your opinion on how strong a folder should be.

stinkyspice

stinkyspice

Joined
Jun 2, 2011
Messages
697
hey guys i just wanted your opinion on how strong or how long a folders lock up should be or last.. for instance do you expect to do some heavy batoning with a folding knife to still have a solid lock up after you use it to baton? no side to side or up and down blade play.

has anybody batoning with there folder have it last with out blade play or do they all eventually end up having blade play.(non fixable blade play that is)
 
I don't think you will find too many people who baton with a folder (or will admit to batoning with a folder). I really don't think it is reasonable IMO to think that a folder is a suitable tool for batoning.

The most well built folder that I have ever handled personally is a ZT 0200. If I wanted to be able to rely on it when I needed it I would not baton, pry, or otherwise abuse it.

Look into a fixed blade like a BK2. That thing will baton all day for you.
 
Batoning a folder is asking a lot of a folder. I believe its not really the locking mechanism that takes the abuse as much as it is the stop pin or pins in the blade that stop it from going farther back once open. However someone did post a review of a 0200 that he batoned through wood and it created some up and down play but no side to side if I remember. To me a folder should handle cutting tasks not really prying so much. However, if they can somewhat, like I believe the Zero Tolerance 0200 could, then thats a plus.
 
I would never expect a folder to hold up to any baton work. A folder is a broken fixed blade:D
 
buy a friggin fixed blade. ive not seen any folder hold up to what you describe. they all end up broke or sloppy. still searching for the answer to why people think batoning a folder is the acid test for a good folding knife.
 
I would never baton a folding knife. I would never baton a fixed blade knife. I would use an axe. Batonning is knife abuse. Just my opinion, as there are many baton fans here.
 
The only folders that could stand it would be from a top notch custom knife maker. The Cold Steel folders with the TriAd Lock have been known to take a lot of abuse but I would never use a folder that way! Kevin :D
 
i have fix blades that can baton all day!!(my esee 6)

then what is the definitions of a hard use folder?? (not trying to be sarcastic or offend anybody)

it should be able to handle something more than cutting right?
 
If there was only some sort of blade that did not fold on a pivot and couldn't close on your fingers and wouldn't develop blade play....that would be great. Somebody ought to come up with soemthing like that.
 
stinkyspice said:
i have fix blades that can baton all day!!(my esee 6)

then what is the definitions of a hard use folder?? (not trying to be sarcastic or offend anybody)

it should be able to handle something more than cutting right?
Click to expand...

Its similar to the definition of a hammer screwdriver.
 
marcinek said:
If there was only some sort of blade that did not fold on a pivot and couldn't close on your fingers and wouldn't develop blade play....that would be great. Somebody ought to come up with soemthing like that.
Click to expand...
OTF knife. I dont know about blade play though ;)
 
i think the definitions of whats hard use vary depending on what you intend to use it for. if your slicing card board all day some might consider that hard use. i dont see hard use as chopping or batoning for a folder. this i consider to be beyond what should be expected of a folder. another heavy use of a folder might be tactical or defensive.
 
I think nutnfancy batoned with a Cold Steel Recon 1 tanto and it held up just fine. Do I expect it of a folder, even one advertised as hard-use? No. But I´d take it in a heartbeat if it can do it. The Cold Steel Recon 1 series are still excellent slicers and cutters, not unwieldy monsters like the ER RAO or the Pohl Force.
But batoning, even just as a test of toughness and strength, is asking a lot of a folding knife. It certainly shouldn´t be a criterion.
 
One of my friends bought a Ka-Bar Warthog folder, and used the hell out of that thing. He did some batoning, used it (frequently) as a throwing knife, did general cutting, and pried with it a few times. All that came out of it was that the coating was mostly worn off, and the blade went for very sharp to a working edge. The he threw it at his shed, missed, it flew under the shed, and he never found it. For it costing like $15, he more than got his money's worth out of it.
 
If you're asking how strong a folder should be, it is my opinion that you need a fixed blade.
 
If you're having to baton with a folder, chances are your blade length is around 3.5 maybe 4 inches (excluding the Cold Steel offerings that have 5 inches of blade or longer). That means the closed length of the folder is around 5 inches. You can get a fixed blade around 7 inches with a blade length of 3.5 to 4 inches. All you're sacrificing is two inches of length in that fixed blade, but you get in return a stronger blade for batoning.

Also, if you're batoning, chances are you're hiking/camping, etc where many laws actually allow you to carry fixed blades.

harkanto1.jpg
This is 7 inches over all with a blade length of 3.5 inches from tip to sharpening choil. It's also 3/16 thick. You won't find many budget minded folders with 3/16 bar stock.
 
harkamus said:
If you're having to baton with a folder, chances are your blade length is around 3.5 maybe 4 inches (excluding the Cold Steel offerings that have 5 inches of blade or longer). That means the closed length of the folder is around 5 inches. You can get a fixed blade around 7 inches with a blade length of 3.5 to 4 inches. All you're sacrificing is two inches of length in that fixed blade, but you get in return a stronger blade for batoning.

Also, if you're batoning, chances are you're hiking/camping, etc where many laws actually allow you to carry fixed blades.

harkanto1.jpg
This is 7 inches over all with a blade length of 3.5 inches from tip to sharpening choil. It's also 3/16 thick. You won't find many budget minded folders with 3/16 bar stock.
Click to expand...

I have seen you post that picture for everything under the sun- is it that much of your baby? :D

Cold Kill said:
I am left wondering the physics of this being possible...
Click to expand...

Elaborate
 
It is my baby. I designed it. But I also find it fits the bill for a lot of knife recommendations. The knife packs a lot of blade in a small package.
 
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