In the name of knife-stress-test, things we do here at Tekto Knives are sometimes weird, unorthodox, and at times dangerous. Every first weekend of the month we put out the toughest blades to the extreme test. On top of the usual skinning, gutting big games, we put these blades through their ultimate stress test. The results vary depending on the test and the knife - but we noticed there’s one constant. Not a single time, after five years, did we manage to completely ruin a knife. After hours of brutal stress tests, some lost their edge, others got chipped, some remained unscathed but none gave away so bad that they can’t be restored. So, we wanted to see how some users achieve that. It was time to find out how to ruin a knife.
Using The Knife As A Multitool
We knew that many of us have tried this at home and in survival situations, only to learn some bloody lessons. A knife is not a screwdriver and it’s certainly shouldn’t be used to open lids and cut open tins. We used the knife exactly for that and after a week, the beautiful switchblade gave in when we tried using it to do plumbing work. The tip had chipped off when we tried to change the electric socket and now it gave in from the handle. However, the lion's share of the damage was done after using the knife as a tin cutter and opener. No switchblade is designed to take that kind of pressure - not even this brutal badass battle tank.
The Knife Is Not A Sharpening Steel
It’s the TV chefs to blame. You see these smooth-talking boys running their knives against each other to sharpen up the edges before expertly chopping the onion into a fine paste. So, we gave it a go for a week. We took two fixed blade knives and used them for steeling for about a week. The result was heartbreaking. Two of our finest Swiss knives were left without an edge. What was left couldn’t even be technically termed as an ‘edge’. So, if you want to impress your date and sharpen the knife like a pro, use a proper honing rod.
Dishwasher - Demolition Demon
Too lazy to run the knife under the tap and wash it? Just throw it in the dishwasher with the rest of the knives and forks, right? Three hours of hot water, abrasive detergent, and steam is a guaranteed way to ruin your knife. We knew this, but for the sake of science and this article, we decided to go ahead and try. As expected, after a single long wash, the edge went dull and the detergent was simply too harsh for the fine steel. The only time you should put knives in a dishwasher is when you want to guaranteed ruin a knife.
Anything Goes
Both folding and fixed blade knives take more brutal torture in the hands of users than in any stress test. Years of neglect and merciless use on every possible material is the ultimate cause for knives to give away. Switchblades are pocket knives and the small blade is designed for certain tasks. A switchblade is often deployed to do the job of a hunting knife - opening tins, gutting prey, and skinning. I’ve also seen fine Japanese knives being used as cleavers to have a go on ice, bones, metal.
Know your blade’s purpose and respect it. Look after your blades according to the manufacturer guidelines and they should be serving you with an edge for life. Hack away thoughtlessly and they’ll leave you like a choice.