The 'One Knife You Never Use' Concept?

[Basp2005]

I carry two knives every day, but use them both. A nice folder in pocket for normal tasks (bling), and a fixed blade neck knife that gets used for things I wouldn't subject the folder to. Anything can be used in a defensive situation if you are creative and or desperate. My knives are not carried expressly for that purpose.

 

[NMpops]

When I use a quality knife it always as a last resort, having exhausted all other possibilities. I know of no other kind of knives.

What I understand by "quality knife" is something that is actually fairly rare: It has to be large, fixed blade and yet thin edged: No more than 0.020"-0.030", hold up well at 12 degrees per side, and be tested hard at least once, to see if the base/apex is not burned out by power tools (which shows up quickly at this thinness).

This may come as a shock to people, who routinely post perfectly pristine knives and claim to use them heavily, but using knives is essentially the same as destroying them as emergency items... Hollow grinds put on an appearance of durability because the sides of the edge are parallel for some height (I call this "the reserve"), so that they actually don't lose much potential sharpness for quite a while. This makes hollow grinds inherently superior in long-term durability...

Flat ground knives lose potential sharpness the very moment they are used: Because of this, I was bummed out to find out they combine better with round Hollow Handles, because this negative feature makes them much more stable when chopping wood: No sideways rolling...

I will only use quality knives that I don't like for one reason or another, And I tend not to keep knives I don't like... I only ever use the very bottom of my collection: It is a tricky thing, because good knives being rare, it is rare to find a good one I don't like, but still think is good enough to carry or use... I learned some time ago I will only ever use the worst knife I own, so I make sure the worst is still very good, and I routinely throw away worse knives that I know I would be tempted to use.

I test knives hard for functionality, and those that did the best are re-sharpened one last time and absolutely will never be used again, even in an End of the World scenario: End of the World is the next rung down...

Gaston

Makes no sense to me at all. I don't own a knife I won't use. Never bought one I didn't intend to put to use either. Some get used more than others but all get used.

 

[A.L.]

Do you believe in the one purpose knife you keep on you but never use, only to be used as a last resort knife?

Nope. I hate knives that don't get use. I get rid of them.

 

[GREENJACKET]

I only carry the knives I'm likely to use that day. I have a few knives that haven't had much use because they are still waiting their turn as what is being used I haven't lost or broken yet.

I suppose the little blade on many a SAK is kept perfect and never really used. Does that count?

I have enough to carry and not going to carry more than absolutely necessary. To me a SD weapon starts with a gun.

 

[Wayne P.]

I always carry a non-user knife with protection purpose. That big blade, whichever it might be, remains untouched during the whole day. I cut what I need to cut with my SAK/Multitool, my neck knife or my modern folder (usually a 3-4 inch lockback/linerlock, depending on the task and the people around me or the context I'm in.

Has been like this since I started carrying modern folders years ago, and worked fine.

No reason to dull, damage or use a giant, scary, purpose-driven knife unless there is no other option. But I am sure there always is.

That knife is the one that has to be always immediately available, and always razor sharp.

YMMV, of course!

Someone gets exactly what I mean.

“Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.”

 

[stabman]

Someone gets exactly what I mean.

I knew exactly what you meant.
I just don't agree with it.
For one thing, in the heat of the moment you will be far more likely to fumble the knife you don't ever use. No matter how often you train with it, it will never be as familiar as the knife you actually use for daily tasks.
Nor will you have the ability to cut with it as well as the knife that you actually use to cut stuff.

Think about this: do you think a "knife-fighter" will cut you up more effectively than a butcher who cuts up meat all day long?
Think about it.

 

[timbo813]

This may come as a shock to people, who routinely post perfectly pristine knives and claim to use them heavily, but using knives is essentially the same as destroying them as emergency items... Hollow grinds put on an appearance of durability because the sides of the edge are parallel for some height (I call this "the reserve"), so that they actually don't lose much potential sharpness for quite a while. This makes hollow grinds inherently superior in long-term durability...

Flat ground knives lose potential sharpness the very moment they are used: Because of this, I was bummed out to find out they combine better with round Hollow Handles, because this negative feature makes them much more stable when chopping wood: No sideways rolling...

I will only use quality knives that I don't like for one reason or another, And I tend not to keep knives I don't like... I only ever use the very bottom of my collection: It is a tricky thing, because good knives being rare, it is rare to find a good one I don't like, but still think is good enough to carry or use... I learned some time ago I will only ever use the worst knife I own, so I make sure the worst is still very good, and I routinely throw away worse knives that I know I would be tempted to use.

