Do We Have Knives With Strong Pull? Honest To Gosh REAL Nail Breakers?

[dsutton24]

The spey on this beast can't be opened without mechanical intervention:

 

[BrotherJim]

Most people, at least the ones I know, insert their thumb nail into the nail nick of the blade and pull the blade away from the knife. Instead, what I do is insert my thumb nail into the nail nick of the blade and pull the handle/frame/body of the knife away from the blade. It takes a little getting used to but is effective - at least for me anyway.

Thanks Ed !!! ... this is working a little better. Not quite as much stress on the thumb.
Not sure how it works like that, kinda spreads and shares the effort to both hands maybe, but it's better

 

[JohnDF]

I actually like carrying knives with stout pulls, and then watch others try to open them... I'm twisted that way.

 

[huntnfishin]

I just got this one. It will rip yer nail off. Gonna send it to case and pray. Tried lube etc. It’s main riding on a split spring is severe. Sellers photo. I like everything about it other than the main pull.

 

[brownshoe]

That's the question. The subjectivity of the pull scale is entirely because of the difference in hand strength among knife users. Typically it's the older knives with the stouter pulls, because they were made for men who worked with their hands 10-12 hours a day, plus used a lot of dairy products and had no calcium deficiency. Hands and nails were very strong. What may have been a 6 or 7 to them is something not many today could open without a tool.

I don't find older knives harder to open unless they've rusted or are gunked up. If anything older knives are sometimes easier to open due to wear. My hardest to open knife is a modern-made Queen Moose made for Vintage Knives.

More dairy products=stonger hands...? Olden day's men had stronger hands? Not sure about that.

 

[dsutton24]

That's the question. The subjectivity of the pull scale is entirely because of the difference in hand strength among knife users. Typically it's the older knives with the stouter pulls, because they were made for men who worked with their hands 10-12 hours a day, plus used a lot of dairy products and had no calcium deficiency. Hands and nails were very strong. What may have been a 6 or 7 to them is something not many today could open without a tool.

I've got knives that date from the late 19th century to present day. Unless the knife is rusted or damaged in some way, the nail busters all date from the past 60 years or so, most from the past 20. Hard to open blades are not an indicator of good quality.

I repair industrial machinery for a living, have done for 43 years, and my hands are as hard as anyone's I've ever met. Some knives are just unreasonably hard to open. That doesn't mean I can't, they're just not practical for constant use. There's such a thing as working too hard.

You're right about the 'scale' being subjective. Here's a thread where I put some numbers to the force it takes to open a knife:

Pocket Knife Blade Opening Force - Some Numbers | BladeForums.com

 

[BrotherJim]

Olden day's men had stronger hands? Not sure about that.

Well, my granddad beat me arm wrestling when I was a kid ... so there's that

 

[Just Tom.]

That's the question. The subjectivity of the pull scale is entirely because of the difference in hand strength among knife users. Typically it's the older knives with the stouter pulls, because they were made for men who worked with their hands 10-12 hours a day, plus used a lot of dairy products and had no calcium deficiency. Hands and nails were very strong. What may have been a 6 or 7 to them is something not many today could open without a tool.

It seems to me that while working with your hands may give you more hand strength (*) it also gives you lots of nicks and scrapes, dried cracked finger tips, and damaged nails. None of these conditions make opening a knife any easier.

edit: (*) until the arthritis sets in, anyway...

 

[Will Power]

I just got this one. It will rip yer nail off. Gonna send it to case and pray. Tried lube etc. It’s main riding on a split spring is severe. Sellers photo. I like everything about it other than the main pull. View attachment 1540331

I like that example! Who doesn't ? It might just be that it's corroded inside or gummed up with filth, this can make for a very strong pull Try a hot water/liquid soap&toothbrush treatment. Dry it off with hairdryer or compressed air, run WD40 through the joints, then oil it. You could be amazed by the amount of that comes out If you send it to CASE there's a risk they might just replace the Master blade....

 

[euroken]

I definitely don’t believe it’s simply a hand or finger strength issue.

My old man has Popeye forearms and can breaks an apple with his grip strength. Working with his hands all his life and not to mention his time in UDT gave him amazing power and skills.

What style of a knife he hates? Thumb stud opening. He can’t seem to get his thumbs under the stud just right to open it. You’d think he can do anything with his hands

I think there’s more to it than just how strong a pull is on traditionals.

 

[traumkommode]

They are the older design. Cam tangs were introduced by the French, the main benefit being that there was less wear of the spring, which was a bigger consideration in the past, with some knife frames even being designed to accommodate the rising tip of the blade, as the spring and tang wore. Some Sheffield cutlers allegedly didn't like the idea, as they saw it leading to a decrease in knife sales

Ooh! Thanks for that fact! I figured they'd be older, as it's usually easier to grind something straight than to grind a radius... I can understand the French worry, too - but after a while, use a blade long enough and the primary bevel grind angle increases and then its geometry either begs a regrind or a new blade, so I might be inclined to consider the point moot.

 

[Kvk09]

Actually have to use a combination of pinch pull AND nail nick ... one handed even. The other hand a firm grip on the handle of the thing.
I'm always happy to get to the half-stop. I switch to pinch entirely (or will break a nail on further opening) and 'bout got it made from there.

Is this a good thing? Seems like a hassle

 

[Frank.K]

I actually like carrying knives with stout pulls, and then watch others try to open them... I'm twisted that way.

I brought my GEC 23 to a knife show in Long Beach CA a few years ago. Very few people could open it. I was surprised.

 

[jackknife]

I do not now, or ever have had a thumb nail breaker knife. I was taught early on in life, that if you can't open the knife with ease in the store, don't buy it. It won'y get better and you should never, EVER, have to fight with your knife.

My gold standard is the SAK. If the knife takes more pull than a SAK, I walk away from. it. Nada, zilch, drop it. In my later life I've actually gravitated toward outright friction folders for general pocket knife use. Opinel number 5, Sardinian resolza, and Japanese Higonokami take turns riding along in the pocket for the day.

 

[5K Qs]

I do not now, or ever have had a thumb nail breaker knife. I was taught early on in life, that if you can't open the knife with ease in the store, don't buy it. It won'y get better and you should never, EVER, have to fight with your knife.

My gold standard is the SAK. If the knife takes more pull than a SAK, I walk away from. it. Nada, zilch, drop it. In my later life I've actually gravitated toward outright friction folders for general pocket knife use. Opinel number 5, Sardinian resolza, and Japanese Higonokami take turns riding along in the pocket for the day.

Timely post, since, in a sense, it's a knife-related Declaration of Independence!

- GT