Do you test your new knives?

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Phwhew.. I thought I was the only one who gets a new knife and doesnt go right out and batons, and chops the heck out of it just because. I do like it when others do that with the same knives I have just so I know they will perform well when I need to use them.
 
The Government said:
There is an awesome old thread, wher a guy asked (in all seriousness) for a fighting knife that was everything that a smatchet is, but he did not want a smatchet. The thread went on and on with smatchet jokes. I think the nostalgia still lingers on with all who read it.
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Been banned before? Seems like you are pretty new to know about old threads and inside jokes.

Just saying...
 
Joben said:
The smatchet thread wasn't that long ago...
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There may have been a recent smatchet thread but it has been an ongoing 'joke' for years. Even by his own admission it was an old thread.

Hey I'm not saying he did anything wrong, just weird for a new guy to know the ins and outs already.
 
I check ergos and initial sharpness. If it's a folder, I'll check for play and lock up. Apply some pressure against the lock. After I check sharpness, I might slice through a cardboard box and check edge retention.

About the smatchet thread: The one that I think of is the thread where a new guy starts a thread saying that he's looking for a fighting knife but doesn't want a smatchet so he says something along the lines of "so mods, if anyone recommends a smatchet, kick them out" or something stupid along those lines. So naturally, for the rest of the thread, everyone who posts recommends a smatchet. There must be more than 15-20 pages of people recommending all types of smatchets. I had no idea there were so many variations.
 
I carry 2 knives. When I get a new knife, I test it through use. If the new knife fails in any way, I have a proven performer as a backup
 
On folders I check for blade play, whether blade is centered when closed, spine tap on lock for ll's, where lockup occurs for ll's & fl's, and sharpness. On fixed blades usually initial sharpness.
 
I don't stab things or hack with a new knife, but I do make sure that it opens and closes and locks as it should, and I do a few spine-whacks to make sure the lock is made correctly (especially liner-locks and frame-locks).
 
If I get a khukuri or a bolo I'll take it out back and prune a limb. If I get a pen knife I'll use it in the office. If I get a mid sized fixed blade I'll do misc yard work with it. I try to keep my expectations in line with the tool. I don't expect my Case Cheetah Cub to pry open a car door. But if it opens the mail, breaks down a box, or does improv kitchen duty without scaring the other cubicle workers I'm pretty happy.

Frank
 
My knives get tested when I put them in my pocket and take them to work, where I use them to strip and cut cable and wire, open boxes, cut rope, sometimes some light prying (GASP!!!), shape woodwork, etc.
I don't need to test them beyond any practical use.
 
I test the lockup on folders (no spine whacks, just pressure), the edge on folders and FBs, and check for h/v blade play and blade centering on folders. I've found that most of what I get except Spydercos need to go to the strop for a bit of edge finishing and a few need to have the blade centering tweaked a bit.
 
I make my using blades by myself.

As I changed heat-treat this time that I have to do
destruction test if I want to know the actual limit.

The change is to do temper 3 times than 2 times and
quench temperature lowered that the blade should be more tough, or at least not less tough.

Well, at least I hope so :D as the steel grain is much more fine and fine edge holds much better in case of carving hard woods.

So, I didn't do much test this time.
 
Sharpness is tested initially so that it may be modified before use if need be. If I get a new user than the first test is the first intended use and so on. I am never without at least one additional tried and reliable tool.
 
With an EDC pocket folder:
1. Sharpness test: paper and hair shaving
2. Lock-up: Blade play horizontal & vertical, some light taps against my palm and some applied pressure for failures
3. Ergonomics
4. Fit & finish
After that I EDC it for as long as I like/get a new knife.

If it's a medium/big fixed blade (or a big folder like some Cold Steel model) I just take it outside and have fun throwing tasks at it that seem appropriate: clearing vegetation, cutting water bottles, batoning, chopping etc.
Again taking into consideration the blades intended use and limitations.

I just don't see the point in beating the crap out of knives in unrealistic tests to see when it gives in. I'll leave it to those who can afford a new one when they're done with the first.
 
Yes! I cut things to see if they cut and dull them to see if they sharpen in other words if the heat treat is decent. I also cut some foods to test the carbon blades to make sure they are carbon plus I want the patina to start if it's a keeper.
 
kgd said:
Folder folks never do seem to get the testing stuff. They seem to have an idea that a knife is made only for slicing cheese and paper.

I'm not a folder guy, I'm a fixed blade guy. I buy fixed blades as wilderness tools. I test the hell out of them and put them through agony before they ever get into the bush. I want to know what they can take and rarely do I take them so far as that in the actual field.

So batoning, nasty knarly wood. Drilling out oak or other hardwoods with tip. Cross batoning 1 " limbs. Chopping (which is far harder on the edge than batoning) hardwood are all part of the course. I usually do this within about 10 minutes of opening up a new blade. Never broke one yet, but rolled a couple edges. On one, I straightened out the edge by steeling, re-sharpened and it rolled again after more testing. Got rid of that one pretty quick. I don't do knife destruction tests. But I expect knives to perform in certain activities. If they don't meet my expectations than I move along. Rather have a knife fail my expectations on my back porch than 5 miles away from nowhere.
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I think this is because most folder guys know the limitations of folders and thus use them for their designed purpose: cutting. If they wanted more they would carry a fixed blade everywhere. Most people dont like carrying fixed blades because they are heavy, get in the way, and not useful in a city setting (office, school whatever). I can tell you one thing though. The sebenza is great at cutting muffins in half--it made my breakfast perfect:)
 
First of all i check how it is made. Lock up, blade play and such things. Does everything work and feel ok?

Testing the edge is something i leave for later days. As i am looking forward to a robust edge that mostly is somehow duller than a first class hair popping factory edge. I can wait.
 
SteelSnob said:
I'm wondering how many people here test their knives when they get them. And if so how do you test them?
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I carve & whittle quite a bit in the winter months, so most of what I buy (slipjoints) gets used for that; that activity is a very good indicator of edge holding. As far as tacticals & large lockbacks, they get cleaned, and mostly used for cutting up cardboard and yardwork and such.

I don't go out of my way to test them hard; I research a lot of what I buy, right here on BF. I know what to steer away from then.

thx - cpr
 
I do the sharpness tests as well and usually resharpen to my liking. If I'm paying the extra money for a overbuilt folder I want to be able to use it harder than a $100 folder. Plus at work from time to time I do have to cut things like cable and thick zipties etc and I like knowing my knife can handle it no problem. I would carry a fixed blade but the laws are very strict where I live so a overbuilt folder with blade under 3" is the closest I can get without being nervous when I see a cop.
 
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