When you buy a personal knife—whether it’s for self-defense, hunting, or exploring the great outdoors—you want to make sure that the blade stands up to the task at hand. Knives and blades are one of the most valuable tools in your arsenal, so some excellent quality blades that can take a beating and remain sharp are needed. Luckily there's a slew of stress tests that can be done to knives to assess their robustness, performance, and sharpness. Here’s a look at some of the most popular stress tests for knives and blades.

Rope Cutting Test for Knives

For this test, many layers of thick rope are tied together and hung from the ceiling. The knife strikes the lines attempting to cut right through all of them. The superb blades slice right through all of them at a downward angle, but most are only able to cut through one or two strands of rope. This test also brings a lot of shock to the locking mechanism of a folding knife.

Heavy Duty Rope Cutting Test for Knives

A similar test to the previous test, but the strings are made of much stronger thick nylon and polypropylene rope—similar to the ones used for towing ships. These ropes are tough to cut, but the best knives made out of the best blades can cut right through them.

Flex Test For Knives

This test measures how flexible and durable the material of a knife blade is. The blade is held straight down in between two metal plates. The operator then bends the blade as much as possible until it snaps. A note is taken of the degree the blade was bent at to record its flexibility. Some blades can go very far without snapping and recover nicely.

Weight Tests for Knives

This test has a set of weights hanging from the handle of the knife. Most knives cannot survive this trial very long since it's a severe test of lock strength. Most knives hold less than 40lbs., but the most extreme folding knives can hold five times that.

Shock Tests for Knives

Spine wax and overstrikes are used in this test. The knife strikes the spine wax very aggressively and abusively. It puts a tremendous shock on the locking mechanism. The knife is put through tests that are extreme because knives are put through extreme stress during extreme circumstances.

Steel Table Stabs Test for Knives

This test is a highly dangerous stress test. The knife is held in a stabbing position; then the operator strikes the steel table as hard as possible. This subjects the knives and the locking mechanism to massive amounts of shock. Stabbing the 600-pound table at different angles puts its toll on any blade.

Mailing Tube Tests for Knives

The Mailing Tube Test tests if a blade can slice through a mailing tube with one strike. These tubes are made from compressed cardboard and glue and have a crush weight of over 200lbs. These tests stress the edge of the blades.

Tatami Mats Tests for Knives

Tatami is what the Japanese have been cutting for centuries to test the sharpness and strength of their blades. Tatami mats are rice straw mats that are rolled up and simulate the density of flesh and bones.

Tekto Gear Blades

As knife enthusiasts ourselves, at Tekto Gear, we take all the necessary measures to properly test our blades to ensure top notch quality and performance. Every blade and locking mechanism is designed for reliability and durability and is subjected to many stress tests before being listed for sale.