"Hard use" Vs Abuse... working definitions

It does depend on the knife. I don't use slip joints for anything challenging, just basic and simple (light) cutting and precise work. But I use my larger lock blades for lots of things others would consider abusive, to include prying. All of my most used locking knives have chipped blades for various reasons, from being dropped onto hard surfaces to being used to cut harder substances. Sometimes they are used for light pounding. The other day I was on a ladder and needed to remove a knock-out from a electrical box. I had no hammer, I had no pliers, so I pulled my knife out and knocked out the "knock-out" with the butt-end of the knife (a Spyderco Resilience). The job got done with very minor cosmetic damage to the knife. I don't love that knife, I don't baby it, but if I had had a more expensive knife and needed to do the same thing, I would have used the more expensive knife to do the job.

I can live with some minor damage to a knife, such as a bit of chipping or a ding on the scales. These things come with use; a knife used for nothing more challenging than shaving arm hair or slicing paper won't see this kind of damage, and some folks might consider a bit of chipping or a slightly off-center blade as evidence of abuse. I see it as evidence of use, real use, and to be expected in a knife carried every day with a purpose.

Andy
 
Can't remember, but I probably said this before in years past - there isn't 'hard use'. There is use within the design parameters, which is just plain 'use'. There is use outside the design parameters, which is 'abuse'. If the use is 'hard' on the tool, then it wasn't designed for it, so it's still abuse. There are levels of abuse, from applying more force than recommended to throwing it in a fire.

There is 'hard use' on the user, which is difficult work. Using the right tool in the right way makes the use less hard on the user and not abusive on the tool.
 
I agree with Sal too.
And Sal is also knuckle-dragger. Don't let him fool you.
;)
 
Andrew Colglazier said:
It does depend on the knife. I don't use slip joints for anything challenging, just basic and simple (light) cutting and precise work. But I use my larger lock blades for lots of things others would consider abusive, to include prying. All of my most used locking knives have chipped blades for various reasons, from being dropped onto hard surfaces to being used to cut harder substances. Sometimes they are used for light pounding. The other day I was on a ladder and needed to remove a knock-out from a electrical box. I had no hammer, I had no pliers, so I pulled my knife out and knocked out the "knock-out" with the butt-end of the knife (a Spyderco Resilience). The job got done with very minor cosmetic damage to the knife. I don't love that knife, I don't baby it, but if I had had a more expensive knife and needed to do the same thing, I would have used the more expensive knife to do the job.

I can live with some minor damage to a knife, such as a bit of chipping or a ding on the scales. These things come with use; a knife used for nothing more challenging than shaving arm hair or slicing paper won't see this kind of damage, and some folks might consider a bit of chipping or a slightly off-center blade as evidence of abuse. I see it as evidence of use, real use, and to be expected in a knife carried every day with a purpose.

Andy
Click to expand...

thats how i see it, most the knives i use are considered "hard use knives" i like them built tougher because its what i have on me all the time, and when the situation calls for it, i need it to perform. and sometimes that would be considered "abuse". but i dont buy quality knives just to slice things.
i can use just about any inexpensive knife, sharpen it, and it will cut without me asking much more of it.

i believe in the right tool for the job, but i dont have every tool available to me all the time, and have to make due with what i have.

i know the limitations of my tools, and sometimes ill have to tests those limitations. but i also have dedicated slicers that i would never pry or twist with.
its like buying a sports car, and never giving it full throttle. life is too short not to enjoy it. many knives are designed for many different purposes, and i gravitate towards harder use knives.
when doing a job or task, i dont have time to worry about my tools.
when a knife breaks, thats when i consider it abuse, all other times is just "use".
 
Same definition as "Porn" - "Difficult to describe but, I know it when I see it".:eek:

or

IF you're doing it - Hard Use.
IF someone else is doing it - Abuse.

Bottom line. Right Tool for the Job. Can't go wrong. If you need a chisel, don't use a screwdriver.
Need a pry bar, don't use your knife.
Nothing common about Good Sense.
 
Abuse is using a thing for purposes outside the limits of its capabilities. Hard use is using a thing near the limits of its capabilities. Beware: we are often surprised to discover what the limits of a thing's capabilities actually are.
 
Use= taking my knife out and doing whatever I want/need to do with it.

Abuse= leaving it in my cabinet at home.

Simple as that for me.

I don't worry about much else.

Moose
 
NightMare Silverado said:
Agree with this. I use my knife all day long cutting cardboard, tape, plastic wrap, zip ties, twine, ect in a warehouse job and I consider it hard use.
Click to expand...

Yep. Even though you and I may use our knives in a similar fashion on similar materials, your knife will be deployed several times more frequently on an average day than mine. A chef may have their carving knife in hand for more than five hours a day, whereas mine is used for maybe twenty minutes at a time (max) once or twice a week. A mailroom worker might use a penknife to open several hundred envelopes in their shift, but I'll use mine to open maybe three or four letters every odd day. It isn't necessarily 'abuse' but I'd say these are all examples of 'hard' use. That's how I see it anyway. :)
 
moosez45 said:
Use= taking my knife out and doing whatever I want/need to do with it.

Abuse= leaving it in my cabinet at home.

Simple as that for me.

I don't worry about much else.

Moose
Click to expand...

I like your thinking! :D:thumbup:
 
I'm going to revise my opinions a bit.

Hard use: Tasks outside of the realm of typical edc, but still fall within the designed purpose of a knife.

abuse: Tasks that are above the designed purpose of the knife, regardless of the ability of the knife to handle it.

A knife can be designed to preform certain tasks even prying and it wont be abuse. A knife can also be designed to cut but be over built for that and able to handle prying. However, because prying is outside of the designed purpose, it would be abuse in my opinion.
 
timberweasel said:
Yep. Even though you and I may use our knives in a similar fashion on similar materials, your knife will be deployed several times more frequently on an average day than mine. A chef may have their carving knife in hand for more than five hours a day, whereas mine is used for maybe twenty minutes at a time (max) once or twice a week. A mailroom worker might use a penknife to open several hundred envelopes in their shift, but I'll use mine to open maybe three or four letters every odd day. It isn't necessarily 'abuse' but I'd say these are all examples of 'hard' use. That's how I see it anyway. :)
Click to expand...

I didn't use my para2 for crap today except peeling shipping labels off pallets&cases. About a month ago I cut close to 1000 sheets of cardboard for Costco pallets with a recon 1 and that secondary tip was butter knife dull at the end of the day.
 
Simple: People concerned with knife abuse, are concerned with knife abuse because they don't own a Becker yet. Once they do, they will no longer be concerned with knife abuse.

LOL Just kidding, kinda, well, not really. But there are many knives that fall into this catagory. Good steel, good heat treat, full width full & extended tang. IMHO, if you do your homework BEFORE buying your knife, then use/abuse becomes a non-issue. If i break one, so freakin what ! I did it. I am an adult, we learn from our mistakes. Move forward.
 
Beating a knife with a 3 lb. hammer till it breaks = abuse.
 
amen!!
rubiconss said:
Same definition as "Porn" - "Difficult to describe but, I know it when I see it".:eek:

or

IF you're doing it - Hard Use.
IF someone else is doing it - Abuse.

Bottom line. Right Tool for the Job. Can't go wrong. If you need a chisel, don't use a screwdriver.
Need a pry bar, don't use your knife.
Nothing common about Good Sense.
Click to expand...
 
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