Putting your knife through its paces

[kayak-man]

Hi everyone.

I just finished reading The Tactical Knife by James Ayres. In it he mentions a few tests that he puts his knives through. His fixed blades all have to pass the "tree test" (being battened into a tree, and then capable of supporting his weight without breaking ) and they have to be able to slice fresh tomatoes.
Personally, If I can't open it one handed, it doesn't go in my pocket. I make an exception if it has Leatherman or the Victorinox logo stamped onto the side. I also have to be able to sharpen it with a sharpener that is not of the greatest quality. I also really like a knife that I can dry off as I have started to carry at least one knife everywhere (You know that pocket in swimsuits for your keys? A small folder fits in there very nicely .)

What I want to know is, are there any tests that you guys put your knives through before they have earned a place in your pocket? I'm curious to see if there is a large variety, and if there are any universal truths. That, and I just bought a SOG Micro Fusion II and a Gerber Basic that I will be carrying with my CRKT M16, and I want to find some more reasonable, but inventive, ways to use and abuse them

 

[JVoutilainen]

being battened into a tree, and then capable of supporting his weight without breaking

I would not do it. There could be a manufacturing defect in the blade and you risk serious injury if the blade suddenly snaps. Furthermore, I weigh about 90kg and the fat farmer down the road weighs over 150kg... you see the problem?

I test a knife by sharpening it first. This gives me a good idea of basic properties of the blade (hardness, grain size etc.). After sharpening I use the knife to cut wood, usually birch, to see how it holds an edge. I don't need "tougher" tests because I do not put my knives through torture in real life. I use them for cutting wood and slicing bread most of the time. I don't use my knife to punch through car doors or for chopping rope. Then again, I have no doubt every one of my knives would survive the "step on it"-test.

 

[hso]

Inspect for fit and finish to insure lockup is secure.
Spine whack test to verify the lock will withstand that type of loading (wear gloves).
Test lock in the various grips the knife might be handled (wear gloves).
Sharpen, shave styrene, whittle for shavings, chop green white oak for edge strength, whittle again for shavings, shave styrene again.

 

[broken]

i watched the knifetests.com brutally destroy all them knives,it did sway me on some knives, but i did buy a kabar and a buck nighthawk,the kabar didn"t do good in his test, but you here from other people they are a great all around,survival/outdoor knife,the buck got high marks,now i"m looking for a good folder.

 

[Smokey Joe]

Knife tests...

--First off, I've gotta like the looks of the knife for my intended use, or it doesn't get any further. Craftsmanship counts, but is not ultimate. (My best "firewood knife" is the ugliest thing you ever saw.)
--If a folder, check the fit, finish, & function of folding/locking mechanism.
--Put a "wow, that's sharp" edge on it. Note during use how long this edge lasts, and how easy it is to maintain.
--Use it for a year or so for its intended use. Then and only then, decide if I like it and want to keep it around.

There is no hard-and-fast torture test, e.g. "all my knives have to be able to slash 1" rope." A kitchen paring knife, or a fishing filet knife, would have a hard time with this.

 

[Todd A]

What I want to know is, are there any tests that you guys put your knives through before they have earned a place in your pocket?

Yes there are. I carry fixed blades ,my one user folder is a SAK. My hobbies all include the outdoors so my knife choices are geared to woods stuff.

I take any new knife outside to play. If I need to I will sharpen to my liking then make fuzzsticks, baton , start a fire w/ferro rod, build some traps, and use it to construct an "emergency" shelter. Maybe carve a spoon or two.

If it passes it is carry worthy.


Ohhh.. and even my SAK has gone through this, minus the batoning.

 

[jahwarrior]

i test my knives by using them. if i can't do simple day-to-day tasks with them, they fail. you'de be surprised how many factory knives fail doing the dumbest things. so far, my Spyderco Chinook II has been faithful; i bought it when they were first released. i've done everything but use it for SD.

 

[JVoutilainen]

Todd A sez:

baton , start a fire w/ferro rod

You could keep your knives sharp, you know

 

[Todd A]

Gee..how did I know someone would pick up on that one little word,baton??

While I never need to do it. I find it a reliable test of a knife's strength. And it is fun.

You could keep your knives sharp, you know

I see your puny plastic Fiskars.....and raise you a Hickory Wetterlings.

 

[hso]

HAH! And I call with a Gransfors Bruks Small Hunters Axe. It's all fun until someone looses a foot.

 

[Todd A]

OK you win.

But seriously,to anyone else reading this.

If you want/need an axe/hatchet. The mentioned Fiskars,Wetterlings,GB will all do the job at differant price points.

