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Thank you so much for your review and suggestions.😘 Since the release of the video, we immediately inspected the Raccoons in our warehouse. ❤And thanks to your suggestions, the lock strength has increased, however, that caused some button sticks.🥺 Since there is a cone-shaped slope in the contact area between the lock plunge and the corresponding area on the blade. In our cases, we have used lower HRC button steel (to absorb impact for the harder blade steel) with a deep angle (less lock stick while not as strong as full flat area) on the contact slope on the Raccoon. Some brands tend to use harder button steels and flatter slope.🙏 While each configuration has its pros and cons, because of the feedback from you and other customers here, we will definitely do more combined configurations (using axis lock and other locks) and to bring more choices for our customers. We love knives, and we love to learn and try new things.🤩☺Looking forward, we will continue to improve and optimize our product in the future and make a better balance among different perspectives.😊 Vosteed is a small 100% employee-owned company, all of my colleagues will do everything we can to make sure our customers are happy.🥰 As a new company, we have many things to work on, and we can’t say that our products are 100% perfect; however, we always strive to make sure that when things happen our customers and fans are well taken care of. On a personal level, I have come to know many customers, to me, they are more than customers and I will do whatever it takes for them.❤🥰 All of my colleagues stand behind our 100% satisfaction warranty program, if a product is defective or has a workmanship problem, we always issue a full refund upon receiving the returned item.🙏 Thank you so much for keeping us honest and letting us know how we can improve. You guys are the best. :D I wish everyone a wonderful and blessed day. 💖☀🌻
Hi Vosteed, you guys are doing some great things and I'm excited to see what the future holds, I don't personally own a Vosteed knife yet but I plan on changing that soon 👍
This is how it's done. When they were new companies both Spyderco and Benchmade turned out some products that in Sal Glesser's words were "pretty rough". I am now more interested in Vosteed products than I was before for sure. Gracefully taking valid criticism isn't as common as it should be.
Don't use all axis locks please. Ther pretty good . But not all of us like them. A good button lock is my personal favorite. Love my hogue ex 01 , ex 03 and ex 05. All nice strong button locks, loved them way before the button lock faze That started recently
Yeah, I think the validity of light spine whack tests is overlooked as “abnormal use”. Personally, I gashed my hand pretty significantly a few years ago when I was cutting through some thick cardboard that had packing tape on it. The lock failed when the blade got stuck in a cut and I began pulling the blade out. Granted, it was a liner lock in that case, but it failed under “normal use” and only moderate negative pressure. Since then I’ve appreciated the idea of spine whack testing, lock strength tests, and other reverse pressure tests just a bit more.
YEP this is exactly why a light spine pressure test is valid. What I don't like is people swinging it like a baseball bat into a solid surface as a "test". Glad you said something 👍👍
@@metal_complex Well, hold on there… what if you’re stuck in a batting cage and the pitching machine gets taken over by rogue A.I. and starts pummeling you with baseballs? I bet then you’d wish you had a triad locking knife on you to start repelling the baseball attacks of Skynet.
Like a lot of things, spine whack tests get a bad rep because of the some of the people doing them. It’s the folks that are pulling the knife 1-3 feet and slamming it as hard as they can 20 times to prove some random point about the Triad lock that make it look silly.
I do have to say that I have this knife and carry it all the time. After watching your video I tried this and had no failure even after whacking it pretty hard a few time. Love this knife. Bummer that the sample you have did it. Maybe with the next batch they will get it ironed out. Happy mine does not slip.
Lock failure on plunge locks can also be due to spring pressure. I had this exact same issue on my mini slim pickins. I took it apart and stretched the spring just a tiny bit. Problem solved.
Flash forward to Dec 2024. I recently picked up the Raccoon Top Liner Lock and it is absolutely fantastic and SOLID! Vosteed went back to the drawing board and nailed it!
Great video. Very well thought out and explained. I had just gotten a Valkyrie in last night so I decided to lightly try this and it failed almost immediately. And it feels pretty much every time I hit it lightly like you were doing. Very interesting. Thanks for the vid
I just tried this with my Valkyrie that I got yesterday, and there was no failure. I even started hitting it harder, and still no fail. Maybe I got lucky.
So I tested this on the two raccoon’s that I own to add to the evidence. One was rock solid, the other disengaged with minimal pressure. The one that failed is new and un carried. Also to note the more used one has noticeably deeper lock engagement. Perhaps some usage/breakin is required for the lock to set and stabilize?
I agree, I bet the issue will resolve itself after breaking in a little. My son has this exact model in this video and despite trying very hard, I could not get it to fail. He's carried it and used it well. The knife came straight as an arrow and no issues whatsoever.
I am very happy to say mine locks up like ft knox. Mine is from the second batch not sure if that would have been the reason or not. When I saw this I thought oh no don't tell me that! I immediately pulled it out of pocket and began knocking on it. Whew.... nothing happened and I knocked pretty hard. Dented a piece of oak wood I was working on so I am confident it is fine. Still just leaves that little bit of doubt in my mind though. I absolutely love this knife though has been my top carry ever since I got it.
Thank you Metal Complex for your honest review of the Vosteed Racoon. As you stated, there could be people watching who do not have the issue you so easily demonstrated. I bought my copy this last November and fortunately it doesn't break the lock when rapped on the spine. To be fair, I gave my copy a thorogh cleaning and re-oiling when i first got it so I really don't know how it would have done right out of the box. After watching your video, I gave the spine a few good whacks against the edge of my desk and it did not fail. In my copy, the plunge shoulder seats down about 1/3 the width of the blade. For now, this appears to be enough to keep the lock engaged even with light abuse on the spine. As you stated, it does appear that the angle of the plunge channel on the blade is just shallow enough against the plunge cyclider's taper that a shock against the spine, along with maybe a relatively weak plunge spring, could cause the plunge cylider to shift out of the blade channel just enough to fail. I hope Vosteed addresses this for future builds. A little lock-stick is preferable to lock failure. My copy has been a great EDC knife so far but I will definitely be more cautious of stressing the spine.
