Have you ever broken a knife from normal use?

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Maximumbob54

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Any knife, modern as in more modern locking system or older design slip joint style no matter the age. I'm trying to think all the way to childhood and I've broken bits and parts but never had a knife just fail and fall apart. Never had a pin walk out on a slip joint. Never had screws fall out on anything modern and just fall apart. Yes I've had pins and screws fall out but never anything that caused catastrophic failure.

And no, I don't mean when you were using your SAK's small blade to pry a nail from a 2x4 or your grandfather's old barlow to cut a notch in some rebar or other nonsense....

Am I just blessed or is this the normal? Has anyone actually through non overly hard use had one utterly fail?
 
Alberta Ed said:
Nope. Ruined a few by over-sharpening, before I discovered diamond hones. Busted a screwdriver blade on a Leatherman prying something, but they replaced it.
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I broke the end of a plier on a Leatherman Wave and they replace the whole thing. I could tell since even the blade was brand new again. Even the leather sheath. I've heard ugly things about them but they really treated me right.

I won't talk about the dark times when I used to waaaaay over sharpen.
 
SharpBits said:
Only cheap kitchen knives, including one from a well known maker, and a screw driver on a Leatherman. All but one replaced by the makers.
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Guess I should have added not to count cheap knives of obvious dubious quality. I've for sure had crummy kitchen knives fail. One cut me pretty good which made me be a little more discerning buying them. I used to not care since I just can't bring myself to take good care of them. Now I'm probably going to finally be buying a custom well made one in the near future.
BP Green said:
Define “normal”. . . 😂
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Normal as in not breaking? I would hope that's the usual "normal". Or normal as in not ridiculous knife used as a prybar and it snapped in half kind of not normal use?
Danke42 said:
I've broken a few SAKs over the years. It happens.
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I'm shocked to hear that since I've used them camping pretty hard and only ever had a scale pop off. First time it happened I saw that pretty thin brass liner and worried at the skinny little pins holding everything together. Guess I've been otherwise lucky.
 
Maximumbob54 said:
Guess I should have added not to count cheap knives of obvious dubious quality. I've for sure had crummy kitchen knives fail. One cut me pretty good which made me be a little more discerning buying them. I used to not care since I just can't bring myself to take good care of them. Now I'm probably going to finally be buying a custom well made one in the near future.

Normal as in not breaking? I would hope that's the usual "normal". Or normal as in not ridiculous knife used as a prybar and it snapped in half kind of not normal use?

I'm shocked to hear that since I've used them camping pretty hard and only ever had a scale pop off. First time it happened I saw that pretty thin brass liner and worried at the skinny little pins holding everything together. Guess I've been otherwise lucky.
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Sorry, I thought it was obvious I was joking - mostly because people do all sorts of ridiculous things with knives - but I guess not. Carry on. . .
 
I snapped a blade whittling years ago. Fluke. Had screws come out rendering some useless. I recall locks and detects loosening to uselessover time. Very few “failures” but even as a kid I bought decent consumer grade knives, for the era… mostly. Flea market knives were most of the duds.
 
BP Green said:
Sorry, I thought it was obvious I was joking - mostly because people do all sorts of ridiculous things with knives - but I guess not. Carry on. . .
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Sorry, I'm not braining well in our broken office air con. We're all trying to not murderize each other.
XJ-linux said:
I snapped a blade whittling years ago. Fluke. Had screws come out rendering some useless. I recall locks and detects loosening to uselessover time. Very few “failures” but even as a kid I bought decent consumer grade knives, for the era… mostly. Flea market knives were most of the duds.
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Cheapies are the only real failures I've ever had but they were expected. Nothing decent I've ever bought has failed. Even some of the cheapies have lasted. Cheapie like I was fascinated by an acrylic scaled lock back I think from Frost ages ago and I bought it just knowing it would crack and it sure did all around the pin holes.
marcus aurelius said:
I've never broken a knife. I've broken some tools that were cheap chinese junk, but that's on me for buying junk in the first place.
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Same. I try to buy quality but sometimes a gimmick gets me. My own worst enemy.
 
Yes, I'm of the opinion that I'll break Every knife eventually.....

"I don't think " I abuse stuff..... But, I also chase performance. I know that very hard steels can chip and break. But, it's worth it to me for their increased performance.

Also, by my nature I like to Push things.

Yes, I've popped other makers pins.
Yes I have chipped and broke mine, and others edges.
Less that a month ago I tried chopping through a glass hard pine resin knot...
I didn't see it. (I didn't look) I got a nice, little Pop out of my edge..... I giggled. And shook my head.... I felt like an idiot
 
I've rolled and chipped edges. This normally happens when I am in a hurry and the weather is bad (rain). I'll need to cut some rope and I'll push a bit too hard and the edge slides through the rope (quicker than I expect) and hits the only rock within 100 feet of me. And it was a tiny rock. I could not hit the rock on purpose even if I tried.

