Just out of interest, have any of you had a knife blade break? What was the blade? where did it break (tang, tip, middle)? and what were you doing at the time?
Cheers
J
Cheers
J
Knives breaking
- Thread starter Quixoticgeek
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Tips on Mora knives. Using as a screwdriver, opening cans, trying to gouge out wood around nail heads and so on.
Broke off a Same half horn knife once by the handle. I tried to open a can of Swedish Army Liver Pate.
I remember it because it was an expensive knife, and one if my Same soldiers told me I was an idiot and that they used steel from a barrel hoop and over hardened them.
Broke off a Same half horn knife once by the handle. I tried to open a can of Swedish Army Liver Pate.
I remember it because it was an expensive knife, and one if my Same soldiers told me I was an idiot and that they used steel from a barrel hoop and over hardened them.
I have never had a "knife blade break" whilst using it as a knife however, I HAVE BROKEN knife blades whilst using them for things they were not designed for such as prying, digging, levering etc. In more than 50 years of using knives very regularly (generally several hours a day most days of the week) I have never had one break without me having caused it.
D.B.
D.B.
Not personally, I suppose I've been lucky, but having served an apprenticeship in the late 70's/early 80's I had it drummed into me to use the right tool for the job.
My heavy handed clodhopper brother used to get through opinels like they were going out of fashion, usually either taking the tip off using it to turn carburettor screws, or just plain snapping the blade near the handle.
A good friend broke a Ka-bar USMC by hitting it with a club hammer while trying to cut up lead sheeting - extreme batoning I suppose.
Dave
My heavy handed clodhopper brother used to get through opinels like they were going out of fashion, usually either taking the tip off using it to turn carburettor screws, or just plain snapping the blade near the handle.
A good friend broke a Ka-bar USMC by hitting it with a club hammer while trying to cut up lead sheeting - extreme batoning I suppose.
Dave
I've broken quite a few, and put some deep damage on the softer steel that wouldn't break just bend.
Depends what you hit and how hard the steel if you pry. Do you want a soft steel that will bend or a hard steel that will hold an edge? Build it thick, or nice and fine? Tips snap because they don't have much steel in the point. Poor design and drilled holes are stress focus points that can easily make a fail point. Handles too are a weak points.
Put your mind to it and any knife can be forced to fail. Manufacturers don't always get it right or can be a bit lax, some take a few short cuts too many. A basic good knife used correctly should give years of good service. Cost has far less to do with it than the price suggests.
I now throw knives too which is a true test of anything that hasn't been designed to take the abuse. Throw knives and you can just about break anything as the stresses and strains find all the faults in any steel.
I now like to think every knife has some luck built in. Some last and last and so have more luck than others. Those with no luck break soon after purchase once put to work.
Depends what you hit and how hard the steel if you pry. Do you want a soft steel that will bend or a hard steel that will hold an edge? Build it thick, or nice and fine? Tips snap because they don't have much steel in the point. Poor design and drilled holes are stress focus points that can easily make a fail point. Handles too are a weak points.
Put your mind to it and any knife can be forced to fail. Manufacturers don't always get it right or can be a bit lax, some take a few short cuts too many. A basic good knife used correctly should give years of good service. Cost has far less to do with it than the price suggests.
I now throw knives too which is a true test of anything that hasn't been designed to take the abuse. Throw knives and you can just about break anything as the stresses and strains find all the faults in any steel.
I now like to think every knife has some luck built in. Some last and last and so have more luck than others. Those with no luck break soon after purchase once put to work.
Mora tip - dropped it on concrete. My fault
Fox "Raids" shattered the blade into 3 pieces - dropped it on concrete rubbish hardening on blade
Tramontina bowie of some sort - cutting a green ash pole tore out semi circles from the blade... rubbish hardening on blade
Whitby folder - bent the tip - opening a syrup tin- misuse
Dave Bud forged blade handled by Mesquite in a beautiful banded wood - smashed the bolster end of the handle batoning - do not baton with a knife!
Mark Hill Eagle knife - chipped the edge finding a fencing staple in a block of wood - blummen farmers!
Laminated Mora chipped the edge on pine knots
Leatherman Wave. Serrated blade snapped off by a "friend" - do not open coconuts with a rope knife... pilchard!
Fox "Raids" shattered the blade into 3 pieces - dropped it on concrete rubbish hardening on blade
Tramontina bowie of some sort - cutting a green ash pole tore out semi circles from the blade... rubbish hardening on blade
Whitby folder - bent the tip - opening a syrup tin- misuse
Dave Bud forged blade handled by Mesquite in a beautiful banded wood - smashed the bolster end of the handle batoning - do not baton with a knife!
Mark Hill Eagle knife - chipped the edge finding a fencing staple in a block of wood - blummen farmers!
Laminated Mora chipped the edge on pine knots
Leatherman Wave. Serrated blade snapped off by a "friend" - do not open coconuts with a rope knife... pilchard!
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Snapped a few tips by prying and dropping them, i remember doing that to an opinal, a mora, an f1, and a buck odyssey...mostly done while working/rushing
I did snap the heel of the bit from two wetterlings axes in normal use.
I did snap the heel of the bit from two wetterlings axes in normal use.
We have wooden floors in Sweden. So we do not break the tips on our Moras when we drop them. Also nice to walk on, and hypo allergic.
Your friend needs to get a Machete. Designed to open coconuts with.
Edit: Just remembered I did put a couple of nasty chips on the edge on one of my Fallknivar. Levered off those mollusks that are sucked to the rocks. Not sure if it was the shell or the rock that did it.
I do that all the time, as they make a superb bait on a long line for Plaice and small Hallibut.
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So a sharp blow will dislodge them. Will try. The ones that have worn a depression I just crack the shell on with the other end of the knife.
I need about 50 at a time.
I know you can eat them, but I prefer the fish.
I need about 50 at a time.
I know you can eat them, but I prefer the fish.
A Lauri Leuku blade that someone broke after I made a knife for them.
Damaged Lauri Leuku 5 by Alf Branch, on Flickr
What happened here?
Damaged Lauri Leuku 5 by Alf Branch, on FlickrWhat happened here?
Blimey. Prying a nail out of a bit of wood maybe? First attempt to the right of the missing chunk?
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