"Objective" folder tests?

[Natlek]

Everybody knows what I'm talking about when I say "those testing videos". And I'm not trying to enrage the fanboys, because I own a couple of knives from the same company.

I'm impressed when I see 200 pounds of weight being hung from the handle of a knife. I'm impressed when I see a lock fail "safe", jamming the blade instead of closing up on itself. I'm very impressed when the blade breaks before the lock fails.

But still, I wonder: where is the foot/pounds gauge? How much clamping force is being used? Do the two knives have the same blade thickness?

So I'm here to ask if there are any third-party knife test videos out there? Especially ones where instruments are used to measure relevant aspects of applied force? I don't care how well it will snap-cut a pig (any decent knife will do that, at least a couple times), I want to see an objective comparison of various types of knives.

Or at least, as objective as possible.

Thanks in advance.

Why do you need that test ? For example Benchmade sold thousands of knives every year . Why You do not believe those who bought a knife from Benchmade ? Or do you think that they are not relevant for you ? Any company that sells knives will quickly collapsed if they selling trash .

I'm impressed when I see 200 pounds of weight being hung from the handle of a knife. I'm impressed when I see a lock fail "safe", jamming the blade instead of closing up on itself. I'm very impressed when the blade breaks before the lock fails.

You are impressed , that s ok . Then way you need to see foot/pounds gauge What that will change to you ?

 

[Wowbagger]

What I want to see is a force gauge put on the lock release mechanism.
Perhaps as the gold standard use the force required to release a Spyderco Para 2 or a Benchmade Axis lock.
Can do that literally ALLLLLLL DAY LONG.
My Cold Steels . . . er . . . I mean the knife company you are referring to . . . what EVER that one may be . . . some how has left that out of the design equation or maybe somebody's brother in law owns a blade spring material manufacturing company and so they design to use as MUCH of that material in each knife as can be humanly crammed into the knife.

As many have read I pretty much across the board disassemble the knives by that . . . er . . . maker we mentioned . . . do some simple mods ( a few swipes with a couple of diamond files) on some key surfaces so that the blades are easier to close. Even my Tuff Lite Mini needed it. Had to press the lock bar so far into the handle to get the blade to release I had to use the knuckle on the side of my finger joint (the fleshy part of the side of my finger wouldn't do it).

Why is this good ? ? ? It isn't.
Flip a Para 2 and a Tuff Lite or any of the other triad locks and what I am talking about becomes, painfully obvious.

But yah . . . I love the knives ! ! ! I was just using my Holdout I (the big one). Sweet KNIFE !

Photos are a must








PS : had to take a news break before I could get that last photo up. Wanted to check on the current wind speed. On line Weather (Wunderground) says the current wind speed in my area is gusting to 31 MPH news show says 101 MPH . . . judging by the number of fences being blown down, my work and THE CHEF's work canceled, roofs coming off including the court house, semis just kind of falling over side ways, entire trees blowing by the front windows (a slight exaggeration). That was going on across the highway from us.

I'mmmmmmm inclined to go with the latter wind speed measurement . . .

 

[clearkevin]

I would imagine a lot of testing gets done by manufacturers they just don't share it with us like the company which is the focus of this thread does (the exception would be benchmade I've seen a few of their test videos). I love many of the knives from the subject company and wouldn't even try to suggest they don't have a strong lock but as some have already stated I would not put side to side force even on my 4max. I will say I like the videos some very entertaining viewing I figure is someone is going to destroy a knife and film it I'm in as long as it's not my knife.

 

[Danke42]

 

[ourgon]

Russian hardcore test videos.

 

[Hickory n steel]

It's a folding knife, does it cut stuff ? If so then test over.
I'm pretty sick and tired of people worrying so much about lock strength, if your lock fails you're doing something wrong. Seriously just get a small fixed blade and stop worrying.

 

[marcinek]

It's a folding knife, does it cut stuff ? If so then test over.
I'm pretty sick and tired of people worrying so much about lock strength, if your lock fails you're doing something wrong. Seriously just get a small fixed blade and stop worrying.

While I agree that if one is worried about lock failure, one should probably consider a fixed blade, "does it cut" hardly seems like a test of a lock's strength.

That seems to be more a test of sharpness and geometry.

Possibly "does it fold" would be more appropriate.

 

[Natlek]

It's a folding knife, does it cut stuff ? If so then test over.
I'm pretty sick and tired of people worrying so much about lock strength, if your lock fails you're doing something wrong. Seriously just get a small fixed blade and stop worrying.

You know what I do not understand? How they buy their cars? They believe in crash test that do car manufacturers? How they believe in the foods they eat? they believe what it says on the packaging? In the same time they don t believe in test from knive manufacturers As you say ...........if your lock fails you're doing something wrong. Seriously just get a small fixed blade and stop worrying.
And of story !

 

[Hickory n steel]

While I agree that if one is worried about lock failure, one should probably consider a fixed blade, "does it cut" hardly seems like a test of a lock's strength.

That seems to be more a test of sharpness and geometry.

Possibly "does it fold" would be more appropriate.

My point is that lock strength shouldn't matter, and weather a knife cuts well is what does.
Any standard lockback like the buck 110, spyderco ...ect is strong enough for daily use and if one of those fails on you you probably did something wrong. Heck, many people could probably get by just fine if their knife didn't lock at all.

 

[marcinek]

You know what I do not understand? How they buy their cars? They believe in crash test that do car manufacturers? How they believe in the foods they eat? they believe what it says on the packaging?