Get the bar lock! just bought a green bar lock racoon with a black blade, and I Love it! I tried to make it fail like you did many times and it never did. Solid lock up. This isnt exactly a hard use folder, but i feel confident i could beat on it without it closing on my fingers and I have scars from other blades failing. This must be isolated to the button lock variant. Btw they now come with exta springs and they have moved the pocket clip back a bit to make it sit deeper.
Knowing about this, I still bought the WMK exclusive version. It is rock solid! I think this was an isolated issue, which they fixed, and if anything went overboard to rectify any future QC failures. Vosteed definitely listened, and I'm stoked to play with my Racoon.
Picked up a raccoon a little while back and never noticed any issues with lockup, but sure enough, a light little tap on the spine will definitely disengage the lock on this thing. That is unfortunate. Coincidentally I have the same issue on my Kizer original, which disengages even easier than the Raccoon. I don't typically use my knives in a fashion where there's any pressure to the spine side of the blade, but that is definitely something I'll be more mindful of after seeing and testing this for myself.
Have a push-button Racoon on order. Watched your video and was shocked, and a bit skeptical, at the poor lockup. Grabbed my Vosteed Corgi and gave it a few light taps and BINGO it unlocks too! It lets go every time. Grabbed a bunch of other knives and they all passed the tap test (even with using considerably more force). I would have Never guessed the lockup would be soo poor on these knives. I really like the Corgi but in the back of my mind I know it can bite me now. Thank You for calling this out and making us aware of the issue! Cancelling my order. May consider the crossbar lock version, but the colors are not as good.
Thanks for this MC. I was really excited about this knife. The lack of button stick the aesthetic of the knife, but sure enough… I barely tapped the spine and immediate fail. I’m bummed, but thankful and it’s going back… thanks again for the enlightenment
Just checked mine and the lock does fail after a medium-strength spine whack. Not great, but it's not an issue for me because I don't cut stuff with the spine of my knife and I would never use a cheap folder for hard use tasks. Still, they should fix it.
Mine does the same but I’m not that concerned about it. It took a pretty hard whack. It’s rock solid with medium to hard pressure on the blade. Not ideal but it is not an issue when the knife is used correctly.
Pretty cool knife from Vosteed but I encountered the same issue pretty much right out of the box. Mine also had several loose screws. I really though about returning it. Instead I Dremeled out the lock notch on the blade a bit and added some Locktite. No more crappy/loose button lockup. Most people should just return/exchange theirs if it comes with the same crappy button lock issues. Watch out for the Vosteed Valkyrie also. My Valkyrie came with similar issues.
I have seen this concern raised in couple posts other than yours. So, it does seem to be a thing. For what it's worth, I have a Racoon and though it never occurred to me to wack it on the back of the blade, I have tried it on my Racoon and it doesn't disengage. It feels very solid. Seems like more than a fluke, but not universal... not sure how helpful that is...
few years ago i bought a tangram santa fe button lock under $30 knife and i added a wave mod and it didn’t work at all because it would open too hard and bounce out of the locked position but it was actually much worse when i wave modded any frame lock knife i tried it on. at the time i started spine whacking and the santa fe failed but so did a few of my frame lock knives so at the time i put button locks and frame locks on the back burner. i just got a civivi button lock and i wave modded it and spine whacked it and it works totally fine without issue.
Just tested mine and couldn’t replicate the disengagement you saw, even with significantly more force. Still, should probably be addressed if it’s a frequent problem. I have had some issues with my pivot loosening with frequent use, which I imagine could result in a weaker lockup, but that’s easily fixed with some loctite.
Knowing two of these knives can be disengaged in that way is a much higher expected failure rate than one would be comfortable with. I got a Pyrite over this, and I'm even more glad now. Would still like to have a Racoon eventually but not until this is addressed, and publicly, hopefully. Sure 'knife guys' can take it apart and probably rectify this, but they should be as reliable as possible out of the box for the every man.
After watching this video, i tested this on my currently carried Kizer Cormorant (Knife Center exclusive 4V edition) and had the same results, with lock disengaging upon light strikes on a notebook pad... Any other button lock failures we need to test?
EDIT & UPDATE: Basically, this is the result of my spring tension being too light. My Thunderbird works great and has a much stronger spring. I have since stretched out gently my spring on the Valkyrie and I do not have the issue. OLD: Crap… I just did this with the Vosteed Valkyrie, and it cut me pretty bad!! I was not expecting that!!!
Well Mine does this also. So at least 3 of us. I never tried to whack any of my knives backwards on the desk. Another small issue. I did notice there was a semi-sharp point where the sharpening choil meets inside the handle that you could catch your skin on, a little file action on that point fixed that.
This is Vosteed response when asked about this…Most folding knives are not designed for spine whacking as the material on the button is softer than the blade, when you whacking it, the harder blade steel will impact the button and cause deformation on the button, this will lead to unlock. When the button steel is being made from hard steel such as 420J2, some materials on the button will break off instead. In terms of other brands, if you try more times, those buttons will either break or deform as well. With that being said, Corrine Hu will assist you regarding warranty claims.
