Spine whacking? WHY????

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Wait, don't you guys chop stuff with the spine of your folding knives? Isn't that what the spine is for? I guess I had it all wrong, was I supposed to use the edge?
 
caseknife64 said:
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.
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I spine wacked my Schrade 250T (like a two bladed 110) through a deer bone field dressing it. It wasn't really necessary and it didn't hurt the knife in the least. But I don't recommend doing this.
 
caseknife64 said:
When i was young, that was called a "rockford"!! :D
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A Rockford is a brake maneuver performed with the clutch popped - you're changing orientation of the vehicle while maintaining the same direction of inertia, and when you throw it into forward, you're just putting it into gear as you normally would. No toughness involved :)
 
The spine whack test is designed to bring out people who hate that other people don't do toe their knife use line...
 
Well, I’m not a fan of the spinewack but I can’t help thinking about two specific scenarios where a very strong lock would be potentially life saving.

- Going through the ice(knife could help you drag yourself back on the ice)
- Sliding down a hill towards a cliff(knife could help you stop sliding and be at help getting back up)

Now I know this is very unlikely but there it is. Otherwise I think spinewacking says more about the person/company performing the test than the knives being tested.
 
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I was taught that taking a knife and spine whacking it is an immoral act.:D

Unless, you're using your folder in some sort of weird sword parrying technique, I don't see the point of it. I think even hanging weights off an open folder, to test lock strength, will tell you little about how well a knife is suited for a specific role.
 
If you are in a self defence situation the last thing you want is your opponent to hit the back of your blade and find you have a useless piece of metal in your hand, assuming it doesn't cut your fingers whren it closes. Your life might depend on it being solid.
 
I don't care what people do, but I think the point is that if a knife will do a couple kind of tests and the lock not fail, you have a pretty good idea of their strength and if the lock will close on your fingers if you are using it hard.

I'm sure people would be amazed at the things a pick up truck are put thru during development. And most could say a truck is never going to be subjected to that. But in the end it gives the consumer a more reliable truck.
 
I place spine whacking firmly into the same category with the Goth & Stempunk people. They all bring forth the same question, WHY?
 
singularity35 said:
The spine whack test is designed to bring out people who hate that other people don't do toe their knife use line...
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That's what it boils down to.

I couldn't care less what other folks do to there own personal belongings. If you want to spine whack YOUR knife, then go for it. But don't splash anything on me.

I'll be more than happy to stand back, and be entertained.
 
Don't whack it too much or you'll go blind...wait, are we talking about knives??
 
FlaMtnBkr said:
I don't care what people do, but I think the point is that if a knife will do a couple kind of tests and the lock not fail, you have a pretty good idea of their strength and if the lock will close on your fingers if you are using it hard.

I'm sure people would be amazed at the things a pick up truck are put thru during development. And most could say a truck is never going to be subjected to that. But in the end it gives the consumer a more reliable truck.
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Yeah, people want a truck that's really reliable but if they were as biased as some of the people here we'd have nothing but stretched and raised Honda civics. Nothing wrong with pushing any and all limits with what you like. These guys are also the same guys who put down spyderco for manufacturing knives with Maxamet. There's no real, true reason why anyone in the present would want something better than what's currently available, but innovation and the tests that support innovation have driven mankind for a long, long time. Testing for better folding knife locks and actually producing a more solid knife lock is just a small blip of what humanity is capable of, yet to do less would devalue what we humans do and what we're capable of. I think it proves what humans are. We find a weakness and we either exploit it or shore it up. Without that drive where would we be?

I say find the strongest lock type and run with it, just don't get stale. I say find the best knife steel and run with it, just don't get stale. Keep innovating and testing and proving in any and all endeavors. Doesn't matter if simple minded people don't understand. I'm sure people didn't understand what Edison or curie or Franklin or tesla or da vinci were doing, either. They just kept going and disregarded what the simpletons said. Wherever you can, innovate, test, produce. That's what humanity is about regardless of the people trying to shoot them down. Sometimes you win, sometimes you fail, but keep going despite all the naysayers. That's humanity.
 