Except those are done by (or spot checked, in the FDA's case) independent sources like the FDA, or IIHS...so that's kinda different.

 

[marcinek]

My point is that lock strength shouldn't matter, and weather a knife cuts well is what does.
Any standard lockback like the buck 110, spyderco ...ect is strong enough for daily use and if one of those fails on you you probably did something wrong. Heck, many people could probably get by just fine if their knife didn't lock at all.

Again, "cutting well" is not a test of lock strength. The Buck 110, Spyderco, etc that you list may cut well, but even if they didn't that has nothing to do with their lock not failing or failing.

And many people, including me, get along fine with a knife that doesn't lock.

Doesn't say anything about lock strength though. I got a peanut that cuts great...does that mean it has a great lock?

 

[stabman]

Although most folders stand up well to a modicum of heavy use like whittling and cutting cardboard, what they don't stand up to is side to side pressure cause they are half broken anyways, in that they are not one solid piece of steel like a fixed blade.

Well, I have pried (for no reason at all) at wood with my thicker folders and not had them snap...whereas my brother was prying (for no reason at all) at wood in the woods with a cheap yet relatively thick fixed blade and had a full inch snap off the end.

What does this prove?
Nothing at all really.
But my "half broken" knife didn't get any more broken, while a fixed blade did.

Moral of the story?
There isn't one.
Yay internet!!! :thumbup:

 

[Riz!]

PS : had to take a news break before I could get that last photo up. Wanted to check on the current wind speed. On line Weather (Wunderground) says the current wind speed in my area is gusting to 31 MPH news show says 101 MPH . . . judging by the number of fences being blown down, my work and THE CHEF's work canceled, roofs coming off including the court house, semis just kind of falling over side ways, entire trees blowing by the front windows (a slight exaggeration). That was going on across the highway from us.

I'mmmmmmm inclined to go with the latter wind speed measurement . . .

Thats purely antecdotal evidence! Where is your empircal data????

See what I did there?

 

[Bill1170]

Some members of a knife forum will inwardly scoff upon watching a coworker open a package with his or her keys. The thought running through their mind: "That person needs a knife. Keys are for opening locks, not packages." Will those same persons inwardly scoff upon seeing a folding knife used to pry things apart? Will they think, "That person needs a prybar. Knives are for cutting things, not for prying." These situations are similar. One way in which they match is that both workarounds get the job done, despite being suboptimal. In both cases the purpose-built tool works better. The main difference is that the keys are seldom damaged by opening the package whereas the folding knife is sometimes injured by prying. As in most things, the trick is to know the tool's limitations and stay within them.

 

[Hickory n steel]

Again, "cutting well" is not a test of lock strength. The Buck 110, Spyderco, etc that you list may cut well, but even if they didn't that has nothing to do with their lock not failing or failing.

And many people, including me, get along fine with a knife that doesn't lock.

Doesn't say anything about lock strength though. I got a peanut that cuts great...does that mean it has a great lock?

Screw lock strength. Cutting well matters, lock strength doesn't.

Why do you put words in my mouth ? I did not day that cutting well had to do with lock strength.

 

[marcinek]

Screw lock strength. Cutting well matters, lock strength doesn't.

Why do you put words in my mouth ? I did not day that cutting well had to do with lock strength.

You said it was a test of lock strength...

It's a folding knife, does it cut stuff ? If so then test over.

I mean we are talking about lock strength tests here. We see you are not interested in lock strength and that it is not something you consider...I happen to agree with you.

But the OP is looking for examples of objective folder testing....not whether we think locks are needed at all or how well a knife will snap cut a pig.

...
I'm impressed when I see 200 pounds of weight being hung from the handle of a knife. I'm impressed when I see a lock fail "safe", jamming the blade instead of closing up on itself. I'm very impressed when the blade breaks before the lock fails.

But still, I wonder: where is the foot/pounds gauge? How much clamping force is being used? Do the two knives have the same blade thickness?

So I'm here to ask if there are any third-party knife test videos out there? Especially ones where instruments are used to measure relevant aspects of applied force? I don't care how well it will snap-cut a pig (any decent knife will do that, at least a couple times), I want to see an objective comparison of various types of knives.

 

[jbmonkey]

who doesn't take their tri-ad and climb up a tree and stick it in and hang from it for hours?

 

[Ratman79]

While I agree that if one is worried about lock failure, one should probably consider a fixed blade, "does it cut" hardly seems like a test of a lock's strength.

That seems to be more a test of sharpness and geometry.

Possibly "does it fold" would be more appropriate.

Well put, sir!

 

[marcinek]

Well put, sir!

Thanks...like

It's a folding knife, does it fold ? If so then test over.

I mean that is an test of lock strength. Not "does it cut." Heck, I got fixed blades that wouldn't cut until reprofiled.

 

[Hickory n steel]

You said it was a test of lock strength...



I mean we are talking about lock strength tests here. We see you are not interested in lock strength and that it is not something you consider...I happen to agree with you.

But the OP is looking for examples of objective folder testing....not whether we think locks are needed at all or how well a knife will snap cut a pig.

You misunderstood me. I said " does it cut stiff ? If so then test over " meaning that cutting performance is what really matters.

BTW here's a relevant strength test.
Put on an appropriate pair of gloves, grab the blade and handle, then try to make the knife fold without disengaging the lock bar. If it can pass this test , then it won't close on you during normal proper use.