My ESEE 3,4,5,6,LS ETC. Bent is it safe to use?

Discussion in 'ESEE® Knives and Gear' started by RocketmanDane, Jan 23, 2017.

  1. RocketmanDane

    RocketmanDane Member

    Messages:
    2,442
    Likes Received:
    3,907
    Location:
    Here and there...
    I got into a conversation today about knives and knife damage with a knife dealer(ESEE included). The other guy swore up and down that you could bend almost any knife (ESEE included) then bend it back straight and it would be as strong as before...

    I personally disagree! So I wanted to get some better advice on the matter..

    SO.. If I manage to bend my ESEE what is my best option?
    Can I theoretically just bend it back? Should I use it bent?
    Is there a way to gauge the new strength?
    Is it safe to use?
    What should I do??

    Again just theoretical question. I assume I know the answer to but just making sure....
     
  2. OutdoorsFamilyMan

    OutdoorsFamilyMan Member

    Messages:
    1,732
    Likes Received:
    2,652
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Ohio
  3. bax229

    bax229 Member

    Messages:
    210
    Likes Received:
    255
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Pacific South West
    What?!?
     
  4. JD Miller

    JD Miller Member

    Messages:
    169
    Likes Received:
    241
    Location:
    The West
    such a dilemma
     
  5. ManOfSteel

    ManOfSteel Member

    Messages:
    4,391
    Likes Received:
    9,950
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    NJ
    Unless you're driving it in between a couple rocks and rappelling off of it, there's nothing structurally unsafe about it. I gotta try to find the picture of my Junglas bending as I was batoning frozen wood on a trip. As soon as the log split the Junglas was back to true and no issues. That's the point of the HT, to give it strength and flexibility. You'd be hard pressed to put a permanent bend in any blade with a good HT.
     
  6. W.Jester

    W.Jester Member

    Messages:
    340
    Likes Received:
    703
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Virginia
    When working a blade and it bends during use however springs back to its original shape is because of the heat treat and properties of the metal. The metal went back to its original position because it was not stressed past its elastic range/point. If you actually bend the knife and it stays in that position you have pushed the capabilities of the knife and it entered its plastic range. When it enters this range the metal in that area can actually become harder and less ductile however more brittle. Depending on how much plastic deformation it has undergone you have a possibility of bending it back or snapping it when you make the attempt. No matter what the area of the bend and around it will be harder. If you look up strain hardening or work hardening it will explain the process better and what goes on in the molecular view. Overall the knife could still usable however in the particular area of the bend it will be harder and more brittle than the rest of the knife so one would have to watch out for future stresses in that area.
     
    mike likes this.
  7. JD Miller

    JD Miller Member

    Messages:
    169
    Likes Received:
    241
    Location:
    The West
    buy a crow bar instead
     
  8. Bcamos

    Bcamos Member

    Messages:
    2,587
    Likes Received:
    5,307
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Tejas
    Jester and Kyle answered this question perfectly.

    If you permanently bend a blade, it will never be the same again because the structural grain of the steel has been stretched so far it's no longer homogeneous with the rest of the knife's steel in that one area of the blade. .

    If you bend it and it springs back into shape, that's perfectly fine and what's expected to a certain extent.
     
    Strigidae likes this.
  9. Mike Perrin

    Mike Perrin Administrator Staff Member

    Messages:
    203
    Likes Received:
    569
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    USA
    Why would you not just send it in under warranty?
     
    Strigidae likes this.
  10. ManOfSteel

    ManOfSteel Member

    Messages:
    4,391
    Likes Received:
    9,950
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    NJ
    Because it didn't rust yet.
     
    OutdoorsFamilyMan likes this.

Share This Page