When using a knife and cutting away from your body does this help prevent the blade from closing on your fingers?

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ahawkua

ahawkua

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When using a knife and cutting away from your body does this help prevent the blade from closing on your fingers in the case of a lock failure? I mean putting pressure on the sharpened part of the blade.
 
Blade shouldn't close on your fingers if you are cutting normally

And most of the time you'll want to cut away from you and not towards yourself
 
yoko said:
Blade shouldn't close on your fingers if you are cutting normally

And most of the time you'll want to cut away from you and not towards yourself
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I'm more concerned about the locking mechanism breaking or failing.
 
If you cut towards your body and the blade slips it could cut you. I'm sure plenty have folks have been seriously injured doing this. Therefore cut away from the body.
 
lieferung said:
If you cut towards your body and the blade slips it could cut you. I'm sure plenty have folks have been seriously injured doing this. Therefore cut away from the body.
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How would that prevent cuts to my fingers if the lock fails and the blade folded?
 
Cutting away from yourself is just to keep you from slipping and stabbing yourself in the chest/stomach/leg etc. Lock failure has nothing to do with it.
 
A few common rules of thought when it comes to knives is-

1. Use every folder as if it were a slipjoint (no lock).

2. If you are at all concerned about a lock failing, use a fixed-blade.

Or, just be REALLY careful whenever you use anything sharp. If you think to yourself "Maybe I shouldn't do this", don't do it. I think that one pretty much covers everything. :)
 
If you are applying pressure to the cutting edge, you are forcing the blade open, not closed.
Holds true for modern folder, a slipjoint, and even a friction folder with no lock or stop pin.
 
Even on crappy locking knives, lock failure isn’t common. You have more chance of being bit by your own dog. On a slipjoint, cutting away from yourself, if the pivot pin breaks or the back spring shatters and the blade folds backwards, you’ll get the spine along your hand rather than the edge. That said, some knives have a higher failure threshold than others, so it’s hard to make a blanket statement and stay accurate.

Bottom line is, it’s the user’s responsibility to assess and evaluate the knife and each use method before they start in. My old timers used to phrase this as “Use your noggin for sumpthin more than a hat rack, boy.” Think before you cut.

All the self-inflicted cuts I’ve seen were a result of pilot error. Careless handling, trick maneuvers, horseplay. Avoid those and you’ll be okay.

Parker
 
afishhunter said:
If you are applying pressure to the cutting edge, you are forcing the blade open, not closed.
Holds true for modern folder, a slipjoint, and even a friction folder with no lock or stop pin.
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but what happens if the back spring/ stop pin and the pivot fails....then you're in for a world of hurting when that blade goes flying away...🤣😂
 
If you're cutting into something, moving the knife edge away from your body, the resistance of the material being cut slows the movement of the blade.

I've had experiences with slipjoints where I'm holding the knife and pressing my thumb onto the spine of the blade, and suddenly the material being cut gives way. In this scenario the pressure on the blade's spine can cause a closing of an unlocked blade (regardless of a broken lock on a locking knife, or a folding knife without a locking mechanism). I've cut myself this way.

Since you've started 2 threads about this, perhaps you can explain in more detail what you're thinking about.
 
jbmonkey said:
but what happens if the back spring/ stop pin and the pivot fails....then you're in for a world of hurting when that blade goes flying away...🤣😂
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If you are applying pressure to the cutting edge and any of those fail, the edge of the knife blade will continue upwards, away from your fingers.

Only knife I have right now with a broken back spring.
IMG_20211231_131447.jpg
(yes. Even tho only a $6.99 knife, they did send me a new one under the lifetime warranty.)
 
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OP, this is the 2nd thread you started on this topic.

Why are you so concerned about the "risk" of injuring yourself while using a folder?

I've NEVER had a folder's locking mechanism of any kind fail on me BUT, then again, I don't abuse my knives by exerting too much force against the locking mechanism while using them.

If you do, then I suggest you just carry/use fixed blade knives. There are fixed blades that you can carry in a pocket sheath, so it's not like you don't have other options.

FWIW, if you still feel the need to carry a folder, then the BEST choice would be a folder w/a back lock, which IMO is the strongest folder locking system. Examples of back lock knives, include the Buck 110 and Spyderco Native 5 which have both been around for a LONG time.
 
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When using a knife and cutting away from your body does this help prevent the blade from closing on your fingers in the case of a lock failure? I mean putting pressure on the sharpened part of the blade.

Yes it should help prevent it closing on you if it’s a quality knife. It would most likely only close on your hand if you where putting excessive pressure on the back of it and the lock failed as well. So long as you use it properly and have a decent quality knife there is very little chance of it closing on you. I have had a couple knives close while improperly using them, and even then I only had a slight scratch or minor cut. If you are still concerned, use a fixed blade. 🙂
 
ahawkua said:
When using a knife and cutting away from your body does this help prevent the blade from closing on your fingers in the case of a lock failure? I mean putting pressure on the sharpened part of the blade.
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Cutting away from your body is to prevent the knife from slipping and cutting into you. Which is fairly common. I wouldn't worry too much about lock failure, having never had it happen to me in years of using knives for every imaginable task, and having never met anyone who had a lock fail. I'm sure they do, but it's never happened to me. Knife slipping on the other hand... Let's just say slippery potatoes and dull knives aren't my favorite.
 
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