How Much Do You "Baby" Your TRADITIONAL Knives?

Nothing gets babied on purpose. I have certain knives I only carry when I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be doing anything rough. Those were gifts that I use but still want to look decent. Everything else gets carried to work, hunting, fishing, etc. From a $20 SAK to my Sebenza's and everything in between.
 
Smaller knives get dumped in my right front pocket. Folding hunters and trappers are in a sheath on my belt. My keys are stuck in my back pocket with a small knife hanging out like a fob.
 
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I carry and use them. My primary knife (I carry two) is always in RFP. No slip, just the knife. My #2 is in the watch pocket. Change and misc go in the LFP. Keys on a belt clip. Leatherman on belt in it's pouch.

If I know I'll be doing something harsh the yellow Sodbuster is my go-to. It goes in the LFP with coins, etc. The Case large Stockman is my other work knife.

I use them for their intended task. They're not screwdrivers or prying tools. They're finely crafted daily companions that I maintain meticulously but I don't baby them.

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When I get a new knife I plan to keep it looking nice. They all get used, scratched and a few dents from when they are dropped or bumped into something. That gives them character. I am fussy about the edges and try to keep them all perfectly sharp.
 
The ones I use are ones I get used in good used condition, and I try to keep them up. I don't care if they hit a few coins or keys. Most of the knives I carry around are over 30 years old. I don't buy new production knives. I used to buy a few, but I would end up selling them off. I don't use every knife I buy. I like to buy, sell, photograph, and trade older knives. I have no sleeves or slips.
 
arizonaranchman I use them for their intended task. They're not screwdrivers or prying tools. They're finely crafted daily companions that I maintain meticulously but I don't baby them.[/QUOTE said:
I couldn't have said it better :thumbup:
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I think if we reversed the OP's thread title & named it, " The correct Tool for the job" , the responses are pretty much fitting.

The slip cases I use when I put knives away in my clutter junk drawer. I've found fumbling with them to get the knife in & out,after taking them out of my pocket,I'm more likely to drop the knife then.

In the shop,I've got some real beaters & sheetrock knives,too.

Did you know cardboard has clay in it ? So it is a good thing to test edge retention maybe,but be prepared to re sharpen soon.

I can add more rambling if you'd like ,but in short,use common sense maybe ?

A $20. knife may hold some sort of value to one person,the same as a thousand dollar knife to another.

If you use the right tool for the job you'll probably not be ' babying' your pocket knife,but maybe saving it from too hard & abusive work.
 
If you treat something gently, whether its a knife, a car or a smart phone, its going to last longer. Some guys abuse their stuff just for the sake of abusing it, and that's fine. But I enjoy taking care of my stuff and making it last as long as possible. I don't see any downside to it.
 
powernoodle said:
If you treat something gently, whether its a knife, a car or a smart phone, its going to last longer. Some guys abuse their stuff just for the sake of abusing it, and that's fine. But I enjoy taking care of my stuff and making it last as long as possible. I don't see any downside to it.
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Yes and the proof...

Larger vintage knives with larger ,beautiful bone slabs are more rare , there are less,they were used hard in the day. Sometimes,I'd imagine,because that might've been the only tool on hand in cases. The small pretty pearl knives,were more money then. They were " babied" , and now there are more around


I recently hunted down a vintage Schrade knife for a good fella. He saw his grandfather use that knife hard,probably harder than should have. When it was handed to him,at a younger ,less wiser age,he used the knife like what he saw ,and in doing so,he broke it up ! It was only later he realized the collectable aspect to it,too late.
 
Steely_Gunz said:
The only thing I wig out about a little is my edge. I can't stand a dinged, flattened, or even slightly rolled edge. When I travel, even a couple day light trip to my mother in law's, I pack a strop.

Scuffs on the bolsters or scales and patina don't bother me in the least.
I do tend to carry my knife in a dedicated pocket. This has less to do with keeping the knife nice looking and more to do with ease of retrieval.
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Jake pretty much summed up my thoughts exactly. I've become a little bit of a collector as of late, where in the past EVERY knife I bought was to be used.

Usually if I buy one that's designated to be a collector piece I'll buy another so I can use it. I have the very good fortune of getting to use my knives in my day to day work.

I also appreciate preserving a vintage traditional pocketknife and will carry on a special occasion.

All in all I obsess more about the edge---gotta be sharp and ready to work:thumbup:
 
powernoodle said:
If you treat something gently, whether its a knife, a car or a smart phone, its going to last longer. Some guys abuse their stuff just for the sake of abusing it, and that's fine. But I enjoy taking care of my stuff and making it last as long as possible. I don't see any downside to it.
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+1 on that
 
I agree with a lot of the guys here, I use it as a tool. I certainly look forward to opening a package with a shiny new knife in it, who here doesn't :D ? But I find for myself that I enjoy fondling and examining my more used knives the most. They have character, I can even tell you how most of the dings and marks got there in the first place. I own exactly 1 knife I wont use hard and it only gets carried on the most dressed up of occasions. It is a pearl handled knife and has exquisite etching on the blade. It was a gift from a fellow member and I hold the knife and friend in very high regard and will never use it normally. Every other knife I own I will use as a knife. I expect my knives to cut and help me out in my day to day life. I will cut cardboard or aluminum cans, sheetrock, tar paper, whatever. Its part of the enjoyment for me and cutting metal and sheetrock and the like only means I have to sharpen it a hair more frequently though. I enjoy the process and am getting very good at it.

