Do you let your SAK's main blade snap closed?

Didn't really pay attention to it before reading this thread. Had a bit of a think on it and sometimes I do sometimes I don't.
Now that I know it's a thing I will be sure to not snap other people's knives closed but for my own I don't care. Haven't noticed any issues with the blade hitting the back spring on any of my knives.
 
This might sound preachy but are you sure you are closing the knife so that only press from the spine so that it closes straight down?
Sounds weird to me because I've never seen that happen and I've seen many SAKs..

Either way I prefer to not slam my knives.
 
Just checked the Pioneer I have in my pocket, and the Explorer Plus in my Man Purse. Neither appears to have any damage from rap, and like others I have often slammed it shut when otherwise one-handed. When I need a fidget spinner I snap the straight screwdriver blade. But safer for my hands and the blade, lol! I'm pretty careful with most my Vics, especially the Explorer Plus and Pioneer I prefer. But I have a half-dozen or so of the most excellent Floral Knives that I frail on and abuse. Use them for box cutters and other crappy things I wouldn't expose my others too. They love it! And they always get snapped since I'm usually using them for a box cutter. Don't like razor box cutters. Got the scars and surgical bills from severed tendon from one to explain why...
 
My Tinker doesn't do that, I snap it closed all the time and there is no edge damage at all, still whittles hair. Once it's been sharpened a bit you would think it would stop making impact on a hard close, it might get better over time so long as you don't modify the kick.

I learned something today, I never knew that was called blade rap.
 
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Frankly, I find the edge holding on SAKs poor enough that a little blade rap from snapping shut doesn't matter.
 
yablanowitz said:
Frankly, I find the edge holding on SAKs poor enough that a little blade rap from snapping shut doesn't matter.
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I agree, but conversely, the edge retention is already poor enough that I want to avoid dulling the blade unnecessarily. Especially because it's always the quarter-inch or so of edge at the tip that gets damaged when I let my SAKs snap shut, and that's the part of the blade that I use for opening packages and fine cutting. It's also the area that I find the most difficult to sharpen.
 
hsherzfeld said:
For years, I've associated the SAK's satisfying snap with Swiss quality and precision--that is, until I realized that every time the main blade on a SAK snaps closed, a specific section of the edge near the tip flattens itself by hitting the liner. Every. Single. Time. It happens on 91mm and 93mm SAKs; I assume it happens on 84mm SAKs as well, but I don't have any to test. So I no longer allow the main blade to snap closed; instead, I lower it closed by hand. It has become automatic muscle memory for me. And I never lend anyone a SAK to use the main blade because I know that they will snap the blade closed and I'll have to re-sharpen the tip! And I find the tip area to be the most difficult to sharpen without rounding off that beautiful pointy SAK point.

I realize that this problem is common to many brands and styles of slipjoint knives; in fact, the only pattern I've found that doesn't have the problem is the Barlow pattern with its deep handles. I guess I just find it annoying that Victorinox (who must be aware of this issue) hasn't altered the shape of the liner or added a bit more to the main blade's kick to prevent this issue.
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No, never. I always guide the blade back gently.
 
wouter1967 said:
If I can't snap close a slipjoint I don't want to have it.
Definitely a design flaw when the blade hits the back spring.
In 47 years I never had issues with SAK's, the tip area are mostly dull anyway.
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Odd! Why is the tip area dull? I keep my SAK blades sharp for the full length of the blade.
 
wouter1967 said:
If I can't snap close a slipjoint I don't want to have it.
Definitely a design flaw when the blade hits the back spring.
In 47 years I never had issues with SAK's, the tip area are mostly dull anyway.
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Maybe the tip area is dull from the tip hitting the liner every time you snap it closed. As I've said previously, I encounter this problem with every. single. SAK. I've ever handled.
 
hsherzfeld said:
Maybe the tip area is dull from the tip hitting the liner every time you snap it closed. As I've said previously, I encounter this problem with every. single. SAK. I've ever handled.
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Maybe you're right. I need to check this.
My other slip joint are perfectly fine with a snap.
 
wouter1967: On a small, hand held stone I sweep the blade following the edge contour, on a large stone I lift the handle as I near the tip and that allows sharpening all the way to the tip. Both methods work but require a bit of care because they can result in a bevel angle change near the tip, just takes a little practice.
 
I think this problem is most noticeable when the main blade still has its factory edge. A few sharpening sessions will erode the edge at the tip enough that the edge doesn't contact the liner with as much force, or not at all.
 
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