Do you love knives, but have difficulty finding uses in your lifestyle?

ZDHart

ZDHart

Joined
Feb 16, 2010
Messages
471
I don't mean kitchen knives, which we all use probably every day.

I mean, do you have folders and fixed blades that you really love, but in the course of your typical daily routine find only rare opportunities to put your knives to work?

Most of my knife use involves opening the many Amazon packages that we receive (nearly every day!).

I also have need to break down the many boxes we receive - though I use a razor-fed box cutter for that as I just don't see dulling a nice knife for box cutting when a razor-fed box cutter does the job so well.

But beyond that, I wish I had more need for my beloved knives than I actually have. Doesn't stop me from acquiring more knives, though. :rolleyes:
 
I'm in the same boat! I love my knives, and love the oportunity to use them, but it really doesn't come up very often. Unfortunately lots of the time I see people in need of a knife, and when I offer they refuse and just claw at whatever it is instead. Or worse yet, use their teeth, which is usually followed by,"What? It works!".
 
I’m pretty lucky that I get to use them quite a bit.

Having a variety of fine tools and interesting designs makes cutting things enjoyable.

Getting tape residue off is no fun though, so I carry a SAK or slippie with another EDC for that.
 
ZDHart said:
Most of my knife use involves opening the many Amazon packages that we receive (nearly every day!).

I also have need to break down the many boxes we receive - though I use a razor-fed box cutter for that as I just don't see dulling a nice knife for box cutting when a razor-fed box cutter does the job so well.

But beyond that, I wish I had more need for my beloved knives than I actually have. Doesn't stop me from acquiring more knives, though. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I've always had more knives than I needed to use as "tools" in the kitchen, garden and garage.

I started "collecting" knives because I ran out of guns that I wanted/needed to buy and because buying a knife doesn't have to go thru a background check -- not even autos and balis.

I've amassed a 300+ knife "safe queen" collection in a very short time ranging in price from $10 up to $700 but averaging around $100-200 each. Hate to add it all up to figure out what I've actually spent. I bought each knife because I thought it was attractive and/or interesting for some reason.

I only carry a small fraction of the knives that I own and I feel no guilt in not using any of the knives that are in my collection. Like you, I use a box or razor cutter to open/cut up boxes and see no reason to use even my cheapest knives for that purpose.

I have no wife to reckon with, continue to spend money like water on knives and have no regrets about it.

However, there are many knives that I should get rid of (especially on the lower end), because I have no interest in them any more, I'm running out of room in my safe to store them and they are no longer representative of my collecting interest.

So, I've starting to sell off a few knives and may need to sell the cheaper ones in bulk. Keep an eye out for them on the Exchange. LOL! ;)
 
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ZDHart said:
I don't mean kitchen knives, which we all use probably every day.

I mean, do you have folders and fixed blades that you really love, but in the course of your typical daily routine find only rare opportunities to put your knives to work?

Most of my knife use involves opening the many Amazon packages that we receive (nearly every day!).

I also have need to break down the many boxes we receive - though I use a razor-fed box cutter for that as I just don't see dulling a nice knife for box cutting when a razor-fed box cutter does the job so well.

But beyond that, I wish I had more need for my beloved knives than I actually have. Doesn't stop me from acquiring more knives, though. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Buy an older house that requires some TLC. You will find many uses for your knives as you make the needed repairs.
 
Unfortunately, same here. Safe full of fancy knives, and mostly just carry my Vic Rambler in my jeans watch pocket. Toothpick and scissors get the most use. I do like to carry my Spyderco Temperance when camping, otherwise most of my knives are fidget spinners to play with and appreciate once in awhile. I’m ok with that. Think it might be time to get more into higher end kitchen knives, we’re I can actually put them to use.
 
Comes down to DIY. The older I get, the more times I realize that I use my knife to repair or fix something myself. It’s a matter of creativity. I would like to work less, but that isn’t in the cards. Im embracing that my wife wants new floors. My 3 EDC’s are about to get a full workout.
 
I need a knife everyday, but I do have some I really don't need for what I do with my knives.

