Gigand Mosquito Broke

[Cougar Allen]

Remember a thread a while ago on the Gigand neck knives? I said, among other things, that I thought the hidden tang of the Mosquito went about half the length of the handle, and that I didn't think there was any danger of the handle breaking ... well, I was half right. The tang does extend about half the length of the handle.

I wasn't using it when it broke. I was carrying it in my back pocket and I found it in two pieces. I guess it must have broken when I sat on it. Now I suppose you'll all want to know how much I weigh ... 180 pounds (82kg) (but it's all muscle; I sink like a stone in fresh water).

I still don't think it's likely to break in use. If you were prying with it you wouldn't naturally apply most of the force to the part of the handle that extends past the tang.
Just don't sit on it.

I guess I'll mold a new handle for mine out of Miracle Weld epoxy putty. Trouble is the handle was the thing I liked best about the knife ... I'll probably buy a new one, too. Oh, well -- it's only a $15 knife.

-Cougar Allen :{)

 

[sing]

Good thing neither Titan nor his wife is a 180 lbs of solid muscle.

I know Titan carries in his back pocket.

sing

 

[Dannyc]

LOL... Titan is about 150 lbs, Sing.

He sure did bend a Military in the process.

Dan

 

[David Bloch]

To Cougar:

Why don't you send it back to Double 8, the importer of Gigand knives, for a warranty replacement. Sitting on a knife in your back pocket is called use, not abuse. Also it does not matter the knife cost $15.

If you were to break an Outdoor Edge Wedge (similar product for example) and sent it back to us, you can rest assured a new one would be on the way to you free of charge.

A main reason for buying a name brand knife is the warranty and service you receive from the company. If Gigand does not warranty your Mosquito, why continue to support this company and buy another one.

------------------
Sincerely,
Outdoor Edge Cutlery Corp.

David Bloch,
President

Visit our new web site at <A HREF="http://www.outdooredge.com
" TARGET=_blank>http://www.outdooredge.com
</A>

[This message has been edited by David Bloch (edited 21 July 1999).]

 

[Cougar Allen]

David is right; I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote that post ... I've had time to think about it since.

Even a $15 knife shouldn't break just because you carry it in your back pocket. I'm going to try to get in touch with Gigand, and if they don't replace it I'm *not* going to buy another one.


With all the harrassment of makers over warranty issues I've been doing lately, it's pretty ironic that a manufacturer has to tell me this.

I'll keep you posted ... this is an opportunity to find out what Gigand's warranty service is like. We might find out if my knife was defective or if they're all that weak. The more I think about it ... I don't want to rely on a knife that might break that easily.

I usually carried it vertical, with a static cord to my belt. The static cord came off and the knife ended up horizontal at the bottom of my pocket and got more stress than usual when I sat on it -- but that shouldn't have broken it (buns of steel is only a metaphor

). I'll try the same conditions on the new one, if Gigand provides one, and see what happens.

I'll keep you posted.

-Cougar Allen :{)

 

[Bob Irons]

We're all relieved your sit down area survived unscathed.

Your followthrough with Gigand should be informative to us all! I look forward to seeing how this goes.

[This message has been edited by Bob Irons (edited 21 July 1999).]

 

[Cliff Stamp]

I think that the above should become part of the Bladeforums official quality check and I recommend that Mike and Spark make it part of the next review they do. It just needs an official label so you can say "This knife easily passed the XXX test". Suggestions?

-Cliff

 

[Cougar Allen]

And, of course, for consistency we'll have to have the same person do all the testing -- since I've already tested one I'll volunteer to sit on knives. In their sheaths, of course.... For real consistency I ought to use the same chair every time ... I think it broke when I sat down in my car (a Chevrolet Celebrity with a bench front seat).

My neighbors may wonder why I keep getting packages in the mail and then going out and sitting in my car and going back in the house, but I am willing to sacrifice my reputation for the sake of science -- after all, Tesla's neighbors thought he was a lunatic, too. Um ... bad example ... Tesla was a lunatic ... Edison? No, he was pretty weird, too ... maybe I'll think of a better example to emulate ... give me time....

Come to think of it I won't have to go back in the house without starting the car -- I can drive straight to the post office and return the knife after testing, in pieces or otherwise. Please include a self-addressed stamped label with all knives sent to me for testing.

Double-8 has a website (under construction) but no email address posted, just a phone number and a snailmail address. I called the number and told a lady with a strong Asian accent about my broken Mosquito and asked if I should send it to that address and she said yes. I am not entirely sure she understood what I was talking about (her accent was pretty strong) but if she did understand me I guess they're going to replace the knife.

