It was a struggle, and both came out of it battered, but bottom line is that both survived.
. The Toyota HiLux is a fine truck. Sturdy, reliable, and generally capable of punching above its weight - not altogether dissimilar to the BK-2. Every once in a while, though, both the truck and the BK2 can have tough days.
. I found myself driving a HiLux with a badly damaged skid plate, deep in the forest, maybe not out a walking distance from civilization, but way out of cellphone range and too far out to get back before nightfall. The truck was fine, really, but the noise of metal scraping along the ground was horrible, it was getting hung up in mud pits, and I just couldn't take the risk that the damaged plate would swing around and cut the sidewall of a tire.
. The thing had to come off, but although it was hanging from a single bolt, that bolt was bent and obstructed. I found myself thinking, "man, if only I had a sharpened prybar..." "..oh wait!". A BK-3 or an actual prybar would have been ideal, but I usually carry a BK-2 in my pack and that was going to have to do.
. My original plan was to wedge the Campanion into the bracket attaching the skid plate to the truck, torque it back and forth, and pop the spot welds that holding the piece together. I tried this, but the welds held and the bracket just bent wide enough as to render my twisting ineffectual. So, I decided to use the knife to pry the sheet metal free. Basically, to apply enough force to deform the hole through which the bolt passed and allow the washer and bolt head to slip through.
. Now, let me be VERY CLEAR: I know that a knife, even a beast like the BK-2, is NOT a prybar. That said, I did not buy the BK-2 for its ability to slice tomatoes. It often makes sense for me to carry a few small an versatile items. Whether the BK-2 was designed for prying or not, I carry it, in part, because it has that capability. I wouldn't even call what I did knife abuse. I used the knife, hard, and knowingly took on the risks of it beig damaged. I bought a Becker, not because it would be invincible, but because I knew it would be a solid performer, and because it was inexpensive enough that I wouldn't flinch before using it to do something stupid, like pry the skid plate off of a truck (ok, maybe I flinched a little - I love my BK-2).
. Back to the truck, the mud, and the twisted metal. I wedged the knife above the plate and started prying. Almost immediately, and before I could apply much force (maybe 25 lb at the base of the handle, with the fulcrum being at the center of the blade), I heard a popping sound and felt a little give. The very tip of the knife had snapped off. I have to say, despite the silliness of using a knife like this, I didn't expect it to break this easily, in this way. I had a brief thought about the heat treat being a little off at the tip; I would have sacrificed a little edge retention to reduce the brittleness in this vulnerable area, but then got back to work.
. After about five minutes, and some good 'ole fashioned grunting, I had bent the plate halfway around the bolt head. I grabbed a shovel from the bed of the truck (I had expected to get stuck in the mud at least once), and a few good whacks later, the skid plate slipped over the bolt head and washer and fell free.
. I drove back in relative silence, my knife a bit dinged up and the skid plate in the back of the truck. Sure, I'm still a little sad that I hurt my knife, but there is also some satisfaction that comes along with using a tool to the edge of its capabilities. After all, the BK-2 did get me back safely.
Here is a shot of the damage to the tip, and the dings in my precious edge.
The truck:
The knife:
The flipside:
. The Toyota HiLux is a fine truck. Sturdy, reliable, and generally capable of punching above its weight - not altogether dissimilar to the BK-2. Every once in a while, though, both the truck and the BK2 can have tough days.
. I found myself driving a HiLux with a badly damaged skid plate, deep in the forest, maybe not out a walking distance from civilization, but way out of cellphone range and too far out to get back before nightfall. The truck was fine, really, but the noise of metal scraping along the ground was horrible, it was getting hung up in mud pits, and I just couldn't take the risk that the damaged plate would swing around and cut the sidewall of a tire.
. The thing had to come off, but although it was hanging from a single bolt, that bolt was bent and obstructed. I found myself thinking, "man, if only I had a sharpened prybar..." "..oh wait!". A BK-3 or an actual prybar would have been ideal, but I usually carry a BK-2 in my pack and that was going to have to do.
. My original plan was to wedge the Campanion into the bracket attaching the skid plate to the truck, torque it back and forth, and pop the spot welds that holding the piece together. I tried this, but the welds held and the bracket just bent wide enough as to render my twisting ineffectual. So, I decided to use the knife to pry the sheet metal free. Basically, to apply enough force to deform the hole through which the bolt passed and allow the washer and bolt head to slip through.
. Now, let me be VERY CLEAR: I know that a knife, even a beast like the BK-2, is NOT a prybar. That said, I did not buy the BK-2 for its ability to slice tomatoes. It often makes sense for me to carry a few small an versatile items. Whether the BK-2 was designed for prying or not, I carry it, in part, because it has that capability. I wouldn't even call what I did knife abuse. I used the knife, hard, and knowingly took on the risks of it beig damaged. I bought a Becker, not because it would be invincible, but because I knew it would be a solid performer, and because it was inexpensive enough that I wouldn't flinch before using it to do something stupid, like pry the skid plate off of a truck (ok, maybe I flinched a little - I love my BK-2).
. Back to the truck, the mud, and the twisted metal. I wedged the knife above the plate and started prying. Almost immediately, and before I could apply much force (maybe 25 lb at the base of the handle, with the fulcrum being at the center of the blade), I heard a popping sound and felt a little give. The very tip of the knife had snapped off. I have to say, despite the silliness of using a knife like this, I didn't expect it to break this easily, in this way. I had a brief thought about the heat treat being a little off at the tip; I would have sacrificed a little edge retention to reduce the brittleness in this vulnerable area, but then got back to work.
. After about five minutes, and some good 'ole fashioned grunting, I had bent the plate halfway around the bolt head. I grabbed a shovel from the bed of the truck (I had expected to get stuck in the mud at least once), and a few good whacks later, the skid plate slipped over the bolt head and washer and fell free.
. I drove back in relative silence, my knife a bit dinged up and the skid plate in the back of the truck. Sure, I'm still a little sad that I hurt my knife, but there is also some satisfaction that comes along with using a tool to the edge of its capabilities. After all, the BK-2 did get me back safely.
Here is a shot of the damage to the tip, and the dings in my precious edge.
The truck:
The knife:
The flipside:
