knives4ever
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whats your most scratched,dented,rusty leatherman you still use today?
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show your worst condition leatherman that you still use today
- Thread starter knives4ever
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My Leatherman is not scratched, beat up, rusty or abused so I can't help you there how about a picture of yours?
Why would you beat up, abuse and let your Leatherman get rusty, is that how you treat your knife and tools?
I don't know about you but I don't have that kind of income that I can abuse the tools I use everyday, which is probably the reason I have tools from my grandfather and my Old Man, knives that I use everyday that are over a hundred years old.
If you continue to abuse your blades and tools and neglect them they will fail you but then aren't you failing them by reading them that way?
This is not an attempt to start something, just trying to understand you.
Why would you beat up, abuse and let your Leatherman get rusty, is that how you treat your knife and tools?
I don't know about you but I don't have that kind of income that I can abuse the tools I use everyday, which is probably the reason I have tools from my grandfather and my Old Man, knives that I use everyday that are over a hundred years old.
If you continue to abuse your blades and tools and neglect them they will fail you but then aren't you failing them by reading them that way?
This is not an attempt to start something, just trying to understand you.
Actually, I sort of like this thread idea.
Not sure why anyone would have to jump in and pile on the OP that way. . . .
Maybe somebody lost one and found it years later-- or maybe, Mr. Erdelyi, you could post a pic of what some of your "century" tools look like with proper care! Maybe one all the way from the eastern part of Hungary.
I can imagine people of all income levels accidentally finding themselves with a worn or rusted or damaged tool, for all kinds of reasons OTHER than shameful neglect. Hurricane Katrina; Hurricane Sandy; or just getting caught in the rain on a 3 day camping trip.
I just bought a Leatherman Surge, it's on its way to me, based in part on some cool threads I read here as a newbie. I support cool thread ideas. I'd post a pic, but I haven't started wearing mine out yet.
Not sure why anyone would have to jump in and pile on the OP that way. . . .
Maybe somebody lost one and found it years later-- or maybe, Mr. Erdelyi, you could post a pic of what some of your "century" tools look like with proper care! Maybe one all the way from the eastern part of Hungary.
I can imagine people of all income levels accidentally finding themselves with a worn or rusted or damaged tool, for all kinds of reasons OTHER than shameful neglect. Hurricane Katrina; Hurricane Sandy; or just getting caught in the rain on a 3 day camping trip.
I just bought a Leatherman Surge, it's on its way to me, based in part on some cool threads I read here as a newbie. I support cool thread ideas. I'd post a pic, but I haven't started wearing mine out yet.
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This was my Grandfathers knife, he used it 39 years ago the last time I saw him, (I was 15 then) to cut Kielbasa and smoked/cured meats in the pantry for our afternoon meals along with cutting up bread and onions and peppers to go with the ham.
My cousin found it in the basement and gave it to me as a gift when I went home.
It's gotta be over 65 years old and other than the pitting/character it's as strong as the day he let me use it to cut myself a piece of kielbasa the last day I saw him.
I hadn't even thought of that day or the knife in nearly 35 years, her giving me that knife brought a tear to this old Mad Hungarians eye.
It says Gerlach Poland on the tang I'm not even sure what kind of wood it has for handles, anyone ever seen or heard of this brand.
The funny part, when my grandfather died 30 years ago his daughter in law threw it out and my cousin who's my age (50) garbage picked it and saved that and his Bull Horn that he used to keep his sharpening stone in and hanging on his belt for sharpening his scythe when working in the fields, the horn has to be 100+ years old.
Three more pictures to finish this story:
First is the horn my grandfather had that he kept the sharpening stone in:
Here's a picture of my grandfather and 6 of my mother's brothers and sisters, if you look on his belt you'll see the horn hanging:
For the old folk with bi-focals here's a closeup:
I love family history, this story was posted in this link before here when I came back from vacation in Hungary two years ago.
My cousin found it in the basement and gave it to me as a gift when I went home.
It's gotta be over 65 years old and other than the pitting/character it's as strong as the day he let me use it to cut myself a piece of kielbasa the last day I saw him.
I hadn't even thought of that day or the knife in nearly 35 years, her giving me that knife brought a tear to this old Mad Hungarians eye.
It says Gerlach Poland on the tang I'm not even sure what kind of wood it has for handles, anyone ever seen or heard of this brand.
The funny part, when my grandfather died 30 years ago his daughter in law threw it out and my cousin who's my age (50) garbage picked it and saved that and his Bull Horn that he used to keep his sharpening stone in and hanging on his belt for sharpening his scythe when working in the fields, the horn has to be 100+ years old.
Three more pictures to finish this story:
First is the horn my grandfather had that he kept the sharpening stone in:
Here's a picture of my grandfather and 6 of my mother's brothers and sisters, if you look on his belt you'll see the horn hanging:
For the old folk with bi-focals here's a closeup:
I love family history, this story was posted in this link before here when I came back from vacation in Hungary two years ago.
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Here's my BM Ares carried since 2000 used as a work knife when I was a facilities mechanic, used not abused everyday for 10 years still like new.
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I here grew up being taught not to abuse your tools, when the end of the job came I was always referred to wipe down the Old Man's tools and grease or oil what ever was needed.
Abuse will always hasten the demise of any good tool, it wasn't until I receive a Becker BK2 from a forum member here that I even felt comfortable beating on the spine of a knife.
Abuse will always hasten the demise of any good tool, it wasn't until I receive a Becker BK2 from a forum member here that I even felt comfortable beating on the spine of a knife.
I agree with Bob Loveless on the subject.
"A knife is a tool, and if we don't treat our tools with a certain familiar contempt, we lose perspective." - Bob Loveless (interview in Sports Illustrated)
I've spent my time working as bike mechanic and continue to work on bikes on the side. Yes, caring for tools is important and neglect is not a good thing. But when it comes down to a choice between the job and sparing the tool, I finish the job and when done, toss the tool to its rightful spot in the tool box. My tools are useable, sharp when then they need to be and lubricated, but they get scratched and dented and when working near salt water a lot, rusty sometimes. Just the nature of the beast.
Multi-tools make crappy bike tools, so I don't use my Leatherman tools as hard as my bike tools. Just an average home owner/sportsman in that regard. Still... I don't go out of my way to pamper them.
Here's my most banged up one. It's the red Micra.
image by Pinnah, on Flickr
If you look close, you'll see that the handles are scratched.
That's it.
Now, it sits next to my nicest remaining Victorinox Classic. Both scales are cracked, the main blade/screw driver joint is loose and wobbly (the screw driver killed it) and the spring has busted off the scissors.
As a bike (and ski) mechanic, I'm interested in how things bust when pushed at or just beyond their limits. I work now as an engineer and understanding wear and damage and failure has become a professional interest.
For this reason, I'm very interested in this thread. Would love to see Leatherman tools that have pushed to their limit and more to the point, I would love to hear the stories of how it happened. One of my convictions as an engineer is that some things simply stand up to hard use better than others. Some tools are better suited to a life of "familiar contempt" than others.
Personally, I'd hold off characterizing somebody's treatement of their tool as being abusive. Yes, it can happen and nothing makes me shake my head more than seeing stuff busted by idiocy. But then.... there are users who bust stuff because they honestly do push stuff that hard. For them, they need better tools is all. And some are better than others in that regard, imo.
"A knife is a tool, and if we don't treat our tools with a certain familiar contempt, we lose perspective." - Bob Loveless (interview in Sports Illustrated)
I've spent my time working as bike mechanic and continue to work on bikes on the side. Yes, caring for tools is important and neglect is not a good thing. But when it comes down to a choice between the job and sparing the tool, I finish the job and when done, toss the tool to its rightful spot in the tool box. My tools are useable, sharp when then they need to be and lubricated, but they get scratched and dented and when working near salt water a lot, rusty sometimes. Just the nature of the beast.
Multi-tools make crappy bike tools, so I don't use my Leatherman tools as hard as my bike tools. Just an average home owner/sportsman in that regard. Still... I don't go out of my way to pamper them.
Here's my most banged up one. It's the red Micra.
image by Pinnah, on Flickr
If you look close, you'll see that the handles are scratched.
That's it.
Now, it sits next to my nicest remaining Victorinox Classic. Both scales are cracked, the main blade/screw driver joint is loose and wobbly (the screw driver killed it) and the spring has busted off the scissors.
As a bike (and ski) mechanic, I'm interested in how things bust when pushed at or just beyond their limits. I work now as an engineer and understanding wear and damage and failure has become a professional interest.
For this reason, I'm very interested in this thread. Would love to see Leatherman tools that have pushed to their limit and more to the point, I would love to hear the stories of how it happened. One of my convictions as an engineer is that some things simply stand up to hard use better than others. Some tools are better suited to a life of "familiar contempt" than others.
Personally, I'd hold off characterizing somebody's treatement of their tool as being abusive. Yes, it can happen and nothing makes me shake my head more than seeing stuff busted by idiocy. But then.... there are users who bust stuff because they honestly do push stuff that hard. For them, they need better tools is all. And some are better than others in that regard, imo.
I am the same way with my knives and tools. Wonderful story you wrote and some interesting history. It was nice of you to share that with us. It is folks like you who make this forum so enjoyable for us all here. It is often the senior members such as yourself that can fill the new comers and members with less seniority with some of your advice, knowledge, and wisdom. (Such as this) Just remember, sometimes it takes a little time here for some folks to understand what this forum is all about. I admire your patience Mr. Erdelyi, and you are a great forum member here.
I use rem-oil gun oil to clean my knives, then finish with hoppesweather-gaurd for rust protection. If a knife gets to thick of a patina, or rust begins, I will use a metal finishing pad and 1000grit wet/dry for finishing. Not to beat anyone, you may have just found or bought a rusty knife.. Either way, not the point. If you clean and oil your knives regularly, they should never rust. You will also keep your knives/tools much longer. What this man had to say was good advice. :thumbup:
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http://imgur.com/a/Acnfw
I bought this Wave just before I started my SERE training nearly 10 years ago. She's been my toolbox and my dining utensils. When I misplace her, I actually start to feel physically ill. I love this little tool and the history behind each blemish. No rust, no chips, and no missing parts, but believe me I don't baby my stuff.
I bought this Wave just before I started my SERE training nearly 10 years ago. She's been my toolbox and my dining utensils. When I misplace her, I actually start to feel physically ill. I love this little tool and the history behind each blemish. No rust, no chips, and no missing parts, but believe me I don't baby my stuff.
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It makes me smile seeing a heavily used, but not abused tool like that. I'm sure it would tell some great stories if it could. Completely awesome! :thumbup:
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Guys, stop ditching on the thread for the love of all things good and proper! By asking for pics of a dented and scratched tool the guy is not making a declaration of war. My tools are not abuse but some have scratches from being used, or from when I was still teaching myself how to sharpen. Some have blade rub. A worn tool doesn't mean it has been abused, quite the opposite in fact. My favourite knife is a sak camper which has a few scratches on the blade from going through a knotty old bit of jarrah(think of an oak burl with grit in it for those who aren't familiar). If a knife is well loved and used it may develop scratches and sometimes, lord forbid, we drop our knives. we don't mean to but sometimes it happens. I don't mean any offence to those who do lovingly cherish and care for their knives and don't ever seem to develop scratches or accidentally drop the, (that might just be my nerve damage) but I don't think we should bag out someone just for starting a thread. BTW I don't really have a super worn knife at all, just thought I'd throw in my two cents 
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Guys, stop ditching on the thread for the love of all things good and proper! By asking for pics of a dented and scratched tool the guy is not making a declaration of war. My tools are not abuse but some have scratches from being used, or from when I was still teaching myself how to sharpen. Some have blade rub. A worn tool doesn't mean it has been abused, quite the opposite in fact. My favourite knife is a sak camper which has a few scratches on the blade from going through a knotty old bit of jarrah(think of an oak burl with grit in it for those who aren't familiar). If a knife is well loved and used it may develop scratches and sometimes, lord forbid, we drop our knives. we don't mean to but sometimes it happens. I don't mean any offence to those who do lovingly cherish and care for their knives and don't ever seem to develop scratches or accidentally drop the, (that might just be my nerve damage) but I don't think we should bag out someone just for starting a thread. BTW I don't really have a super worn knife at all, just thought I'd throw in my two cents
Agreed.
