Pocket Knives in the Kitchen: Why?

Rick

Rick

Joined
Nov 27, 1998
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Vince's venison a la Menefee photo got me thinking.

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I've noticed that fans of traditional knives seem to favor their pocket knives for kitchen duties a lot more than modern folder users, but I've never understood the motivation.

I enjoy using my slippie du jour as much as the next guy, but a little folder is no match for a good 10" chef's knife, or other specialized kitchen cutlery; "the right tool for the right job," and all that. I can see why you might be compelled to use a slip joint to dress small game in the field or cut up some veggies for a campfire stew, but why would you wanna chop up a heap 'o deer meat at home with your pocket knife? :confused:

I mean absolutely no criticism to anyone here, BTW. Just curious!
 
When you're at your friends' house, your pocket knife is likely to be a better meat cutter than whatever butter knife is in their kitchen.
 
Most of us have no actual NEED for a pocket knife on a daily basis. I used mine (Schatt & Morgan Cotton Sampler) once today to cut open a bag of beef jerky that would have been faster to open by the quick open top- because I could. Kitchen duty is the most activity that most of us can put a knife through on a daily basis, and we want to take pictures of knives in use. "This is a 'user' pocket knife, see? I USED it to slice a carrot 11 times." A picture of a knife in someone's pocket is pretty boring and- depending on the person and the pocket- better suited for Whine and Cheese or the Cove.
 
I'll sit down at night with an apple, a hunk of cheddar cheese and one of my favorite slippies. I've got plenty of kitchen knives that would do just as well but I enjoy using a nice slipjoint, so I do.
 
I wondered the same thing, but I figured this way Vince knew it could cut.

I might be thinking of someone else, but didn't Vince recently post a picture where he was using a Tony Bose trapper to stir paint? Now THAT seemed crazy to me.
 
I like a swayback for "hulling" (knocking the tops off)strawberries
That front pocket slices & trims that meat better than any of my custom kitchen knives,it just does.
Sometimes,it is just to see how it cuts

This is a Reese Bose 4.5" D2 backpocket,I once owned,I wanted to see how it could peel this pineapple.IMO,a tuff job for most knives It did good!

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cotdt & Peregrin & all have good points as well .I still love my custom kitchen knives,too,though.
-Vince
 
hlee said:
Most of us have no actual NEED for a pocket knife on a daily basis. I used mine (Schatt & Morgan Cotton Sampler) once today to cut open a bag of beef jerky that would have been faster to open by the quick open top- because I could. Kitchen duty is the most activity that most of us can put a knife through on a daily basis, and we want to take pictures of knives in use. "This is a 'user' pocket knife, see? I USED it to slice a carrot 11 times." A picture of a knife in someone's pocket is pretty boring and- depending on the person and the pocket- better suited for Whine and Cheese or the Cove.
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I'm sorry your pocket knife gets so little use, personally if it were mine and saw such little use I'd give it away:) and just carry a small SAK or Spyderco Jester or Lady Bug on my keyring.

I vary what I carry every day but on average my knife comes into use 20 to 30 times a day, since I've been laid up maybe it's half that but it cuts, carves and scrapes everything from food to gaskets.
 
I personally use my pocket knives or multitools in the kitchen simply because these blades are sharper then the kitchen cutlery we have. I try to keep our knives sharp, but most are the cheap 10 dollar imported stuff, you know? Now sharpening them isn't the problem. I can get those knives shaving sharp. They are nice and thin, so it's not too hard. The problem is KEEPING them sharp. One use and they are butter knife dull, so I just use my own instead. Plus, I LOVE playing with my knives, so any chance to use them is a good reason.
 
I guess its the same reason I get out my bowsaw to cut a limb that has decided to knock my hat off. I have a chainsaw but like to watch the bow move thru the wood powered by my sweat and muscle. I cut stuff with my slipjoint for the same reason.....because I like it......same reason I use fixed blade hunting knife for my kitchen slicer.......why sometimes I even paddle my canoe UPSTREAM....300Bucks
 
I bbq alot. One time I was cooking fast, and I did not want to go inside to grab a steak knife. I happened to be carrying a one bladed stag Dr. knife. I opened it and sliced into my rib eye to check for medium rare for Mrs. CJ, and then my med well. The Dr. has a nice long handle as well as a thin long blade, it is almost a folding dinner knife. It kept my knuckle hair in tact without a singe. The sharp blade ran right through the meat as if it was a warm marshmellow.
 
More fun.
sharper.
Smaller and more control.
Great way to patina.
I use my pocket knives a lot each day, so its an extension of my hand.
 
My Emerson CQC15 is EDC and I've sliced apples fresh off the trees in the back yard for me and my german shepards and slivered pork steaks for midnight snacks.
It's also carved oak poles for stakes and served regular duty doing any and every daily task that comes along.
My son often asks to use it when a sharp mulltipurpose blade will help him build one of his handcrafted sandwiches.
Why would you carry a knife if it doesn't leap to the ready to perform the task at hand?
Close combat or culinary?
 
Sometimes I can't be bothered washing(midnight snacks like cp2u) a 10" Chef's knife so I just use a pocket knife and wipe it after, for bigger chores I would use a proper kitchen knife.
 
cotdt said:
When you're at your friends' house, your pocket knife is likely to be a better meat cutter than whatever butter knife is in their kitchen.
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Wow... how true is that!! :thumbup::thumbup:

My buddies have knives that wouldn't spread butter that they use as kitchen knives. I always take a large blade folder over when we BBQ or cook for kitchen chores. I am tired of not being able to cut up chickens, slice briskets or pork sholders, or cut up a loin. Much less veggies; they just get mashed with their kitchen knives.

In my own home, I have plenty of nice kitchen knives that I enjoy using as much as my non-kitchen blades. I never use my hunting or folding knives in the kitchen.

NOT THAT USING YOUR FOLDER IN THE KITCHEN IS BAD.

Robert
 
Every morning I cut 2 oranges for juice and a pocket-knife slices so well,same with veggies. Plus if it's carbon, you add to the authenticity as every day adds a new colour....no real risk of some idiot putting a pocket knife in the dishwasher either! I don't care what manufacturers claim, dishwasher plus any kitchen knife = wreck.
 
The kitchen is just another place to play with knives!

I have a Queen Trapper in D2 with Red delrin as my go-to kitchen knife
The long straight edge of the spey with an acute grind is great to slice vegetables
And the clip blade for coring and cleaning.
 
When my wife is at the kitchen table slicing veggies for supper and or lunch, she says oft too many times " This knife is sooo dull" So I will clean up this one and hand to her, I keep it razor sharp, I do work on the kitchen knives, but not so often and she washes those in the dishwasher.:grumpy: She loves the way it slices and dices, when she is finished. I wash it down and back in the pocket. ALWAYS nice to have a razor around. :)
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I use mine in the kitchen sometimes, but always when cooking on vacation, etc when the kitchen knives are junk and about as sharp as my finger. I really enjoy using my stockman in the kitchen.

AG Russell makes a folding kitchen knife that I'd love to get my hands on.
 
In part, it's an aesthetic thing. My pocketknives look much better than my kitchen knives because they are adorned with bone, stag & hardwood scales. I enjoy having tools that look great and are in great shape. Unless I have need for my large chef's knives, pocketknives are more pleasurable to use. They are "pocket jewelry" I can use.

I also enjoy their capability for precision, detailed work.
 
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