Just finished a spine whack test on my Buck Select.

BladeScout said:
Hmmmm, not sure my first thought would be to 'whack off' any long branches closing a trail by using my EDC folder.....

It sounds exactly like the job for a machete or fixed blade chopper (which BTW can be had in quite handy and light weight sizes these days).

You are even aware, that it has to be done on a regular basis hence would hardly be surprised by the branches being there on a regular basis and thus could plan to bring the right tool for the job.

I am reminded of the seven Ps; Proper Prior Planning Prevents PXXs Poor Performance.
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I actually have many large fixed-blade knives, from bolos to machetes. And I do use them. But I've lived here since the '80s and have found what works best for me. My Rukus deploys quickly, works efficiently and then folds away out of sight. The idea is to regularly cut back the brush so it never becomes a big job that requires a machete. I don't even have to stop, just flip out my Rukus, cut the branch and keep walking.

A downstream neighbor likes to carry a machete for the same purpose. And then when he breaks out at the strait beaches, he freaks out the surfers and tourists. They don't like to have a stranger walk up to them in a remote area waving a machete. But they are friendly to me and not concerned that I might hurt them.

But, hey, ask Chris Reeves or Sal if they will sell knives that easily fold after a light spine whack. Quality knives don't fail a reasonable spine whack.
 
Are we in W&C yet? And if not, how soon will we be there? Are we there yet?


[video=youtube;LLbOO0aWQQs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLbOO0aWQQs[/video]
 
I'm curious. What causes a knife lock to fail from a spine whack when it could withstand the same amount of force applied in a "non impact" fashion? Also, do companies test how much force their locks can withstand before folding? That is a much more relevant question to me than whether it will fail from some weird type of impact that is unlikely to ever occur in real world use. I want to say I read a post in the spyderco subforum where Sal was commenting on the amount of force it took for a certain spyderco lock to fail and I remember thinking at the time it was an impressively large number.
 
kreole said:
I thought the spine whack test was pointless until one day while I was gutting the attic of a house, I pulled out my Gayle Bradley to quickly cut out some sheetrock in a tight corner. When I pulled the knife out from the sheetrock, because it took some effort, when it popped out it hit a beam pretty hard right on the spine of the knife. If the lock hadn't held up, I probably would have had a nasty cut (because it took quite a bit of force to get out).
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Ah, what a beasty liner lock she is eh?

In regards to another post about chopping undergrowth and branches with a folding knife - you obviously CAN do it, I just believe you're using the wrong tool for the job. When that happens the likelihood of the tool failing and/or you getting injured increases dramatically.
 
fetzer85 said:
Ah, what a beasty liner lock she is eh?

In regards to another post about chopping undergrowth and branches with a folding knife - you obviously CAN do it, I just believe you're using the wrong tool for the job. When that happens the likelihood of the tool failing and/or you getting injured increases dramatically.
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There are folding knives I would agree with you about. There are others that are more than adequate for the task. Particularly since the task in question was cutting thin branches back from a path. I own a number of folders that can accomplish that quickly, safely and efficiently. Seems to me if a tool meets those requirements it's the proper tool regardless of any preconceptions to the contrary.
 
What is the point of whacking a knife as hard as you can on somthing , last time I check you use the sharp part to you know cut stuff, seems like people forget that
 
Wouldn't it be nice to find a lock that:
A) can be left unlocked thus allowing the knife to be batoned without causing massive damage
B) can withstand moderate closing forces including moderate shock
C) gives the user full visual and tactile information on the status of the lock
D) provides positive lock even when fouled with dirt and sand
E) maintains solid lockup even under massive cutting and lateral forces

Wouldn't it be hilarious if that lock was invented over half a century ago by the French?

You can easily baton an Opinel with the lock ring open.

Moderate closing forces won't cause it to close.

Definitely robust enough for clearing brush. Get a #12 and be done with it.

Stunning that a $20 knife can do all that.

