Folder Strength. - Why? Time for Reality.

ToyKnife said:
Sad to say, I don't have one. But there is a toaster that makes toast and cooks an egg at the same time. It helps with the morning rush. Seriously, Google it.
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my friend has one that, in addition, makes a single serving of coffee!
 
StotheE said:
$300 for a folder. really guys?
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If the $ isn't an issue and you like the model, why not? I'm sure you don't pay what's absolutely necessary for everything you own. If you did, you'd own $10 shoes, $4 pants, a free tv from 1976 left on the sidewalk, etc. I'd bet you pay a ridiculous amount for some non-necessity item and you don't think twice about it. The majority of the retail industry is based on wants and not needs. How is it that you can judge others for their non-necessity buys without being a complete hypocrite yourself?
 
Kaizen1 said:
If the $ isn't an issue and you like the model, why not? I'm sure you don't pay what's absolutely necessary for everything you own. If you did, you'd own $10 shoes, $4 pants, a free tv from 1976 left on the sidewalk, etc. I'd bet you pay a ridiculous amount for some non-necessity item and you don't think twice about it. The majority of the retail industry is based on wants and not needs. How is it that you can judge others for their non-necessity buys without being a complete hypocrite yourself?
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you're right of course. but i was leaning towards that $300 would have been WAY better spent on a fixed blade.

:D
 
StotheE said:
you're right of course. but i was leaning towards that $300 would have been WAY better spent on a fixed blade.

:D
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And some people say that a 300 dollar fixed blade is crazy when all you need is a 12 dollar Mora. People are amazed when I tell them I have a 130 dollar hatchet and that it shaves arm hair.:eek:

I personally don't need a folding knife/prybar but that doesn't mean that someone doesn't. Also, if that's what floats your boat to have the super duper knife, why not?
 
ToyKnife said:
In your situation you know the knife will survive. I'm find that people will just push the knife to the limit and then some. I don't see the point.

I don't think cost enters the equation.
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I can be pretty sure that my knife can survive because only because others have used their knives hard and reported back their success.
 
ToyKnife said:
In your situation you know the knife will survive. I'm find that people will just push the knife to the limit and then some. I don't see the point.

I don't think cost enters the equation.
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I think cost does come into it, I personaly would rather spend more for guaranteed good materials, good craftsmanship, heat treat, warranty etc.

If your going to be pushing the limits of anything the quality and the subsequent cost of that quality are part of the equation.

If given the choice between some $5 climbing rope or some more expensive, guaranteed high quality stuff what would you choose ?
People don't fall every time they climb so why not just take the crappy stuff.
 
A reasonable amount of lock strength is necessary to ensure a margin of safety when using a folding knife. As to what the minimum lock strength should be for typical use, I don't know. However, I imagine that most people stress their knives little.

I enjoy trying different folders to determine which designs seem to be the strongest. When I really need a strong knife, out come the fixed blades.

I think that lock strength is also an indicator of quality. If I'm going to carry one primary folder, it needs to be strong enough to handle whatever I may need it to do.
 
when ya are paying what i do for folders its good to know that the lock is well designed and executed as all of them are not.

and as i have had more than one lock fail resulting in a cut hand or finger i dont like poorly designed or executed locks.

if i cared less about lock strength i would get a slippie.
 
SIFU1A said:
when ya are paying what i do for folders its good to know that the lock is well designed and executed as all of them are not.

and as i have had more than one lock fail resulting in a cut hand or finger i dont like poorly designed or executed locks.

if i cared less about lock strength i would get a slippie.
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I carry a slippie on a daily basis (along with a locking folder and fixed blade!) and have yet to cut myself with one. You don't NEED a lock to make a knife useful...it just helps in certain situations. But when I look for a locking knife I look for a strong and reliable one. You never know. ;)
 
if i was carrying a slippie i wouldnt expect it to lock and wouldnt have cut myself with the ones i mentioned, but when you carry a locking one ya expect it to lock & to lock up well, if they dont ya can have problems.
 
