Spyderco Forums

Padawan wrote:You've broken a Para, a Lil Temp, and a Strider SNG. Obviously, the issue is not with the knives, but the way that they're being used. Again, I don't think anyone here is trying to be disrespectful or disparaging, but you posted a question looking for an answer, and the answer is that the blame should not be placed on the knives or the blade steel.

Yeah but they all have one thing in Common S30V. My Captain will not break and I have been using it alot lately. Nor will my Leatherman Charge which is 154cm.

I am not trying to bash knives or brands, more so of trying to find a better product for my needs. Maybe s30v is just not the steel for me and I need a softer or less Carbon based steel.


Thogh back to the only use the right tool for the job. If we are supposed to do this why do you guys have pocket knives?

Vincent I hear what your saying. I've busted or bent a tip or three myself. Have you tried the D Allara drop point? It seems to me it would hold up better then a Millie or Pmillie for your type of use.

LJK wrote:Vincent I hear what your saying. I've busted or bent a tip or three myself. Have you tried the D Allara drop point? It seems to me it would hold up better then a Millie or Pmillie for your type of use.

I haven't tried on yet. But after watching a video of it on youtube I can see what ya mean. I think il try one.

"Thogh back to the only use the right tool for the job. If we are supposed to do this why do you guys have pocket knives?"

I would wager that I can cut a concrete block in half with my Delica. Therefore, according to your logic, it is the right tool for the job.

tonyfromky wrote:"Thogh back to the only use the right tool for the job. If we are supposed to do this why do you guys have pocket knives?"

I would wager that I can cut a concrete block in half with my Delica. Therefore, according to your logic, it is the right tool for the job.

no I think thats your logic. I am just asking if you don't think pocket knife is meant to be used as a substitute for other tools, the why have one. There is no job specifically for a pocket knife.

As I mentioned before the Pocket knife is meant to be a versatile tool. We all have different needs and wants.

"no I think thats your logic"

No, it's yours. I just took it to the extreme. Just because I have a knife in my pocket doesn't mean it is appropriate for every task. I gather from your postings that you feel that a pocket knife is a suitable tool for cutting thick, tough, and potentially filthy (abrasive) rubber. Not one person here supports that decision. And you're getting a dubious result. That should tell you something. It's your knife and it's your tire so the choice is yours.

Out of curiosity, how are you cutting the tires? Straight across so you could unroll it into a strip of rubber? Cutting the sidewalls off, leaving the tread? And how many were you able to cut before the knives fail?


-=-=-=-
Be that as it may, would a Yojimbo be good for this? How about something serrated?

I appreciate Vincent's question. Sure, we all know about "right tool for the job" but I'd like to hear continued constructive discussion regarding how to keep the tip on the knife under hard use situations. I'd jump in with advice, but I don't have any. Here to learn.

tonyfromky wrote:"no I think thats your logic"

Just because I have a knife in my pocket doesn't mean it is appropriate for every task. I gather from your postings that you feel that a pocket knife is a suitable tool for cutting thick, tough, and potentially filthy (abrasive) rubber. Not one person here supports that decision. And you're getting a dubious result. That should tell you something. It's your knife and it's your tire so the choice is yours.

Out of curiosity, how are you cutting the tires? Straight across so you could unroll it into a strip of rubber? Cutting the sidewalls off, leaving the tread? And how many were you able to cut before the knives fail?


-=-=-=-
Be that as it may, would a Yojimbo be good for this? How about something serrated?

I never said a pocket knife was ok for all tasks. You mentioned cutting concrete, I don't think thats proper. I never said the knife was suitable or the proper tool for cutting a tire. I said the pocket knife is a versatile tool that takes the place of many others. I didn't have a saw, sheers or any other proper tool, the job needed to be done so I went with it. Thats the reason I carry a Pocket knife. Otherwise the pocket knife is as good as a mantel piece. If your argument is that we should just always use the proper tool for the job, im sorry to say but the chances of most knife companies being around today are slim. The idea of a Pocket knife is for Utility. I even think its definition states that. The use of that knife is up to the user if you ask me. I still think cutting a tire is fine. Like I said my Captain is a champ at it. Absolutely no damage. The only reason the other knives chipped is due to the rubber coming together. It took almost no pressure, just me pulling the knife out for the tips to break. In football have you ever heard of a Hi-Low, well i guess the rubber did that. As the rubber was overlapping each other and when i pulled the knife out, the tip just snapped off. Now I am not talking about the entire tip Its just a very small chunk of steel. Nothing that couldn't be sharpened out. It wasn't like I was prying a door open and the actual cutting didn't do the job.

