"Do you have a knife?"

I loaned a nice but not fancy gentlemans folder once. I was just a kid in high school and the borrower was the father of a friend. many many many years ago) He used it to pry open something ( I'm not sure what). I got the knofe back with little chips out of it all the way up and down the blade. Of course the knife was returned with the blade closed and no remarks like 'sorry about the blade'. The man was an idiot and a fool. He was building his own home and rushed to use pvc pipe for hot water service, pipe that was not approved for high temp service. Then he rushed to get drywall done so the building inspector wouldn't see it. duhhhhhhh..........
 
I get asked that a lot, but nowadays I do all the cutting myself. Have handed a really sharp knife to one too many of the ladies in the office and when I just see how they hold it I get shivers up and down my spine :eek:
 
when i was going to college, i worked several part time jobs. i worked late, late nights driving cars back from an auction for a car dealer. i worked weekends in construction, mainly applying stoneclad flooring (a grueling messy business, also a lot of jackhammering/cement grinding), and afternoons at an auto body shop.

we had a picknick table in the locker room where we used to eat. there was an eastern european deli/meat shop just across the street, so id buy fresh potato bread or rye and sausage/salami/cold cuts every day to prepare some sandwiches. i had my knife - a gerber ats34 drop point gator - just sitting there on the table along with my sandwich supplies, while i worked in the shop. some d#$&wad used it and broke off about 1/4" of the tip, i assume using it as a screwdriver, and didnt even have the decency to let me know about it and apologise, or try to compensate me for it. they just closed the blade and put it back where it was. i was so incredibly pissed off when i noticed - i was fuming mad. it was probably my boss, who was too lazy to walk 15 steps and get a screwdriver from a tool chest and trashed a good knife instead.

there are knife collectors, who generally respect knives, and then theres everyone else - who treats them like $5 garbage. there were many other instances where people have trashed my knives (hammering on the spine with a rock, throwing a fillet knife into a tree and bending it, then trying to straighten it back by hammering on it with a rock using another round rock as an anvil, etc etc). my lesson learned, i will now just refuse outright to lend anyone my decent knives. even if they dont chip the blade, break the tip, etc in the least i will be in for a resharpening job as most will do stupid things such as cut rope with concrete underneath.

this is why i posted a thread in the knives wanted forum requesting people sell their old beaters to me. in a camping situation where i know there will be people constantly borrowing my knives i will have some beaters i can loan them and not worry about.

the funny thing is though, as a knife collector i have the utmost respect even for a 'cheap' knife such as a cold steel bushman. even though theyre only $14, i would never use the tip of one as a screwdriver... so my plan isnt foolproof: no matter what grungy old beater i loan them, i will still feel sorry for it, and i will cringe whenever i see them abusing them. id probably even feel bad if i saw a $5 knife being used as a screwdriver.

my mom's boyfriend has destroyed all of her kitchen knives by using their tips as a screwdriver, even though just one drawer away is a full set of screwdrivers. all of their tips are bent/chipped/broken off. some people just never learn, and should be sentenced to spend the rest of their lives using plastic cutlery.

cheers,
-gabriel
 
I don't blame any of you. I've never broken or messed up any of my knives personally. It always happens when someone wants to borrow something. I now have 2 SAKs with stuff bent out of whack on them, though I'm strongly considering sending the worst one back to Victorinox for repair soon. Either way, be careful who you let use your knives.
 
Other than with good friends who understand not only my attitude to my knives but know how to use them, I take the same stance as most of you guys on this one. When the question comes, I ask what they need a knife for, then normally end up doing the job for them. I solved at least a little of the problem by buying 110's as gifts for my 3 best mates who I shoot and fish with, so at least they no longer need to borrow mine. It's funny to see how they all suddenly became very aware of what to, and what not to use a good knife for once they owned their own.