I tend to treat all knives as if they were slippies, whether they have locks or not.

Much the same as I always treat a gun as if it's loaded.

I have a rather pessimistic view of life and I consider anything that can fail will fail, usually at the worst possible time.
 
Hammer A is better than hammer B. Screwdriver A's tip breaks when you try to unscrew a rusted screw but screwdriver B doesn't. A knife is a tool with multiple functions. Get the best one you can afford and use whatever criteria YOU think is important. It is a personal decision. Not everyone thinks like you. Just because you 'shouldn't' pry with it doesn't mean your 'never' pry with it.
 
In fact, why buy expensive folding knives at all? The function of a knife is to cut, so why not just carry a Home Depot folding box cutter for $3.99!

No sharpening either, just replace the blade!

Actually, since you really just need the razor blade, just carry that wrapped up in some tape. It works, and it's good enough, so why use anything else, right?

Heck, to save money on razor blades, you could just break your soda bottle when you're done with it and carry around a share of glass.

But why even buy a bottle? Why not just learn to knapp your own flint knives. It should work just as well, right?
 
My EDC folders are in the $300 range for the same reason my watches are Omega/Tissot/Tag/Seiko....Quality. Conversely, I don't own a William Henry or a Rolex, or want to.

A decent $50 folder will cut just as well as anything I own and the joint/lockup strength will probably be just as adequate.
 
Life is to short to not have what you want. IMO "over built" = reliable. EVERYONE has some form of luxury... Even homeless people have luxury...IMO the MOST IMPORTANT one... time. For me, it is having a NICE knife and taking a few months off a year to do whatever I want. Many people pay $2,500 a month on bills/morgage and might call someone like me silly for spending $300+ every few months on what I like. We all have priorities, and I think a knife hobby is resonable and even if your taste is in Sebenzan, Striders and Hinderers, it could even be considered affordable. Some people drink $500/month in alcohol... spend $180/month on cigarettes...

I like knives which leave their mfgr. w/ attention to detail and pride... I want to feel like the person that finished THAT knife felt good about boxing it up. I want premium materials, and the highest quality of fit and finish. These things are expensive.

That's NOT to say that I don;t appreciate a Benchmade Griptilian (have one). I like diversity... IMPROVISATION is key here... preparedness is even better. I EDC a NICE folder in pocket every day.... If I'm expecting some work, I'll bring along my "manpurse" which always has a Leatherman and a backup EDC type folder if I think I'm gonna do a LOT of cutting. I would NEVER pry with a knife if I could avoid it.
 
Many discussions regarding these things are quite valid, as demand often drives supply. In a communist society, you may just get a "knife" with few, if any, innovations. But as long as people have the right to choose, knives can indeed be strong and cut well.

And why begrudge this? We should be celebrating the strength and versatility of our knives. And some are stronger and more versatile than others. I love blades that are 4-inches and longer; some blades excel at cutting, and others for penetration. Some do a decent job at both.

I've never had a linerlock fail on me, but I don't like them nevertheless. I prefer knives with demonstrably superior designs, and steels of my own choosing.

It's not that we're relying solely on one knife, but that the one knife may, in an emergency, have to be strong and serve multiple purposes.

That said, some of the least versatile knives we cuss and discuss on this board are some of the most expensive. In an emergency situation, they'd be much less useful than a bunch of larger $20 knives. But, then, that's not their main draw.
 
Discussion is good. I just don't like when someone says, "folding knife "A" is no good because I broke the lock on mine while hammering the knife through a brick wall." Even the strongest folder has limits.
 
powernoodle said:
People want a strong folder because it does not make much sense to want a weak folder.

:thumbup:
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+1 :thumbup:

if a folder's lock is too strong, nothing is lost.

if a folder's lock is too weak, all sorts of things can be lost.

how much is too much safety, in a vehicle? does a Mercedes really need to be able to support 2 tons on the roof, while upside down?
 
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