We expect the products we buy and consume to be safe for our use and consumption. Unfortunately, the items we buy are not always safe and sometimes pose potential hazards. When a potential hazard with a product is discovered, it is common for the company that produces the product to issue a recall for it to help inform consumers about the potential hazards associated with the product. Recently, the company, Harbor Freight, has issued a recall for some of its pocketknives.
The recall comes after the discovery that the locking mechanism on the knives can fail to engage while the blade is being extended. If the locking mechanism fails to engage, it creates a laceration hazard. Officials have received reports of the locking mechanism failing to engage. These reports included six reports that had resulted in laceration injuries. Of the six reports that resulted laceration injuries, four of them required medical attention.
A total of around 1.1 million pocketknives are included in the recall. The knives included in the recall are Gordon Folding Knives. The knives feature a blade that folds into the handle of the knife. Consumers may have purchased the recall knives during the time period of July 2008 through July 2019. The pocketknives were sold at Harbor Freight Tools stores across the country during those dates.
If you own one of these tools, you should stop using it immediately because of the laceration hazard. People who own the pocketknives will be able to bring them into a Harbor Freight Tools store to receive a full refund for the knife. The refund will be in the form of a $5 store gift card plus the applicable sales tax. More information about the recall can be found on the Consumer Product Safety Commission website.