That's the closest I have come to 'breaking' a pocket knife. The chip is easy to fix when I get back home.
 
Only knife I ever broke from "normal " use was an Al Mar Pathfinder :


Very expensive (for me anyway) machete/ sword thing . Advertised to get you thru your Amazon Jungle adventure .

Lasted me a few minutes of chopping down hardwood saplings . Blade broke at the hilt and went missile, flying into the woods .

Al Mar replaced it to me , but I never really trusted it again . Also , never bought another Al Mar anything .

Bad HT , I assume .

After that , I tested a lot of knives way beyond "normal" , before I trusted them to carry .

Many broke , some didn't ever .

Recommend : Cold Steel . :cool:
 
Crag the Brewer said:
Yes, I'm of the opinion that I'll break Every knife eventually.....

"I don't think " I abuse stuff..... But, I also chase performance. I know that very hard steels can chip and break. But, it's worth it to me for their increased performance.

Also, by my nature I like to Push things.

Yes, I've popped other makers pins.
Yes I have chipped and broke mine, and others edges.
Less that a month ago I tried chopping through a glass hard pine resin knot...
I didn't see it. (I didn't look) I got a nice, little Pop out of my edge..... I giggled. And shook my head.... I felt like an idiot
Click to expand...
Some intentional pushing to the limits should expect some probably negative results. Or is it really negative when it's expected? Everything has a breaking point and I can see the value in knowing how hard you can push a tool. Even the silly "will it cut this brick" kind of nonsense is interesting to me it there is also a build up to it before hand. Like when testing some new steel, edge geometry, or anything else. Like how the first time I saw someone chop through a nail. I didn't know most blades will do this and not chip out if the edge is a wide enough angle. Mind blown.
katguy said:
I've rolled and chipped edges. This normally happens when I am in a hurry and the weather is bad (rain). I'll need to cut some rope and I'll push a bit too hard and the edge slides through the rope (quicker than I expect) and hits the only rock within 100 feet of me. And it was a tiny rock. I could not hit the rock on purpose even if I tried.

That's the closest I have come to 'breaking' a pocket knife. The chip is easy to fix when I get back home.
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I don't count if you're in a rush and don't see something like hitting a rock with the edge. That's just life happening at you. I'm talking if your Griptilian was cutting a feather stick and the blade just fell off for no good reason. Why am I always picking on BM. If your Endura blade fell off. There.
DocJD said:
Only knife I ever broke from "normal " use was an Al Mar Pathfinder :


Very expensive (for me anyway) machete/ sword thing . Advertised to get you thru your Amazon Jungle adventure .

Lasted me a few minutes of chopping down hardwood saplings . Blade broke at the hilt and went missile, flying into the woods .

Al Mar replaced it to me , but I never really trusted it again . Also , never bought another Al Mar anything .

Bad HT , I assume .

After that , I tested a lot of knives way beyond "normal" , before I trusted them to carry .

Many broke , some didn't ever .

Recommend : Cold Steel . :cool:
Click to expand...
Yikes. I have the Roman sword looking Cold Steel machete that I've gone a little nuts with on some overgrowth in the backyard. My arm, shoulder, and back gave out before that blade did.
 
I only broke a small and thin Vanadis 4 extra knife doing some prying in the garden. It was abuse, I know, not the knife or the makers fault (a guy that was around here some years ago, kosapl, if I remember correctly). Now, I only use good ol carbon steel at the garden, or an ori ori.😂 Extrema Ratio folders are also ok for garden digging and prying.
 
Maximumbob54 said:
Some intentional pushing to the limits should expect some probably negative results. Or is it really negative when it's expected? Everything has a breaking point and I can see the value in knowing how hard you can push a tool. Even the silly "will it cut this brick" kind of nonsense is interesting to me it there is also a build up to it before hand. Like when testing some new steel, edge geometry, or anything else. Like how the first time I saw someone chop through a nail. I didn't know most blades will do this and not chip out if the edge is a wide enough angle. Mind blown.

I don't count if you're in a rush and don't see something like hitting a rock with the edge. That's just life happening at you. I'm talking if your Griptilian was cutting a feather stick and the blade just fell off for no good reason. Why am I always picking on BM. If your Endura blade fell off. There.

Yikes. I have the Roman sword looking Cold Steel machete that I've gone a little nuts with on some overgrowth in the backyard. My arm, shoulder, and back gave out before that blade did.
Click to expand...

South African made Cold Steel machetes and swords like machetes where incredibly tough and dependable! Probably only a robot arm could push them pass their limits!



Check also JoeX videos!
 
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