Now ...back to knife testing. I am curious as to what the rest of you do/don't do.

 

[mole]

I usually only carry knives that will slice apples and tomatoes well, whittle dry red oak and still stay decently sharp, and not rust badly from one day to the next just because I wiped it on my pants legs instead of washing it.

Decent stainless steel for folding pocket knives and 1095 fixed blades for tough work.

 

[JVoutilainen]

...bigger than yours

Todd,

Fiskars puny? Plastic?

How about this

Yes, it is a Billnäs

 

[Todd A]

JVoutilainen, I'd love to see you carry that in a daybag.

My shoulders and back hurt just looking at the photo.

 

[broken]

what a bunch of bad axxe"s

 

[JVoutilainen]

Todd,

Well, I must admit that carrying log building tools on a camping trip might be a bit over the top

I got the one in the picture recently, along with about a dozen or so other old axes - for free. The guy who owned them had no use for them (did not even know what they were) and would have simply thrown them away. Can you imagine that.

 

[hso]

Let's be nice and chop off this cord for now before we end up too far out on a limb and fell this whole thread. We should start our own axe gang in another thread. (I'm so ashamed!)

 

[Smokey Joe]

Getting back to knives, and the OP...

One of his knife tests, which Todd A. mentioned:

I will sharpen to my liking then make fuzzsticks, baton , start a fire w/ferro rod, build some traps...

What is this "baton??" Is it a verb, or a noun, and in either case, how does it relate to knife use? I didn't exactly fall off the turnip truck yesterday, but that word is French for the noun, "stick" or "rod" as I understand it, and how does THAT relate to knife use?? It's outside my experience.

Orchestral conductors use batons. Relay runners use batons. Knife testers?? Inquiring minds want to know.

(BTW, I fell off the turnip truck years and years ago--on my head! There, I beat you to it. )

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Baton

A baton is a short stick of wood. It can be a branch, hunk of kindling, billy club, or other handy shape.

In use, the baton looks like this:









There are plenty of articles out there that describe the proper technique.

In essence, it's a way to get a knife to do the job of a hatchet.

 

[Smokey Joe]

Thx!!

Arfin Greebly--Ah, SO! A Baton IS a stick! Used in this case to power a knife through firewood.

Well, I didn't know the term, but I sure have used a baton of that type! Especially on my utterly rugged, utterly ugly, firewood knife (see post #5 above.)

Learn something new every day, they say. Thank You!

 

[kayak-man]

Thanks everybody. It seems to me like most of you guys just carry it for a while and see if it does what you usually use it for. That probably makes the most sense. I have never tried the tree test, for fear my knife would not survive and I would have to make a trip to the hospital to get some stitches, which we all know would leave me broke and unable to replace my broken knife.
Tod, I'm probably going to give your test a try when I get the chance.
Thanks everybody, its been reel

 

[usmc1371]

I can usuly look at a knife and tell if its going to make many trips in my pocket, my old BM axis lock tanto blade folder has been my must have go to for years but lately I have been edc a spyderco endura ZDP-189 SE. I kind of wish I had gotten the combo edge or maybe even the plain edge but its been great and edge holding is outstanding so far. If I pick up a knife and it feels "cheap" to me I don't buy it. 99.9% of my knife use is mundane things like opening mail or cutting an apple or some twine but the one time I needed a good sharp one hand opening knife to save my life from a burning upside down FJ 40 I was really glad I had an original spyderco endura in my pocket.

 

[CWL]

Are we talking tactical knife or survival knife? There's a big difference.

Here are a couple of tests for both knives and the user put out by Mors Kochanski.

1. "Try Stick" for learning necessary techniques for knife use in survival and outdoors skills. If you can do this, both user and knife "pass".

 

[JR47]

I would imagine that most knives are used for hum-drum cutting chores. Twine, paper, cardboard, light rope, and so on. Very few of us will actually be in a position where a knife is that important. Perhaps a lucky hunter will use a small fixed blade to field-dress his deer, or such.

I carry a Spyderco Standard Model. It's been on my belt for decades. It's primary use was slicing seat belts, clothing, and the odd wiring bundle as associated with Fire/EMS. In my pocket rides an old Buck 440 lock-back, with a partially serrated edge. They won't hold me up, nor will they take beating into a tree. However, they do everything required of an everyday carry knife.

 

[Zeke/PA]

Nah,
My daily carry is RAZOR sharp and capable of any chore that I might encounter.
Keep in mind, a knife is a CUTTING instrument.
Other tools are made for banging, beating , hacking and chopping.
Evaulate by abusing??
WHY??