KnobbyKnife - Tire Tool - Dirt Rider Magazine

What is a KnobbyKnife, and why would you want one? Because either you really hate changing tires, or you really want to get every dollar's worth out of your tires.This is a tool with a heated blade that cuts through knobs like a hot knife through... you get it. Actually, the KnobbyKnife doesn't trim a knob like butter, but it does trim one easier than anything we've tried before.Every rider knows that a tire with sharp edges will hook up better than a tire with rounded knobs. The KnobbyKnife lets you cut new edges on worn knobs. The idea is to combine a U.S.-made cutting blade with a 500-degree heating tool. Fortunately, a foam-grip-covered wooden handle keeps your hand and the heat separate.When you find a worn rear tire, plug in the tool and let it heat up. When the tool is ready, place the straight side of the blade toward the knob, and then cut straight down. About three-quarters of the distance down the knob, angle the tool out to make a smooth exit. Once you get the hang of the tool, you can cut every edge on a rear tire in 10 to 15 minutes.The creator of the tool rides in Tennessee, and the knobs he uses for an example are only lightly rounded. He claims five or six cuts before the tire is done, but we got more like three to four. Maybe we would learn to take thinner cuts after a while.The important thing is the edges do sharpen up nicely, and the cut tire regained much of the "new" performance it had when we first mounted the tire. Your only investment after the initial $59.95 (one-inch-wide blade) to $79.95 (two-inch-wide high-power model) buy-in is time. One thing you know for sure is you aren't going to make that bald tire any worse, right?The standard blade works fine on hard-terrain tires, but intermediate-terrain tires or sand/mud tires have center knobs that are two inches across. Getting a new edge requires two cuts on the center knobs.While not as pretty as a brand new tire, it's the performance that matters, right? Shipping of the KnobbyKnife is free in the continental U.S. -Karel Kramer