Lock failure

[Ankerson]

Yeah, me too. But I have to say I am more than just a little surprised that even as kids (my first BS knife at 7) some folks here NEVER cut themselves with a slipjoint. In 46 years of carrying them, I don't have a perfect record.

It is difficult to imagine never misjudging the angle of a cut, a momentary lapse of good judgement, or just never making a mistake. I haven't but myself in a couple of years, but I wasn't all that careful (or smart!) when I was a kid.

Robert

It only take a second of misjudgement for one to close on you too.

 

[Sal Glesser]

I was holding the knife in a "blade down" hammer grip, like the P'Kal is designed for - if you get the picture. I find it easier to lever through the plastic lock ring on these lids. It cut into the fleshy part of my hand a bit. I think it was a bleeder day, because the cut didn't appear to be that deep, maybe a quarter inch or so, just bled alot.

I have had the "finger choil" do some index finger crushing, also, at other times. The "choil" feature works as intended.

I guess I do more "stabbing moves" than many people appear to do.

As an aside, I like the UKPK as an "office" knife and carry one for that purpose. Quite the slicer, comfortable in the hand, etc. Kinda suprised some other company hasn't followed your "high-tech slippy" lead, since it appears the world market for such will continue expanding due to various laws.

I was just teasin'. Figured I'd give you some sh*t

On the "other companies", I'm sure they will in time.

sal

 

[cbxer55]

I have yet to have a lock fail on me. Not of any type. Back lock, NO.
Liner Lock, NO. Frame Lock, NO. Slip Joint, NO. Axis Lock, NO. Tri-Ad Lock, No.

Truthfully, my favorites are back locks, or the new Cold Steel Tri-Ad Lock.:thumbup:

 

[Bill1170]

I grew up using slipjoints and never cut myself due to the blade folding during a cut. I've never had a lock fail in use, either, and part of that has to be my slipjoint habits. The prospect of the knife folding and cutting my fingers always terrified me into a high level of awareness that saved me from grief.

What I have had happen several times is the screwdriver blade of a SAK folded on me in use. Painful, but not too dangerous. This is one thing I love on the Trekker; the main flat screwdriver blade locks.

Bill

 

[midnight flyer]

It only take a second of misjudgement for one to close on you too.

OK... read carefully. You must have misunderstood my message.

Quote:
Originally Posted by midnight flyer View Post
Yeah, me too. But I have to say I am more than just a little surprised that even as kids (my first BS knife at 7) some folks here NEVER cut themselves with a slipjoint. In 46 years of carrying them, I don't have a perfect record.

It is difficult to imagine never misjudging the angle of a cut, a momentary lapse of good judgement, or just never making a mistake. I haven't but myself in a couple of years, but I wasn't all that careful (or smart!) when I was a kid.

Robert

Note that I said I was SURPRISED that folks here had NEVER cut themselves. I later state that I don't have a perfect record on that myself. That means I have cut myself.

Later I said that I had not cut myself in a couple of years. It is quite right and intended for you to infer that by saying I had not cut "myself in a couple of years" that I had previously cut myself. I actually have cut myself many times over the years. Only a couple of times when I was actually being careful, the rest of the times being operator error (meaning me).

Sorry for the confusion.

Robert

 

[Swedge]

Based on the responses to date, the no. 1 reason for a slip joint closing on the fingers is this: The tip is embedded in some material.

It can be embedded in wood, plastic, or even a creek bed. Embedding the point of a slip joint in any material should be viewed as a dangerous situation and pushing or twisting of the handle could result in inadvertent closing of the blade.

Closely related would be stabbing or otherwise trying to pierce material with a slip joint, particularly if the point of the blade is below the pivot point. Or if the material being stabbed could push the point that way.

Second reason, only partially articulated in the responses so far, is using a slip joint without adequate clearance for the spine. The example given was along the lines of carving, and when pulling the knife back, not lifting the knife high enough to clear a knot. Similarly, using a slip joint in a confined space (such as inside an enclosure of some kind) risks the blade closing if the spine of the knife hits any part of the enclosure. Thus lack of clearance for the spine of a slip joint if the knife will be pulled toward the spine is a dangerous situation.

Any other suggestions?

 

[Vicarious Reality]

I've never cut myself seriously with a folder i think...
Several times with fixed blades though.
The first, when i was a couple years old and found a Mora under the kitchen sink, almost whittled my left ring finger tip off.
Second i remember, when i was putting a stainless blue Mora into its sheath a couple years ago, missed the sheath completely and burrowed the blade in my thumb muscle.
A more recent incident, i was inverted grip stabbing the desk or something with a SOG Pentagon and simply slipped straight down onto the blade.

 

[lambertiana]

I have been carrying slipjoints since the late 60's, and have yet to receive a cut from one folding on me while I was using it. It all comes down to proper technique.

Cuts due to using it in ways I teach my scouts not to are a different story....

 

[Swedge]

when i was putting a stainless blue Mora into its sheath a couple years ago, missed the sheath completely and burrowed the blade in my thumb muscle.

One advantage that slip joints have (along with all other folding knives) is that they are self-sheathing. You absolutely can not miss the sheath! Sure you can close the blade on your fingers, but you can also run the blade into your fingers or palm of the other hand while sheathing a fixed blade.

And you can't lose the sheath for a folding knife either.

 

[shecky]

I've cut myself with slipjoints. However, I can't recall cutting myself with a slipjoint because it was a slipjoint.

Slipjoints don't spontaneously snap shut on their users. They require specific forces to be exerted in order for the blade to fold.

In some respects, I feel that locking blades offer a false sense of security and as such, may be more unsafe than slipjoints. Locks sometimes fail, usually doing something one probably shouldn't do with a folding knife. When they do, it's typically sudden and unexpected, a particularly dangerous formula. And there's not always easy predicting on which knives such things might occur. Go back in the archives, and there are dozens of stories of good locking knives made by well respected makers that sometimes fail. Sometimes just a fluke, sometimes a design flaw. Typically, the locking knife is "rock solid", until is all of a sudden isn't.

I think of locks as a little added security, not something that can be relied upon to compensate for had knife practice. They're a bit like the safety on a firearm. They're added security mechanisms in case of accident, not insurance against foolish behavior.

What I have had happen several times is the screwdriver blade of a SAK folded on me in use. Painful, but not too dangerous. This is one thing I love on the Trekker; the main flat screwdriver blade locks.

I really like Wenger's "auto-locking" screwdriver system. After having the Vic screwdriver fold a couple times, yo really come to appreciate that feature.