Um, sure, but, that little impact force on a padded surface... You may have a different idea of what a 'fale safe' design is. This isn't it, at least for me.
I just bought one and I believe they have made some changes as mine will not do that. The button placement for one thing has been moved. The one you tested may be an older one.
Picked up my raccoon the day it was released. I tried to get the blade to disengage and found it to be completely solid. Even twisted on the blade and still no issue. Perhaps they just need to be broken in for the lock to hold strong
I just got a Valkyrie yesterday from White Mountain Knives, and mine doesn't fail. I even tried hitting it harder than Metal Complex and it stayed solid. Hope yours is fine too.
Wow that is too bad, I was looking forward to checking that knife out too. But better to hear/see it here and wait till they've addressed the lock issue then be disappointed or hurt. Thanks for the content man
Ah crap! Mine too. Just checked. I didn't have to give it too hard of a tap and the lock gave way. I think I'm going to send it back and see what they propose. I'll update later.
I don’t think spine whacking is the right way to use folders, it’s the firearm in the mud test for knives. With that being said, Vosteed has exceptional customer service, they should be able to help you out.
I also don't like the spine whack test... But minimal pressure on the spine causing the lock to disengage isn't good. This could occur while cutting into dense/thick material and trying to remove the blade with force if it gets stuck.
I just tested my raccoons, both passed similar test, it seems you got a defected one, Vosteed should be able to refund you. Like I said, their customer service is quite good, no big deal. Have a wonderful day and keep up the good work 👍🏻
@@neurodon178 I did a similar test (multiple times now, both on cushioned couch arm and a cardboard box). Knives tested were a Vosteed Thunderbird, sencut watauga, protech Malibu, and a protech Mordax. The Vosteed was the only one that failed on some pretty mild taps.
Just stopped this video and pulled my Raccoon out of the stash and tried several times with significantly heavier strikes and it held firm. So their does seem to be some inconsistency with the manufacture/assembly for this model. I love mine and carry it quite a bit. Very fidgety and sharp.
Last week I had a knife lock fail during a gentle to medium whack on the spine of the blade, and the blade bounced up into my hand and cut me. I got PTSD shivers watching you beat the Demko on that wood block!
Too bad that's a really nice knife especially for the cost I'm glad you made this video I was planning on getting one now I'll wait and see if they fix the problem! Thanks 🙂👍🤷♂️
Sometimes I wish these companies would make some of their low end models with titanium scales. This thing would look SICK with a frag pattern. I love micarta though...
Thanks for pointing this out. The only Vosteed I own is a Bellamy and I absolutely love it. I had every intention of getting one of these, but I think I'll wait and see if they fix this issue.
After watching this video I tested all five of the button locks I own. A Civivi Altus, Kaiser Sway back, Sencut Watuga and a Boker Bluejay and a Pyrite.All passed . A racoon in on my list to buy but I am gonna get the axis lock model.
Mine has that issue also. At first i thought the same thing and people was being dramatic but yeah. I won't use it because of this flaw. Mine takes too little force.
I have discovered what I believe to be a design flaw with a $400 Sandrin knife I purchased based on MC's video. I live the knife. I sent it in for service, with pics, they denied the part is having the issue, sent it back and have refused all attempts at contacting them. I'll put more details in my Instagram probably tomorrow if anyone has one their knives or wants to buy one so ppl can make up their own mind. It would be good to see if anyone else's is having the issue.
I always do the spine test because of one kershaw injury 😅. I did a video on the knife and it works fine . Even hit hard on the wood . I really hope that it's not that many that fail .
One reason to not like button locks .. plus the possibility to disengage the lock when using the knife. I've had it happen multiple times with a kizer button lock. Crossbar raccoon is the way to go with micarta and 14c28n steel.
Vosteed has been killing it lately. Loved basically every knife they’ve released. The problem with the button spinning and coming loose can be annoying, but a little locktite or super glue and they’re ok👌
I got the Vosteed Thunderbird and it got the same "flaw". Still like the knife and in normal use it will not matter . That said i would prefer a more stable lock.
Their new Valkyrie is doing the same exact thing. Just received my Valkyrie yesterday and it did it to me as soon as I opened it. And I totally disagree with statements suggesting to super glue it. Should never have to do that.
Just to follow up, my protech malibus or mordax do not fail under the same test with more force, so vosteeds response on that Reddit thread seems misguided
Tell me about it, I am still waiting to receive my Malibu replacement, the plunge thing on mine broke into two pieces after some light use. Kudos to Protech for sending me a new one though.
@@heatherhefner4408 crazy about the failure on the Malibu, but protech has fantastic customer service. I have my biases though since I have more protech than any other manufacturer in my collection… that said my sencut button lock also doesn’t have the failure that the vosteed has, so seems to be specifically something vosteed is doing…
I tested mine after I saw this video and mine failed with very little effort. I will keep it but essentially keep it for very little use and treat it as a slip joint. Its a real shame cause its a great knife. Unfortunately makes me question the qc of Vosteeds products cause I was going to purchase the valkyrie harpoon after your review
The 2 different Kizer mini Pelican that i bought and returned done this and it takes very little to get kick to fail. I really liked the blade shape and the micarta had a real nice feel to it.. to bad the lock was junk. Any info on this? Have you noticed this also
How is this knife different/better than the Sencut Sachse or the CJRB Pyrite? The Sachse and Pyrite have the advantage of actually existing in the marketplace . . .