I think I'll try sitting on the new one as soon as it arrives and I think it's going to break same as the first one. The tang is rectangular and ends abruptly with no tapering, halfway along the handle, and there isn't much plastic around it. If the second one breaks I'm going to make a new stronger handle for it ... no point in breaking them and returning them indefinitely, though I suppose it could be fun....

I'm ordering a Wedge and I'm going to give it the same test. How far does the tang extend in the Wedge, David? Can you post a pic? How about the Wedge II?

We're going to have to ask all the knifemakers whether their warranties cover sitting on their knives from now on. We already have an answer from Outdoor Edge, and from Gigand unless that lady didn't understand me on the phone -- what about Mad Dog and Mission and all the others? Speak up, knifemakers -- will you guarantee your knives to pass the Cougar Allen Fundamental Knife Test?

-Cougar Allen :{)

 

[Bob Irons]

Cougar -

Cougar's testing service - motto = "I've got it covered"

Tesla - I built a rather large Tesla coil in my college dorm room.. That was a lot of fun (a long time ago).

What a hoot!!!

 

[Walker]

Cougar, shouldn't that be the "Fundament" knife test?

I saw a couple of phantom4's Gigand's at the recent DC Knife Knut's lunch and was impressed with their apparent quality for a remarkable low price ($32 folders). I guess the bottom line (sorry) is that something has to give for that price. Prior to your recent effort at turning yours into a collapsible knife, what did you think of the blade quality, edge-holding, etc.?

 

[Cougar Allen]

I found the earlier thread even without the search function -- you may pat me on my widdle head. http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/000388.html

I think I'll put a link to this thread in that one too -- I'd hate for anyone to read my positive review in that thread and not notice this one....

About all I'd like to add is I've been thinking for some time it would be nice if Gigand would make a neck knife sized in between the Mosquito and the Guardian. The Mosquito is very convenient and concealable but only has a 2" (5cm) blade; the Guardian has a 4" (10cm) blade but it's considerably fatter as well as longer. I'd like one in between, with a 3" (75cm) blade and I want it thin with a forefinger groove handle like the Mosquito.

A lot depends on whether the replacement Mosquito passes the Cougar Allen Fundamental Knife Test, though (remember, it's not the Cougar Allen Fundamental Knife Test unless it uses the Cougar Allen Standard Fundament). Injection-molded plastic sometimes comes out weak; the ingredients weren't in the right proportions or the mold was too hot or too cold or something ... that could be why mine broke; it could be a rare defect. But ... the rectangular tang pretty well fills the handle as far as it goes, so where it ends there's a small area of plastic to bear any shearing load. The broken area has no visible defect, no bubbles or anything. I'm afraid the plastic is just too thin at that point to take the stress of being sat on.

I still don't think it would break in use -- if you pry with it you won't grasp it by the end of the handle -- certainly not now you're aware of the weak point, and you probably wouldn't anyway. So even if my guess is right and the one that broke was not defective, you could just not carry it in your back pocket. It works as a neck knife or you could carry in a front pocket or other ways and I don't think it would ever break -- just don't sit on it....

On the other hand, though, there are similar knives available that probably don't have that weakness, even in the same price range. I'm ordering an Outdoor Edge Wedge, which is about the same price and it's a similar size small neck knife with a drop point blade design that looks more versatile. There's also a Wedge II that's a little longer and not much more expensive, and Cold Steel and Newt Livesay neck knives....

Right now I'm sitting on a knive with a full tang and cordwrapped handle. I'm sure that one isn't going to break. So there are other options available ... I think I'll start a new thread and post a review of that one -- see "Back Pocket Knife."

-Cougar Allen :{)

 

[David Bloch]

To Cougar Allen:

Both the Wedge and Wedge II are full tang knives except for the very perimeter where the Delrin molds over the tang. For definition I'd call it a hidden full tang.

The Wedge is a great neck carry size knife and the Wedge II is more of a full grip utility knife. You may find the Wedge II a little large for neck carry. For more details and photos of the Wedge/Wedge II visit our website.

Thank you for your interest.

------------------
Sincerely,
Outdoor Edge Cutlery Corp.

David Bloch,
President

Visit our new web site at http://www.outdooredge.com

[This message has been edited by David Bloch (edited 27 July 1999).]

[This message has been edited by David Bloch (edited 27 July 1999).]