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[
That's the thing. If you take care of them, these tools will last. After 9 years of almost daily carry, my original Super Tool still looks great. One of the screwdrivers is a little twisted, but the rest of the implements are in very good condition. There are marks and scratches on the handles and blades, but I can't find a good way to photograph them so they show clearly. That's pretty minor. Note the beautiful Bianchi made leather pouch for it. These days I prefer the Super Tool 300, but still use this ST as part of kit for some purposes and when I'm traveling. It's slimmer than current Super Tools, fits my NiteIze Pockit better, and besides, I have emotion for the faithful companion for almost a decade
. There. I said it.
Last edited:
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That's the thing. If you take care of them, these tools will last. After 9 years of almost daily carry, my original Super Tool still looks great. One of the screwdrivers is a little twisted, but the rest of the implements are in very good condition. There are marks and scratches on the handles and blades, but I can't find a good way to photograph them so they show clearly. That's pretty minor. Note the beautiful Bianchi made leather pouch for it. These days I prefer the Super Tool 300, but still use this ST as part of kit for some purposes and when I'm traveling. It's slimmer than current Super Tools, fits my NiteIze Pockit better, and besides, I have emotion for the faithful companion for almost a decade
That's the one I carry, I've had about 6 different Leathermans, various Gerber and a Schrade, I traded ask my Leathermans to get back to my Supertool.
I had a Wave and I thought it was the one, till I almost cut my finger off when the blade opened while I was using the pliers.
My Supertool looks as good as yours, they last with a little care and common sense.
I worked in a sporting goods shop for a while when I was first married. I was the guy who sent stuff in for repair, etc. I remember getting one of these, to send in, that would have been the perfect answer to the o.p. I think the owner might have been a roofer. it had what looked like roofing tar in all the crevices, and had been scratched all over with something very coarse. I assume it was asphalt shingles. the sheath almost looked like it had a run in with a belt sander. I imagined the owner sliding down a steep roof on his backside, grinding that thing into the shingles as he went. I wish I had a picture for you. man, I haven't thought about that in 16 years. I hope I'm wrong about what happened to it.That's the one I carry, I've had about 6 different Leathermans, various Gerber and a Schrade, I traded ask my Leathermans to get back to my Supertool.
I had a Wave and I thought it was the one, till I almost cut my finger off when the blade opened while I was using the pliers.
My Supertool looks as good as yours, they last with a little care and common sense.
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"Note the beautiful Bianchi made leather pouch for it."
Did Bianchi make the old pouches for Leatherman? The leather, fasteners and quality of the old ones was excellent.
Did Bianchi make the old pouches for Leatherman? The leather, fasteners and quality of the old ones was excellent.
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That's what I heard. The PST was equipped with the same but smaller. They were very well made. Although I carried one for 9 years, these days I much prefer nylon. Those are more versatile, weigh less and hang at a more comfortable position for me. They wear out sooner, but cheap enough to replace.
mckrob
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Original Supertool, saw and file both broke off, small screwdriver broken and reground. I carried this daily at work for about 10 years, cutting geophysical wire mainly. I wouldn't call it abuse, just hard use I guess. I replaced it with the Leatherman Core in the photo.