Not knowing the knife is out of stock everywhere and that color combinations exist, as well as the spine issue has been documented for a while feels lime this was a very much off the cuff review without much prep
Yikes! Going to check mine RIGHT NOW!............ No worries. Mine is solid. I can force a tiny bit of play with my hand by using fairly heavy pressure. Enough to where I'd expect to have some play. But the lock re-seats itself and is rock solid again. I spine whacked it just shy of enough force to where I feel permanent damage would occur and the lock held tight. So, seems I have a good one. I'm glad because I LOVE this knife! But while we're on the subject, I've never understood why button locks have such a thin support shaft , the part that the button itself is attached to. On my raccoon for instance, there is plenty enough clearance between the shaft and the blade tang while unlocked to increase its diameter by 40% and still clear the blade tang. It may not be necessary, the lock may be plenty strong to meet design strength parameters but the PERCEIVED strength, how the lock looks to the buyer who may or may not understand such things, is important too. I can look at the lock and know it has ample strength for a folder but I also see there's no reason not to make it beefier. Others may look at it and see a deficiency. My thing is if it CAN be stronger, make it stronger. I've also wondered why manufacturers don't make the cylindrical locking component, the larger diameter that actually contacts the tapered lock cutout in the blade tang, conical so as to increase engagement surface area and decrease the tendency to cam out of engagement with negative force applied. And id make engagement depth a bit deeper as well even though that would increase button travel to unlock. It seems like while that would require more precision, manufacturers are more than capable of that these days. Maybe there's a good reason not to do that but I can't fathom it. I'm just happy my raccoon seems to lock solid. I hope Vosteed will correct the issue for those that have it.
Just fyi MC, they are out of stock until feb or march. Hopefully they fix these issues by then. I missed out on the first run, but it is the type of knife i usually like to edc, so maybe they’ll fix it and i can grab one.
My WMK mini towser k button lock exclusive would fail easy just like this they sent me new springs and plunge lock I guess it happened to a lot of these exclusives. However my racoon is solid as hell
I loved carrying a EDC ever since I got my first foldable when I was a kid in the 80s . However I've stopped carrying them after having a back lock and liner lock fail on me. Lost most feeling in a finger. Been so difficult to trust a foldable since , but miss them .
Damn, I saw the original video and I'm carrying my Valkyrie today and decided to give it a try.... Sure enough it does it as well. I'm gunna try messing with my spring to see if it helps at all.
Don't have a Vosteed Raccoon, but I had a Kizer Towser button lock sitting next to me while watching the video. Tried the spine whack and it did dislodge the lock, not sure if I used more or less pressure then you did in the video. Is this a button lock thing?
Dammit!! I had been smugly thinking I knew better when people did not choose this as budget knife of the year. Just tested mine and it has the issue. I’ll be in the corner sucking my thumb for awhile… so close to gold, please fix this Vosteed and we can put this behind us…
@@Hungrybird474 yeah I’m stretching the spring but I’m kinda mad because I can easily break the lock with one hand. Lemme assemble it again tomorrow see if it’s fixed
MC...open it. There could be lint or something with the micarta. Maybe it needs liners. What I'm seeing there wouldn't deterr me from buying that knife. I will Never be repeating that act with Any of my knives. Thanks for sharing this video with us!
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Thank you so much for your review and suggestions.😘
Since the release of the video, we immediately inspected the Raccoons in our warehouse. ❤And thanks to your suggestions, the lock strength has increased, however, that caused some button sticks.🥺 Since there is a cone-shaped slope in the contact area between the lock plunge and the corresponding area on the blade. In our cases, we have used lower HRC button steel (to absorb impact for the harder blade steel) with a deep angle (less lock stick while not as strong as full flat area) on the contact slope on the Raccoon. Some brands tend to use harder button steels and flatter slope.🙏
While each configuration has its pros and cons, because of the feedback from you and other customers here, we will definitely do more combined configurations (using axis lock and other locks) and to bring more choices for our customers. We love knives, and we love to learn and try new things.🤩☺Looking forward, we will continue to improve and optimize our product in the future and make a better balance among different perspectives.😊
Vosteed is a small 100% employee-owned company, all of my colleagues will do everything we can to make sure our customers are happy.🥰 As a new company, we have many things to work on, and we can’t say that our products are 100% perfect; however, we always strive to make sure that when things happen our customers and fans are well taken care of. On a personal level, I have come to know many customers, to me, they are more than customers and I will do whatever it takes for them.❤🥰
All of my colleagues stand behind our 100% satisfaction warranty program, if a product is defective or has a workmanship problem, we always issue a full refund upon receiving the returned item.🙏
Thank you so much for keeping us honest and letting us know how we can improve. You guys are the best. :D I wish everyone a wonderful and blessed day. 💖☀🌻
Hi Vosteed, you guys are doing some great things and I'm excited to see what the future holds, I don't personally own a Vosteed knife yet but I plan on changing that soon 👍
This is how it's done. When they were new companies both Spyderco and Benchmade turned out some products that in Sal Glesser's words were "pretty rough". I am now more interested in Vosteed products than I was before for sure. Gracefully taking valid criticism isn't as common as it should be.
You guys rock. Very humble and I appreciate that. Great people that make great knives
Don't use all axis locks please. Ther pretty good . But not all of us like them. A good button lock is my personal favorite. Love my hogue ex 01 , ex 03 and ex 05. All nice strong button locks, loved them way before the button lock faze That started recently
Is your trek lock stronger?
Yeah, I think the validity of light spine whack tests is overlooked as “abnormal use”. Personally, I gashed my hand pretty significantly a few years ago when I was cutting through some thick cardboard that had packing tape on it. The lock failed when the blade got stuck in a cut and I began pulling the blade out. Granted, it was a liner lock in that case, but it failed under “normal use” and only moderate negative pressure. Since then I’ve appreciated the idea of spine whack testing, lock strength tests, and other reverse pressure tests just a bit more.
