Spine Whack Test

Doug,
I'm not anti-whacker I don't begrudge anyone to test lock reliability on their knives. Let anyone test his or her knives the way he or she wants and considers necessary to test.
I'm just inviting to do not rely on these test results too much. To rely on common sense is far better solution IMHO.

The fact your handgun is locked with manual safety device doesn't justify to aim to someone you have no intention to shoot.

Use your knife as God commanded and nothing wrong will occur!
 
The most relevant gun analogy is buying a new gun, loading it up, and walking around with it cocked and locked without ever having tested the safety.

I hope everybody is aware some liner locks can take heavy pressure on the spine but fail at a light tap. Whatever uses you intend the knife for, in all likelihood you have no expectation it will ever receive a tap on the spine while you're using it. A lot of people with cut fingers never foresaw that, either.... It's hard to visualize situations where that could happen ... but all kinds of odd things can happen in a lifetime of using tools ... and it only takes once.

Some very bad theology has been posted in this thread, but I think I'll save the theological aspect for another day.
 
Les, thank you for your informative replies.

I think the spine whack test is questionable at best. I had one of my knives returned for adjustment after it changed hands. It was apparently subjected to a zealous spine whack that managed to deform the face of the liner lock. Did it hold open? I don't know I wasn't there. Was it good for the lock? No!

I suspect that some locks are poorly built. I also suspect that some knives are whacked when a little pivot adjustment and ramp cleaning are in order. For example, oil or wax on the blade ramp make solid lock-up more difficult.

I'm sure some "wackers" do so with good judgement, but I can't help but see a knife duck taped to a 2x4. Really, my only thought on this issue is that I can't think of anything that I can't tear up if I try.
 
Cougar,
With all respect, but I would invite you to don't confuse gun safety's reliability with putting it above common sense and common safety rules using any gun. If you have tested your gun's safety and you have found it completely reliable - does it mean that now you may turn loaded and cocked gun against your body and pull the trigger relying on its safety? Sure this is complete exaggeration, sorry. But this is a bit onto the side when the fellow loaded his knife's spine relying on spine whack test reliability and as result cut himself.

BTW, I'm going daily with my Glock 19 chambered for more than 7 years and I have never tested it safety's reliability. Do you have any ideas how to do it?
 
Sergiusz,

I certainly agree that we should treat our knives with respect.

However, I personally find it disingenuous to take the stance that it is wrong to test the reliability of a lock using the Spine Whack Test because the knife will NEVER experience those types of forces if you are using it correctly.

If Knives never experienced the types of forces that the Spine Whack Test is trying to simulate Locks would never be necessary.

Is the Spine Whack the perfect test for determining the reliability of a Folding Knife Lock? NO! I don't know of any perfect test.

Do some people perform the Spine Whack Test in an unreasonable or unrealistic manner? Probably

Can the spine whack test be performed in a manner that will reasonably and realistically uncover many Folding Lock weaknesses or flaws in a controlled environment without endangering the user? I believe so.
 
Originally posted by SDouglas
If Knives never experienced the types of forces that the Spine Whack Test is trying to simulate Locks would never be necessary.
Click to expand...

And there you have it.
 
Originally posted by Sergiusz Mitin
Cougar,
BTW, I'm going daily with my Glock 19 chambered for more than 7 years and I have never tested it safety's reliability. Do you have any ideas how to do it?
Click to expand...

It's easy with a Glock: unload it, including clearing the chamber, point it in a safe direction, and press the trigger without pressing the safety lever in the middle of the trigger.

Some other designs incorporate the safety into the trigger without using a separate lever; with those you have to partially disassemble the gun to observe the safety's action.
 
Glad you pointed out the reasonable so I can posit the absurd.
Now that you have tested the safety in a reasonable manner, Its time to load the glock with a round in the chamber, put the gun on a table or firm surface and place a dowel on the trigger but not on the safety lever.
Now whack the dowell with the equivalent of 25 pounds of force in a swift whippy hammerlike motion.
Should the gun fail throw it away immediately!

He Hee Hee.
A test can be a simple test for effectiveness as in the spine whack test. Or as I prefer the spine "tap" test.
Or a test up to and including destruction of the tool.

I heartily agree with the dealers who don't want some jack ass whacking their knives at a show.
I sure wouldn't . I promise I wont whack on a knife Im contemplating buying until I get it home, after that its between me and the manufacturer.
At the same time I would expect one of my tactical folders to withstand some spine tapping.
Most do. My EDI doesn't but is improving thanks to some tapping which I believe is wearing in the surfaces.
Im not whanging on it and have the greatest respect for its mechanical integrity. If I had a little more ability I might try slicking up the surfaces with a stone but Im not sure I wouldn't make it worse.

I think it is unreasonable to assume that the knife maker should gaurantee a lock unless they feel like doing it. If they do and then it doesnt hold then you should have license to whine.
Manufacturer makes a product and sells it you buy it.
Except for express gaurantees or limitations what you see is what you get. Its a physical object with design limitations, possible manufacturing flaws and human error factored into its production.
Buyer beware.
 
Two points that people seem to keep missing:

A liner lock will fail the spine whack test without sustaining any damage at all. The lock simply slips off of the tang. If something actually had to break for the lock to fail, that would be a completely different matter, but that is not the case. The spine impact tests described by myself and Joe Talmage are non-destructive.

Second, there are folders available that pass the tests reliably, again without any significant damage. And that is the whole point. There are vastly superior locks available on folding knives intended for use as CQC weapons.
 
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