Hard use

[mrknife]

"Use the right tool for the job" was "beat into my head" at an early age.
I could never understand someone using their "good" knives for things like breaking down more than 4 or 5 cardboard boxes, scoring and trimming drywall, using a knife to turn a screw or pry something (and then have the gall to complain when the blade broke ), opening bags of concrete/sand/plant soil, etc. It just made no sense to me. Sure; the blade might be abrasion resistant, but it is still going to get dull. "Abrasion Resistant" just means "harder and longer to sharpen" on the job site.

I always carried a Stanley box cutter/utility knife when I know there would be tasks where it was the right tool. When it got dull, just flip or replace the blade ...takes a couple seconds if your utility knife is tool-less, a minute or two if you have to take it apart. That's a lot better than 20 minutes or longer to sharpen. Not to mention sharpening removes blade steel. We've all seen at least pictures of knives that have been sharpened so much the tip is proud ot the blade looks like a toothpick due to sharpening. Why wear out the "good" knife years or decades early, and have to spend big bucks on a new knife? Stanley blades cost 15¢ each or less. The handle lasts several decades, even if you use it every day and have to replace the blade 3 or 4 times a day. That still costs less than buying a Case or Buck every 3 to 5 years because the blades are sharpened down to the tip(s) are proud or resemble toothpicks.

same, i remember when I broke a pair of small needle nose jeweler's pliers as a kid. boy did that lesson stick with me. right tool for the job always.

 

[Jack Black]

I am not afraid to put my usual EDC to hard use when needed, but lately I have been carrying this when fixing or making things around the house:

It has been very useful when working on the johnboat I am making - making starter holes for screws, trimming out excess wood from tight corners, cleaning up saw cuts, cutting hard knots down, etc.

My Carl Schlieper is my first choice for that kind of work, those punches are the best Great companion for thye outdoors too

 

[black mamba]

Without doubt the knife I have used the most and the hardest is this Ulster scout knife that I received from my dad in the early 1960s when I joined the Scouts. Still sits on my reloading bench and gets used at least weekly.

 

[I'mSoSharp]

This one's seen quite a bit of use........



And it’s constantly changing shade depending what it’s been used for or if it’s been cleaned.



Possibly the softest steel of any knife I use!

 

[Misplaced Hillbilly]

This one has been a hard worker for me,this pic doesn't show the dings and scratches in the delrin. The wharnclife blade sees the most use and has been sharpened enough that the edge now touches the bottom of the etch. Well whats left of the etch
It was shiny and new once, all the wear and patina is all mine.

 

[Will Power]

A Sodbuster type knife is the one that most comes to mind for actual or 'hard' work.

The GEC Bull Nose I have in Micarta is certainly very durable, drop-proof (try that with Bone or bolsters...) scales are really tough, all steel so no brass to bleed, easy enough to sharpen, has a handy lanyard hole and it's good in the hand and nice to look at. Nor was it too expensive to start with, another qualification.

 

[Misplaced Hillbilly]

A Sodbuster type knife is the one that most comes to mind for actual or 'hard' work.

The GEC Bull Nose I have in Micarta is certainly very durable, drop-proof (try that with Bone or bolsters...) scales are really tough, all steel so no brass to bleed, easy enough to sharpen, has a handy lanyard hole and it's good in the hand and nice to look at. Nor was it too expensive to start with, another qualification.

I agree 100%

 

[Marlingspike12]

Another workhorse:

 

[NWFRS]

The Lionsteel Gitano is ridiculously heavy-duty for a slipjoint. The M390 blade has a deep belly and a lug that engages with a little extra authority.

 

[SlipjointPolitiburo]

The mudbug lives in a work duffel

 

[Jack Black]

Hultafors Chisel Knife

 

[Old Hunter]

This Case 6318 Med Stockman has been that knife for me for a number of years. Show before getting cleaned up with Balistol (For some reason the Delrin on this knife grows the white mold quickly). This past year the Schrade USA Wrangler has pushed it aside many days. So these two. OH

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

I favor a large stockman pattern for most everything I need to do. And among those, my Case 6375 CV in amber bone is the favorite. In particular, the sheepfoot blade is the thinnest grind of any I've seen and is therefore my favorite cardboard blade, as well as an excellent scribe for marking fine lines on my (amateur) woodworking hobby projects. And the tip of that blade is also perfect for neatly trimming and lifting double-stick tape used for the same hobby.

 

[HAKnPocket]

Great posts folks. These are the backbone knives that built what we know and still enjoy today. So many great patterns and brands and while some may slip in QC from time to time they are still tried and true.