YEP this is exactly why a light spine pressure test is valid.
What I don't like is people swinging it like a baseball bat into a solid surface as a "test".
Glad you said something 👍👍
@@metal_complex Well, hold on there… what if you’re stuck in a batting cage and the pitching machine gets taken over by rogue A.I. and starts pummeling you with baseballs? I bet then you’d wish you had a triad locking knife on you to start repelling the baseball attacks of Skynet.
@@g.dilla. LOL
Definitely not odd use. Makes it damn near a slip joint but your not expecting it so makes it terribly dangerous 👍
Like a lot of things, spine whack tests get a bad rep because of the some of the people doing them. It’s the folks that are pulling the knife 1-3 feet and slamming it as hard as they can 20 times to prove some random point about the Triad lock that make it look silly.
I do have to say that I have this knife and carry it all the time. After watching your video I tried this and had no failure even after whacking it pretty hard a few time. Love this knife.
Bummer that the sample you have did it. Maybe with the next batch they will get it ironed out. Happy mine does not slip.
Same. Beat mine on a stick for awhile. Couldn't get it to unlock.
Lock failure on plunge locks can also be due to spring pressure. I had this exact same issue on my mini slim pickins. I took it apart and stretched the spring just a tiny bit. Problem solved.
Flash forward to Dec 2024. I recently picked up the Raccoon Top Liner Lock and it is absolutely fantastic and SOLID! Vosteed went back to the drawing board and nailed it!
Its usually best to nail the drawing board up before using it. But good for Vosteed to finally go back and nail it up.
Great video. Very well thought out and explained. I had just gotten a Valkyrie in last night so I decided to lightly try this and it failed almost immediately. And it feels pretty much every time I hit it lightly like you were doing. Very interesting. Thanks for the vid
I just tried this with my Valkyrie that I got yesterday, and there was no failure. I even started hitting it harder, and still no fail. Maybe I got lucky.
@@shoua7 good. It seems like it's @ smaller percentage. Thanks.
I got one today - and it fails with light force.
@@P90Camper sorry to hear that
Just tested mine, I spine whacked it just as hard as you did yours, no issues here. Most plunge lock issues can be attributed to the spring.
Same , no issue with mine, definitely a spring issue if this is happening with others
So I tested this on the two raccoon’s that I own to add to the evidence. One was rock solid, the other disengaged with minimal pressure. The one that failed is new and un carried. Also to note the more used one has noticeably deeper lock engagement. Perhaps some usage/breakin is required for the lock to set and stabilize?
I agree, I bet the issue will resolve itself after breaking in a little. My son has this exact model in this video and despite trying very hard, I could not get it to fail. He's carried it and used it well. The knife came straight as an arrow and no issues whatsoever.
I am very happy to say mine locks up like ft knox. Mine is from the second batch not sure if that would have been the reason or not. When I saw this I thought oh no don't tell me that! I immediately pulled it out of pocket and began knocking on it. Whew.... nothing happened and I knocked pretty hard. Dented a piece of oak wood I was working on so I am confident it is fine. Still just leaves that little bit of doubt in my mind though. I absolutely love this knife though has been my top carry ever since I got it.
10:39 Issue talk. I'll check mine when I get home.
Thank you Metal Complex for your honest review of the Vosteed Racoon. As you stated, there could be people watching who do not have the issue you so easily demonstrated. I bought my copy this last November and fortunately it doesn't break the lock when rapped on the spine. To be fair, I gave my copy a thorogh cleaning and re-oiling when i first got it so I really don't know how it would have done right out of the box. After watching your video, I gave the spine a few good whacks against the edge of my desk and it did not fail. In my copy, the plunge shoulder seats down about 1/3 the width of the blade. For now, this appears to be enough to keep the lock engaged even with light abuse on the spine. As you stated, it does appear that the angle of the plunge channel on the blade is just shallow enough against the plunge cyclider's taper that a shock against the spine, along with maybe a relatively weak plunge spring, could cause the plunge cylider to shift out of the blade channel just enough to fail. I hope Vosteed addresses this for future builds. A little lock-stick is preferable to lock failure. My copy has been a great EDC knife so far but I will definitely be more cautious of stressing the spine.
Tested my Raccoon after watching your video. It locks up solid. Thanks for the info.
Get the bar lock! just bought a green bar lock racoon with a black blade, and I Love it! I tried to make it fail like you did many times and it never did. Solid lock up. This isnt exactly a hard use folder, but i feel confident i could beat on it without it closing on my fingers and I have scars from other blades failing. This must be isolated to the button lock variant. Btw they now come with exta springs and they have moved the pocket clip back a bit to make it sit deeper.
I have just received my Raccoon and am happy to report that the pocket clip has been moved for a deeper carry and the lock is not disengaging.
I saw that same Reddit post after feeling sad about missing out on the Racoon the first round and it made me feel better.
Knowing about this, I still bought the WMK exclusive version. It is rock solid! I think this was an isolated issue, which they fixed, and if anything went overboard to rectify any future QC failures. Vosteed definitely listened, and I'm stoked to play with my Racoon.
Picked up a raccoon a little while back and never noticed any issues with lockup, but sure enough, a light little tap on the spine will definitely disengage the lock on this thing. That is unfortunate. Coincidentally I have the same issue on my Kizer original, which disengages even easier than the Raccoon. I don't typically use my knives in a fashion where there's any pressure to the spine side of the blade, but that is definitely something I'll be more mindful of after seeing and testing this for myself.
