The Proper Way to Use a Knife (Prying with a folding knife)

dzlvs8 said:
That has nothing to do with the question at hand, guy. I edc a bottle opener in my zippo pocket of my jeans every day. It still doesn't answer the question of whether its good or bad for this knife and why.
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The criteria for making a good knife make a bad pry tool, and vice versa. Sure, you can strike a balance with one of the softer carbon, spring or tool steels, but it won't make the best knife or the best pry bar.

I don't know a lot about 154CM, but the fact that it's well liked here on BF tells me that it's a hard steel with good wear resistance and edge retention. That also means that it's probably more likely to break than to bend. Maybe it'll hold up over time. Maybe it'll snap. All depends on the kind of heat treatment, I suppose....
 
If I'm not in the kitchen, I use whatever is handy - bic lighter, nail clippers, stick. Never thought of using a pocket knife, but not opposed to it out of principle. The way you did it the video doesn't look that bad.
 
It's just a bottle cap
It's not gonna harm his Emerson
Those things are solid
 
For obvious safety reasons I do this with the knife closed. But, I do this all the time with my >$100 knives. I don't see the big deal. I especially like doing it with my black coated blades over time it gets scratched which IMO add some good character to the blade. It is much more satisfying than using a bottle opener. Using a lighter is fun too but I've stopped smoking so that's not an option at the moment.

I should add that I only do this with the knives I plan on keeping for the rest of my life so I don't have to worry about resale value being hurt.
 
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dzlvs8 said:
...But I am curious if EVERYONE thinks doing this with THIS knife is wrong (Mini CQC7)...

Do you do this? If so, with what knife? Any problems?
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Well, it is your knife, so if you want to use it like that I sure don't have the right to tell you different. Your knife, your bottle, you can't be wrong - IMHO. ;) Damage? Doubtful.

As for the question in bold, I don't do that with any knife of mine. I use a bottle opener. :very_drunk:
 
And to add to my last post, I'd do this before using one of my knives.

[video=youtube;Gi8yNx5MDvE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gi8yNx5MDvE[/video]
 
Kwon Kwang said:
The criteria for making a good knife make a bad pry tool, and vice versa. Sure, you can strike a balance with one of the softer carbon, spring or tool steels, but it won't make the best knife or the best pry bar.

I don't know a lot about 154CM, but the fact that it's well liked here on BF tells me that it's a hard steel with good wear resistance and edge retention. That also means that it's probably more likely to break than to bend. Maybe it'll hold up over time. Maybe it'll snap. All depends on the kind of heat treatment, I suppose....
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Did you watch the video? :rolleyes:
To think that opening a bottle in the way he demonstrates would have even a chance of hurting a knife with a blade thickness over 1/32", is just completely ridiculous. The heat treatment doesn't matter. An 1/8" thick piece of glass could do the same thing.

Do I do it myself? No. I don't open many bottles.
 
I don't think it will hurt your knife. It may scratch the blade. But like some of the others have said, I do it closed. I've been using a cheap $1 Ozark Trail knife to open beers for the last few days. I'm on vacation and didn't check bags do I couldn't bring a good knife with me. I bought this at walmart the other day. I have been leaving the knife closed and wedge the spine under the bottle cap. Then I use my hand for some extra leverage. POP!!
 
I would venture to say that over a couple thousand bottles, it would cause damage to the pivot. Maybe miniscule damage, but some nonetheless. The pivot is designed to pivot, not provide strength for lateral torquing.

Now, if you were to pop the caps off whilst holding the knife forward of the pivot I don't think there would be a problem, as all the stress would be placed on the steel and your hands. However, unless you wear meat slicing gloves 24/7 I don't know if I'd recommend holding the blade forward of the pivot just to pop a brewski. Kershaw Shuffle, anyone?

IMG_0970.JPG
 
I do that ALL the time and have been doing it forever, even before I collected knives. But I try to do it with the blade closed although I have found that for some knives you have to open the blade in order to get it under the cap. I haven't experienced any damage other than little scratches on the spine. If someone else asks to borrow my knife for opening a bottle I hand them my Leatherman Ps4.
 
Tripton said:
Master the mysterious power of leverage, and almost anything becomes an effortless bottle opener.
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Agreed. There are so many ways to open a bottle it's ridiculous. I usually use my ring to get under the edge of the cap and pop it off. Haven't found a bottle it doesn't work on, and I don't even have to take anything out of my pockets. Works for me. :) plus, I wouldn't do it with my knife for the sole reason that it would probably spook a couple people over the years. I don't think an aluminum or whatever-they're-made-of bottle cap would scratch a heat treated blade. Coating? Yes. Blade? Not in a hundred years, especially a steel like S30V or 154CM.

Short version- I don't do it, but if it works for you, why not? I don't think it would ruin the pivot.
 
Kwon Kwang said:
I don't know a lot about 154CM, but the fact that it's well liked here on BF tells me that it's a hard steel with good wear resistance and edge retention. That also means that it's probably more likely to break than to bend. Maybe it'll hold up over time. Maybe it'll snap. All depends on the kind of heat treatment, I suppose....
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FYI - KWANG, This is a .125" thick 154cm blade. It's not going to snap or chip from a bottle cap. Like I said, I have been opening bottles this way for years with ultra cheap knives. You do it using the spine. You should give it a try. Like I said, damaging the blade isn't my concern.
 
Man, this is kid stuff. You can open a beer with a BIC lighter, a cheap kitchen knife, from what I have just seen a dollar bill and hell I have seen ladies open beers with their boobies. Whatever works, I like it! I gonna try it right now with my Skyline!
 
I wouldn't use that method after a few beers, but I don't see any issue with subjecting an Emerson to that kind of "stresses". Going through a 55-gallon drum would probably load the pivot more.
 
I don't open many beers anymore but when I did I'd just use the handle/scale of the knife (or my teeth). Sure it chews it up a little over time but It doesn't put any stress on the pivot/lock etc.
That said however I doubt that you will shorten the life expectancy of your 7 much by using it this way...just dont tell EKI when you send it in for warranty.
 
I had a friend slice the back of his hand wide open on a hunting trip opening a beer with his cold steel outdoorsman. I use a knife sometimes, but I wear a brewzer in a necklace so that's what usually gets used.
 
me and my buddies have always done this... whether with a lighter or a pocket knife, it really isnt torquing on the blade as much as it seems...
 
Yeah I think a lot of folks forget just how soft and thin your average bottle cap is. No worries about meaningful damage here.
 
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