Spine whacking? WHY????

[GWashington1732]

I had to Google "spine whack test."

I don't get it, but perhaps those for whom this test is important have knife needs that are completely different than my own.

What if you get really really angry and try to cut a rope with the wrong side of a knife? Happened to me once and I cut my hand. Of course I was holding the knife upside down and my fingers were pressing against the lock, but that doesn't change the fact that the lock failed, I want a refund!

Its a test that does not truly prove anything. But people fetishize "hard use" folders and makers happily oblige with ,25" thick prybars so people with too much spare money can feel cool claiming they batoned with a folder.
The closest thing I get to a spine wack is putting a lot of thumb pressure on the blade to see if the lock will fail to date, a CRKT and the DPX HEST are the only to fail that test.

I hope you didn't get the tattoo.

 

[Lycosa]

We gonna hit 12.

 

[palonej]

We gonna hit 12.

Oh no Rolf.......this one's gonna hit 15!!!! Especially if we start commenting on the belief that the only people buying over built knives are people with too much 'spare' money!!! Spare money??? Come on!!! I'm hoping that he was being facetious!!!
Joe

 

[bt93]

What if you get really really angry and try to cut a rope with the wrong side of a knife? Happened to me once and I cut my hand. Of course I was holding the knife upside down and my fingers were pressing against the lock, but that doesn't change the fact that the lock failed, I want a refund!

If you allow yourself to get that out of control you're going to have bigger problems than a failing lock could give you.

Also, hasn't it been shown that spine whacking causes hairy palms and blindness.

 

[palonej]

Ooooooooooook

 

[Cobalt]

here is a spine wack gone wrong with a sword,

 

[GWashington1732]

here is a spine wack gone wrong with a sword,

He's clearly hitting the blade. You're obviously oblivious to the benefits of spine whacking tests.

 

[Spey]

i guess i really dont understand the concept of "spinewhacking" and why so many do it and feel it is such an important factor on choosing some knives. Really, in normal to heavy use, please someone tell me how a spine on a lockback would Be hitting a solid object with that much force to bring to failure? Dont remember using my Buck 110 that way ever for the 15 or so years I had it.

RE: Spine Wacking Why?
Seems a simple enough test (not to mention as others have posted related to knife makers using to set initial lock geometry), to establish a base-line related to trust in a tool related to potential performance parameters. If a knife passes (or does not) I believe illustrative & valid as related to future usage parameters of knife/tool.

RE: " ... please someone tell me how a spine on a lockback would be hitting a solid surface with that much force to bring to failure?"

If I wanted to make a list ..., no, will simply show but one example here (others have already posted a few).

A full bodied whiskey should need but one-half an ice-cube - easily accomplished with a fixed-blade, or a folder that has passed trusted lock testing. I have found no better & always accessable tool for the task.

Regards,

 

[DocJD]

Mmmmm...just straight up would do me fine , for sippin' !

 

[bt93]

RE: Spine Wacking Why?
Seems a simple enough test (not to mention as others have posted related to knife makers using to set initial lock geometry), to establish a base-line related to trust in a tool related to potential performance parameters. If a knife passes (or does not) I believe illustrative & valid as related to future usage parameters of knife/tool.

RE: " ... please someone tell me how a spine on a lockback would be hitting a solid surface with that much force to bring to failure?"

If I wanted to make a list ..., no, will simply show but one example here (others have already posted a few).

A full bodied whiskey should need but one-half an ice-cube - easily accomplished with a fixed-blade, or a folder that has passed trusted lock testing. I have found no better & always accessable tool for the task.

Regards,

That's a horrible abuse you're committing. Don't you realize that ice waters down good whiskey?

 

[symphonyincminor]

Spine-wacking is flat out ABUSE and serves absolutely no purpose in real world use.

A much better (and more realistic) test is to stack several sheets of cardboard together, "stab" or insert the knife through the sheets, and apply upward pressure to test is the lock slips or fails. No damage to the locking mechanism, and will prove out any design flaws.

People who do this to test "lock strength" are straight-up Retarded, in every sense of the word.

I'm patiently awaiting the next craze - using the knife tip as a literal screwdriver to test "tip strength."

 

[bodog]

People who do this to test "lock strength" are straight-up Retarded, in every sense of the word.

I'm patiently awaiting the next craze - using the knife tip as a literal screwdriver to test "tip strength."

So I hope you're as willing to call Busse and hinderer and Medford and strider fans absolutely retarded because there's only one reason why those knives exist and it's to withstand the exact type of abuse you're referring to.

 

[symphonyincminor]

So I hope you're as willing to call Busse and hinderer and Medford and strider fans absolutely retarded because there's only one reason why those knives exist and it's to withstand the exact type of abuse you're referring to.

Busse spine-wacks? You have to be kidding.

I'm willing to call ANYONE Retarded who does this type of abuse to test "lock strength." There's absolutely no correlation between this test and lock strength. None. See the example I provided for a more realistic test parameter.

Just applying moderate-to-heavy downward pressure on the blade will show any lock slip.

And you're assuming that Strider or Medford or any other manufacturer factors in abusive, sharp spine-wack tests when designing a knife.

This is what real manufacturers do, just for a little education on your part:

[youtube]6ZwwLWQk664[/youtube]

 

[GWashington1732]

What if... now bear with me folks. You were slippery sliding down an ice slope in Antarctica and the only way to stop yourself was to stab your folding pocket knife into the ice to use as an anchor point? You might not want that lock to fail, makes you think.

 

[Superdave1]

What if... now bear with me folks. You were slippery sliding down an ice slope in Antarctica and the only way to stop yourself was to stab your folding pocket knife into the ice to use as an anchor point? You might not want that lock to fail, makes you think.

use a fixed blade.....hard to open a little folding knife with gloves on....😒

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[trevitrace]

What if... now bear with me folks. You were slippery sliding down an ice slope in Antarctica and the only way to stop yourself was to stab your folding pocket knife into the ice to use as an anchor point? You might not want that lock to fail, makes you think.

Valid concern. Or if one of your crampons fails/gets eaten by an emperor penguin and you have to cobble one together with your folding knife.

 

[The Aflac Duck]

Valid concern. Or if one of your crampons fails/gets eaten by an emperor penguin and you have to cobble one together with your folding knife.

Another valid concern! Or what if your private jet crash lands on a deserted island inhabited by coconut trees and you need a blunt object to smash said coconuts in order to quench oneself? Yep, spinewhacking...

 

[Armadew]

I once tried to glide down a pitate ship mast but I was holding the nife backwards. Unfortunately it was a framelock and now both of my hands are hooks.

 

[shinyedges]

So I hope you're as willing to call Busse and hinderer and Medford and strider fans absolutely retarded because there's only one reason why those knives exist and it's to withstand the exact type of abuse you're referring to.

Why on earth would you even put busse in the same sentence as Medford unless you are stating that they are NOTHING a like.

Busse warranties everything but intentionally destroying the knife. Medford, specifically stated any other use than cutting voids the warranty.



One is an intended hard use knife, the other is a folding pry bar that if broken while prying is not covered under warranty.

 

[robgmn]

Another valid concern! Or what if your private jet crash lands on a deserted island inhabited by coconut trees and you need a blunt object to smash said coconuts in order to quench oneself? Yep, spinewhacking...

You could always use Turdo's head as a blunt object.
He'd be the one who pilots a private jet into the ground...

Oh, and to reply to the OP: It's done because it's something to do, but not something with any real value.
A solution without a problem, as it were.