What's the Worst You've Done to a Knife? (without breaking it)

Spots said:
One of my hand forged bowies is being passed around and torture tested right now. Its been slammed through hard woods with a hammer, along with some other disturbing things, but this is the one test that has made me cringe. All testers understand that if they break it, oh well. I want to see what it'll take. This is the latest test, its been through about 5 people on another forum so far. Like I said this makes me cringe

Tip strength test



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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prYOQOV10sc&feature=plcp
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That's a lovely knife :) I know what you mean about this test, but it's a very important one isn't it, and better to be as brutal as possible now rather than produce something flawed? :) Even with relatively narrow tips, I think you can give them strength with good steel and the best heat treatment.
 
I tried to sharpen a custom knife on a chain saw sharpener. Don't ever do this.
:D
 
Jack Black said:
That's a lovely knife :) I know what you mean about this test, but it's a very important one isn't it, and better to be as brutal as possible now rather than produce something flawed? :) Even with relatively narrow tips, I think you can give them strength with good steel and the best heat treatment.
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Thanks for the compliment. And yes, I'd rather beat the heck out of a knife, and be brutal with it, than to have it break on a customer. The guy doing the tip test jokingly said he may try and stab it through a concrete block. I told him that he was more than welcome to. Testing to failure is the only way to know the limits of a blade.
 
I lost (or had stolen) my Sage 1 and Sprint run Para 2 (blue g10+m390) within a month of each other.
As a kid, i broke the tips off of buck and gerber folders by stabbing fences and trees.
I battonned wood with my BM MPR and it developed lock-rock. (so stupid)
I also learned early on that throwing knives that aren't "throwing knives" is just dumb.
And lastly, I've screwed up many edges while learning to sharpen, which is expected.
 
When I was about 17, I had a hand-full of keys when I opened my granddads handed down barlow to help pry off a battery terminal on this old truck, here is a pic 20 yrs later (check out the tip of the small blade)
WesternBarlow006.jpg
 
Spots said:
Thanks for the compliment. And yes, I'd rather beat the heck out of a knife, and be brutal with it, than to have it break on a customer. The guy doing the tip test jokingly said he may try and stab it through a concrete block. I told him that he was more than welcome to. Testing to failure is the only way to know the limits of a blade.
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I agree, and I'm sure your Bowie would handle a concrete block no problem :thumbup: A lot of the stuff I was doing way back then was to help in determining exactly which HT to go with, if the steel was what I wanted, etc (I also did a LOT of boring cutting comparison tests), but as you say, really the very last thing you want is for a knife to break on a customer, or just not live up to what you've said about it. Of course people should use their knives sensibly, but it's nice to know that if you really need it in extremis it'll serve you well.

I used to review a lot of knives for gun and outdoor magazines, but I never did that kind of stuff to them, just used them sensibly and appraised them. However, if I'd been testing something that made big claims for that kind of stuff (like some of the manufacters do), that's what they'd have got ;)

Best wishes

Jack
 
Hmmm....
I gotta think here.
I beat the hell outta my express machete.
I break Appalachian trail knives purposely to see how strong the injected plastic and cheap locks are, and they surprise me.
Baton BUCK large Paklite skinner through oak trees sideways.
Cut down trees with my Griptilian.
 
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