The “spine whack” test: Valid quality metric, or much ado about nothing?

[justjed]

I carry a 4-1/2" fixed blade every day. NOBODY has ever called me Crocodile Dundee. To my face.

Not that I much care what people think. When ya look like me, it's better for everybody.

 

[King of the Cheese]

I carry a 4-1/2" fixed blade every day. NOBODY has ever called me Crocodile Dundee. To my face.

Not that I much care what people think. When ya look like me, it's better for everybody.

Well maybe not in Tulsa… but midtown Manhattan might be different.

 

[justjed]

I carry a folder every day, as well. It's just not important. To me, folders are like fishing lures. Most are designed to catch fishermen, rather than fish.

 

[Guy McVer]

I carry a 4-1/2" fixed blade every day. NOBODY has ever called me Crocodile Dundee. To my face.

Not that I much care what people think. When ya look like me, it's better for everybody.

Well maybe they're too intimidated.

We do have the right to keep and carry, but there's still such a thing as common sense, and a fixed blade makes you look like a psycho in a lot of places.

 

[justjed]

Common sense? Ain't no such thing. If there was, more of us would have it.

 

[kafolarbear]

Well maybe not in Tulsa… but midtown Manhattan might be different.

As someone who regularly carries a 3.75-4.25 inch fixed blade everywhere from the Virginia Woods to New York City (usually fits in pocket, waist band or backpack), including Manhattan, I for one enjoy the John Rambo comments from my buddies.

 

[Guy McVer]

I for one enjoy the John Rambo comments from my buddies.

Fair enough.

 

[The Grendels]

The folding knife I probably get the most use out of these days is the kitchen designated folder, to save my food prep knives from getting dulled by opening packages or cutting off labels off containers for recycling. It's a slipjoint and the fact that it's a slipjoint gives me zero problems for what it gets used for: cutting things. I'm mindful that I'm handling a slipjoint when I pick it up though, but only because I might handle a lot of different knives during a given day.

 

[Guy McVer]

The folding knife I probably get the most use out of these days is the kitchen designated folder, to save my food prep knives from getting dulled by opening packages or cutting off labels off containers for recycling. It's a slipjoint and the fact that it's a slipjoint gives me zero problems for what it gets used for: cutting things. I'm mindful that I'm handling a slipjoint when I pick it up though, but only because I might handle a lot of different knives during a given day.

I have a "kitchen designated folder" too. It's a Victorinox Waiter. Unsurprisingly it's a good knife to keep in a kitchen drawer.

 

[greater]

I will not buy folders with dubious locks no matter how many people promote them. I do not care how popular the latest early lock up gimmick knife is, it’s not worth it

 

[DocJD]

I was screwing around with a Cold Steel Voyager in close quarters and it opened and closed on my hand...it can happen. I've fixed 3 knives that failed the test.

If you have a Tri-ad lock fully engaged / locked open , It's not credible to me that it opened without you unlocking it (perhaps inadvertently ) .

If there is a lot of debris jammed in the lock , it may not lock properly . Or something was broken or too loose ?

Otherwise , I think I smell manure in your "garden" .

 

[K.O.D.]

Only spines getting whacked around here are those of people that piss me off.

I have no need to test lock strength if I'm buying a quality folder. Only locks to fail on me were a CRKT and a Benchmade. One from poor craftsmanship and the other the thin omega springs snapped.

 

[DocJD]

So what is the real world application to slamming the spine of a knife on a 2x4?

Trying to block a baseball bat coming at your noggin ? Or aiming to disarm you .

Trying to cut away a tangled rope from a wild and/or panicky animal with hooves flying around .

Trying to work on a boat or other moving vehicle under rough conditions .

Vicious tomatoes in CQC !

 

[brownshoe]

If you have a Tri-ad lock fully engaged / locked open , It's not credible to me that it opened without you unlocking it (perhaps inadvertently ) .

If there is a lot of debris jammed in the lock , it may not lock properly . Or something was broken or too loose ?

Otherwise , I think I smell manure in your "garden" .

It was an original Voyager no Triad, just a midlock. No debris, just used. Thanks for calling me a liar.

 

[MolokaiRider]

Giving a folder that features a locking mechanism a few whacks to test the lock up is valid.

I do it all the time. Sometimes it even helps seat the lock, or may highlight something that's not right, like junk stuck in the mechanism.

 

[DocJD]

It was an original Voyager no Triad, just a midlock. No debris, just used. Thanks for calling me a liar.

Thanks for finally explaining that the lock wasn't a Tri-ad . Unless you spell it out otherwise , Voyager implies a Tri-ad lock .

I said "If..." , so no insult was intended . Sorry if you took it that way .

 

[jill jackson]

A light tap on a shoe heel, a locking folder should be able to withstand that. Most pass easily, even cheaper locking folders. The worse I have seen was a ZT 0909 and it folded so easy it was pathetic. The only reason I tried it was I read the model was commonly not able to withstand the light taps and sure enough it didn't.

 

[Kirk Raptor]

I would strongly suggest if you have difficulty with or no confidence in your folding knife lock you should probably stick with fixed blades. Folders are not fixed blades, locking or otherwise.

Amen.

 

[John_B]

I’m sure you’ve all seen it… YouTube videos of knife reviewers giving a knife the ol’ whack-on-the-spine. These “tests” range from a little tap on the table, to full-on slams into 2x4s. Some swear by them and will never carry a knife that “fails” the test.. and some consider them largely irrelevent.

So thoughts… what real-world practicality is there for the test, and why is it so important to many?

It is my observations that the shock of the vibration from the slamming of the spine into a hard surface is sometimes enough to cause a lock to pop out of place. But perhaps we can discuss and settle this controversial topic once and for all… if we can.

What say you all?

Much ado in my book. I think I've only slightly smacked the spine of my blade on stuff and never anything like CS video. But maybe If I was fighting Zombies or stabbing car hoods like the CS vids, then maybe the spine whack test is valid.

 

[Guy McVer]

Much ado in my book. I think I've only slightly smacked the spine of my blade on stuff and never anything like CS video. But maybe If I was fighting Zombies or stabbing car hoods like the CS vids, then maybe the spine whack test is valid.

Wait... are you trying to suggest that people shouldn't be beating on their knives in the first place? How dare you! I'm so angry right now that I'm going to go chop down a tree with my knife!