dropped my delica on concrete last night...

[casey1]

it only scuffed up the handle a bit but it got me to thinking... which handle material holds up best to dropping? Obviously if anything hit the blade i'd be toast but i'm considering my decision to get a sage 1 because i don't know if CF is durable against that... not that i drop stuff much but just wondering.

[buddy54ck]

:spyder: :spyder:
Hi All,
I work on concrete floors in work, and last week dropped My Sage 1. I was so upset, that I didn't want to look! I was walking at the time, and somehow it fell in front of My foot, and was kicked down the aisle. It went sliding for about 15 feet, and hit a steel aisle bumper.

The knife was not open, so It did not suffer blade damage, and when I picked it up, and looked at it, I was worried for nothing. Can You imagine My surprize, when I didn't even find a scratch? This carbon Fiber is some really tough stuff, but then again, these are the Premium materials that You are paying for. I am a believer in Spydercos quality materials, and I had the proof in My hand!

What else can I say, I just love them!

Enjoy Yours,
Charlie
:spyder: :spyder:

[Drkknight614]

G10 and carbon fiber will hold up better then frn, thats not to say frn will go down easily.

[ChapmanPreferred]

I'm always less upset when I scratch FRN than when I scratch CF.

[Blerv]

I think FRN would hold up MUCH better than most materials. It's dense and elastic. CF/g10 are tough but harder and steel is more-so. Simple rubber would prob be the best and ceramic/glass the worse in theory.

In general dropping toughness is the least prioritized on my list. You often have to sacrifice something for a feature and in this case it would probably be grip or resistance to abrasion, UV resistance or melting/warping temp point.

Yea, not intending to chastise. We all drop things or even fall. Still if you gear towards the assumption blade grinds get thicker, tips get fatter, and handles are chubby and rubber. You often should just replace a broken tool than deal with inefficiency of performance. Unless you're buying crowbars and mallets I guess.

[MerkurMan]

I've likewise found the twill CF on my Sage 1 to be almost impervious to damage after dropping it numerous times on asphalt, concrete and tile floors. In fact, there are a couple of places along the edges of the handle where the steel liner is dented from impact and the adjacent CF is absolutely unmarked. It seems to be indestructible!

I sometimes carry the Sage in my coin pocket next to an aluminum flashlight. At the end of the day when I take both out, the Sage will usually have aluminum residue on the handle scale from rubbing against and wearing down the light. Again, not a mark on the knife.

Both my G10 and FRN knives all show wear and scratches, although I don't mind one bit, as I see them as adding character. :)

[O,just,O]

I dropped my open Cento 4 & as it spun from my hands it landed point first into the concrete. The very tip had an ever so slight burr but the conc was missing a fair size chip.
I was surprised & do not recomend you do this.
O.

[Drkknight614]

I dropped my open Cento 4 & as it spun from my hands it landed point first into the concrete. The very tip had an ever so slight burr but the conc was missing a fair size chip.
I was surprised & do not recomend you do this.
O.

Did the world just slow down around you while your eyes went wide and your mouth dropped while watching your knife plummet tip first?

[phillipsted]

I have an original Gen1 Delica that dates back to the early 90s. She has been put through h*ll and back - dropped, kicked, cut firewood, trimmed aluminum printing plates, smashed in a car door, buried in the bottom of a tool bag under wrenches...

She's got some scratches and minor dings on the FRN, but she cleaned up really nice, sharpened up to a mirror polish, and carries itself mighty well for the abuse she's taken. Needless to say, I'm a big fan of FRN. It isn't the prettiest or sexiest handle material, but it is lightweight and durable. Can't beat it.

TedP

[jackknifeh]

I'm really glad to hear that CF is so durable. I was always afraid to get it because If I'm going to pay more for something because it is beautiful I want it to stay beautiful. So I always stuck with FRN or G10. Like someone said scratches show character. Blemishes show the knife is being used for what a knife should be used for, work. Anyway, I now have a Gayle Bradley and Sage1 and a Chparral is on order. All have the twill CF which I love. I want to use the GB for hard work because it is a very durable knife plus a little big to carry as a gents folder IMO. Now I feel more confident if I use it hard and it gets dirty, even beat up a little it will clean up pretty again. Even if it doesn't look new and beautiful once I get past the first scratch, any others won't matter. It's like a new car. After the first scratch :eek: I don't care if I bounce off trees. :) (not really)

Jack

[dalefuller]

G10 and carbon fiber will hold up better then frn, thats not to say frn will go down easily.

My experience is exactly the opposite. I've dropped an FRN D4 on my concrete warehouse floor from 10 or 12 feet in the air with absolutely no results. The knife didn't pop open, the handle didn't get scuffed or chipped.

OTOH, I've dropped a G10 scaled knife on my concrete patio from waist high when it slipped out of my pocket one day and I did get a dent (not a chip) in the G10 that had to be cleaned with WD-40 before it was unnoticable.

I think both materials are very tough, but FRN seems to me to be more impact resistant.

[Jay_Ev]

I think FRN would hold up MUCH better than most materials.

I think both materials are very tough, but FRN seems to me to be more impact resistant.

Agree with these 100%.

I've seen an FRN handle bent into a 90 degree right angle. Attempting such with a carbon fiber or G-10 would cause it to snap in half.

[dsmegst]

I've not worked with CF but G-10 is incredible stuff. A thin sliver of G-10, about the size of a small popsicle stick, is strong enough that I couldn't simply snap it off as I expected. I would not be nervous about dropping it. Sure, it would scratch but it's not going to crack or deform from the typical drop.

[Blerv]

I think the main difference is that g10/CF is much harder and not completely homogenous. FRN is injected into a mold and at least seems far more dense.

I know thin FRN scales like the old Cricket were deemed too flimsy for blade play to warrant another run. Probably the same knife in CF/G10 would hold up much better as the harder scales act as semi-liners. I still think the FRN knife is more elastic though. In thick slabs (like the salt line) that's a lot of dense plastic.

No engineering background, just a ton of guessing :p .

[dsmegst]

double post

[Evil D]

CF and G10 will both chip if you drop it just right. I've dropped my Para 2 and it only got a light colored spot on the corner from the impact.

[Jazz]

FRN is just plain old great stuff. I beat the crap out of a handle and it looked fine.

- best wishes, Jazz.

[SolidState]

Often it's not whether or not the material is damaged as much as "does the damage show up noticeably?"

G10 usually shows wear and damage more than FRN because of fiber glass' propensity to scatter light when damaged (the white effect from damaging your G10). Oil gets rid of that effect to some degree. For some reason the FRN doesn't display that effect as much. I'm guessing it has a lower concentration of Glass.

[TheNeedyCat]

the feeling when you drop a knife, your jaw drops and time slows down as your knife plummets towards the ground

[Fred Sanford]

I've dropped a G10 Paramilitary 1 and chipped the handle. I've dropped FRN much more and from higher altitudes and had only smalls scratches.

FRN is tough. Hard to beat polymers folks. That stuff is tough.