GB lock failed!~!

Razorsharp1986

Razorsharp1986

Gold Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2009
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995
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I was using my Gayle Bradley to make a hole in a car bumber today. I've used many knives for that purpose, quite numerous times. While I was twisting, the liner failed and the blade closed on my index finger, HARD! After quickly fixing myself up (I hate doctors and stitches), I inspected the knife. Though it's a deep cut, and I know I need stitches, I'm old fashioned so I skipped the BS doctor treatment.
Upon inspecting the knife, I found out that if I try to close the blade forcefully, it fails! Actually, fails very easy too, not much pressure applied at all. This time of course, my fingers were out of the blade's way, as I was simply testing the reliability of the liner. I tightened all the screws, disassembled and reassembled it, but yet, I can easily make the lock fail. This is a GREAT disappointment for me, since I considered the GB as my all time favorite EDC/ hard use knife (more like mediocre, hard use=fixed blade).
It is not the first time I cut myself, but first time a Spyderco fails like that. It is my only Taiwanese Spyderco, and I overall considered it in higher quality than some of my USA made ones.

Not trying to prove anything, just decided to share my nasty experience.

PS. I inspected all my other folders, and it seems my Barong has some wiggle in the blade, while pressure is applied the liner flexes and moves slightly across the tang. The knife was never used, except on paper. BS.
 
Sorry about your finger, OUCH! I've always been a little weary of liner locks and frame locks. They just don't seem that secure to me. I'm sure my last statement will get me flamed with many Sebbie and Military references and that's fine. I'll go on record as saying that I've never actually had one fail on me, they just spook me a little.
 
samhain73 said:
In my experience, all liner locks will fail at hard twisting.
Click to expand...

I've used my Militaries (I've got 9) many times for drilling, yet they haven't failed me even ONCE! I think the GB lock wore out due to regular use or something, since I have tested the liner when I bought the knife. Besides, it's supposed to be a heavy user or something like that. That's what it says on the paper you get with the knife. I've had liners fail on me, but only when these were Titanium liners, or cheap/thin liners on cheaper knives.

Jim, I though of giving these guys a call, but then again I would hate to live with the doubt of reliability. I think I'll just stick with my fixed blades for "heavy use" (tough honestly, I did not use much force at all).
 
Hmmm....Sorry to hear about the cut. Cannot really blame the knife though as you were not using it for what it was designed for. More than likely the force you exerted on it while you were twisting it into a bimber you deformed the lock bar and the interface isn't the same. Live and learn. It wasn't a lock failure, it was more of a failure in the use of common sense.
 
Does the lock look deformed or bent out of shape at all? Does it look like it is still contacting the tang as well as it did before?


I've received a few liner locks that had a bit of play in them when I applied pressure to the blade. In every case, a quick cleaning of the lock mating surfaces solved the problem. It seems that oil getting on the lock face or blade tang will cause a bit of slippage.


And next time, use a drill. Bits are a heck of a lot cheaper than Spydercos.
 
Drilling a hole in a car bumper?

Really, with a 150 dollar knife and you are mad that you cut yourself?

Just checking I have the facts straight. Hope you heal well and look into a punch and hammer set up.
 
The lock failed to lock. I don't think this is a "common sense" type of thing. The lock should not fail unless your reefing on it like a mad man, using a knife to cut polyurethane shouldn't cause the lock to fail and nearly sever his finger. Hard use knives are intended for hard use. Not nitpicking about what tasks it can or cannot do. If it says heavy duty or implies that it can be used for hard work, I wouldn't expect in to fail. Gross misuse to me is using it to baton through a cinder block or throwing it at a brick wall, not stuff most dollar store hand tools should be able to handle.

I've used pocket knives to trim up a bad fitting bumper before, never twisted it though. Sorry to hear about your finger dude, good luck finding a replacement knife. (CS Triad lock...)
 
I hope you are okay. I know how sharp the GB is. Really though like others have said I would not have used the knife as a drill through a bumper. They really aren't designed for twisting and flexing like that. If you try to pry with it you will probably find another task that the knife is not designed for.
 
Haze240 said:
The lock failed to lock. I don't think this is a "common sense" type of thing. The lock should not fail unless your reefing on it like a mad man, using a knife to cut polyurethane shouldn't cause the lock to fail and nearly sever his finger. Hard use knives are intended for hard use. Not nitpicking about what tasks it can or cannot do. If it says heavy duty or implies that it can be used for hard work, I wouldn't expect in to fail. Gross misuse to me is using it to baton through a cinder block or throwing it at a brick wall, not stuff most dollar store hand tools should be able to handle.

I've used pocket knives to trim up a bad fitting bumper before, never twisted it though. Sorry to hear about your finger dude, good luck finding a replacement knife. (CS Triad lock...)
Click to expand...


Of course it's a lack of common sense issue. Who in their right mind uses a folding knife to do what the OP did (applying forward pressure to an almost immovable object with a linerlock) and NOT expect some consequences? Do you perhaps use a pancake to tighten the screws on your door hinges? Hammer nails with a wet sock?
We don't know the extent to which the "reefing" was done. In any case, knives are to cut with, not drill. A bad workman always blames his tools. If you are going to condone doing that crap, common sense (the little voice in your head that says WTH are you doin!?!?!) should at least dictate that you use a fixed blade.
 
Sorry to here about your cutting yourself. I believe what alot of people are saying about prying and flexing the knife, but I am also of the school that sayes the liner on a quality knife should not fail cutting on a plastic car bumper. I have my oldest and most trusted liner lock is a 14 year old Spyderco with ATS 34 blade and stainless liners and stainless lock. It was carried every day for 11 of the years I owned it. I have done everything you could imagine with it within reason from cut battery cables, open cans, cut bait offshore fishing, and any daily use thing you could. I have never had a quality liner fail. I think you should send it back to the manufacturer and let them tell you why it failed. I hope you can get to the bottom of it as I think they would like to know why their knife would fail. Good luck.
 
Common sense wasn't even part of the equation on this 1. Using the

right tool for a job is So much faster and easier usually.

I wouldnt bother sending the GB back to Spyderco....this is a case of Extreme

abuse of a knife. A knife is NOT meant to be used as a hand drill on a car bumper.

Sorry you got hurt...use the right tools all the time from now on.;):D
 
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So you took it apart already after you cut yourself so bad you needed stitches earlier today? Or, did you take it apart before you cut yourself?

Last time I cut myself bad enough to need stitches ( 4 in right hand ring finger) I couldn't have taken apart a knife and put it back together to save my life.

If you have had it apart before this that might be thr reason it failed. That, or the fact you used it as a drill. :o
 
Razorsharp1986 said:
I've used my Militaries (I've got 9) many times for drilling, yet they haven't failed me even ONCE! I think the GB lock wore out due to regular use or something, since I have tested the liner when I bought the knife. Besides, it's supposed to be a heavy user or something like that. That's what it says on the paper you get with the knife. I've had liners fail on me, but only when these were Titanium liners, or cheap/thin liners on cheaper knives.

Jim, I though of giving these guys a call, but then again I would hate to live with the doubt of reliability. I think I'll just stick with my fixed blades for "heavy use" (tough honestly, I did not use much force at all).
Click to expand...

While a knife is not a drill, the military has what is called a fail safe liner lock. Instead of a straight bevel for the lock to sit on, it is curved so there is a slight lip that the lock must pass over to unlock. With no pressure on the spine it will unlock easy enough, but with pressure on the spine it is extremely hard to push the lock over the lip. I don't know if the GB has the same feature, but to be on the save side I wouldn't drill with a folding knife.
 
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