Ever loan a knife out just to see how messed up it comes back?

K

KennyB

Joined
Jan 19, 2010
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Not sure if I'm nuts, but I've loaned a couple of knives out to friends from time to time just to see how badly they abuse them, or how well the edge I put on it holds up, etc. I like to sharpen knives for people and wanna get into knife making though so I think it's kind of useful to have that perspective.

I haven't really loaned out a knife to see how badly a person abuses it 'cause that'd be like giving up a good knife, but I have lent out a few knives to guys I know that do contracting work, meat packing, etc. just to see how the edges hold. Still though some times they come back with bent tips and full of dents and chips. I do kind of expect this level of abuse, just 'cause that's how most "real world people" use them it seems.

Sounds kind of stupid to do that, but I also just like to see how some people use their knives. It's fun to ask, "So how did you do this?" and hear, "Oh, well, I was prying open a cupboard door that got stuck," and you wind up amazed that was the only damage done. Needles to say though I don't really do this with knives that I really like.

Recent exception was made though, I just loaned my girlfriend my Izula. She has a Buck 110 buck doesn't like the lock. I sharpened her 110 and... This might sound weird, but I'm excited to see what she does to the Izula lol I doubt she'll really tear it up or anything, but I also want to see how my edge holds up to her kind of "use".


Am I just crazy or has anyone else done this kind of thing?
 
My 300+ dollar knives stay with me and me only. Call it protecting my investment.
 
Nope. My knives stay with me, even the cheap ones. I'd be more willing to let knifenuts use my knife but then, knifenuts have no excuse to be without one. :)
 
Socially, it's hard not to lend out knives, because people don't know what you know... so they don't understand why you're being so defensive and selfish about it.
I basically just offer to cut the thing that needs cutting and I would ONLY lend a knife to someone who I know understands what you can and can't do with a knife, if you wanna keep it mint.

Some knives though, like the ones I've spent more than 30 hours on, I would never ever lend to anyone... almost not even to myself.
 
I try not to, especially after someone used the cutting edge of my knife to throw lots of sparks off a Firesteel :eek:.
 
stoffi said:
Socially, it's hard not to lend out knives, because people don't know what you know... so they don't understand why you're being so defensive and selfish about it.
I basically just offer to cut the thing that needs cutting and I would ONLY lend a knife to someone who I know understands what you can and can't do with a knife, if you wanna keep it mint.
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+1 If someone wants to borrow a knife, the get a beat up Sheffield folder that I got for $12 at a hardware store. :D Or, if I am more confident they won't return it FUBAR, I'll let them use a nicer knife. Never one of my high-end knives though. And under no circumstances will I loan a knife to someone for any extended period of time (had a bad experience where the person "lost" the knife...i'm sure its in their drawer).
 
You know, I have done this with a few knives that I had thought were excellent value, just to see if it really were. Here is the scorecard

SOG Fusion Salute - nope
Cold Steel Tanto-lite - yes
Byrd Cara Cara 2 - yes
SRM 710 - yes
CS Voyager 2011 - yes
 
I like to give knives to non-knife people so I always carry an extra knife that I just give to them when they ask to borrow one. Then they can abuse it all they want. I make up an excuse like it is an extra knife that I don't need. The knives are always small, cheap, lightweight ones. Some knives that I've given away over the years are Ka-Bar, Sanrenmu, and cheap SAK Classic knockoffs. A couple of times the people were carrying the knife that I gave them the next time I saw them. Makes me feel like I did a good deed.
 
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i don't even like letting someone use mine while i'm standing there with them. every other time i do they seem to cut themselves, and somehow this becomes my fault. how dare i hand them a sharp knife.
i have fixed more than a few knives for people, only to have them bring them back looking like they were cutting gravel and old carpet all day.
then they complain that it wont shave anymore.
my knives stay with me.
 
Well, ya got me there. I wouldn't think of lending out a knife to someone that would intentionally tear it up, use it incorrectly out of ignorance, or maybe even hurt themselves.

Not seeing much enjoyment in any of those scenarios.

Robert
 
midnight flyer said:
Well, ya got me there. I wouldn't think of lending out a knife to someone that would intentionally tear it up, use it incorrectly out of ignorance, or maybe even hurt themselves.

Not seeing much enjoyment in any of those scenarios.