I think Kizer is the manufacturer for Vosteed. Makes sense they'd both have the same issue. Do you plan on selling the raccoon?
Have a push-button Racoon on order. Watched your video and was shocked, and a bit skeptical, at the poor lockup. Grabbed my Vosteed Corgi and gave it a few light taps and BINGO it unlocks too! It lets go every time. Grabbed a bunch of other knives and they all passed the tap test (even with using considerably more force). I would have Never guessed the lockup would be soo poor on these knives. I really like the Corgi but in the back of my mind I know it can bite me now. Thank You for calling this out and making us aware of the issue! Cancelling my order. May consider the crossbar lock version, but the colors are not as good.
Thanks for this MC. I was really excited about this knife. The lack of button stick the aesthetic of the knife, but sure enough… I barely tapped the spine and immediate fail. I’m bummed, but thankful and it’s going back… thanks again for the enlightenment
Same with mine
Just checked mine and the lock does fail after a medium-strength spine whack. Not great, but it's not an issue for me because I don't cut stuff with the spine of my knife and I would never use a cheap folder for hard use tasks. Still, they should fix it.
Mine does the same but I’m not that concerned about it. It took a pretty hard whack. It’s rock solid with medium to hard pressure on the blade. Not ideal but it is not an issue when the knife is used correctly.
Can you do a Pyrite and Raccoon comparison? I know theses are generic knife designs but these two actually do seem very similar
Pretty cool knife from Vosteed but I encountered the same issue pretty much right out of the box. Mine also had several loose screws. I really though about returning it. Instead I Dremeled out the lock notch on the blade a bit and added some Locktite. No more crappy/loose button lockup. Most people should just return/exchange theirs if it comes with the same crappy button lock issues.
Watch out for the Vosteed Valkyrie also. My Valkyrie came with similar issues.
Yeah, I just did, too not realizing how that might swing back. Ouch!! 🤕
I just tested my Raccoon like this and it didn’t fail. I guess I got a good one?
Thanks for the honest report! Need more of this on you tube.
I have seen this concern raised in couple posts other than yours. So, it does seem to be a thing. For what it's worth, I have a Racoon and though it never occurred to me to wack it on the back of the blade, I have tried it on my Racoon and it doesn't disengage. It feels very solid. Seems like more than a fluke, but not universal... not sure how helpful that is...
few years ago i bought a tangram santa fe button lock under $30 knife and i added a wave mod and it didn’t work at all because it would open too hard and bounce out of the locked position but it was actually much worse when i wave modded any frame lock knife i tried it on. at the time i started spine whacking and the santa fe failed but so did a few of my frame lock knives so at the time i put button locks and frame locks on the back burner. i just got a civivi button lock and i wave modded it and spine whacked it and it works totally fine without issue.
Just tested mine and couldn’t replicate the disengagement you saw, even with significantly more force. Still, should probably be addressed if it’s a frequent problem. I have had some issues with my pivot loosening with frequent use, which I imagine could result in a weaker lockup, but that’s easily fixed with some loctite.
Knowing two of these knives can be disengaged in that way is a much higher expected failure rate than one would be comfortable with. I got a Pyrite over this, and I'm even more glad now. Would still like to have a Racoon eventually but not until this is addressed, and publicly, hopefully. Sure 'knife guys' can take it apart and probably rectify this, but they should be as reliable as possible out of the box for the every man.
Did you whack the Pyrite on the spine to check though?
It might be an issue with the lock design? I have a Valkyrie that has no issue with lockup…it’s a bummer a good looking knife has such a major issue.
After watching this video, i tested this on my currently carried Kizer Cormorant (Knife Center exclusive 4V edition) and had the same results, with lock disengaging upon light strikes on a notebook pad... Any other button lock failures we need to test?
After my time with my Dozier I don’t mind blades sticking out. Just depends in the pants.
EDIT & UPDATE:
Basically, this is the result of my spring tension being too light. My Thunderbird works great and has a much stronger spring. I have since stretched out gently my spring on the Valkyrie and I do not have the issue.
OLD:
Crap… I just did this with the Vosteed Valkyrie, and it cut me pretty bad!! I was not expecting that!!!
Tried this with my Valkyrie right after this video and thankfully had no issues
Wow, thanks! I use my knives harder than that ‘whack’ everyday... good to know because this one was on my radar! Bummer... ☹️
Well Mine does this also. So at least 3 of us. I never tried to whack any of my knives backwards on the desk. Another small issue. I did notice there was a semi-sharp point where the sharpening choil meets inside the handle that you could catch your skin on, a little file action on that point fixed that.
Now I am glad they were sold out 2 weeks ago when I went to buy one. Thanks
Thanks for sharing this info, you saved me $60.
99% of review of this knife are basically calling it perfect, but this is a major flaw!
This is Vosteed response when asked about this…Most folding knives are not designed for spine whacking as the material on the button is softer than the blade, when you whacking it, the harder blade steel will impact the button and cause deformation on the button, this will lead to unlock. When the button steel is being made from hard steel such as 420J2, some materials on the button will break off instead. In terms of other brands, if you try more times, those buttons will either break or deform as well. With that being said, Corrine Hu will assist you regarding warranty claims.
Um, sure, but, that little impact force on a padded surface... You may have a different idea of what a 'fale safe' design is. This isn't it, at least for me.
Yea can’t believe that’s the stance they took on this.
I just bought one and I believe they have made some changes as mine will not do that. The button placement for one thing has been moved. The one you tested may be an older one.