I test knives hard for functionality, and those that did the best are re-sharpened one last time and absolutely will never be used again, even in an End of the World scenario: End of the World is the next rung down...

Gaston

This is the same for most things you use. As soon as you start driving a car it begins to wear out. I'm currently wearing out all the clothes I have on. My house is being worn out by living in it.

That being said, I have enough knives to easily last the rest of my life without wearing out. I don't worry about driving 5 miles to the store because I think it's going to wear my car out. I also don't worry about my knives wearing out tomorrow. It's a gradual process and it will take many years to wear out even one quality knife at my current use.

 

[Wayne P.]

I knew exactly what you meant.
I just don't agree with it.
For one thing, in the heat of the moment you will be far more likely to fumble the knife you don't ever use. No matter how often you train with it, it will never be as familiar as the knife you actually use for daily tasks.
Nor will you have the ability to cut with it as well as the knife that you actually use to cut stuff.

Think about this: do you think a "knife-fighter" will cut you up more effectively than a butcher who cuts up meat all day long?
Think about it.

According to who?, this is nothing more than just your opinion.
You can't make a blanket statement like that.
What may not work for you doesn't mean it won't work for everyone else.
I have always done it this way and it has worked for me every time, without question(its like money in the bank just sitting there waiting for when you need it), which is proof your view is just your own.
This isn't about the technique of a person, its about having a perfect condition knife at the ready when you need it, for what ever the purpose.
As far as your knife fighter/butcher question, you mean like Bill 'The Butcher' Cutting, from Gangs Of New York?

 

[stabman]

You can't make a blanket statement like that.

I just did.

Someone who uses a tool all the time is better with it than someone who occasionally does; that is a statement of fact.

I have always done it this way and it has worked for me every time, without question(its like money in the bank just sitting there waiting for when you need it), which is proof your view is just your own.

What do you mean "worked every time"?
How many assailants have you successfully defended yourself from?
Did you fight off a pack of dogs with the knife you carry but never use?

You use the word proof, but you may not know what that word means.

Other people have the same view as me also, so it is demonstrably not just my own view.

And yes, I know that some experts hold your view, but I disagree with them also (read what they wrote though).
Some other experts hold the view I do, which you obviously disagree with.

But I'll continue to happily say that certain experts and those who agree with them are entirely wrong.

 

[link2derek]

For every knife that I have and like and actually carry and USE, I have at least one (or 2 or 10, depending) BNIB on standby in one of my safes. They're back-ups. Eventually I might damage, break, lose, trade or sell any particular USER, and I like knowing I have a back-up(s) on standby and immediately available. It would suck to need to replace a favorite user and not be able to get it because it's no longer being made.

But, on the other hand, I also have knives that are purely for collecting, whether it's a single knife or a handful of duplicates. Those are for admiring and fondling, and not for use unless it's a seriously desperate situation (zombie apocalypse, for example! Hehe...).

 

[Daverageguy]

Nope.Use diffrent blades daily.

 

[Wayne P.]

I just did.

Someone who uses a tool all the time is better with it than someone who occasionally does; that is a statement of fact.



What do you mean "worked every time"?
How many assailants have you successfully defended yourself from?
Did you fight off a pack of dogs with the knife you carry but never use?

You use the word proof, but you may not know what that word means.

Other people have the same view as me also, so it is demonstrably not just my own view.

And yes, I know that some experts hold your view, but I disagree with them also (read what they wrote though).
Some other experts hold the view I do, which you obviously disagree with.

But I'll continue to happily say that certain experts and those who agree with them are entirely wrong.

Its alright to disagree based on your own perspective but you don't speak for anyone but yourself.
Proof is that it has and does work 'for me', but unlike you I'm not speaking or suggesting that I speak for anyone but myself.
Nuff said...

 

[stabman]

Its alright to disagree based on your own perspective but you don't speak for anyone but yourself.
Proof is that it has and does work 'for me'

I don't have to...they speak for themselves...

No. I don't treat any of my gear like this. In a stressful situation you're going to reach for what you're used to. You're not going to remember the knife you stashed some where.

No. My experience has shown me that the knife you use most is the one you will grab, and knives you don't will be forgotten. I've tried several times to carry a single purpose knife, but its just never come into play when I've come into a situation that could have used it.

You still haven't said what "proof" you are basing your opinion on either.
Pulling it out in front of the mirror don't count.
Neither does a safe warm feeling of preparedness.

So, what do you have as "Proof is that it has and does work 'for me'", or is that just an opinion?
Which is not proof, just so you know.

