Occupational Knife Use?

Is it pretty tough to sterilize FRN? How about the lube you use in the pivot does that become an issue for the sterilization process?

Do you opt for PE or SE for use as a scapel? I'm thinking PE might be better for when you close.

Do you use the Delica on knife knuts only? Or do you use it on sheeple and anti's for kicks and giggles?



-Rob

 

Being a country boy and used to working on a farm and around animals, i feel naked without a blade of some sorts around me. I normally carry a folder, but prefer to carry a fixed blade, such as a skinning knife or a heavy short machete, but alas, being in the city now ( :barf: ) i have to restrict myself to carrying just a small folder. People here freak out and do not understand that a knife is just a tool, because of all the idiots that ruin it by using knives as a weapon (no offence to users for self defence) to attack people and rob them or worse. Even my little K.I.S.S. moneyclip knife seems to make people nervous, never mind a hunter or skinning knife. Those who know me, have nothing but respect and admiration for me, when i carry a larger knife or heavy machete when hiking and fishing.

 

I work as a hunting and outdoors guide (when I'm not at the university) and I'm also a SAR volunteer, so my knives get a lot of use.

I carry a fixed blade, a locking folder, a SAK and a multitool as a minimum when I go to work. I usually throw in an extra, more specialized, fixed blade.

My fixed blades vary from customs to Swedish moras, but they are mostly of two kinds: full tang drop points with stag or wood handles (blades go from 4" to 6") or Scandi knives. I've using pukkos and moras for a few months, and I really love them, they cut very well and can take more abuse than what you might think at first.

My folders also change a lot, I have around 50 users, but lately my Buck 110 from Cabelas and my Spyderco Paramilitary have seen the most action.

I need my knives to be stainless, because I work in very humid environments and sometimes I can't take care of my knives as well as I'd like too.

I always try to get as good a steel as possible, actually what I do is more trying to avoid crappy steel than choosing the better ones. A few years ago I wouldn't have noticed the difference between AUS-6 and CPM S30V, so I didn't care, but now I really enjoy using premium steels (although my Opinels keep working hard).

I mistrust all locking folders, so I try not to push them. I try to have a fixed blade at hand always. Even in the city I carry a SWAK in my backpack. It never comes out, but if there is a need for a strong knife, I'll go for it instead of my folder (if I break the SWAK I'm only out 10 bucks). I try to check the forums to see some reviews or opinions of whatever I'm trying to buy.

Some of my hobbies require knives (my dad says that's how I choose my hobbies, I look for something where knives are needed), like leatherworking. Argentinian leatherworking (soguería) uses a lot of thin stripes of raw hide to make braids, decorate horse-gear with intricate designs and make beautifull knife handles. A very sharp knife is needed. Many guys use an X-acto knife or a box cutter, but I hate those things. An Opinel nº8 works great for me. Although edge retention isn't that great, I always carry a strop and a stone in my toolbox, so I can keep it sharp.

 

I work in Telecom and use a Case Birdhook. The hook is invalueble for tracing pairs in the phone closet.

 

I work as a Test Analyst in a software research lab. Most of my stuff is opening boxes, letters, staging servers & PC's, when I'm not testing or writing test doc. Most commonly used items aside from my PC toolkit, would be my Leatherman PST and whatever my EDC folder(s) are for the day/week. This last little while, my BM Mini-Grip and Spydie Delica have seen a fair amount of use, as a few DVD units/hard disks/memory have shown up. Generally, a 3 inch blades is about right for most of the things I do. I am expecting 6 servers and 8 workstations this week, so a couple of my other ones may see some use. I'm really wanting to try out my Spydie Paramilitary and BM Griptillian on those cardboard server boxes

- gord

 

IT Engineer, so I used to use my leatherman wave as a tool, so if I need to cut something diferent than a meals I still use the LM Wave blade but if meals needs to be cuted I use my main blade ( BM31 or Spyderco Waved Endura ).

I am still evaluating which of those is going to be my EDC ( BM31 or the Spyderco Waved Endura ).

 

and I currently fish lobster. The only knife aboard the boat is a rusted dexter russell 5 inch ripper which I end up sharpening after every second or third trawl. Usually I end up using my endura or dyad.

Funny thing is, being in a constant salt water environment, I would rather edge retention over corrosion resistance. So far,m VG-10 and ATS-55 have done me just fine, although I DO plan on getting a salt series one of these days.

I also carry a Victorinox swiss army knife, the model depends on my mood usually, or what I think I will need done, but it is usually a spartan or now a small tinker.

And recently, around the house, I find myself carrying my new queen D-2 congress. I got the sheepsfoot blade razor sharp, but the pen blade is a chore.

 

Leatherman for house chores (honey-do list).

 

CPA - used for opening mail, opening boxes of office supplies, cleaning finger nails, pruning the office house plants, stirring my coffee, and putting notches in my pencils .

 

Computer geek as well. Use the knife frequently to open boxes or to cut cables. Every now an then I get the firm has a policy about "no weapons"...I just smile tell them I know and say "that's why I only carry a tool" for the most part as long as I get the job done no one blinks.

I carry one in the pocket which is in accord with my locale's (travel a lot between DC,Texas, NY and home). On my desk I also keep a SAK Tinker and Ivan Campos Kirdashi.

 

I work in a retail environment, and use my Spyderco Delica and Leatherman Wave on a daily basis. There are always boxes that need to be cut, thick plastic packaging that needs to be opened, and tasks that need one of the Leatherman's little screwdrivers or pliers. I use those pliers all the time.

