my leatherman wave bit me

[5hif7y]

So at work today i was using my longest owned leatherman the wave (also my most trusted leatherman) to cut come strapes at work. ive herd that the liner lock on the blade can disengage if the spine of the blade is hit, but i always though it wouldnt happen to me, how i was so wrong 

i was holding the wave with blade out and sharp side up and pulling the wave up through the strap on the top of a box (i hope that makes sence) after cuting the strap i went to put my arm down and caught the tip of the blade on the box (metal box, not that that matters) and the blade SNAPPED shut. i looked down to see the blade sitting on my hand between my first finger and thumb. after lifting the blade i notice that i can see bone 

it was a painless experience because the blade was hair popping sharp, so it was such a clean cut i didn't really feel it. but i did have to get my boss to take me A&E for 2 stickes. no biggy 

my wave bit me and now im a little scared of it. no pics im afraid i didnt think to take a pic when i did it (silly me thinking about myself first)

so just a warning, DONE HIT THAT SPINE. that is all 

[Dunc]

I cut myself with my wave back in October while carving a Halloween pumpkin , I must stress though that the lock didn't fail and it was purely down to operator error and alcohol  I did however do a proper job that resulted in surgery to repair nerve damage and I still have no feeling on one side of my thumb . It's a bit worrying with your lock failure , did you hit it very hard , have you tried to replicate it again ( without cutting yourself ) , also does the liner lock only just engage the blade or does it travel all the way across ?

[Gareth]

Wow that sounds nasty.   I'm actually quite shocked that simply catching the tip of the blade would do this, especially as I don't suppose you did it with any force.   Any chance the liner lock wasn't properly engaged, or do you think it was OK and simply failed you?

[5hif7y]

I cut myself with my wave back in October while carving a Halloween pumpkin , I must stress though that the lock didn't fail and it was purely down to operator error and alcohol  I did however do a proper job that resulted in surgery to repair nerve damage and I still have no feeling on one side of my thumb . It's a bit worrying with your lock failure , did you hit it very hard , have you tried to replicate it again ( without cutting yourself ) , also does the liner lock only just engage the blade or does it travel all the way across ?

i wouldn't say i hit it that hard. i though that the liner lock went all the way across but looking at it now it only goes about half way across. i have managed to replicate it again (without hurting myself) and it doesn't seem to take much of a hit before unlocking itself.

give it and go if you don't mind giving it a knock (with your fingers out of the way) and see what happens? im interested to see if its just mine or all that do this.

i wouldn't want to stab into something with the wave now. in-case i have a repeat of what happened today.

[AimlessWanderer]

I'm sorry to hear that 5hif7y, and glad you didn't do worse out of it. People think I'm barking mad for saying this and forgive me for threadjacking a little but ...

LOCKS DO NOT MAKE A KNIFE SAFER - DONT TRUST THEM!!!

Ahhh, that's better 

All locking blades should always be treated like slippies for this very reason. I actually avoid locks if possible and when you're used to using slippies day in day out ... you dont catch the spine on things ... or even if you do your fingers are liable to be out of the way. I've been meaning to do a thread on this and also different blades styles in respect of safety for ages, but never get chance to do the pics. All locks do is lull you into a false sense of security so you start using knife blades wrongly, and slow you down in the process IMHO. That's enough of this rant for now though - sorry mate, pet peeve of mine (or one of them ) - the main thing is you didn't come off any worse 

Hope it heals soon mate, and thanks for sharing the warning 

[Accujohn]

Yeah, i have to agree on liner locks. It's still not a fixed blade. My confidence just isn't 100%. I would put it around 70%. Slippies maybe 40. I am careful regardless. I have had nothing major happen after using   hundreds of the things but i've had lots of close calls and minor cuts that were enough to realize what could have been. Just continue to be very aware regardless of lock type, imho.

[OddFuture]

I took my Wave and gave it a few hits on a metal surface.

I noticed at the tip whenever i hit it with some force the blade would close every time. But down the spine nothing happened.

[AimlessWanderer]

Yeah, i have to agree on liner locks. It's still not a fixed blade. My confidence just isn't 100%. I would put it around 70%. Slippies maybe 40. I am careful regardless. I have had nothing major happen after using   hundreds of the things but i've had lots of close calls and minor cuts that were enough to realize what could have been. Just continue to be very aware regardless of lock type, imho.