Many years ago when I was a young teenager at school, my school hosted the "roadshow" version of a well known (at that time) TV show for children in our school theatre. As this was a one day event in a series of roadshows, all the set-up and breakdown of the show had to be done on the day. Knowing my way round all the fixtures and fittings of the theatre I was given the day free of classes to assist the crew as they needed. Halfway through the set-up one of the "roadies" asked if he could borrow my knife to cut some string. Having earlier lent the knife to the star of the show in the guys presence I felt obliged to let him borrow it. He cut the string, then lent my knife to another who broke the tip off it, then he lent to another who used it to cut wire etc etc. By the time my little lambsfoot knife made it's way back to me it looked like a rip-saw with no tip. I was in the middle of berating the roadie when the star of the show asked what the matter was. I showed him the knife and explained. He was very apologetic and promised to make it up to me. Now, at the time I was a broke teenager but I had seen a small pocket knife of very good quality in a sporting goods store in a town about 20 miles from home. I couldn't afford the knife, but wanted it. I did not presume so much as to mention this to anyone but thought to myself that if they payed me for my old knife I would put the cash towards my longed for knife.
The next day during class, the star of the show came and found me to give me (on top of the cash the show had payed me the day before) a gift to make up for my ruined knife. The show had moved on to the very town where the store was, and by pure chance he had gone there to buy me a knife. You guessed it... the very knife I had been eyeing up for about 3 months was there in his hand for me! The guy had taken the time and effort to not only go and find a knife similar in size to my original, but had bought it, and driven the 20 miles in his lunch break to come and find me to give it to me. THAT makes him more of a star in my eyes than any showbiz hype could ever do for anyone. The knife? I still have it, and still carry it along with a fond memory of the guy who bought it for me.
 
If they don’t have their own knife, I don’t respect them enough to lend them mine. If they have their own knife, they don’t need mine. You can see where this is going. :p
 
I used to cut items for others after three or so episodes of loaning my knife to people who then damaged the same.Now days if asked"do you have a knife?" I reply,"No ,do you?"They usually go bother someone else.OT the other day I had a receipt that needed signed.The fellow asked"do you have a pen?" and as I looked at his shirt pocket I replied,"Yes I do and you have three.Your not getting a fourth." He signed with one of his own pens.tom. :p
 
Longstrider, great story there. Goes to show that not all in show business are greedy. Takes a good man to go through trouble like that. I think the general populace just doesnt have the respect for knives, or many other tools for that matter that they should. People abuse all kinds of tools all the time, drill bits, screw drivers, pliers. I think the whole point of having tools is to be able to use something designed for a specific purpose to meet that purpose. Why not use the right tool to do it?
 
chrisbrogden said:
Great advice on the second idea, but lockpick sets are illegal to carry in many places, aren't they?
Click to expand...

Ive never heard of lockpicks being illegal to carry. I keep a full set(45+ picks) along with car opening tools in my trunk. Then again, my father is a locksmith and I have access to a full line of tools and knowledge.

If someone knows the legality of carrying picks in other states, Id be interested to know.

Cheers.
 
I don't know about carrying, but I've seen that pick sales are restricted on some web sites.
 
i'll lend out my knife to good friends. they pretty much know i carry $100 knives around, and my rule is "you mess it up, you keep it and buy me a new one."

random people, nope. i'll usually ask what they need to cut, and if it's ok i'll do it for them. but they never touch my knives.
 
Check your local laws for references to "burglars' tools", "housebreaking tools", and similar. Many states assume that if you have the tools to do something illegal, that's practically the same thing as doing something illegal. :rolleyes:
 
Most of my friends don't carry knives. They are city folk who never get out to the woods unless I'm pushing them. They usually make fun of my habit of carrying knives, they think of them as weapons (the funny thing is that I do carry a gun!). They try to borrow mine all the time, they know that harming them might not be a bright idea, so they take good care of them.

I've been able to turn one of them into a SAK lover, which is a first step. I gave him a Victorinox Huntsman and he carries it arround 24/7. He has finally recognized that a man has to carry at least a small pocket knife, just like a watch or a pen.

A few of them are rock climbers and like hiking and camping, so they see the use a knife can have even in a city environment. However they'd rather spend their money on climbing gear than knives, so they stick to SAKs, Buck 110s and medium priced fixed blades, which is OK, you don't need to blow $500 on a knife if you are just looking for a good performing tool.