Chris

 

Computer geek here. open boxes, cut cables and zip ties. I used a knife to shave plastic off stuck keys on a heavy duty console, and to shave a deformed latch on a hot-swappable hard drive once. I usually carry a knife and a leatherman, and have a prybaby on my keychain. I work at a marine terminal, so I don't have to worry too much about being sheeple friendly.

 

work in a prison. Used my EDC knife to cut a hanger down a few years ago.
i mostly carry it at work because I would rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6.

 

I'm a retail manager, and work culture plays a huge role in what I carry at work...

I use my knives to open boxes and cut plastic clamshells for customers who, for whatever reason, think they don't own a scissors at home. Based on years of use, I've found almost no need in my life for serrated edges, so I always choose plain edge knives. I never seem to need fixed blades, so I have mainly folders. Most are liner locks due to thier ease of use and the speed at which I can put them away. I don't carry only one kind of steel; it influences my buying decision but not my carry decision...

Unfortunately in the northeast where I live people are often very uncomfortable with the use of knives; I often have conversations with associates and customers about what's legal, what use they are, and so on. Makes me crazy but also gives me the opportunity to talk about it with people. Therefor I refrain from carrying knives that are, at least in my opinion, too aggressive or "military looking" for my environment. I'd rather have a knife than no knife at all.

One story: I love my CRKT M16-04 (4 inch "Big Dog" tanto) and yes, liked to use it at work in a small specialty shop. I got many raised eyebrows and comments... until one day, thinking I was alone I "whipped it out" (as you might think the general public might see it) for a pile of boxes I was breaking down and apparently frightened a child, who obviously had been socialized in some way to think only killers touched knives... he ran away crying and I was lucky insofar as nothing more came of it, but I felt that particular knife was too much for the average person to cope with in a store in a mall...

Anyway I carry a large variety of knives on a rotating basis (friends joke that I buy new knives rather than learn how to re-sharpen them...) and have managed not to make people uncomfortable for a long time. I have a good routine I use whenever I'm working with people, first asking them if they are uncomfortable with knives, explainging how useful I find them, etc, and then asking permission to use it in their presence. I've had managers outranking me challenge thier use, and after discussion have never had the problem escalate (knock on wood). So long as people don't feel like I'm a risk to them, they let me get on with my job.

Its riduculous to me that people will slice onions with an 8 inch chef knife, own huge sets of knives, but think my 3 or 4 inch blade is shocking in some way.

 

I feel bad for you. My instinct would be, to tell the parents of the child that they should do a better job raising their kid- of course they are undoubtedly the reason the child is brainwashed to fear knives.

I have other things I wanted to rant about, but I cannot, as I just glanced up and realized this is not W&C. (everyone undoubtedly knows what I wanted to say, anyway).

At the Sheeple, Angry I am!!!

 

As a mechanic/millwright/fabricator/machinist/pipefitter/electrical technician/emt and all around good guy/biker/dad/husband/home owner, when don't I use a knife?

One of the reasons I carry so many EDC's, on an average of 5-9 different knives,(not including Multitools and SAKs on the keyrings(2 on my car keys along with a Winston Damascus keyring knife one on my motorcycle keys and one on the house keys, or the mini Spyderco Police necklace))(Damn that's about 16 knives) is because in all those jobs, some type of sharpened implement is needed.

I do everything from slice up dinner to scrapin' gaskets, I carve wood, open mail and boxes, cut up insulation, trim wires and shrubbery, open bags of salt and dog food, cut window gaskets outa cars, cut sheetrock(not the best use of a knife but in a pinch I've cut out holes for receptacles), burlap feed bags, minor operations on myself and others, removed stiches, splinters, I've carved up turkeys, and mellons, cut hose and even scraped inspection stickers off windows.

When wouldn't I use a knife and how could I possibly get through the day without one, or a dozen.

Till this day I can't understand how anyone could get along without carrying a knife , oh wait I know, ......................they borrow mine :grumpy: .

 

Firefighter. today at work I used my PE Endura to cut the end off a cigar,cut some tape for the head blocks on an ems run. But mostly carry a large tac folder 'cause I work in a run down area full of crackheads, dealers and every other sort of lowlife you can name.

 

I've experienced the same thing in the northeast. It's quite sad really. People watch too many movies for sure. Since the number of gun owners has dramatically decreased in Massachusetts, far fewer people are familiar with firearms as well and have irrational fears of them.

I need a knife for my job so I use discretion about who I use it in front of. Fortunately things like the dress code don't really apply to me since I work around a lot of printer ink, and I feel that I get a little extra permissiveness in the knife department as well.

 

I work retail in a hardware store, so my work EDC is a Ka-Bar Dozier, Leatherman Charge and small SAK.

The Ka-Bar handles most jobs, usually boxes and pallet wrap. The Charge comes in handy for the serrated blade, file and screwdrivers, and the SAK gets sheeple duty, for whenever I have to make a cut in front of a customer.

Mind you, my ordinary EDC doesn't vary much from this. I had to cut some screen for a customer when I was in on my day off and my boss mentioned that I was the only employee in the store equipped to do their job on their day off.

 

When I'm in geek mode I carry a CRKT m-16 13 or a spyderco native (mostly for cutting boxes, or cable). When on the street I carry a leatherman supertool and a folder- usually a CRKT m-16 14 or spyderco police model. They get used for mostly mundane things- removing temp license plates (they're cardboard), cutting open packages, cutting strings/laces oor the like-...I also carry a small pry bar and a folding boxcutter in my gear bag for chores that I don't want to risk screwing up my real knives...