So, you have a pretty knife, but what do you use when you need to cut

[Ironbut]

All my knives were bought to be users. Some days I may feel like carrying a traditional, but my Chris Reeve knives & ALOX SAKs get carried & used the most.

 

[Mick Boardman]

 

[J.G]

Since mid-August, the Pro-tech Malibu has won me and it's been carried most of the days. It's not the best slicer -in fact I could argue it's one of the worst in my collection- but I have used it for literally everything. From opening boxes to processing small game, it has never let me down.

 

[killgar]

This Kershaw is the "prettiest" knife I own.

I gave it to my father, he carried and used it. When he died it came back to me, now I carry and use it. It's my "public friendly" knife.

 

[dtcls100]

I use my Off the Grid Black Mamba v2 (M390), a Hogue Deka Magnacut (with upgraded scales and thumb studs), a Maserin Pitbull (M390), and a fixed blade Lionsteel M4 (M390) for cutting up boxes, strings, opening packages, and feather sticking. I use a Dawson fixed blade "Angler" in Magnacut for fishing, along with a Spyderco Salt 2. I use a cheap pocket knife for cutting stuff in the soil. I have a couple of limited edition Hogue Deka knives, two Ritter RSK MK1 (in Magnacut) and two other Dawson fixed blade hunting knives in Magnacut that I haven't really used yet, although I may use them if I bag a deer or turkey. The limited edition Deka knives (SubZero and Scorpion variants) may not get used as they were acquired more as collector pieces and I have another regular Deka in Magnacut that I use as my primary EDC.

 

[gooeytek]

I only carry one knife at a time, so if something needs cutting whatever is in my pocket is it.
Today, it's this.

 

[eisman]

One of these. Every day,

A friend calls this my "expensive salami slicer". He's right, but it works:

 

[badmatt]

Any and all of my collection.

Nothing is sacred.

 

[pvicenzi]

So you have pretty towels, what do you use when you need to dry your hands?

 

[NWFRS]

I just carry Mike Latham’s Lionsteel collaborations these days. His Barlow and Bolus knives. Not too expensive to carry, but I am more protective of the stag and rams horn covers, so I tend to carry the micarta examples most.

 

[Gary W. Graley]

So you have pretty towels, what do you use when you need to dry your hands?

We're not that fancy
G2

 

[Cementite]

So you have pretty towels, what do you use when you need to dry your hands?

The curtains?

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Hate to post and not include a photo, this one I have been toting around the last couple of days, for a knife well under $50 it's an amazing folder and of course, razor sharp. My 'fancier' folders are up for sale, but not the Queen, she's still resting comfortably and taken out to be admired.

​

G2

 

[scorpnsnake]

If I need to cut something and its in my pocket, it goes to work. Nothing in my humble little collection gets a free card or sick days.

 

[Quiet]

So you have pretty towels, what do you use when you need to dry your hands?

Hey whoa, heeeeyyyyy, let's keep this to knives, shall we?

I used my Mom's fancy schmancy "decorative towels" at her house to dry my hands one time, one time, and she threatened to roll one of 'em up and strangle me with it if I ever did it again.

 

[sodak]

A new candidate for dirty work just arrived, except that when I try to draw it, I give myself a wedgie, and when I try to sheath it, I'm in danger of mooning someone.

View attachment 2408209

I like this, what is it?

 

[David Mary]

Currently, it is these.

 

[Another Shepherd]

I like this, what is it?

ESEE Sencillo with Magnacut.

 

[bdmicarta]

I don't have any pretty knives in my EDC rotation, I have 3 versions of PM2, 2 versions of Manix 2 and 1 Benchmade. I don't want to damage any of them by cutting the wrong thing. I used to be worried so I experimented with carrying a second folder that I didn't mind cutting dirty things with. I didn't really use it. I realized 2 things- my knives are capable of tougher use than I think, and in my life I don't typically have to cut dirty things, so basically my usual knives will handle it.

Around my house I have cutting tools that I don't have to worry about, and if I'm away from home doing things where I might have to cut difficult stuff I'll bring another knife with me and/or a multitool.

Sometimes things happen though- I was on a fishing trip with a big group, pulled my knife out to open something and set it down. I looked around and couldn't find it, my uncle had picked it up and was scraping a cast iron pot with it. I wasn't very good at sharpening then and took me a long time to get the knife sharp again. If I was going to do something like that I would take a knife that I wouldn't mind someone mistreating.

I've never had to harvest calf fries with a knife but I have used my pocket knife to clean game.

 

[HJK]

I confess. When I fall for a beautiful knife I can hear it calling to me at night, softly so only i can hear:

"You think I look good? Don't I feel great? You will not believe how I can cut. You know you want to use me and see how good it can be...
Sure, collectors won't pay squat for it if you used it, but did you buy me for them? You know we were made for each other.
You're gonna spend that much money just to look at me? You don't want to sell me. How could you do that to me?"
But then again, how many people have an actual Busse folder? Of course it has to be used and to hell with it

Some knives I absolutely set aside, but as i get older I'm starting to use some, to hell with it.
If it isn't crazy expensive I may get two, sometimes a custom to keep and a user or a production version to use but I will wait a long time to find a second one to buy to use. That is getting harder lately

But, mostly, I buy them to use them and it's the function that counts.
They all have pluses and minuses and are better at certain things.