Remind me, why do we pry with our knives, again?

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Prying with a knife, especially into wood, has been a "test" to show off the tip strength of a knife, to entice someone to purchase said knife.

How does this relate to real life? I've never really needed to pry with a knife before. Maybe a staple, but any knife can handle that. If I were in a survival situation, maybe I'd pry into wood for grubs to eat? If I were mending fences, I'd need to pry out old staples? For a work situation, when you can anticipate a task, I was taught, "use the right tool for the job."

So, its just when you are not prepared and all you have is a knife? Does anyone plan on prying with their knife on a regular basis? I'd love to learn.
 
I think it's one if those tests that supposedly replicates hypothetical stress that could result in damage. Just like a spine whack, most knives are never going to purposely be abused in such a way.

I think the importance of such tests is to not treat them as gospel, and I would not expect a carry knife to "prove" itself to pass these kinds of tests anymore than I would want to buy a car that was crash tested.

That said, a bit of prying can be ok. My dad prys with his Buck 110 all the time. Not like a white-knuckle crank, but he'll use it work his way into something or get a lid started. Makes me wince, but his current 110 is about 20 years old and going strong.
 
Because I'm too lazy to start the manlift engine, run the boom back in, run the basket back down, and get the proper tool from my truck.

I try to carry one with me, and the flat blade on my Alox has done the job, a few times.
 
I have a tendency to react rather than think. I'm a creature of habit. If I'm on a ladder or scissor lift, I'll use what I have on hand instead of getting the right tool.
That's one of the reasons I carry a more expensive knife. It makes me think if I want to take a chance and break a blade on my CRK. Most of the time, it's no.
 
I don't pry with my knives or beat on them. That would likely break them, and I don't have the funds to replace them, not to mention I would be without that tool for who knows how long.
 
Don't carry the knife intending to pry anything with, however on several occasions throughout the years I have come upon instances that I did need something to pry with...I used my blade and went about my day, without thinking twice about it. -- Nowadays I'd rather carry a blade that I know can hold up to prying as it may be a function of the knife at one point or another - not the main purpose by any means, but why not carry a knife that I know can withstand some abuse?

I can't carry a whole tool kit around with me daily to "use the right tool for the job" as you say, -- even though multi tools are great, generally speaking multi-tools have been too heavy and cumbersome for me to carry daily as I never really used anything on them besides the knife. - Which lead me back to leaving the multi-tool at home, and slip a solid knife in to my pocket ready for just about anything the day will throw me!

Just my personal experience! -- Overall I'd rather know the blade I'm carrying is capable even if it'll be flexing as a pry tool a handful of times per year... Cant hurt knowing it can manage and not end up breaking on ya!

Lastly - I'd say it also largely depends on what knives an individual is in to ... If you rock with medfords then pry all you want, thats basically what they were made for (HAHA) - however if you rock with something like kershaw or spyderco, I'd probably suggest ya not try and pry anything cuz those blades will snap quite quickly... LOL

Take care!
 
I've been asking myself the same question for years.

I think the insistence on prying with a knife is just plane idiotic, and I don't understand why so many people have the mindset that a knife has to be good for everything.
My grandfather and I'm sure many men of his generation carried a small slipjoint and freebie pocket or keychain driver as their everything else tool.

These things are still a common advertising giveaway and there's just no reason not to get one and abuse it instead of your knife.
 
metsfan said:
I pry with a knife cuz I don’t want to carry some lame pocket prybar
Click to expand...
And I carry some " lame pocket pry bar " because I don't want to bend break or loosen the blade on my knives and potentially injure myself, and I don't want to carry a knife that does not cut worth a crap just so I can do stupid things without worry.
Sure I have a few Band-Aids on me but I prefer not to need them.
 
I try very hard not to pry with my knife. I'm more likely to use the flat head screwdriver on my SAK or MT instead if no other prying tool is around.
 
Its one of those "roll to the front or the back" "holding parts in your mouth" "boxers or jocks" "wave your arm through the elevator door or hit the button" sort of questions. Most people just do, or never do, they don't have a reason why. Some have learned the hard way and still catch ourselves before we do it.

As for its purpose in testing, total flexion is a good standard test of a heat treatment quality/consistency when used as part of a controlled comparison, but other than that, why bother? Its not like you can do a test-to-failure on a single sample piece and then walk it back. Might be the case that all things have a rate of failure. Strange that perfection is difficult to achieve.
 
Tip strength is a non-factor, to be honest. If I ever did break the tip, it would take half an hour with a file and stone and I'd end up with a stronger tip.
 
In my SUV , I carry a 42" Stanley wrecking pry bar . I think it weighs ~7# . :rolleyes:

I like being prepared . Lots of other tools in there .

But how much crap can a person really EDC ? Sometimes I might only have a knife , lighter and small flashlight . :confused:

In an emergency , I'll use what I have available to get the job done .

So , I carry a "hard use " capable knife (or two) whenever possible , that can pry some if necessary . :cool::thumbsup:
 
I have knives that fit in the folding pry-bar category and some that do not.
A couple are actually stouter than some of my mini pry-bars and wouldn't hesitate for a second to use them in a pinch.
But for the most part I am in the "right tool for the job" camp.:thumbsup:
 
If I didn’t believe in “the right tool for the job” I wouldn’t have as many tools as I do. Still, there are days when the right tool for the job is in a tool roll in the car, and the car door is frozen shut. Then the knife in my pocket had better be up for a little bit of prying. Of course, by the time I put my hands on the right tool, I don’t need it any more.
 
I do believe in "right tool for the job", but there are still several reasons:

1. I don't have a prybar with me all the time
2. Prybar isn't sharp enough to cut into adhesive I need to cut in order to even be able to pry (and tanto tip is like made for it)
3. Tip of the prybar isn't narrow/slim/sharp enough to be able to get in
4. I sometimes carry knives with 5mm thick blades which is thicker than some prybars


At one occassion I was removing back glass from a phone, and my thin pry tool simply bent and broke when I tried to straighten it out. I used Drop Forged Hunter to cut through rest of the adhesive and remove the back glass. That is pretty large knife for the task, but I didn't damage the battery or any of the connectors or cut any of the ribbons there.

Knife can do a lot of jobs well, as long as you aren't stupid and do something very hard with very thin blade.
 
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