Screw spine whack test. Do it with Sebenza*:
[video=youtube;_1JyaTXdA1I]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1JyaTXdA1I[/video]

* :D ;)
 
the humble slipjoint served for years. mostly i cut with my knifes and given the downward pressure no lock is needed, piercing then yeah a lock blade is safer but how much strain in on the lock? if the shtf.ill have a fixed blade near by. allways have one in my truck it has never been used so far.my buck 110 saw 25 years of use and abuse and still locks up fine and never failed
 
Of course manufacturers test their products. I'm sure bike helmets are tested to find out what impacts they can withstand. That's great, but I wouldn't want to wear that particular helmet after it's been tested. I'd buy a new one. This is the difference I see between industrial research & development and a customer whacking his spine.

Asking a potential wife to cook for you is more like a job interview. It doesn't diminish her future ability to cook. (unlike the husbandly-duty tests I have planned)
 
These threads bring out the best in people!

bodog said:
Because some people want to know that their knife lock will hold under the craziest stuff. There's nothing wrong with that. It's like taking your ferrari up to 190 mph even though 99.9% of the time it's absolutely retarded to drive like that. Or unloading 5,000 rounds through your AR 15 without cleaning it just to know it can. No one walks around smashing their knife spines against things just like no one drives around at 190 mph or shoots 5,000 rounds through a rifle without cleaning it. But if the zombies attack (or rioters take over your town) or nuclear war with Russia happens, you just want the reassurance that whatever you're carrying at the time will perform exactly as you desired when you purchased it.

Disclaimer: Yes, I carry a Spyderco with a liner lock. No, I don't own a cold steel. The next woman I marry, I'll also see her max out her cooking skills before I ask her to marry me. I've been burned twice already, no pun intended. Neither one delivered what they promised.

I like steel and geometry and ergonomics more than lock strength, but some people would think me retarded for that so I try to respect other people's different desires even though they may not be my own in hopes that we can all find a common ground. I mean, we are on a knife forum, after all.
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bodog said:
Well, a fat woman who doesn't ask for much and is absolutely reliable and loyal is better than a hot woman good at nothing.
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bodog said:
Yeah, people want a truck that's really reliable but if they were as biased as some of the people here we'd have nothing but stretched and raised Honda civics. Nothing wrong with pushing any and all limits with what you like. These guys are also the same guys who put down spyderco for manufacturing knives with Maxamet. There's no real, true reason why anyone in the present would want something better than what's currently available, but innovation and the tests that support innovation have driven mankind for a long, long time. Testing for better folding knife locks and actually producing a more solid knife lock is just a small blip of what humanity is capable of, yet to do less would devalue what we humans do and what we're capable of. I think it proves what humans are. We find a weakness and we either exploit it or shore it up. Without that drive where would we be?

I say find the strongest lock type and run with it, just don't get stale. I say find the best knife steel and run with it, just don't get stale. Keep innovating and testing and proving in any and all endeavors. Doesn't matter if simple minded people don't understand. I'm sure people didn't understand what Edison or curie or Franklin or tesla or da vinci were doing, either. They just kept going and disregarded what the simpletons said. Wherever you can, innovate, test, produce. That's what humanity is about regardless of the people trying to shoot them down. Sometimes you win, sometimes you fail, but keep going despite all the naysayers. That's humanity.
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Don Joe said:
well buddy back in the day when i was a young buck i use to hammer in nails with spine whack. didnt work too well but could get the job done in a pinch. cut a lot of fingers doin it that way and a couple toes to before i finally started caring a little hammer in the back of my ole trusty truck when i went on jobs. jus make sure to be wearing your shoes if you try in case you drop the thing. have a good one pal
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This:

r8shell said:
Of course manufacturers test their products. I'm sure bike helmets are tested to find out what impacts they can withstand. That's great, but I wouldn't want to wear that particular helmet after it's been tested. I'd buy a new one. This is the difference I see between industrial research & development and a customer whacking his spine.

Asking a potential wife to cook for you is more like a job interview. It doesn't diminish her future ability to cook. (unlike the husbandly-duty tests I have planned)
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If you want to spine whack your folding knife, have fun! I prefer to use the cutting edge to cut things :)
 
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