Knife Failures

Kaizen1

Kaizen1

Gold Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2006
Messages
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Tell us about a situation where a knife failed on you. I imagine most cases have to do with locks on folders, but this is open to any part of the knife.
  • What knife was it?
  • What were you doing?
  • What part of the knife failed?
  • In retrospect, do you believe it's understandable that the knife failed, ie, were you doing something unreasonable with it?
  • Did you use the warranty to get it fixed or replaced?
  • Would you buy another of that model or brand?
  • Got pics or video?
 
Last edited:
Smiling said:
Well, I messed up.

The idea was to baton it into a stump to straighten the tip first. And after that cutting a line into a stump with a saw, and then putting entire blade into that cut and bending it back to straight.

The snap happened when I tried to baton the tip of the blade into a stump, I used a piece of wood as a baton but it was very surprising.
Other thing that surprised me was the place where the crack happened. I expected that if snap is going to happen - it will happen near the first screw that's closest to the blade.
For some reason they drilled a hole the part of the tang that has no screws, and that same hole was structural weak point that in my opinion shouldn't be there.

This knife has been through a lot and I don't mean to bash on it, it's extremley tough for what it is, but again - there's no justified reason for tis hole to be placed here either-

UdvGxwd.jpg


n2UPqtb.jpg
Click to expand...

Back story to this:
I gave it to my girlfriend, she was throwing it when she was bored and later she used it as a pry bar to open a stuck drawer and bent it that way. It's corroded because she washed it with other dishes and left it over night to dry...

The knife is Boker GoBag (D2 steel)
It failed after lots and lots of abuse so I can't blame it.
I have a feeling it shouldn't have failed where it failed (on the handle) since that could mess up your fingers big time!
I didn't even bother with warranty, the knife was abused so it wouldn't even be fair.

And no, I won't buy another Boker, and these are the reasons why:
1. Sheath was just baaaaad, straight out of the box I had plastic shavings fall out of it or I'd find them sticking to knife blade.
2. Sheath had lots of rattle and poor retention
3. Uneven grind
4. I can't see a reason or justification for that hole on the tang. Someone might lose their fingers over it.
5. Handle is good just for one type of grip
 
Smiling said:
Back story to this:
I gave it to my girlfriend, she was throwing it when she was bored and later she used it as a pry bar to open a stuck drawer and bent it that way. It's corroded because she washed it with other dishes and left it over night to dry...

The knife is Boker GoBag (D2 steel)
It failed after lots and lots of abuse so I can't blame it.
I have a feeling it shouldn't have failed where it failed (on the handle) since that could mess up your fingers big time!
I didn't even bother with warranty, the knife was abused so it wouldn't even be fair.

And no, I won't buy another Boker, and these are the reasons why:
1. Sheath was just baaaaad, straight out of the box I had plastic shavings fall out of it or I'd find them sticking to knife blade.
2. Sheath had lots of rattle and poor retention
3. Uneven grind
4. I can't see a reason or justification for that hole on the tang. Someone might lose their fingers over it.
5. Handle is good just for one type of grip
Click to expand...

Looks like you got a bonus friction folder
 
My friend had a SOG Fusion Boiwe back in the day. He whacked a stick about as hard as you'd whack an
avocado seed and the thing snapped in half right at the handle. Didn't bother with the warranty because we were 14
and didn't care about a replacmenet for a knife that bad.

My other friend had a SOG Trident folder and he was cutting some plastic sheeting he and his Dad were laying down for some kind of gardening
project and the handle split and the blade fell out.

Believe it or not, 5 or so years later, I bought a SOG Trident Elite folder and after about a week's worth of opening and closing at work, something jammed in the mechanism and the blade would no longer fold close. I didn't open and close the knife like a nervous tick, just as much as was required for tasks at work and the darn thing just wouldn't shut anymore. Looked and nothing was lodged in there.
Shut it with a little more force and the handle simply split in two, revealing shavings and galled metal pieces.

My SOG SEAL Pup Elite seems to be the only SOG that has really held up for me and I've noticed some design changes (thinner blades)
on some of the newer ones coming out. I've had enough failures, and stories of failures from friends, about SOG that I don't think I'll be buying anymore of them. It's a shame because I like the way a lot of their knives look, but they are generally poorly made.
 
I’ve been using and collecting knives my whole life. The only failures I can think of are a worn out lock on a Buck 110, and a couple of broken springs on old slip joints.
 
Korean Hog said:
My friend had a SOG Fusion Boiwe back in the day. He whacked a stick about as hard as you'd whack an
avocado seed and the thing snapped in half right at the handle. Didn't bother with the warranty because we were 14
and didn't care about a replacmenet for a knife that bad.

My other friend had a SOG Trident folder and he was cutting some plastic sheeting he and his Dad were laying down for some kind of gardening
project and the handle split and the blade fell out.

Believe it or not, 5 or so years later, I bought a SOG Trident Elite folder and after about a week's worth of opening and closing at work, something jammed in the mechanism and the blade would no longer fold close. I didn't open and close the knife like a nervous tick, just as much as was required for tasks at work and the darn thing just wouldn't shut anymore. Looked and nothing was lodged in there.
Shut it with a little more force and the handle simply split in two, revealing shavings and galled metal pieces.

