Hard use knife?

T

timbit

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Jul 21, 2011
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I have noticed a ton of topics pop up recently centered on 'hard use knives." What exactly is your guys definition of a 'hard use' knife and why would you want one? What exactly is the appeal of lugging around a 1/4" thick piece of steel? What sort of knife appropriate task could a hard use knife accomplish that a good user could not?

I think that thick knives aren't too terribly useful. I'd rather have a thin blade that slices better than a sharpened crow bar. Pretty much any task that I think of as 'hard use' is actually a busse. (get it? abuse. haha. LAME).
 
I don't want or need a hard use knife. If we had a SHTF scenario, then one would come in very handy for living off the land, batoning for firewood or shelter-building, opening tincans, prying things. However. lacking that severe scenario, my EDC needs are very light. I consider any blade-thickness greater than about 0.150" to be a hard-use knife. Often, the thicker blade will have a reinforced tip, such as a tanto.
Sonnydaze
 
Sonnydaze said:
I don't want or need a hard use knife. If we had a SHTF scenario, then one would come in very handy for living off the land, batoning for firewood or shelter-building, opening tincans, prying things. However. lacking that severe scenario, my EDC needs are very light. I consider any blade-thickness greater than about 0.150" to be a hard-use knife. Often, the thicker blade will have a reinforced tip, such as a tanto.
Sonnydaze
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Even in a SHTF situation, I think a slicer would be more useful or even a swiss army knife. You can always use a sharp rock or something to open a can. I thought that drop point tips were stronger because they have more meat behind them.
 
What sorts of "knife inappropriate" tasks is a hard-use knife good for? Pounding, shovelling, prying, hacking sheet metal to fabricate other tools etc... Sure, its heavier, but takes the place of several larger, heavier, more appropriate tools that you wouldn't otherwise bring with you. To each his own, but fair is fair; a lighter knife would be hard pressed to stand up over time. Next thing to consider is edge retention and life span under such conditions; more metal equals longer wear.

P.S.: I bet there might be a few who would beg to differ about that "sharpened crowbar" statement. While essentially true, my big blades are far from dull. ;)
 
Joelski said:
What sorts of "knife inappropriate" tasks is a hard-use knife good for? Pounding, shovelling, prying, hacking sheet metal to fabricate other tools etc... Sure, its heavier, but takes the place of several larger, heavier, more appropriate tools that you wouldn't otherwise bring with you. To each his own, but fair is fair; a lighter knife would be hard pressed to stand up over time. Next thing to consider is edge retention and life span under such conditions; more metal equals longer wear.

P.S.: I bet there might be a few who would beg to differ about that "sharpened crowbar" statement. While essentially true, my big blades are far from dull. ;)
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I suppose I can see your point. I still don't like using them.

Fair enough about the sharpened crowbars. I was being dramatic.
 
Hard use for me indicates something that can be ground thin (1/8" or less stock, full height) and used for a long time on plants and animals without requiring a lot of maintenance. The trade-off for me, one my particular jury is still out on, is whether or not I want something requiring easy-but-more-frequent maintenance or harder/longer-but-less-frequent maintenance.

If you're looking for hard use, you have to define your cutting substrates first, find a knife suited for it, then overblow it in one or more dimensions or qualities (longer, thicker, harder... this just sounds wrong but you get the idea). Or you can come up with your own definition of hard use and run with that, which is what me and everyone else responding to this thread does.
 
You ever had to snap the seals off locked shipping trailers? I'd rather use my ZT than a slip joint for stuff like that. Besides my 560 still preps food and slices apples just fine.
 
NightMare Silverado said:
You ever had to snap the seals off locked shipping trailers? I'd rather use my ZT than a slip joint for stuff like that. Besides my 560 still preps food and slices apples just fine.
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I can't say that I have had to do that, but I only EDC fixed blades. Almost any fixed blade would be 'hard use' compared to a folder.
 
CapitalizedLiving said:
Hard use for me indicates something that can be ground thin (1/8" or less stock, full height) and used for a long time on plants and animals without requiring a lot of maintenance. The trade-off for me, one my particular jury is still out on, is whether or not I want something requiring easy-but-more-frequent maintenance or harder/longer-but-less-frequent maintenance.

If you're looking for hard use, you have to define your cutting substrates first, find a knife suited for it, then overblow it in one or more dimensions or qualities (longer, thicker, harder... this just sounds wrong but you get the idea). Or you can come up with your own definition of hard use and run with that, which is what me and everyone else responding to this thread does.
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That makes sense. I'd always thought of hard use as borderline abuse. I like your definition of long constant use. As in you use it hard. I think I am going to adopt that :D
 
No reason not to have all of the above mentioned.

I love a 1/8" 3-4" blade for EDC, but that doesnt mean the 1/4" 7.5-10" blades i own dont serve a purpose.
 
My EDC usage is cutting tape/rope/string, opening boxes, slicing fruit, etc. This doesn't put much stress on a knife blade.

At one point in my past I worked as a car mechanic. I put a lot more stress on a knife then but I only carried a normal large slipjoint. If I was was a mechanic now I'm not sure what I would use but I wouldn't choose a knife with a real thin blade.

I also do a little carpentry from time to time. If I was doing that full time I would pick something with a thin blade so I could pry and chop with it if needed. Either that or carry a small pry bar with me in addition to a knife. I can see where the "sharpened pry bar" would be appropriate for some people that work with their hands.
 
This !

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By pitdog2010 at 2010-09-30

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By pitdog2010 at 2010-09-30
 
My ZT 0560 is my hard use knife.
I trust it to do things my very thin Spyderco Chokwe may not be the best for.
 
My definition of "hard use knife"? A magic wand to combine brute force and ignorance to simulate skill. The less skill you have, the more steel you need.
 
hard use to me = time to reach for a fixed blade. no reason to abuse a folder. the whole point of a folding knife to fit a larger cutting tool in your pocket than normally possible. would i like to carry a 4" folder or a 2-2.5" fixed blade in my pocket? personally i love my folders. but at the end of the day i do edc something i will never use to its potential. i don't need a hard use knife to open boxes, mail, eat lunch with, and cut zip ties and rope lol. but unfortunately i enjoy having a sharpened crowbar in my pocket haha....something about those damn emersons......
 
1/8" carbon steel (1084, O1, etc.) in a fixed blade will handle anything in the woods. For an EDC knife? For me, even the thin blade on an Opinel or SAK will handle the "hardest" of uses because all I use my EDC knives for is to cut things like string, paper, boxes, plastic labels, packing tape, clamshell packages, apples, etc. I would never use my pocket knife to pry things, open paint cans, cut drywall or PVC, etc. I wouldn't want to damage my edge. Those are jobs for a cheap pry or a cheap utility knife.
 
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