spine wack test

guttercat2000 · Jan 16, 2000

Hi all,
I have heard many people refer to the spine wack test. I was wondering how exactly is this done? how hard do you wack the spine?
How do you protect your hands from a closing blade? and is this damageing to the knife. Also is the blade wacked against something
or is something wacked against the blade?

P.s. this is great forum I check it out every day!!

thanx dan

Matt Shade · Jan 16, 2000

I think there is some better information on Spine wack testing in the FAQ section.
I haven't ever really done it much. The safest way to do it is to hold the knife on the edge of a table or workbench so that the blade hangs over the side cuting edge down. Then take something and give a pretty solid wack on the back of the blade. If the lock fails, it probably isn't safe. Don't take a hammer to the back of your knives though. The object isn't to make them fail, its to see what you can expect them to with stand before they fold up on you. Just give a tap with enough force that will let you know if the knife will hold up to the amount of force on the blade that you will put it under in normal use. If it closes you know the knife isn't strong enough for you. If it passes, stop. You know it will hold up and you don't need to keep pounding on the lock and blade trying to make it fail.

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Fix it right the first time, use Baling Wire !

Allen Blade · Jan 16, 2000

Hello,

Just get a "fixed Blade" i wack mine all the time on the spine,and havent had one Close up yet!!!! hehehe

In fact David poff and i just today used the FLAT of one of my Combat patrol Bowies today to Drive Stakes into the ground Beating on them with the Flat of the Blade!!!

No Problemo!!

my .02
Take Care,
Allen

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Allen Blade
Spokane,WA USA

My Custom Knives :
http://www.geocities.com/yosemite/meadows/1770/allenblade.html

Joe Talmadge · Jan 16, 2000

Different people spine-whack their knives with different intensity, depending on what they expect from their knives. I personally go along with what AT Barr has to say, that this is a test of basic lock soundness. I give at most a moderate whack to the spine.

Here's how I do it. Open the knife, hold it with blade edge up. Then I hold the handle with my thumb on one side of the handle, and the side of my curled-up index finger on the other side. NOTE that NO PART OF MY FINGERS is over the slot where the blade will go if the knife fails the test. So many liner locks fail this test, that you're absolutely crazy if you stick your fingers in the path of the blade.

Okay, having done that, I do a light-to-moderate VERY QUICK whack on the spine. I often do it a few times, in a few places along the back of the blade, slightly varying speed and intensity.

Joe

guttercat2000 · Jan 17, 2000

tanks guys , I think i'll try bothe methods
this forum is great for info.

HermanKnives · Jan 17, 2000

whewwww

too much whacking for me

sorry, couldn't resist hehehe

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Tim Herman
visit Herman Knives at:
Herman Knives

Axel Yup · Jan 19, 2000

Joe,

Do you hit the blade against a table top? If so do you cover the table with something to prevent denting the top?

Axel

speedrck · Jan 19, 2000

I suggest you wear a cut- proof or at least a heavy leather glove whenever you use the wack test . It makes the test bloodless.

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Ray Carr

misque · Jan 19, 2000

I agree with Joe's method. It is the method I use and it works well enough to test the strength without grossly abusing the knife to the point of failure.

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If it's stupid but works, then it isn't stupid!

JoHnYKwSt · Jan 20, 2000

You can put a magazine or something at the edge of your table to prevent damage to your blade and table.

Tim,

That is gross! Get your mind ouf of the gutter! This is a family oriented forum.

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Johnny
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