This hobby is very fun and we all enjoy it differently. This is why I love the forum so much, we all get each other and even though I am not a pocket slip guy or a "collector" I appreciate that aspect of it. A lot of us here owe another a debt of gratitude for keeping an old knife so nice for so long ;). We all hike our own hike but sharing it is the fun part. Thanks for the great read today :)
 
Hi my name is Brett and I am a collector. :eek:

That being said, I have knives I use and not worry about. When I carry one I do care about I carry it in my 2yr old daughter's sock. My life style, job, and time doesn't really require much knife use unfortunitly. I only have a rotation for personal enjoyment and could honestly only have one and be covered.

As far as being a poser, I stopped caring what people thought years ago. That in itself robs joy and only creates stress imo. Just don't judge others at the same time. (Im not perefect at this :))There is a motto of, "buy what you like." I think a motto of, "use how you like," could also be said.
 
I buy my knives to use. My edc gets carried in my keys pocket. I do also carry a microfiber handkerchief (for cleaning glasses) and I will wrap up my edc in it first thing in the morning.

I use the cloth more than the knife so it ends up with my keys at the bottom.

Builds character. A select few knives get carried in a leather slip case. '13 forum knife and BCCI stockman come to mind. The white paper micarta marks to easily.
 
I assume it's not an easy question to answer, because we all use our knives in a different way, and have our own idea of what babying a knife is.
Personally, most of the times my knives are used lightly, but that's just because my lifestyle seldom needs more.
I carry all my knives (including my custom slipjoint) in my RFP with my cellphone. They do get some marks and such, but I don't care. I'm well aware that this sort of use (and carry routine) will allow my knives to last for years and years in very good condition, and that's more than enough for me.

Fausto
:cool:
 
I use my nice knives gently but I'm not afraid to carry and use them. My Ken Erickson edc gets dropped in my left front pocket everyday by itself. It rides safely there. It's picked up a couple light scratches on the bolster from brushing the brass rivet in the pockets corner as I was trying to find the opening, but that's it.

I tend to carry an Alox SAK as well for real hard use stuff. Love those knives for that, great tools and easily and cheaply replaced when needed.
 
I carry and use some of my knives but I do try to take care of them. I have a Victorinox Alox Cadet that may occasionally bump up against keys or change but for the most part I keep it separated. When I carry something else it usually goes into one of my back pockets, either alone or under/beside a leather wallet.

Now, that being said, if I need to cut something, out it comes and gets used. If I drop it and ding up the bolsters, then it will have those character marks. If I feel like it I may choose to buff out scratches in the bolsters but in general my crop of users are expected to get some wear and tear.
 
I grew up using Delrin handled pocket knives. My knife went in my pocket with my keys. It got used for everything except stuff like drywall or carpet sitting on concrete. Did that for over 4 decades. Then I started hanging here.

Nowadays I carry bone handled pocket knives. My knife goes in my right front pocket and stays in that pocket by itself. It still gets used for pretty much everything. But there's a price limit on how much I am willing to spend on a knife. Probably based on the prior decades of carry. There's only so much money I'm willing to put at risk in my pocket for the way I use a knife.
 
I dont know what category I would define myself, collector makes it sound as though I am someone who has a knife collection to die for - I am sure if my knife friends came over and saw what I had - they would go..."and so wheres the rest " :D
But in saying that - i I were to be burgled and my knives taken? - I would be devastated and sure I would never recover from that - as I have some very very precious knives.

I actually struggle with my knives - the ones I use in my EDC rotation - well they get used and Patina - minor Bolster scratching is just part of the carry, but the knives I queen - I struggle with the up keep, and sometimes find a wee spot of rust appearing - and yet they have Renaissance Wax or Mineral oil literally covering the whole knife - so its a big up keep - how my good friends who have collections that are most probably world class - I simply dont understand how they get on, on thing that is THE major player is Ambient temperature - and Humidity - so where we live has a big part of it.

I have to figure out how I can store my knives secretly and yet keep them from conditions - its been my battle for a few years now, I use to have a many Bowie knives and only have around 10 or so fixed blades now - that was a big problem with them as well.

I also know that knife collecting is a very personal thing - and sometimes get irked a bit when people almost demand that we must use every knife-any collector has knives where he/she would die if the knife were to be marked - so respecting people as to actually why they collect knife is also very important - after all - they do own them.
 
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