Picked up my raccoon the day it was released. I tried to get the blade to disengage and found it to be completely solid. Even twisted on the blade and still no issue. Perhaps they just need to be broken in for the lock to hold strong
I just checked this on my Raccoon, fortunately no problems, mine seems ok. I have a Valkyrie on its way, I hope it does not have the same issue.
I just got a Valkyrie yesterday from White Mountain Knives, and mine doesn't fail. I even tried hitting it harder than Metal Complex and it stayed solid. Hope yours is fine too.
Wow that is too bad, I was looking forward to checking that knife out too. But better to hear/see it here and wait till they've addressed the lock issue then be disappointed or hurt. Thanks for the content man
This version is button/plunge lock, not the top liner lock version, right?
Ah crap! Mine too. Just checked. I didn't have to give it too hard of a tap and the lock gave way. I think I'm going to send it back and see what they propose. I'll update later.
Here's a professional doing his homework. Well done, MC! I already own this... but appreciate your review.
Got home to test. One light whack on the ...ironing board!... and a fail :(((
I don’t think spine whacking is the right way to use folders, it’s the firearm in the mud test for knives. With that being said, Vosteed has exceptional customer service, they should be able to help you out.
I also don't like the spine whack test... But minimal pressure on the spine causing the lock to disengage isn't good. This could occur while cutting into dense/thick material and trying to remove the blade with force if it gets stuck.
I just tested my raccoons, both passed similar test, it seems you got a defected one, Vosteed should be able to refund you. Like I said, their customer service is quite good, no big deal. Have a wonderful day and keep up the good work 👍🏻
@@neurodon178 I did a similar test (multiple times now, both on cushioned couch arm and a cardboard box). Knives tested were a Vosteed Thunderbird, sencut watauga, protech Malibu, and a protech Mordax. The Vosteed was the only one that failed on some pretty mild taps.
been looking to get one of these I might just go Pyrite and see if they get them tuned up a little better in a few months
Just stopped this video and pulled my Raccoon out of the stash and tried several times with significantly heavier strikes and it held firm. So their does seem to be some inconsistency with the manufacture/assembly for this model. I love mine and carry it quite a bit. Very fidgety and sharp.
Mine holds up to the spin test don't affect it buttom locks are great
Must be Hella popular. Sold out everywhere so I hope they make more!
You need to get your hands on the Vosteed Thunderbird.
Last week I had a knife lock fail during a gentle to medium whack on the spine of the blade, and the blade bounced up into my hand and cut me. I got PTSD shivers watching you beat the Demko on that wood block!
Too bad that's a really nice knife especially for the cost I'm glad you made this video I was planning on getting one now I'll wait and see if they fix the problem! Thanks 🙂👍🤷♂️
Sometimes I wish these companies would make some of their low end models with titanium scales. This thing would look SICK with a frag pattern. I love micarta though...
Thanks for pointing this out. The only Vosteed I own is a Bellamy and I absolutely love it. I had every intention of getting one of these, but I think I'll wait and see if they fix this issue.
I’ve had the same issue on the kizer feist and the artisan cutlery Ahab. Other than sending knives back is there a fix that can be done?
Just tried my raccoon, and sure enough, it failed when I hit the spine a couple of times. Tried my sencut crowley, and that was rock solid.
After watching this video I tested all five of the button locks I own. A Civivi Altus, Kaiser Sway back, Sencut Watuga and a Boker Bluejay and a Pyrite.All passed . A racoon in on my list to buy but I am gonna get the axis lock model.
Mine has that issue also. At first i thought the same thing and people was being dramatic but yeah. I won't use it because of this flaw. Mine takes too little force.
I have discovered what I believe to be a design flaw with a $400 Sandrin knife I purchased based on MC's video. I live the knife. I sent it in for service, with pics, they denied the part is having the issue, sent it back and have refused all attempts at contacting them. I'll put more details in my Instagram probably tomorrow if anyone has one their knives or wants to buy one so ppl can make up their own mind. It would be good to see if anyone else's is having the issue.
That’s shitty for the price
I ordered the button lock and some way I received the barlock from Amazon and after watching this video I. Glade I received the barlock
Are you going to be able to test the newly released batch??
I'd would like a larger version with bar locking system actually. Little small for my hands and I always run out of blade... lol!
Had a liner lock or two that barely engage do same , one may try to file to get more engagement since I like it . Tiad lock for life lol
I have one of these. I just tested it with mine, and on the 4th slight tap mine popped loose as well.
I always do the spine test because of one kershaw injury 😅. I did a video on the knife and it works fine . Even hit hard on the wood . I really hope that it's not that many that fail .
One reason to not like button locks .. plus the possibility to disengage the lock when using the knife. I've had it happen multiple times with a kizer button lock. Crossbar raccoon is the way to go with micarta and 14c28n steel.
Just tested mine and it held fine.
Great review MC. Thanks for the honesty
I just bought one on amazon to test this when new and after I use it a few months.
Vosteed has been killing it lately. Loved basically every knife they’ve released. The problem with the button spinning and coming loose can be annoying, but a little locktite or super glue and they’re ok👌
I got the Vosteed Thunderbird and it got the same "flaw". Still like the knife and in normal use it will not matter . That said i would prefer a more stable lock.
Their new Valkyrie is doing the same exact thing. Just received my Valkyrie yesterday and it did it to me as soon as I opened it.
And I totally disagree with statements suggesting to super glue it. Should never have to do that.
