Knife uses for pry bar

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philllll said:
Then why do you like Cold Steel so much? :p:D

(Just kidding)
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Yes, yes, very funny.

I'm actually carrying 2 Cold Steel knives and a SwissChamp on me right now. :thumbup: I love the anodized 6061 aluminum on the Code 4.

In my opinion, Cold Steel folders are some of the worst for prying because most of them are hollow ground. I really think a knife is the wrong tool for the job, but if I'm going to pry with a knife I want a saber grind, like one of those Buck-Tops tantos.
 
Just get a crowbar. Works for Gordon Freeman.

Gordon_rubble_crowbar.jpg
 
For those who enjoyed the story of my grandfather and his knife, I thank you for your interest and kind words. He was a cool old guy and I like to share stories about him. Sadly I knew him for only a short time and I was too young to get to learn more about the history of his knife (at that age, all I knew or cared about knives was that they were "cool").

And unfortunately neither I nor my father were first in line to inherit the knife, my uncle was the next oldest male and he had first dibs. I haven't seen that knife in about 34 years and my uncle died quite awhile ago. I guess that knife is lost to the ages. But my grandfather was a very old-fashioned guy and didn't believe in forming sentimental attachments to his tools, so I don't imagine he would shed any tears about it. I did inherit other knives of his, like a pretty cool Schrade switchblade that gramps kept in one of his tool boxes.

That slipjoint of his was pretty nice and I always loved when gramps would let me handle it. It was old and had a very "classic" style. It was made in Germany, had a clip-point blade between two and three inches long, genuine stag handles with thick brass liners and bolsters. It had a definite look and feel of quality to it. The blade was unusually thick for a slipjoint which I'm sure added to it's durability and my gramps willingness to use it in the ways he did.

Now as for the subject of using knives as prying tools, I'll add this to my previous thoughts-

There are many different kinds of knife owners- Some will NEVER use their knives for prying. Some prefer not to use their knives for prying but will do so under certain circumstances. And some buy heavy-duty knives and like to push them to their limits, eager to use them for anything and everything, including prying.

And in my opinion, NONE of these people are wrong.

My philosophy is this- What other people choose to do with THEIR KNIVES, is THEIR BUSINESS, and it's not for me to judge them or criticize them for it.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of people in the knife community who have a compulsion to be "right". And these people feel compelled to share with the rest of our community just how "right" they are by preaching to all exactly what a knife is for, what the right way to use a knife is, and how a knife should NEVER be used. And they consider anyone who doesn't follow their "knife rules" to be both wrong, and deserving of public criticism. I think this is unfortunate and I wish that such people would get over themselves. I don't believe that the knife community requires any "experts" telling us all how we should or shouldn't use OUR KNIVES. Just my opinion.
 
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philllll said:
Just get a crowbar. Works for Gordon Freeman.

Gordon_rubble_crowbar.jpg
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I was actually considering getting a small crowbar to keep in, on or about my backpack, just in case I should need it (I EDC a modest BOB). I'm clearly not ready for the headcrab apocalypse.
 
Killgar, I loved that story about your gramps as well. I'm fortunate to have inherited a knife from one of my grampas.

And I also agree that there are a lot of people on here (and everywhere) that get a smug sense of satisfaction from telling other people that they're doing something wrong.
 
roughedges said:
You're right, it isn't. What it is, is an opinion formed over a lifetime of using a large variety of tools for a large variety of uses. Want an argument as to why it couldn't have done it? Very well, here it goes. The goal was to get under a wood deck that I and my brother built, to fix a leak that had developed in his irrigation system. The boards, planks really, I had to remove were 2x6 dimensional lumber, very closely spaced. 10d ring nails are 3" long, fasten nearly as well as screws, and were set into the wood. Between the length and design of the nails, the thickness of the boards, and the limited (I hope you aren't going to argue this point) leveraging ability of a 4" tool- particularly one that isn't designed solely for prying- I see one of only two possible outcomes.
1. The user would end up giving up with nothing more than blisters and splinters to show for his efforts.
2. The eat'n tool bends or breaks, with nothing more to show for his efforts.

I have no issue with the tool, it certainly has its uses. But you seem so sure that it can do so much. If it really is that good, why not do a video review? If you do, I hope you'll include loosening 2" lumber fastened with 10d nails in it.
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I have one of those Eat'N tools and there is no way, that you could use one of them to pry the deck that you described
 
philllll said:
Killgar, I loved that story about your gramps as well. I'm fortunate to have inherited a knife from one of my grampas.

And I also agree that there are a lot of people on here (and everywhere) that get a smug sense of satisfaction from telling other people that they're doing something wrong.
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I don't think that's true at all. We can't have ignorant people spreading misinformation without resistance because society blah bla blah bleh blop... :p

I fell pretty hard for the hard-use knife fad and I eventually realized I misused a cheap, thin-bladed Schrade CH7 for 15 years and never had any problems beyond a non-functioning lock and tip loss from screwdrivering. I think it was simply testosterone that pushed me toward hard-use knives. I still like them, but only if they are not heavy and have acceptable cutting performance.
 
