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Who has broken a knife?

D

David Williams

Joined
May 22, 1999
Messages
1,474
I see a lot of fixed vs. folding, liner lock vs lockback vs. axislock vs... all in the interest of strength.

I have had and used knives since I was 5. That's 29 years. I have never broken a knife, never. And I have some really cheaply made knives. I have cut myself several times! Especially with non-locking folders. What are you guys (and gals) doing to break knives? Could you have used something else instead like a hammer? Has any BF member ever been in a knife fight? Did your knife break at the most inopportune time?
 
Most of my interest in good locks on locking folders is focused on reliability rather than strength. When a folder lock accidentally disengages, it becomes even more of a danger than the non-locking folders that you mention being cut by because the user is depending on the lock.

Strength is good too though, especially if the owner wishes to depend on the knife as a self-defense tool, that in the course of its mission, could be subjected to extreme stresses.

Harv
 
1. Throwing
2. Slashing at branches with folding knife
3. Cheap knives.
4. Overstress while modifying knife(vise)
5. Using knife in place of tools
6. Bridging accross power lines
7. Throwing
8. Throwing
9. Throwing
10.Throwing

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"Defense against knife attack:
Option 1. If you have a gun shoot him."
 
Broke tip of small SAK while prying open a watch, violating 'prybar rule'

Broke small scissors of a small SAK, wear and tear actually. Quite old model.

Peace to all,
smoke
 
I've had one knife fail to open(auto) on me, and that was a BM, I sent it in and it was fixed. Thats the only knife that broke on me.
PR
Oh yea I broke the tip of my BM 830(?) Eclipse trying to cut stitches sewn in to material, the thread was some thick stuff too, a good test of tip strength. Broke about 1/4" from the tip. Also the inserts on my Crosslock came out(new project, now to get some white micarta). And the screws holding together my applegate/fairbaine folder came out, now it's apart, and I'm modifying the blade. I called up Gerber and they sent me new screws.
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Pain is weakness leaving your body
-------------------------Military "Military" fans unite!!!




[This message has been edited by prigger (edited 30 June 1999).]
 
I could be mistaken about this, but didn't a guy named Stamp break a knife recently???

Nah...

db
 
I broke the tip of my Buck while splitting the brisket of an elk (the one day I didn't carry my Knapp).
 
Snapped a cheapo serrated folder while cutting a thick, braided wire...Don't try this with a knife you like, because I had chipped the blade in several places anyway.

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Dances with lemmings


 
At age twelve I broke a Buck lockback, don't know the model, while camping.

I was shaving kindling, easy work. The tension bar snapped out of the back of the knife, and I squeezed the bar back down. The bar pushed the back of the tang, and the blade snapped down onto my hand. It resulted in eight stitches on three fingers, but not before my brother and I had to hike a few miles to find my Uncle, then a few more back to the parking area with him to be driven to the hospital.

We were never able to figure out why it just popped apart. My brother witnessed the whole thing, and has no idea why I am still fascinated with knives. I didn't trust another locking folder for a very long time, though, and seldom use a lockback.



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James
 
I once sheared the lockbar of a pakistani folder with downward hand pressure...... oh.. wait those aren't knives.. silly me!!
I did manage to break the first 1/4 inch of my Twistmasters tip off being an idiot though.
 
So far I've never broken a knife blade, but I ruined (actually, I used them up) several cheap Colonial pocketknives as a kid. I'd use them for everything because I didn't want to overuse my higher-quality (at that time, Schrade) knives. I still have those 23-year-old knives, but the plastic handles want to come off and the blades are very loose and jiggly.
One stupid thing I did to my first quality pocketknife (a Schrade-Walden) was took sandpaper to the blades when I noticed rust spots forming. It's still good, but the finish looks like crap and I had to redo the edge grind a bit.
Jim
 
Broke the tip on my Benchmade Mini Reflex. Sent it in to BM to Mark McWillis's attention. Got a new blade! Cool I thought.

Also broke the tip off my Spyderco Civillian and same thing, got a new blade. Hats off to them as well.

The other knives I broke where to cheap to send back so they are in the circular file.

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Best Regards,
Mike Turber
BladeForums Site Owner and Administrator
Do it! Do it right! Do it right NOW!
www.wowinc.com

 
I broke about 1/4" off the tip of my AFCK doing I dunno what, nothing inappropriate. Reground it myself and no problems since.

I dropped a Spydie Civilian on its spine closed, which rams its thin point into the metal spacer. Point got all twisted up for maybe 5/8", but the flexible G-2 let me straighten it and lose only 1/16". Spydie service reground this so you can't tell.

I had a modified Benchmade Leopard Cub come apart in my hands when I was first starting work on Benchmades. Dymondwood doesn't hold fine threads. Lesson learned, and I use metal inserts or other arrangements now.

I loosened the handle up on my own combat machete while hacking through a hardwood 4"x4", cutting a couple of dozen coins, and whacking some aluminum barstock. Another lesson.

Gerber EZ-Out lock fails when thrown
wink.gif


All of this is pretty minor stuff and mainly my own dumb (or intentional) fault. Never flat-out broken a knife, though I have a few I may do for information purposes.

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-Corduroy
(Why else would a bear want a pocket?)
 
I broke the first 3/4 of an inch or so of original PC butterfly (Model 30? Utility blade, exposed rivets) and spent a furious forty five minutes reshaping the blade to a rounded point that was very strong.

I have bent the tip of CS medium(small) voyager clip point and straightebed immediately with pliers, I have also, not to change the subject, broken a Craftsman steel I-beam handled 20 oz hammer by throwing it like a T-Hawk

I have worn out the lock on two enduras after thosands of opening and closing cycles.
 
In my 30 years of carrying a knife, I have learned more from the knives that I have broken on what you can and can not do with a knife. To answer the question I have broken about 10 knives probably half of them were the tip.
 
David :

What are you guys (and gals) doing to break knives?
Click to expand...

Prying usually but chopping and pounding has accounted for a few.

Could you have used something else instead like a hammer?
Click to expand...

Sure, could have used lots of other things, including a better knife.

-Cliff


[This message has been edited by Cliff Stamp (edited 30 June 1999).]
 
David,

You're obviously the kind of guy who uses knives sanely, for their intended purpose of cutting. However, users sometimes get caught needing a tool, and the knife is the only one available, so it has to serve purposes other than cutting (chopping saplings is the job mine always get stuck with). That's when strength counts. And people screamed at me for years over using 1/4" stock in pocket knives. Jeesh!


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Sean Perkins
perkinsknives.com
seanperkins@yahoo.com
 
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