Just tested out my thunderbird which I haven’t carried much on the arm of my couch. Couple taps and lock failure. Pretty disappointing
Just to follow up, my protech malibus or mordax do not fail under the same test with more force, so vosteeds response on that Reddit thread seems misguided
Tell me about it, I am still waiting to receive my Malibu replacement, the plunge thing on mine broke into two pieces after some light use. Kudos to Protech for sending me a new one though.
@@heatherhefner4408 crazy about the failure on the Malibu, but protech has fantastic customer service. I have my biases though since I have more protech than any other manufacturer in my collection… that said my sencut button lock also doesn’t have the failure that the vosteed has, so seems to be specifically something vosteed is doing…
Vosteed sent me one to do a review. It will be arriving soon. Will see how the lock holds on mine.
I tested mine after I saw this video and mine failed with very little effort. I will keep it but essentially keep it for very little use and treat it as a slip joint. Its a real shame cause its a great knife. Unfortunately makes me question the qc of Vosteeds products cause I was going to purchase the valkyrie harpoon after your review
The 2 different Kizer mini Pelican that i bought and returned done this and it takes very little to get kick to fail. I really liked the blade shape and the micarta had a real nice feel to it.. to bad the lock was junk. Any info on this? Have you noticed this also
How is this knife different/better than the Sencut Sachse or the CJRB Pyrite? The Sachse and Pyrite have the advantage of actually existing in the marketplace . . .
Not knowing the knife is out of stock everywhere and that color combinations exist, as well as the spine issue has been documented for a while feels lime this was a very much off the cuff review without much prep
I need one of these. For obvious reasons
Yikes! Going to check mine RIGHT NOW!............ No worries. Mine is solid. I can force a tiny bit of play with my hand by using fairly heavy pressure. Enough to where I'd expect to have some play.
But the lock re-seats itself and is rock solid again.
I spine whacked it just shy of enough force to where I feel permanent damage would occur and the lock held tight.
So, seems I have a good one. I'm glad because I LOVE this knife!
But while we're on the subject, I've never understood why button locks have such a thin support shaft , the part that the button itself is attached to. On my raccoon for instance, there is plenty enough clearance between the shaft and the blade tang while unlocked to increase its diameter by 40% and still clear the blade tang. It may not be necessary, the lock may be plenty strong to meet design strength parameters but the PERCEIVED strength, how the lock looks to the buyer who may or may not understand such things, is important too.
I can look at the lock and know it has ample strength for a folder but I also see there's no reason not to make it beefier.
Others may look at it and see a deficiency.
My thing is if it CAN be stronger, make it stronger.
I've also wondered why manufacturers don't make the cylindrical locking component, the larger diameter that actually contacts the tapered lock cutout in the blade tang, conical so as to increase engagement surface area and decrease the tendency to cam out of engagement with negative force applied.
And id make engagement depth a bit deeper as well even though that would increase button travel to unlock.
It seems like while that would require more precision, manufacturers are more than capable of that these days.
Maybe there's a good reason not to do that but I can't fathom it.
I'm just happy my raccoon seems to lock solid. I hope Vosteed will correct the issue for those that have it.
Just fyi MC, they are out of stock until feb or march. Hopefully they fix these issues by then. I missed out on the first run, but it is the type of knife i usually like to edc, so maybe they’ll fix it and i can grab one.
Tested mine and it is rock solid. I could get it to break with crazy over baseball type hitting it. 😮
My WMK mini towser k button lock exclusive would fail easy just like this they sent me new springs and plunge lock I guess it happened to a lot of these exclusives. However my racoon is solid as hell
I loved carrying a EDC ever since I got my first foldable when I was a kid in the 80s . However I've stopped carrying them after having a back lock and liner lock fail on me. Lost most feeling in a finger. Been so difficult to trust a foldable since , but miss them .
Ouch! That scares me. Is it recoverable by time or nerves are damaged?
Damn, I saw the original video and I'm carrying my Valkyrie today and decided to give it a try.... Sure enough it does it as well. I'm gunna try messing with my spring to see if it helps at all.
Don't have a Vosteed Raccoon, but I had a Kizer Towser button lock sitting next to me while watching the video. Tried the spine whack and it did dislodge the lock, not sure if I used more or less pressure then you did in the video. Is this a button lock thing?
Well now. I'm going to have to check mine when i get home. Disappointing if they are all like this. Need to check my thunderbird too.
Dammit!! I had been smugly thinking I knew better when people did not choose this as budget knife of the year. Just tested mine and it has the issue. I’ll be in the corner sucking my thumb for awhile… so close to gold, please fix this Vosteed and we can put this behind us…
Mine is all good. No issues with that happening. So hopefully it is just a handful of people
Trvista Aries seems like a budget knife you may like to see 👍
I hope they get that fixed. Good looking out MC.
Would this happen if it was crossbar?
I tested mine out after I saw this video and luckily mine doesn’t do that and I used some force even.
So what you're saying is .. definitely go with the axis lock 👍
What did you do to you thumb?
Hopefully it heals soon.
my kizer chili pepper does this too, is there any fixes for it
Maybe stretch the spring but I’d contact kizer for a refund or replacement. You shouldn’t have to operate on a knife to make it better
@@Hungrybird474 yeah I’m stretching the spring but I’m kinda mad because I can easily break the lock with one hand. Lemme assemble it again tomorrow see if it’s fixed
MC...open it. There could be lint or something with the micarta. Maybe it needs liners. What I'm seeing there wouldn't deterr me from buying that knife. I will Never be repeating that act with Any of my knives.
Thanks for sharing this video with us!
Is the ‘one major flaw’ the disengagement when you hit the spine? I don’t really want to watch for 22 minutes.
I was told the vosteed Valkyrie does the exact same thing. Has anyone heard anything?