Let's take a little poll.............

R

rev_jch

Joined
Jul 29, 2002
Messages
3,228
How many of you actually use your knives and too what degree?

personally I collect make and use knives. Mostly when whittling, hiking camping, sheath work, working in the shop, gardening, etc.
 
With the exception of two family heirlooms (an old Robeson and an old Schrade Walden) I don't own any knives I don't use.* To me, keeping a good knife on a shelf is like penning up a fine dog and not letting him run free. Be good to your blades, guys! Let 'em do their jobs! :D






* Ok, so I admit that this might change someday with the kids are grown and I actually have a little extra money that doesn't go solely for life's essentials. ;)
 
I use them often and I use them all. I am of the "I bought it to use it" school of thought. No safe queens or display only for me. I whittle and cut/work/chop wood with them mostly.
 
I use some of mine (including a couple of customs.)
(Whittler by Tony Huffman and a Bradshaw gunstock.)

Today I am carrying a well used but excellent 1930's era Utica equal end. I love finding old carbon steel multiblades that are decent enough to get use out of (especially for a song :)).

My problem is that every once in a while I order or see a nice custom or antique that I want to add to my collection those typically do not get used.
 
I rotate my EDC often, and I never use letter openers and rarely use scissors, I almost always reach for the nearest knife.
 
I have a rotation of about a dozen users, both factory and custom. I've carried at least 1 knife with me for more than 40 years. I'll also admit to having about 25 or so in a display ( the number goes up/down) that I try to use to get folks who visit talking knives. :D

OK, I've got a couple "Safe Queens" as well. :o

Bill
 
I like to use my knives, I have a few fancy expensive ones which I care for, those I only use lightly like for cutting a cigar or opening letters, nothing that will chip or scratch them.

My EDC folders see regular simple urban use, cutting paper, string, cord, plastic, food, etc. Long gone are the camping and backpacking days when my fixed blades saw more use, now only the occasional picnic and in the kitchen.

On spare time I do some crafts and help kids with school projects, paper, wood, string, cord, etc., and get to use my knives a bit more.

Luis
 
I use mine. Granted, some (most) don't see hard use. Even when I'm carrying one of my "nicer" knives, my trusty V-nox Settler is riding along in case any "real" cutting needs done. :p

Paul
 
On the advice of some seasoned collectors and knifemakers, I've learned not to carry and use all of my customs, so I limit myself to just a few, usually carry them in a pouch (Den's of England), oil and clean them regularly. I find it increasingly hard to carry production knives because I love the customs so much. I don't hesitate to use them, but I don't abuse them either. If I buy a fine custom that I don't plan to ever sell or trade away, why not enjoy it? One of my pet peeves is expensive custom knives that aren't razor sharp.

The other thing I've learned is that there are customs that are built to use and others that are built to look at. Ground finish blades good to carry; highly polished, hand rubbed ATS-34 too pretty... Micarta, CF, bone, stag good; Ivory and gold leave at home... Patina on slip joints ok; patina on bead blasted tacticals bad... Carry marks on the outside ok; dirt and pits on the backspring bad... 1, 2, and 3 blade knives belong in your pocket; 4, 5, and 6 blades belong in the safe.

I have one custom in particular, a damascus Terzuola with tortoise shell and rose gold bolsters that I wish I had never carried. What was I thinking?
 
I have been an avid collector of Pennsylvania related pocket knives for more than thirty years. I always carry a knife with me but have to admit that it is one that is serviceable but certianly not highly collectable. I am a purist when it comes to old knives. I love the old bone handles and different shields, not to mention the beautiful old patterns. No greater thrill than to discover at the bottom of a box a rare manufacturer of Pa pocket knives that I can use to add to the collection. Although I have to admit that I do perfer for several reasons, the used knives. I love to clean up an old knife. Oil the joints use some "neverdul" on the blades and remove the pocket lint that has built up over the years. :yawn: I think about who may have owned this knife? Why did they buy this one? The stories that and old Platts Bros trapper could tell. Of course the price is usually better too. Many just think that a sharpened old knife isn't worth much and that is OK with me. I enjoy them just as much. Realizing that a mint version would be worth far more money. But with a limited wallet and desire to have a complete collection of Pa knives. I get what I can. After all if I ever find that CASE Warren, PA "my home town" I would say no thanks to one that was ground down with a crack in the handle. :eek: I would be pulling out my wallet and feeling pretty lucky. So no I don't use em but I sure enjoy em. Thanks for letting me give my 2 cents. ;)
 
I collect, make and use knives too. Most of the tasks my folders see are routine stuff. Cutting open dog food bags, cat litter bags, sharpening pencils cutting open packages and/or boxes that kind of stuff. I make walking sticks as a hobby and will start my faces or "wood spirits" as they call them, with my folders. I will also sometimes debark the tree limbs I choose with my folder if the bark is thin, but usually that requires my Camillus survival knife.

Occassionally if I happen to be in the mood for squirrel pot pie and I'm at my hunting cabin I may shoot a squirrel or two or maybe even a rabbit and actually use my pocket knife for a quick gut and skin job but rarely anymore. Especially since my wife started feeding the squirrels. I know she hates me killing them now so I leave them alone.

I too will sometimes use my EDC knife for cutting leather when I'm making up a sheath for a knife I made but usually I will use my super knife for that kind of work and for carpentry stuff like cutting out old sealer or caulking around a window I'm replacing because the super knife has disposable blades.

During deer season my White River Skinner from Bob Dozier sees a whole lot of use from me as well as other guys in the camp.
 
I use all of my knives, even though a couple could nearly be called "art knives." The biggest task they ever see, however, is opening something made of plastic. :)
 
I have a large number of "user's", quite a few EDC'S and a bunch of good lookers.
I use my EDC everyday, yard work,kitchen,garage etc.......ya never know when you are gonna need a knife!
I always carry a Wave and a Sak on camping and fishing trips not to mention the number of fillet knives that I own..........love that CRKT Big Eddy!

Cheers,
Kap :cool:
 
I have a modest collection of somewhere between 200-300 pocketknives. Like PA Knives. I enjoy the older "used" ones. I collect what I like, not based on value.

So 95% of my collection never gets used. But in my collecting, if I decide that a new addition might be better suited as an EDC, that's where I put it. I EDC a group of 6-10 various knives depending on the situation.

My collection is a way for me to preserve a bit of the past, where something was built to last more than 5 years.
 
I have about 150 to 200 antique pocketknives in my collection - obviously these never get used. Then I have a collection of about 40-50 new slipjoints, all made by Queen Cutlery, most under other brand names - Schatt, Robeson, etc.

My current "using" knives are a few Queens - D2 blades and one of their pearl penknife patterns in 420SS.....I really miss carbon steel, though, so I'm eying some Moore Makers....

BTW, I am also a Severin fan...too bad he's hardly ever actually on anymore..I really don't like his replacement.
 
Ihave to admit that all my knives were bought as users, including customs.
But I've left some of them become safe queens as i've aquired more knives.
I still enjoy them just as much.
Ialways look at a knife and think would I clean a trout with it or gut a deer?
So they all start out as users for me but some dont stay that way.
Almost forgot, Ido have a scrimshawed dagger made by Larry Mensch that is strictly a display peice.
 
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