Do you actually need your knives?

Do you need your knives? (excludes food preparation/consumption)

  • Yea

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Nay

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    0
Bladenoobie1

Bladenoobie1

Joined
Jul 20, 2012
Messages
1,261
We are on a board united by the interest of a common hobby--that is, knives. Now while we all enjoy collecting, using, making, or what have you with your knives...but do you really need them? Excluding food related reasons as I'm sure almost everyone uses knives one way or another for food preparation or consumption purposes, do you really need your knives?

While I enjoy and use a modest collection of 8 knives (including multitools) I can admit I don't really need them. Packages can be easily torn open, tape cut with keys or scissors, and boxes flattened or torn by hand for disposal. When I go backpacking or hiking every now and then maybe I need my multi-tool, but in every day life I seldom have the need for a knife. At least not one to warrant buying anything other than a stanley utility knife or small multitool. That said, do you actually need your knives? Answer yes or no in the poll and post a explanation if you'd like.

Yes would equate to something you frequently need or use.

No would equate to its a convenience I can do without.

- BN
 
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I need them. Razors/box cutters get fragile as you extend the blade, they don't stay sharp as long as decent steels, they actually get stuck in material more often than a knife because of the blade geometry. Think machete in a log. As for outdoors; what would I cut with, if not a knife? Most things that we use to manipulate wood have a blade. Some people can make do with a single small blade, some with none at all.

I think knife users are interested in expediency, and do not want to struggle with things like packaging or various tasks when they could use a much more efficient method.
 
Yes. Yes I do need my knives and I use them every day. Sure I could go caveman style and bite and rip and tear and mangle my way through life (I really could) but I choose not to. Who wants to mess with picking all that stuff out of their teeth? Plus, I could break a nail! Basically, knives are useful to me for cutting stuff, which I do daily. YMMV
 
RemyKaze said:
I need them. Razors/box cutters get fragile as you extend the blade, they don't stay sharp as long as decent steels, they actually get stuck in material more often than a knife because of the blade geometry. Think machete in a log. As for outdoors; what would I cut with, if not a knife? Most things that we use to manipulate wood have a blade. Some people can make do with a single small blade, some with none at all.

I think knife users are interested in expediency, and do not want to struggle with things like packaging or various tasks when they could use a much more efficient method.
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Going by your logic I could say I need my knives. I do enjoy cutting through cardboard easily and effortlessly, but being as I do not need to cut a lot of cardboard for say a job and I'm maybe opening a package (cardboard box) once a week at most I don't really need them. For outdoor recreational purposes I would say you definitely need a knife, but I go backpacking only every few months a few car camps or day hikes scattered inbetween.
 
I don't need all of them, but how much of what's in your home do you actually need? I bet there are a lot of things that you could live without. The thing about knives is that they last a long time, so when you upgrade you end up with two usable knives, unlike when you buy a new computer or phone.
 
When I'm out of the house I need at least two with me at all times. One to cut stuff with and another just in case bigger blade. Otherwise I start to feel uncomfortable, so yes I need them!
 
No, I don't need all of my knives, nor do I need all of my clothes either; a couple of knives and a couple of changes of clothing is all that you really need. But, it certainly makes life more pleasant to have variety and to be able to occassionally indulge your wants.

n2s
 
Um, yes and no. My bigger folders not really, but I do use once or maybe twice a day. The one I use for most tasks would be my Vic cadet. Slices better than my Emerson's and striders. That's all I have to say about that.
 
Bladenoobie1 said:
Do you actually need your knives?
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Yes, I need a knife in my pocket. Have for 40+ years. It's a tool, and as such, it makes life easier. Just think about how long man has been making knives. Knives predate recorded history. Since the stone age.

The question is like asking if you need a car or a stove or a set of screw drivers or a watch or shoes.
 
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Yes. I carry one every day. I'm drifting more toward a multi-tool or SAK every day thou. I find the other items (scissors, screwdrivers, etc) maybe more used then a blade. Over the last two years, my knife hoard (collection isn't the correct term) has gone from 50 to 10. Too many were leftovers when I was trying different type, styles, and Co's and most never got any pocket time.
 
I just got back from vacation and only flew with carry-on, so no knife. I spent a whole week with nothing in my pockets to cut tape, threads, kid clothing tags, leaves and branches for kids collections, cheese packaging, etc. I was going crazy. I definitely don't need my expensive precision titanium frame locks, but I do need some kind of knife. I would just rather carry nice knives.
 
There is a big difference between wants and needs. In life the " Need" list is very small, however the "Want" list seems to be never ending. Our whole lifestyle is based on consumption, bigger, newer, faster, etc. However a knife is one of mans first tools and there is a reason why it is still with us today. Some of us indeed need a knife for our daily chores, even if it is for protection.

Now the wants covers a lot of ground, this is Blade Forum and we are brought together by the common thread of collecting, making, and yes still needing a good knife.


"While I enjoy and use a modest collection of 8 knives (including multitools) I can admit I don't really need them. Packages can be easily torn open, tape cut with keys or scissors, and boxes flattened or torn by hand for disposal. When I go backpacking or hiking every now and then maybe I need my multi-tool, but in every day life I seldom have the need for a knife. At least not one to warrant buying anything other than a stanley utility knife or small multitool. That said, do you actually need your knives? Answer yes or no in the poll and post a explanation if you'd like. "

I find ripping and tearing packages by hand something one would do if a knife or variant of a knife was never invented. I guess you can pound nails with a rock instead of a hammer too.
 
I need mine, or at least many of them (not all) as there are countless tasks around the homestead that call for a sharp blade If I didn't have cutting tools I wouldn't be able to get all of my tasks done in the span of a day or even a few days. They're essential to me.
 
I was on a cruise the other day. The cruise director was on the TV in the cabin the last day explaining how to get back the stuff people had confiscated as they were boarding the ship. One item was pocketknives. He quickly said "I don't know why anyone carries a knife anyway."

OK, they were returning them to their owners, and that guy was Canadian (I have no idea what their laws say) but I thought, how miserable would life be if I didn't carry my SAK? I would constantly be having to find a screwdriver or an awl etc. I probably use mine 10 times a day and have for 40+ years. Opening packages, tightening this or that, installing hinges and picture hangers, doing petty electric work etc. I could have gotten by without it but I probably could have gotten by without TV easier! And how many thousands of trips to find some necessary tool? How much wasted time over the years?
 
I would say that Yes I need a knife, but I don't need as many as I have, or some of them ones as large as what I have, for most things an SAK covers it, but, I enjoy knives, and while there are many other things I also enjoy, don't we all need some enjoyment in our lives? so also in that way, I need knives, because they help me enjoy the things I do, and makes the things I use them for easier to do.
 
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