Outside of work my folding knives and smaller belt knives see the usual stuff like opening packages, breaking down cardboard for the recycle can, or random utility in the garage.
The larger 5"+ blade belt knives however I occasionally carry just for fun but rarely need, just yesterday the Ontario 498 I carried was used just once to open something small I bought.
The only time the larger knives are really at all appropriate for the task is scraping wood when working on a hickory tool handle and that's not an everyday thing.
 
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I use my knives at work mostly where I use them to open beef boxes, cut strapping off pork components (loins, shoulders, side ribs etc.) plastic wrapping off pallets and so on. At home I use them for the usual stuff but I have to admit, not too often.

However the most work they get, is me playing with them and will probably be the most they'll see, especially in 288 days when I retire.
 
I’m a retired chef. Using knives everyday is secondary to me to what was once a hobby, then a vocation, then a profession, became a hobby again.

I only wish some of the beauties I’ve picked up or had made, were available to me decades ago.
 
I enjoy breaking down my Amazon and Costco boxes with my Shirogorov. And when my knife dulls, even better, because I get to resuscitate it on my Shapton stones. And if the blade expires after years of use?... oh no, I will have to buy a new knife (or use one of the many former EDCs sitting in my drawer).
 
I do get to use my folders quite a bit at work, could not get through the work day without one. On the other hand, my fixed blades don't see the kind of use they were designed for:(
 
I find it difficult remember a day when I didn't have to use my knife (I own an Old Home). I live in a rural area so my days off are filled with uses for knives. I always have a knife in my pocket at work as well, though if I am honest, true knife work comes and goes in waves of activity. If I am setting up networks, servers or workspaces in new offices, my knives can see days of heavy work. If I am just helping clients with problems, I may only use the knife I carry to open and break down a box or two. I have a smaller accumulation (~20 knives) but I can and do find ways to use them all between home, work and play.
 
I go through spurts. When I get a new assignment for work , I’m usually away for 1 to 2 weeks at a time depending on where the location is. And I take a few knives for various uses.
Then when I have some time off at home , I don’t really have much use for my knives (folders or fixed) aside from EDCing one in my pocket. But that would never stop me from buying/collecting more knives.
 
Damn and blast but I must agree. I'm at a point in my life where my knives are mostly aspirational or perhaps I should say,
romanticized. I carry a knife or 2 every day and find many ways to use them but nothing that stands up to my couch dreams of mountain/forest man uses.

My beautiful and varied fixed blades particularly, will serve more lives past me, that's for sure. I just hope they fall into the right caring hands. I'm in the woods - on the trails - nearly every day but still they mostly are photo op knives - always sharp, always pretty, always wanting more action. :( Mushroom hunting is rather as sad fate for a stacked leather 6" bullnose or a perfect 4" birch bark handled, spring steel, puukko o_O

I'm in the building trades but you can't persuade me to use all but a very few of my knives for remodeling. That borders on knife abuse :) Still I have knives - a man can dream can't he :rolleyes: Not to worry some of the dreaming actually comes to fruition just not enough to warrant all the knives I intend to "need" some day :D New knife and sheath will arrive next week. :cool:


Ray
 
No.

What was it Curly (Jack Palance) said in City Slickers? Oh yeah: "City folks."

You guys need to saddle up and come hang out here for a while.

Anyhoo, everyone I know carries a knife daily and uses it. But we're not very urban and some would say urbane here. The Doc doing some denistry on a horse:

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Just working:

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Even young ladies:

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Adult ones too:

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Pretty much everyone.

Curly also said: "Nothing like bringing in the herd." Bringing in Jack's herd in 06 when he was still alive.

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It’s hard to understand the collecting bug. Why do we want more when we have more than enough?

By the time I was 12 I had every knife I’d ever need for my entire life. Now some up grades were inevitable but to have spares of knives I’ll never wear out seems silly.

then again. At least they are functional and useable. Art hanging on a wall maybe beautiful, but serves no real purpose. Then look at all the really silly things people collect like beanie babies. Lol.

It’s easy for me to justify buying things I like, and keeping the ones I don’t use. I have kids and maybe grandkids someday that will never need to ever buy a knife. Lol.
 
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