not all failed due to bounce. And my vantage pro is very lightly used as I have only carried for a short while. I don't have the list in front of me but I would be glad to list all the knives I have tested.
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Anyone ever do a spine test on a vantage pro?
- Thread starter draftpick
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- 8,160
I honestly don't know if your knife had a problem or not and don't really care. I still feel that the tap or whack test is a waste and only shows that it can cause failure.
Having said that, if the test consisted of putting steady pressure on the spine of the knife and it failed, I'd be more impressed but not to the extent of of being paranoid about using it. If that were the case, I'd never touch another slippie for the rest of my life. All that would prove to me was that the knife wasn't designed to have force applied to the spine, which under normal and common sense usage will never (or SHOULD never) happen. If I were prone to abnormal usage and not using common sense when I used a knife it would however, be a concern.
I won't argue the point any longer so if whack testing your knives gives you a warm fuzzy, have at it. That's why it's a great country, everyone has his/her own opinion and are welcome to express them.
Having said that, if the test consisted of putting steady pressure on the spine of the knife and it failed, I'd be more impressed but not to the extent of of being paranoid about using it. If that were the case, I'd never touch another slippie for the rest of my life. All that would prove to me was that the knife wasn't designed to have force applied to the spine, which under normal and common sense usage will never (or SHOULD never) happen. If I were prone to abnormal usage and not using common sense when I used a knife it would however, be a concern.
I won't argue the point any longer so if whack testing your knives gives you a warm fuzzy, have at it. That's why it's a great country, everyone has his/her own opinion and are welcome to express them.
Last edited:
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I believe it is requied by law. Although it makes the same sense as Winnebago having to put in thier owners manual that cruise control does not mean that the vehicle will control itself adequately and not require driver interaction. Inevitably some buzby will alway use something completely out of intended design usage so our bleeding heart, bloody idiot politicians have to make a rule to insure their right to sue.
Welcome to the United States of the offended.
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Spine whacks should never be used to "test the strength of the lock".
Mild spine whack can be used to make sure the lock engages correctly. Not the same thing.
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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.
yes i still feel the 112 is a 'girlie' knife ..
even thought i have a number of them
as to a lock test...
i have hooked the point of a blade under
- say the back side of a big ty ty - on something
and pushed down on the handle to force the mid section to cut..
and have had the locks fail ...
this i do not like to happen to my knives
that to do a back side blade wack to test the lock ///
vibration can do many things to the lock
i feel it is a questionable test.. while..
say putting the blade in a vise and seeing how much
pressure you can put on the handle before the lock fails
is a most worthy lock engagement test..
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I totally agree. :thumbup:
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2010
- Messages
- 13,423
+2 :thumbup:yes i still feel the 112 is a 'girlie' knife ..
even thought i have a number of them
as to a lock test...
i have hooked the point of a blade under
- say the back side of a big ty ty - on something
and pushed down on the handle to force the mid section to cut..
and have had the locks fail ...
this i do not like to happen to my knives
that to do a back side blade wack to test the lock ///
vibration can do many things to the lock
i feel it is a questionable test.. while..
say putting the blade in a vise and seeing how much
pressure you can put on the handle before the lock fails
is a most worthy lock engagement test..
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2009
- Messages
- 1,624
I don't buy knives to test. I buy knives to use, carry in the outdoors, etc. I assume that a reputable knife maker will give it whatever testing it needs to ensure a good quality product. So whatever testing is done (Rockwell, lock test, edge test, etc. ) is done elsewhere. Only recently have I given thought to having collectables to display or showcase. These wouldn't need testing anyway, though I'd expect them to be kept up to the same standards.
I can think of a few times where I've had to cut some fairly tough material, and had to use the tip of the knife as kind of a "fulcrum" with the edge facing upward, and lifting up on the end of the handle to force the blade up through the material. You can't do that kind of operation with a slip-joint without it coming closed.
The spine whack test is not a great test, but it can give the user a little bit of useful information. If your lock does not fail after a good firm whack on the back of the spine, then it is going to hold up when making those types of cuts that I mentioned, and probably any other stresses the lock will encounter.
I've had cheap knives with mid locks while doing this fail. The fortunate thing is that you generally won't close the handle all the way and cut yourself, but it's still much safer to have a lock that will not fail.
The spine-whack test is... I'm not sure how to describe it, but it's not an accurate test. It is a, "Well, if it can handle that, it should handle this," test. When someone comes along and tries to qualify a knife based on how many spine-whack tests it failed, that really doesn't mean anything. When someone shows a knife fail just once from a spine-whack, all that demonstrates to me is that it might not stand up to heavy pressure--however, it's completely impossible to quantify just how much pressure it won't be able to stand based on that.
I think that if the industry is interested in quantifying the strength of knife locks then it really wouldn't be too hard. You could have a simple compression test and an impact test, and measure the pounds and ft lbs of each that is required to make the lock fail. Then if you bought a knife that had a compression rating of 150 pounds and an impact resistance of 700 ft lbs, you could probably conclude that you're not going to run into any circumstances yourself where that lock is going to fail. Unless you're sitting there hanging yourself from the ceiling with the knife lock or smashing the spine with a hammer.
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2010
- Messages
- 343
I have mixed feelings about it. I like Buck knives and think they are hands down the best knife you can buy for the money. I agree that 90% of the use of any blade will be for cutting.
With that said, I buy locking blades for a reason. A knife is a tool and if necessary I want it to perform up to the level I need to keep me out of harms way. I think that is the attraction to ESEE designs. Bullet proof designs and material at a fair price.
While I might not ever need to pound a nail with the back of a blade to survive, I might very well need to batton wood. I don't want the blade lock to fail an cut off all my fingers. I know folders are not design for this task. I also know enough to keep my fingers out of the way. When under stress I may or may not remember.
There are other examples of why a blade should hold up to this type of abuse, but the bottom line is this. People will spend a bunch of money on a great knife that locks up tight and will stay locked no mater what they do to it. Even those people that never venture outdoors but think they might one day will drop $400 on a great design.
I'd like to see Buck do it for $100 though.
With that said, I buy locking blades for a reason. A knife is a tool and if necessary I want it to perform up to the level I need to keep me out of harms way. I think that is the attraction to ESEE designs. Bullet proof designs and material at a fair price.
While I might not ever need to pound a nail with the back of a blade to survive, I might very well need to batton wood. I don't want the blade lock to fail an cut off all my fingers. I know folders are not design for this task. I also know enough to keep my fingers out of the way. When under stress I may or may not remember.
There are other examples of why a blade should hold up to this type of abuse, but the bottom line is this. People will spend a bunch of money on a great knife that locks up tight and will stay locked no mater what they do to it. Even those people that never venture outdoors but think they might one day will drop $400 on a great design.
I'd like to see Buck do it for $100 though.