My SOG SEAL Pup Elite seems to be the only SOG that has really held up for me and I've noticed some design changes (thinner blades)
on some of the newer ones coming out. I've had enough failures, and stories of failures from friends, about SOG that I don't think I'll be buying anymore of them. It's a shame because I like the way a lot of their knives look, but they are generally poorly made.
Click to expand...
I have had nothing but good luck use the SOG Aegis series folding knives as an everyday hard use work knife stripping cable, slicing miles of cardboard, And prying things open I shouldn't. They have taken many falls from ladders onto concrete and took many trips thru the washing machine also. The blade is basic 8Cr13Mov and shapen easily but holds a nice working edge for weeks of hard use and the stainless scales can take a beating but feel good in the hand. I use to pick them up for $20. but they replaced the thumb stud with a flipper and jacked the price to $35. bucks but still a solid knife for that price point IMO.
SOG Aegis FLK Folding Knife 3.38
 
I had a liner lock fail trying to cut a hole in some thick leather. The lock slipped and cut the top of my index finger pretty good, it's a Southern Grind Bad Monkey. It will fail at will which I didn't realize at the time, I don't carry it anymore and haven't decided whether it's worth sending in.

When I was 8 I was using my brand new Camillus boy scout knife (1st knife) to try and put a hole in the tire my dad had put the tether ball in. The blade closed on my thumb, there were some stitches involved with that one. It has a little brass liner lock that never really fully locked the blade open. Still have that one too, it will turn 50 in Sept., I got it for my b-day that year.
 
Kaizen1 said:
Tell us about a situation where a knife failed on you. I imagine most cases have to do with locks on folders, but this is open to any part of the knife.
  • What knife was it?
  • What were you doing?
  • What part of the knife failed?
  • In retrospect, do you believe the knife should have failed, ie, were you doing something unreasonable with it?
  • Did you use the warranty to get it fixed or replaced?
  • Would you buy another of that model or brand?
  • Got pics or video?
Click to expand...

In this thread, my brother and I headed out to the woods with cheap knives we bought at Canadian Tire:

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads...eaturing-other-knives-too-and-a-toad.1387673/

When my brother decided to pry some wood to test the tip strength, the tip busted off.
I figured that would happen, so I did not pry with mine. :D

xskgL73.jpg


djhejPu.jpg



And, a toad with a Boker War Toad on the walk out:

bX9aJ4F.jpg
 
Last edited:
eveled said:
I’ve been using and collecting knives my whole life. The only failures I can think of are a worn out lock on a Buck 110, and a couple of broken springs on old slip joints.
Click to expand...

That's about the same as for me. And I've been carrying and using knives for about 60 years.
Couple of busted slip joint springs and my old 1960's 110 has a bit of blade play, but still locks securely.
 
When I was younger I had a cheap liner lock knife fail me when I went to puncture a piece of bark. I had recently sharpened it so when it failed and snapped shut it cut me to the bone. I switched to better knives immediately.
For Christmas last year I bought a bunch of CRKT Razels to give out as conpany gifts. The locking mechanism on the one I was carrying has failed and it's no longer trustable. I emailed CRKT about a warranty repair and they never responded.
 
I bought a Benchmade CSK II (1095) when I was in high school so I could have a "real survival knife." On a lark, I stuck it into the top of a cedar fence post. Without thinking, I put a minimal amount of lateral force while working it out and heard an audible *TINK*. Approximately 1/2 an inch of the tip snapped off. Definitely a stupid move to make but I thought it was suspiciously easy to snap.

I think I've snapped tips off of a few "feedstock special" slipjoints as a kid, but luckily few catastrophic failures so far.
 
Night Rider said:
I have had nothing but good luck use the SOG Aegis series folding knives as an everyday hard use work knife stripping cable, slicing miles of cardboard, And prying things open I shouldn't. They have taken many falls from ladders onto concrete and took many trips thru the washing machine also. The blade is basic 8Cr13Mov and shapen easily but holds a nice working edge for weeks of hard use and the stainless scales can take a beating but feel good in the hand. I use to pick them up for $20. but they replaced the thumb stud with a flipper and jacked the price to $35. bucks but still a solid knife for that price point IMO.
SOG Aegis FLK Folding Knife 3.38
Click to expand...
More power to you then I guess.
 
Seeing how many people ended up getting stitches because of locks failing on a folder is making me beware of ever getting one. So far I only have fixed blades.
 
Smiling said:
Seeing how many people ended up getting stitches because of locks failing on a folder is making me beware of ever getting one. So far I only have fixed blades.
Click to expand...
Oh what do you mean, fixed blades can also fail. My dad and I were sword fighting with two Chinese shop display swords he had and it broke right at the handle :D
Ok but on a more serious note, I can't help but notice how all the above seem to be issues with production knives, peehaps a good custom will be better built and hold up better.?
 
Smiling said:
Seeing how many people ended up getting stitches because of locks failing on a folder is making me beware of ever getting one. So far I only have fixed blades.
Click to expand...

been carrying and using folding knives most of my life. no stitches yet from it.

i learned folding knives on slip joints though and that has kept me careful and not trying to use a folder like I would a fixed blade. even lock folders I use much like a slip joint to cut with. bad things can happen and maybe I've been lucky, but ya shouldnt fear a folder with proper use.
 
jbmonkey said:
been carrying and using folding knives most of my life. no stitches yet from it.

i learned folding knives on slip joints though and that has kept me careful and not trying to use a folder like I would a fixed blade. even lock folders I use much like a slip joint to cut with. bad things can happen and maybe I've been lucky, but ya shouldnt fear a folder with proper use.
Click to expand...
Proper use for a folder is different from proper use of fixed blade. Fixed blade is more sturdy and durable. Not saying it can't fail, but it's less likley, and using a folder for stuff I use my fixed blades for would be asking for trouble.
Ray van Vuuren said:
Oh what do you mean, fixed blades can also fail. My dad and I were sword fighting with two Chinese shop display swords he had and it broke right at the handle :D
Ok but on a more serious note, I can't help but notice how all the above seem to be issues with production knives, peehaps a good custom will be better built and hold up better.?
Click to expand...
I know that fixed blades also fail, but they're less likley to fail, as where folders literally fold on your fingers in large part of cases.
 
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