As for how I am cutting them, right down the vertical middle. So think if you were drive and a huge knife came down from sky to road. Thats the way they are being cut. It was the first one that broke the Para blade, them I just used the captain in fear of more damage to the para.


My Lil Temps tip broke from cutting some boating rope. I guess it was really hard stuff. The salt water maybe. again not a huge potion. Just a very small piece.

I never had a serrated knife, but was thinking of getting a serrated Military. As for the Yojimbo, I cant say as Ive never used one.


Here are some pics of my tips.

Don't most tires these days have metal in them?

I'm not sure there is a right hand tool to cut tires. Ever watch that tv show called "Dirtiest Jobs"? They had an episode on tire recycling. It was all mechanised heavy duty stuff. I think shears would be next to useless in most tires.

Nice pics Vincent. If you want a prestine knife don't use it. :)

Those tiny little missing tips just happen with hard use IMO. Even good ole tool steels like shovels and picks would those tiny points.

Vincent wrote:Here are some pics of my tips.

http://vincentp.net/pics/knife/tip/DSC0 ... Large).JPG

I've been following this thread and misunderstood how you are breaking your tips until I saw this picture. It seems like a lot of the respondents in this thread assumed you were breaking much larger portions of the knife that you actually are. You should describe it as "tip chipping," it's not as misleading (maybe it is, but it's hard to describe).

I chose to respond because what you are experiencing is something I experience too. I have had the tips chip off at least 5-6 knives of differing steels and find that the overall thickness (or thinness) of the grind is more of a factor than the blade steel.

It seems like there are a few ways to avoid damage but all of them require modification to the knife. When I broke a tip I usually just sharpened the knife regularly and it would only be a few strokes until the damage disappeared. Looks like you would be able to do the same thing fairly easily so long as the damage is only a few millimeters.

Check out the tips on the Strider and the Para, notice the breakage does not exceed the actual edge bevel.

You need a small fixed blade in a tough steel like A2 or 12C27 if you need stainless.

Otherwise look at a brand like Columbia River who make knives from very tough stainless steels.

You can't have a steel that does everything. Something has to give and you are not understanding the limits or features of the steels.

I have chipped the tip on several knives. Never fun, but cutting the type of rubber you are talking about if it is the type used in car tires is VERY hard on ANY tool.

Someone buy this guy a crowbar and sharpen it please. :D

Note: A2 is a carbon steel. A good one too. Not many folding A2 knives around. Joe

Sir

If you broke a tip on a Strider then that is definately one tough tire you were cutting. I would try using a carbon steel like D2 or A2 or 1095.

:spyder:

Hey Vincent,

I think that it looks like you only broke off like a 1/16" of an inch or so. I dont' think that is a big deal. That's pretty darn good for cutting through a tire.

Say, you'll have to make a new thread and let us know how you like the Captain. Maybe give us a little review. I want one of those now that I have experienced a Spyderco liner lock.

SpydercoKnut wrote:Sir

If you broke a tip on a Strider then that is definately one tough tire you were cutting. I would try using a carbon steel like D2 or A2 or 1095.

:spyder:

Tip on a DP sng is not all to strong, I talked to its creator and it is really really common.

David Lowry wrote:Hey Vincent,

I think that it looks like you only broke off like a 1/16" of an inch or so. I dont' think that is a big deal. That's pretty darn good for cutting through a tire. ]


ok dave i will a little later.

From the looks the pictures, you are really not breaking off the tips of the knife, but really the leading forward edge.

This is to be expected with good hard use. Edges will chip, ding, roll, dull, or wear with use.

Maybe Ed's response on sharpening the tips is of value in regards to this.

Nice pic's but I wouldn't even consider that a broken tip. All my hard use knives look like that or worst at one time or another. I'd touch em up and keep on cutting. Check back in when you snap off a 1/4 inch or so (not that I would know anything about that :o )

I was expecting 1/2 a cm missing :confused:

I wouldn't complain about that damage. I bet it is more geometry than steel.

After seeing those pics, I don't consider these to be 'broken tips' at all. Many of my carry knives had tips like that. In all cases I was able to restore them on my Sharpmaker. Sideways they might look microscopically 'rounded' but viewed from the spine, they're still sharp as needles. More importantly, the tips can get sharp enough again to slice out newsprint articles without damaging the surface below.


Wouter