How is Ice on an edge?

N

nlewman

Joined
Dec 26, 2015
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There are two possible reactions to this question. Either you will shake your head and wince, or laugh at my nonsense worry.

So, about once a week I fill up my cooler that I take my lunch in everyday. (igloo Yukon, love it.)

I may have been using my knife to just slice open the bags of ice. Is this a good idea, or am I destroying my edge? I noticed some rolling on my blurple manix but I wasn't sure if it had been there or the ice was at fault. Thanks.
 
I usually cut the bag open, dump it in the cooler then spine whack the block apart.
 
I'm going to stay away from spine whacks, and even cutting hard into the ice.

I'm talking really just letting the knife glide along over the bag, cutting just the bag open.
 
The steel doesn't care one bit. Ice is so soft compared with hardened and tempered tool steel it is like cutting plastic. No problem. Now if the blade was traveling at high velocity "Whacking" with the edge and you really got crooked . . . but even then.

If the ice was all dirty; had grit in it, that would be different but clean frozen water should be no challenge at all.
 
nlewman said:
I'm going to stay away from spine whacks, and even cutting hard into the ice.

I'm talking really just letting the knife glide along over the bag, cutting just the bag open.
Click to expand...

So question is really "Can knives open bags?"
Yes, knives can open bags. ;)
Don't worry about it.
 
Used a busse battle mistress spine to break up some ice once, it dented up the finish on the spine. Also had some leftover ice frozen hard in my Yeti cooler and without thinking, poured it into my new bathtub...big ding in there now.

Ice is pretty tough on stuff, I wouldn't use my edge on it. Carry you a cheap screwdriver or something.
Best of luck!
 
If it makes opening the bag easier then it is worth it. You won't wear it out if you won't use it.
 
I regularly knock down icicles with whatever folder I'm carrying that day and have never noticed any effects on the edge.
 
You're not going to damage the edge, but you're it going to hold it at razor sharp for long doing that either. I shave ice a lot, more acute geometried dent and roll a little, but nothing huge. It's a great way to take an edge from hair shaving to... Well plastic bag cutting. So yeah if you don't obsess over keeping your edge sharp as hell don't worry about it.

Just a tip though, if there's some slack in the bag where you can carry it, probably pinch it up and cut it as if it were rope. Doesn't leave any corners or anything for stray ice to hang in either. I usually just slit the side of the bag like a hunter would skin a hide. The bag is the hide, the ice is intensine/organ.
 
Hmm... ice pick anyone? Bags should be no problem with a knife. You could even use your trusty scissors from your SAK.

I'm a little confused. If I buy say 10 lbs of ice, I drop it on a hard surface (asphalt, concrete, etc) and open the bag with my fingers. No knife required.

In a lunch cooler (aka lunch bucket), I tend to use blue ice. But I have placed zip locks a time or two filled with ice inside such. That's usually when I rob the frig for my ice to take with me.

As for dulling the edge quickly? I have no idea. I just do stuff with my knives and sharpen them when they need it. I will take KennyB's word on that.
 
Normal opening of ice bags is fine. Water ice becomes extremely hard at cryogenic temperatures, but most people on this planet will never encounter ice that cold.
 
Used the tip of my Busse to stab some rock hard ice multiple times, no damage whatsoever.

As a recommendation I suggest you whack the ice with the butt of your knife first as a precaution, but I havent found ice to be particularly tough or damaging.

Dirty ice however is another thing.
 
forget whacking the ice cubes with your lnife to break them apart.
Prior to opening the bag, just slam the bag onto the parking lot pavement a few times, then open bag and pour ice cubes into cooler.

(((sheesh ... kids these days ... )))
 
I've always thrown the bag on the pavement a couple times to break it up. Then it's ready to go.
 
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