My mother and my girlfriend used to borrow my knives quite often. My mother was VERY careless, she just didn't understand what the big fuss was about when she chipped blades and stuff like that. I used to EDC a SwissChamp and she consistently ignored the gazillion screwdrivers it had and used the main blade to tighten screws! My girlfriend was a lot more careful, when she didn't know if some chore was potentialy dangerous for the knife, she asked me to do it. I have them both a couple of SAKs (my mom won't carry anything larger than a Victorinox Midnite Manager), but my girlfriend actually got into knives and has a nice EDC rotation.

My brother and my father's side of the family never need to borrow knives. They all have at least a small collection. Some are very specific (my brother loves a certain pattern of Spanish navajas called "Taconcillo", for instance) and some, like me, have a lot of different types of knives.
 
I like to change the subject

Them: [Do you have a / can I borrow your] knife?

Me (showing great concern): What happened to yours?

Them: I don't have one
or: I don't carry knives, etc

Me: Why not?

Them: [something stupid]

Me: Too bad
or: It would have been handy
or: You should get one, they're great to have
or (lying): I don't have one either


It's funny how many people say they don't want to carry a knife and yet are always coming up with reasons why they need mine.
 
Good thoughtful advice! I needed to be reminded of this because it's been a long time since I loaned anything to anybody so it's about due to happen.

I will remember the lessons learned. LAST time I handed anyone a knife it was a Pro-Tech Godfather, and the person just dropped it while attempting to close the blade.

Luckily the knife landed on its side and the tip was unscathed. "Last &^$! time that'll ever happen" I thought to myself.
 
I just posted this on the "What's your loaner/beater?" thread, so I'll just paste what I wrote there.
_________________________________________________________________
"LEANWOLF - I will not loan any of my knives to anyone who is so negligent, unaware, or just plain stupid enough to NOT carry a knife.

Those of that ilk obviously have no idea how to use a knife, or how to take care of it. If someone needs a string cut, or box top opened, I'll do it with my knife, which then goes back in my pocket.

Kinda like the guy who says, "Hey, I wanna go huntin' but I don't have a gun. I'll just borrow one of yours." Right. :grumpy:

If someone wants to think ill of me because of my refusal to loan him something he should have been carrying all along.... I could not possibly care less.

Just my take on things. L.W."
_________________________________________________________________

Frankly, I don't understand the concept that I should pay good money for items to "loan" to people who are too ignorant, or stupid, to use when they SHOULD have spent their own money on that item, for their own use.

Maybe, just maybe, in one of ten thousand cases, the oblivious one will say, "Hey, that dude's right. I oughta buy my own knife," and go out and buy a knife.

L.W.
__________________________________________________________________
 
"Franciscomv
Most of my friends don't carry knives. They are city folk who never get out to the woods unless I'm pushing them. They usually make fun of my habit of carrying knives, they think of them as weapons (the funny thing is that I do carry a gun!). They try to borrow mine all the time, they know that harming them might not be a bright idea, so they take good care of them. "


I used to carry a cheepo Leatherman rip off Multitool to work, and half the guys thought it was some kind of personality quirk.....I gave up bringing it in beacuse i got sick of lending it out and having to hunt down the 'last' person it was passed to.
 
I'm like most people here and will follow up with "What for?", or "What do you want to cut?". I usually carry a Superknife, a SAK, and a small locking folder like a Salsa or Scallion. I don't mind lending out the Superknife but I am unlikely to loan out the others.

A week ago I was camping and a guy at the campground asked if I had a hatchet. I did not but I had a khukuri. I thought for a second that he might be able to use the khuk but decided not to loan it to some stranger. Who knows what he might have done with it?
 
Yes, normally it turns from "Do you have a knife" to "why don't YOU have one?".

And, since I've started carrying better knives, the "you break it you buy it" conversation comes into play quite often.

Of course, there are those I wouldn't lend one too come hell or high water... :rolleyes:
 
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