I'd seriously like to know what sort of scenario would actually require the use of a pocket knife to cut through something like a car hood? Let's even say a car door for that matter?
My take is people can do what they want with the knives they buy, but shouldn't be surprised if(or when) those same knives do a poor job doing things other than cutting. Further to that, they probably should'nt complain if (or when) the knife does poorly.
Let me give you one. I have a friend, who asked me "Big T, what kind of a folder can I get that will be tough and a good value?"
"Well, DK", I replied in my deep manly voice "you can't go wrong with a Cold Steel Recon 1 with a tanto point."
A few weeks later, DK approaches me at work, and says, "Big T, I think I messed up my knife, can you sharpen the nicks out of the edge on this? Is it fixable?"
I looked, and sure enough, he had some blunting and edge rolls etc. I asked him what the crap he had done. (in a slightly Paternal voice tinged with knowledge and wisdom).
Well, he had been up on a mountain in the snow, with no one arround, and no cell service (up in the Uinta mountain range). He had locked the keys in his vehicle (an old beater of a car). He had two choices, break a window, up in the mountains, at night, in a snow storm, and face driving all the the way home with a broken window in the cold (now DK is skinny, and not as well insulated as I am).
His second choice was to try to force the lock with the only tool he had available. His folding knife. He forced the lock on the passenger side, and drove home toasty and safe.
That same winter, he brought me the same knife, again with edge damage (although not as much). He had done the exact same thing again. Locked his keys in the vehicle, up on the same mountain. He actually used the knife this time to pry the door pannel back a bit and pop the lock (which he had broken the last time by forcing it).
Now, both of these things were abusive to a knife. I would not recommend doing it. You could snap a tip, or get a lock to fail if you were not using a good strong lock. You could slip and cut your fingers off, or slice an artery.
All those things are true.
But, a strong folder, with a strong lock saved the day twice. Yes, there was an option of breaking a window in the cold and facing a several hour drive back while freezing.
Had I recomended a knife from many higher end manufacturers, or of course some very high quality folders from custom makers, he might have broken the blade, or made the lock fail, and lost some fingers etc. (there are some expensive folders that are just not desined for anyting besides slicing soft medium, and there is nothing wrong with that).
I could have also recommended some real heavy duty production folders or custom made folders that have very strong blade and lock designs (and much better warranties than Cold Steel does), but cost a lot more money (which my friend would not have been able to afford).
The correct solution would be to quit locking your keys in the vehicle up in the snowy mountains, or even putting a Hide-A-Key some where on the vehicle.
Just the other day, I had to install two dead bolts. I miss planned the event, and did not have the appropriate tool to do the job proper. I needed several chisels to cut out the strike plate openings on the door and door jambs (sp?).
My father was out of town, and so was my brother. Due to the late hour, going to the hardware store to buy some chisels was also not an option.
The Lock issue was prompted by some juveniles actually stopping in the drive way, getting out and photographing my house and the contents of my open garage late at night. I was still up, and had yet to shut the garage, or park the cars.
My older brother, who is a neighbor chased them out of the neighborhood, and My wife and I suddenly felt the need for a stronger lock, including some deadbolts. We had already planned to replace the locks, and add dead bolts to both the front door and the garage, and had the locks already purchased.
I had a knife with a square design, with a chisel front edge (sharpened front edge, with a 90 degree angle to the main edge).
That knife is not a chisel. That knife has no warranty of any kind, because I made it in my garage, with the simplest of tools. I heat treated it and tempered it my self using a coal fire, and oil quench.
I used that knife as it was not intended to be used. I hammered it into the door and doorjamb to cut out a strike plate hole. I actually used a big heavy hickory club to batton the knife into the hard wood. It was sharp, it was dangerous. I wore safety glasses. I got both door locks installed (and not looking too bad, I must say).
I did not have the appropriate tools, and that was from lack of planning.
I improvised at the late hour, and met with success.
Long examples, but I think the point was that often knives get used where they should not be, and how they should not be, some times out of necessity. Some situation are true emergencies. Some are not (I could have waited another night to do the door locks, and gotten the chisels, or borrowed them from my brother the next day etc).
I have some knives that I know will withstand abuse if I need them to. I do try to use the appropriate tool for the job (I have had several "borrowed" knives be returned to me missing tips, or really messed up becasue they were used inappropriately to pry, or cut things knives have no business cutting).
I have knives I would not use for hard use ever, unless it was life or death (or very close).
I have some knives I know will do in a pinch, and are covered with unbeatable warranties. I have tools, and when I am near my garage, or town, or even my vehicle, it is not as big of an issue.
I don't carry a pry bar every where I go (although I do have one in the trunk, as well as a special forces shovel that can dig and chop).
I don't always have a screw driver with me (although I some times have my leatherman with some simple tools).
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