Robert
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No I agree with you, but I started out with cheap chinese junk, and have been gradually moving up the ladder so to speak. So when I moved from the 8Cr13 class to >$100 tier, I cared very little about the knives I previously mentioned, as there was no chance I would be EDCing them ever again. I was, however, really curious as to how the stuff I had been carrying would hold up.
 
Non-knife folks just don't give the edge of a knife any thought. It's a culture of unconsciousness. I used to be the same way. My family didn't have nice kitchen knives, they just got thrown into a drawer. They didn't teach the do's and don'ts of knife care. I was like my young cousin, he can only see the style of the knife, the handle looks like a motorcycle, so he buys it.
Hollywood and TV will lead you to believe that Rambo's knife is indestrucable, so are swords, axes, Jason's machete, etc.. Combine the lack of attention to their own knives, and their misunderstanding of how fine the metal is at the edge, and you've got a recipe for damage.

My awakening came from the culinary industry. Once I had a pretty good knife, and could keep it sharp, I could appreciate the edge. If I took care of it, it could work for me longer, and perform much better.
 
I wear a ColdSteel super edge neck knife I let people use because I could give 2 shits about that knife. I got into it with an IT guy once because he asked to use my knife real quick. I asked "what for?" he said "to scrape the gunk off this metal diverter". Said no and he got all bent about it.
 
I once lent my Opinel to a coworker (when I still worked at a grocery store) and she managed to pop off the locking collar trying to wrench it open. I never lent her anything again, and I'm more careful now about who gets my knives. Once my Sanrenmu comes in the mail I think it'll become my loaner knife.
 
@ holymolar
My God man -- that is the best idea ever! Equip the bastards! I'm sooo doing that.
I'm gonna get like 20 cheap little folders to give away. Great idea!

@ heresthedeal
I get that sort of vibe from people too. People get annoyed with me that my knives are so sharp. The reason being that because of it they must stop and think about what they are doing. When I give them the low-down on how to use it, they feel mistreated, like as if I am talking down to them. People see knives as something so basic that telling them anything about it will almost certainly step on their pride.

@foxx
I tell people that the knife's edge is like a hair made of glass and that it should be treated as such. Actually, it's like 100 times finer than that, but that takes them one step in the right direction of getting the full picture and realizing just how fragile an edge is.

@ Pseudonym
That is actually quite funny man. How the hell did she even come to the conclusion that one would have to bend off the twist-thingy?! LOL!
 
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stoffi,
For a cheap SAK knockoff give-away knife, look at Rough Rider brand. They are only $1.99 each. I have several in red but I just noticed that they also have them in blue - item #RR842 on Smokey Mountain Knife Works.
 
Yes, you are crazy. Then again, this is the right place to share your passion for this sort of stuff. We understand because we share the same sort of craziness, more or less.
 
A friend of mine found his sons friends knife and borrowed if for a year. A Storm II, and he used it at work as a carpenter and on drywall. A few weeks ago he ask if I could fix it. The edge was in decent shape for the use it got. I made it look better but I wouldnt want one of my knifes going through that use unless I was doing it.

I was taught a good lesson on BF not to hand someone a knife and not supervise them. If they ask to see it, I hand it to them so they can have a look but thats about all they get to do with it.

But I want to loan out a knife and see what happens to it. We should do a knife pass around where the BF member gives it to a friend to use for a week then sends it to the next guy and he does the same. It would be interesting.
 
depends the person, ill lend a "good" knife to the fiancé or a few close friends who know i take care of my knives and are looking to use then properly. but no i will not lend knives to co workers if they need to knock down 50-60 cardboard boxes. i learned that by handing it to him while busy not thinking or asking what he was doing, then 2 hours later i went for a smoke and there was a 5 foot high pile or card board pieces lol. i didn't mind much but then i had to re sharpen the edge slightly from the use. now he is handed the 13" french knife to do the cardboard ha
 
I loan out my kitchen knives and my ESEE Junglas all the time. Every time I get the kitchen knives back in as good of condition as before (I only lend them to people who know how to cook, and interestingly they all know how to maintain a knife as well). The ESEE has come back with some chips and rolls, but the "lendee" is always happy with its performance, to the point that they buy their own, and I know the ESEE warranty will cover me once the Junglas reaches the point of no return.

As for folders, large machetes, and swords, I don't lend them out because I worry more about the stupid things people will do to themselves, and blame me for, than what they will do to the blades.
 
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