The reason I still carry my Gerber Shard on my keychain is not so much for the prying abilities of the dinky pryer but for the additional functions and it's disposable inexpensive at $7.

I have yet to use my Spyderco Techno with its 2.55" (65mm) long and 0.177" (4.5mm) thick blade of CTS-XHP hard steel for prying tasks but I'm very confident that it's fully capable as being strong and giving me enough leverage.
 
Nullity said:
I don't think that's true at all. We can't have ignorant people spreading misinformation without resistance because society blah bla blah bleh blob
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Hey man I'm with you on that. No problems with correcting somebody, but I'm referring to people doing so in the douchiest possible manner to make themselves feel superior. Nobody is going to listen to your advice if you give it while insulting their intelligence.
 
philllll said:
Hey man I'm with you on that. No problems with correcting somebody, but I'm referring to people doing so in the douchiest possible manner to make themselves feel superior. Nobody is going to listen to your advice if you give it while insulting their intelligence.
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In my experience, advice given in that fashion is not in any way about informing, educating, etc.; it is only about patting one's own back and the false perception of superiority. I suppose I've done it myself, I think nearly everyone has at one point or another, but I sure as heck try not to. :)
 
philllll said:
Hey man I'm with you on that. No problems with correcting somebody, but I'm referring to people doing so in the douchiest possible manner to make themselves feel superior. Nobody is going to listen to your advice if you give it while insulting their intelligence.
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Oh, my bad, I was attempting to be that douche. ;)
Darn firewall must filter sarcasm.
Personally, I have spent a good amount of time trying to be right and you learn nothing that way.

I wonder if I will ever be able to abuse my $400 SnG. I am leaning toward "no". In my experience, sub-$30 knives are the hard-use kings.
Here's a favorite quote of mine from the legendary Bob Loveless. "A knife is a tool, and if we don't treat our tools with a certain familiar contempt, we lose perspective."
 
Great quote from Bob Loveless.
My 80 yr old Dad still has old his Case Texas Toothpick folder. It's still not retired because he did not abuse it.
 
Nullity said:
Here's a favorite quote of mine from the legendary Bob Loveless. "A knife is a tool, and if we don't treat our tools with a certain familiar contempt, we lose perspective."
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Love it. Thanks for sharing. I looked it up and read the whole article which was in the July 14, 1980 issue of Sports Illustrated:


Here's that whole paragraph:

"Ninety percent of my knives aren't used!" he exclaims. "And, damn it, they should be out working. That's why I make them. When some old cowboy or guide comes back to me with a knife that's worn down to a nub and he says, 'That thing fit my hand better than any knife I'd ever had, and it worked longer, too,' that's fame. That's what I'm on earth for. A knife is a tool, and if we don't treat our tools with a certain familiar contempt, we lose perspective."
​
 
RamZar said:
Love it. Thanks for sharing. I looked it up and read the whole article which was in the July 14, 1980 issue of Sports Illustrated:


Here's that whole paragraph:

"Ninety percent of my knives aren't used!" he exclaims. "And, damn it, they should be out working. That's why I make them. When some old cowboy or guide comes back to me with a knife that's worn down to a nub and he says, 'That thing fit my hand better than any knife I'd ever had, and it worked longer, too,' that's fame. That's what I'm on earth for. A knife is a tool, and if we don't treat our tools with a certain familiar contempt, we lose perspective."
​
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That quote is so true
I can't count the times that I have read on this forum (and others) people saying a knife is not meant for this or that even when the manufactured said it was meant for it.

My dumpster mutt was called a sharpened prybar by Dan Busse when he introduced it
 
Nullity said:
...
Here's a favorite quote of mine from the legendary Bob Loveless. "A knife is a tool, and if we don't treat our tools with a certain familiar contempt, we lose perspective."
Click to expand...

RamZar said:
Love it. Thanks for sharing. I looked it up and read the whole article which was in the July 14, 1980 issue of Sports Illustrated:


Here's that whole paragraph:

"Ninety percent of my knives aren't used!" he exclaims. "And, damn it, they should be out working. That's why I make them. When some old cowboy or guide comes back to me with a knife that's worn down to a nub and he says, 'That thing fit my hand better than any knife I'd ever had, and it worked longer, too,' that's fame. That's what I'm on earth for. A knife is a tool, and if we don't treat our tools with a certain familiar contempt, we lose perspective."
​
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Awesomness!... Awsomeninity!... Whatever, that's just awesome!
 
hmm the only time that I've used my knife as a prybar is when I was trying to pry the meat out of coconut halves with my XM-18...
 
I think a lot of people are more "collectors" than "users" of knives and are loathe to damage their collectable.

Personally i use knives and use them fairly hard sometimes. I use all my choppers in the woods when i get firewood in and expect them to be very rugged.
 
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