Using a knife as prybar

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KennyB

Joined
Jan 19, 2010
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How do people even break their knives like this? I had to pry open my gas hatch on my car with my Izula today 'cause it froze over. I tried my keys first but they just didn't have enough leverage. Even got to the point where I had bent the lips of the hatch up, but the latch was still holding it down, so I had to basically stab the metal tab that was forming the latch and then pry it open.

I don't know what kind of material they use for that stuff, but it wasn't exactly easy on it. Got the knife home and the tip had barely even blunted and the coating was a little scuffed.

What on Earth are people prying to break their knives? More importantly, what kinds of things have people pried with causing surprisingly little damage?
 
I've mostly used mine on paint cans, jars/tubs of foodstuffs (industrial strength), random tasks during renovations, stuff like that (as far as prying goes). I have yet to break a knife doing stuff like that, but I don't really want to tempt fate...Of course, they were all folders in my case. I wouldn't expect a solid one-piece chunk of steel like an izula to snap under a bit of stress like that, but the pivots of folders are way more fragile.
 
I broke the tip off an inexpensive Buck folder prying open a stuck window from the outside when I was a kid.
 
Izula is supposed to be a strong knife.
I've pried with alot of screwdrivers, w/ little damage.
 
I managed to snap the tip off the blade on my SnG while prying two pieces of wood apart but that's the only damage I've done to it and I don't treat it gently while working around the property.


sngtip.jpg




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Dorito Monk said:
I've mostly used mine on paint cans, jars/tubs of foodstuffs (industrial strength), random tasks during renovations, stuff like that (as far as prying goes).
Click to expand...

That's something that I won't do - I would never choose to use a knife as a prybar as a matter of course. I'm not opposed to prying with a knife if I have to, but would prefer to use a more suitable tool if possible. Of course some knives can handle more prying than others before breaking and I would always try to stay within the tools limits whenever possible.

A widgy prybar would be a good tool to EDC if you need to pry often.
 
I carry a Squirt PS4 on my keyring. I find that it handles most prying tasks that I'd be tempted to use my knife for.
 
Snapped the tip off a 110 26 yrs ago prying a bin board out of a shrimp boat.Have'nt done it since.
 
I'd say most knife damage when prying involves the tip. It's the easiest part to get between 2 objects, and the most fragile. Once you get the blade between the objects beyond the taper for the tip, then pivots start to get damaged. For fixed blades, people just push them too hard. Prying tools need cross section and stiffness. Even knives that are 1/4" thick will flex quite a bit when used to pry things. Putting more than ~ 75 ft-lbs on a knife, which isn't much, will bend, break, or flex it to the point that prying has become ineffective.
 
First, back to the original problem...
Frozen lock syndrome, first try blowing your breath into the lock.
May thaw enough for key to turn it.
Next try heating the key a little with a lighter or match.
Warm key may thaw lock enough for key to turn.
Of course it does also help if you sprayed all the locks with
silicone, white lube or other moisture repelling lubricant B4
cold weather arrives.
Also silicone the w/strips will keep them from sticking to door frame.

If you really want to play it safe, open gas door lid prior to cold weather,
remove the lids mounting bolts then store lid until spring.
Now if you have to pry with your kanife, be nice to have a $25 SAK
with a short stubby prybar disguised as a bottle opener.
If that won't do, I think it's Ontario in their presentation selection has a
Quartermaster's fixed blade which was made thick enough to use as a prybar.
If it will bust open heavy crates should make short work of a tin gas cap lid.
Hope this helps :cool:
 
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You all can use your knives any way you wish, but for prying I use a widgy. If you only EDC a knife then your pocket toolkit is limited.
 
I broke the tip off a Kershaw Scallion once trying to pop a speaker grill off my cousins old civic. Also have pryed plastic conduit off a baseboard to slip zipties behind it with my A100. Probably have done more than that with the A100 too, but haven't even tipped a knife in years.
 
One of my buddies asked to borrow my knife and I let him use my buck vantage pro, and I wasn't looking, and he was trying to pry his locker open, and it broke the tip off.

Now I carry a widgy bar
 
Some knives will take it better than others, it's give and take really.

You will give up some cutting ability to gain strength.

Also the knives that will take it also weight more than the lighter duty knives.
 
res1cue said:
One of my buddies asked to borrow my knife and I let him use my buck vantage pro, and I wasn't looking, and he was trying to pry his locker open, and it broke the tip off.

Now I carry a widgy bar
Click to expand...

is he still your buddy?
 
What are people prying to break a knife? Dude, I've broken a couple of crowbars prying. Everything has limits.
 
Prying is abuse. Knives are made to cut things.
I have done very light prying with many knives, knowing full well that I may damage the knife and have nobody to blame but myself.

If you really want a knife for prying, get a BK2, tactool, etc. I cheap crowbar or screwdriver is better.
 
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