It's not how much confidence you've got in the knife, it's how much confidence you've got in your handling   

[Syph007]

Wow you are so right.  Took my wave, opened the serrated blade and held (with kevlar glove on) sharp side up.  Struck the knife tip on a table, and the thing closed right up on me.  Wow I thought it would take way more force than that.

[nuphoria]

Just means that it loves you

[Accujohn]

It's not how much confidence you've got in the knife, it's how much confidence you've got in your handling   
[/quote]

My handling/ability confidence is about 95%... But my confidence in the lock holding up against any real torque or elbow grease without failing is what I'm talking about.

[AimlessWanderer]

My handling/ability confidence is about 95%... But my confidence in the lock holding up against any real torque or elbow grease without failing is what I'm talking about.

Just jesting  with you

I just don't "use" the lock on a locking blade. If I'm doing anything which would or even might apply any force other than pushing the blade open ... out comes the fixed blade, or an awl, or .... I just won't load" the lock

My confidence in blade locks is 0% (sometimes less). Most of the nicks I've had off knives fall into two categories:

A) Fanning SAK's for photo's or comparisons or drunken fun and one of the blades has leapt back at me while trying to "pose" it
B) Releasing liner locks and back locks ... not using the blade, just putting it away

[Vadim]

Thats the reason why I carry a Super Tool 300,its more safety for me. 

[bearpark]

It sounds awful but please use a spellchecker next time. It was a real drag to read through all the spelling mistakes.

[gustophersmob]

So at work today i was using my longest owned leatherman the wave (also my most trusted leatherman) to cut come strapes at work. ive herd that the liner lock on the blade can disengage if the spine of the blade is hit, but i always though it wouldnt happen to me, how i was so wrong 

i was holding the wave with blade out and sharp side up and pulling the wave up through the strap on the top of a box (i hope that makes sence) after cuting the strap i went to put my arm down and caught the tip of the blade on the box (metal box, not that that matters) and the blade SNAPPED shut. i looked down to see the blade sitting on my hand between my first finger and thumb. after lifting the blade i notice that i can see bone 

it was a painless experience because the blade was hair popping sharp, so it was such a clean cut i didn't really feel it. but i did have to get my boss to take me A&E for 2 stickes. no biggy 

my wave bit me and now im a little scared of it. no pics im afraid i didnt think to take a pic when i did it (silly me thinking about myself first)

so just a warning, DONE HIT THAT SPINE. that is all 

Ouch, that hurts just thinking about it... 

Hopefully no nerve damage like Dunc.

Thats the reason why I carry a Super Tool 300,its more safety for me. 

Funny you should post this as I was just thinking about linking this thread to Raukodur's thread about Leatherman selling the concept of inside opening tools!

[Dr.Lipids]

I just tried it with my wave and I couldn't get either blade to budge.  Is yours a new or old style? Mine is old and also a refurb if that makes a difference.

[Fragunov]

It sounds awful but please use a spellchecker next time. It was a real drag to read through all the spelling mistakes.

LOL.

[misscase530]

I just tried hitting my charge blade and it seemed fine.  Has anyone noticed the same issue with the charge.

[Bruce909]

It sounds awful but please use a spellchecker next time. It was a real drag to read through all the spelling mistakes.

Wow, a poor guy has cut his hand and is typing with one hand and you pick on him? 

By the way there should be 2 spaces between sentences.  LOL

Bruce

[Accujohn]

It sounds awful but please use a spellchecker next time. It was a real drag to read through all the spelling mistakes.

No, it just sounds rude and misplaced. I'm shore their id a righting forem fur you sumware.

[bearpark]

No, it just sounds rude and misplaced. I'm shore their id a righting forem fur you sumware.

Please accept my apologies for any offence caused.

Poor grammar is not limited to MT.O.

[Mercury]

It sounds awful but please use a spellchecker next time. It was a real drag to read through all the spelling mistakes.

Wow, a poor guy has cut his hand and is typing with one hand and you pick on him? 

By the way there should be 2 spaces between sentences.  LOL

Bruce

It sounds awful but please use a spellchecker next time. It was a real drag to read through all the spelling mistakes.

No, it just sounds rude and misplaced. I'm shore their id a righting forem fur you sumware.

Sorry, but 


Don't visit the Smurf face thread, you'd have a heart attack!!  Kenneth can't figure out what keys are what once he's had a few!