Carry on.
 
marcinek said:
That's not at all what he is saying. He is said if your assailant comes at you with an object...let's say a pointed stick...and happens to whack the spine of the knife you have deployed with the pointed stick, said whacking might cause the lock to fail....He's not talking about whacking a bad guy in the head with the spine of your knife.
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Thank you... :D
To the one that are wondering why should one try such unusual thing: This is all this test proves, nothing else, please don't elaborate what happens to you, how often or what is your perception of common encounter with attacker,
none of us know how this will go, that's not the point.
If you whack your knife on the back of the blade and it closes, your lock is weak, that's it. It don't mater if it is $500 knife or $5, it don't matter if the probability this to happen with you is 0.
It will most likely not happened with triad or back lock or axis lock, I am not calling it flaw of the liner lock, all I'm saying is that there are knives designed to prevent such closure in case of something hitting the back of the blade, this is a fact, like it or not.
 
Todd21969 said:
Your whole post is a joke right? Folding knives ( the plural of knife) are just that ...folding. If you want a knife that won't fold .. well that is what fixed blades are for.

I carry a ZT0301 daily. I do not baby it at all. It is simply a tool, I have pried with it and even batoned it to make kindling. I have never spine whacked it. I can't concieve a realistic use where pressure is applied to the spine without the edge in contact with some media I am cutting or splitting.
Your criteria of a knife needing to be a stand-in for an impact weapon (spine first )to be 'usefull' is rather strange.
Do you have any real world accounts of this need making a differance in ANY self defense encounters?
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Yes I did. And you don't understand what I'm talking about, instead you're giving me your version of my words with your opinion about it...
If you cannot conceive such situation this doesn't really means that such situation does not exist, don't you think ?
 
Spyderco has been carefully and professionally spine whacking its folders since 1981 to ensure its customers get a safe knife, according to Sal Glesser.

In an earlier thread on this topic, Sal said, “We advocate that every customer do a light spine whack of maybe 5 pounds of pressure before purchasing a knife. A lot of knives are far too sharp to take a chance on an unreliable lock.”

Sal’s full post is No. 39 in this thread:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...ailed-a-quot-spine-whack-quot?highlight=whack
 
Bugout Bill said:
Gringo, what knife do you usually use for this? If I remember correctly, you like the Pacific Salt, a knife that I would not really worry about.
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I dunno...The Pacific Salt is the only knife I have ever owned where the lock failed.
I even made a thread in FGB&U praising Spyderco for their top notch warranty when they replaced it free of charge.
 
Twindog said:
Spyderco has been carefully and professionally spine whacking its folders since 1981 to ensure its customers get a safe knife, according to Sal Glesser.

In an earlier thread on this topic, Sal said, “We advocate that every customer do a light spine whack of maybe 5 pounds of pressure before purchasing a knife. A lot of knives are far too sharp to take a chance on an unreliable lock.”

Sal’s full post is No. 39 in this thread:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...ailed-a-quot-spine-whack-quot?highlight=whack
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I'm not a lawyer, but let's say said purchaser is at the store contemplating the 160 dollars he or she spends on this beautiful spyderco. After an impossible attempt to guess at the appropriate pressure spine whacking the knife, said purchaser smacks the blade directly into his or her hand.

Who's paying for the stitches?
 
Orv said:
....Who's paying for the stitches?
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Purchaser. If done correctly, you will never even close the blade all the way, especially on a new knife, especially if you a smart enough not to hold the knife on the blade's way.
 
I'm glad most people on this forum have common sense. Spine whacking was invented so manufacturers can out hype their competition. I remember when batoning with a fixed blade was considered abuse. Look how far we have come. I guess all of us carrying slip joints are going to lose our fingers some day.

You can design a beefed up, super duper locking, adamantium bladed uber folder. But then the weight, appearance, ergonomics, and price will have absolutely no appeal to me, when a simple fixed blade will serve better.
 
Twindog said:
And then when he breaks out at the strait beaches, he freaks out the surfers and tourists.
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This sentence I dont get...

Twindog said:
But, hey, ask Chris Reeves or Sal if they will sell knives that easily fold after a light spine whack. Quality knives don't fail a reasonable spine whack.
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Now you are just being facetious.
I feel no urge to ask mr. Glesser or Reeve an insipid question, that I already know the answer to.
CR and Spyderco knives are quality knives and I'll much rather have the factory torture test a knife in every which way prior to sending it on to the customer, than sit around with other knife fans in a spine whacking circle going 'NIIIH, NIIIH, NIIIH!!!' like demented knights from a Monty Python movie.
 
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