 

[LouieLouie109]

Yes, depending on whether I'm close to home or further away, rural or urban. My edc is usually a one handed opener, smooth blade. On the road, I keep some kind of serrate or hook. If you've ever been trapped upside down by your seat belt, you never, ever want to be unprepared again. Now and then, the extra, extra knife is a larger blade 'nearby.' This only if there's a strong chance of needing SD or woodscraft, or taking out for show/trade. My neck of the woods has plenty of woods, and some two legged varmints. At home my SD blades is a Glock. ~
Ex: Smith & Wesson SWAT w/ lock button; Gerber River Shorty, Klenk duct knife
One armed razor trapper, mariner's knife, something with a full tang and double edge. Doesn't have to be a jewel or last forever.
"No, officer, that's a duct knife, I use it for repair and maintenance. Oh, that one? It doesn't even have a point! . . . . "

 

[tinfoil hat timmy]

Busse basic 7. Rides in my trunk.

 

[Todd21969]

Someone gets exactly what I mean.

“Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.”

I am sure quite a few of us get what you meant.

Like stabman, I also don't agree with it.

I always carry a waved Mini CQC 15 in my right front pocket. Eight months now and counting [emoji4]

I use it like a rented mule. Should I need to cut someone off me it'll do.

I'll also sometimes carry a waved Matriarch 2 in my back pocket as a "get off me knife".

But the darn thing rips open clam shell packaging , boxes etc..so well it gets used too. 😀

 

[Shotgun]

I knew exactly what you meant.
I just don't agree with it.
For one thing, in the heat of the moment you will be far more likely to fumble the knife you don't ever use. No matter how often you train with it, it will never be as familiar as the knife you actually use for daily tasks.
Nor will you have the ability to cut with it as well as the knife that you actually use to cut stuff.

Think about this: do you think a "knife-fighter" will cut you up more effectively than a butcher who cuts up meat all day long?
Think about it.

My thoughts too.

We all know what you're saying op, that doesn't mean everyone agrees with you.

 

[The cow]

When I use a quality knife it always as a last resort, having exhausted all other possibilities. I know of no other kind of knives.

What I understand by "quality knife" is something that is actually fairly rare: It has to be large, fixed blade and yet thin edged: No more than 0.020"-0.030", hold up well at 12 degrees per side, and be tested hard at least once, to see if the base/apex is not burned out by power tools (which shows up quickly at this thinness).

This may come as a shock to people, who routinely post perfectly pristine knives and claim to use them heavily, but using knives is essentially the same as destroying them as emergency items... Hollow grinds put on an appearance of durability because the sides of the edge are parallel for some height (I call this "the reserve"), so that they actually don't lose much potential sharpness for quite a while. This makes hollow grinds inherently superior in long-term durability...

Flat ground knives lose potential sharpness the very moment they are used: Because of this, I was bummed out to find out they combine better with round Hollow Handles, because this negative feature makes them much more stable when chopping wood: No sideways rolling...

I will only use quality knives that I don't like for one reason or another, And I tend not to keep knives I don't like... I only ever use the very bottom of my collection: It is a tricky thing, because good knives being rare, it is rare to find a good one I don't like, but still think is good enough to carry or use... I learned some time ago I will only ever use the worst knife I own, so I make sure the worst is still very good, and I routinely throw away worse knives that I know I would be tempted to use.

I test knives hard for functionality, and those that did the best are re-sharpened one last time and absolutely will never be used again, even in an End of the World scenario: End of the World is the next rung down...

Gaston

I wish I was drunk enough to understand this...


As for the OP's question, I assume you're talking about last ditch knives. If they're referring to strictly self-defense knife, I don't see much utility in carrying one. When you need it most, it'll be the last knife you grab. Why? Because you never use it. I'd rather have a sharp utility knife that is easy to open (or unsheath) that happens to be good at stabbing. It is why I tend to shy away from unsightly beasts like Medford Praetorians.

As for SHTF blades. They're all knives I used, liked but fell out of favor in one way or another. I know they'll work for and friends/family that'll need them. Or in my car's case, should something go wrong, I'll need it. Granted, these tend to be mid-range mass-production knives like ESEE and Ontario and are easily replaced should they get stolen.

 

[not a zombie fan]

I carry an emmerson karambit weak side daily. I'm neither a knife fighter or a gunfighter but were someone trying to take my pistol it would get used. That being said, my holster is inside the waistband with pretty secure retention (N82). I've used it for utility a few times but rarely.

I do have several in the safe that are either duplicates or being held as invesments. Got some mall ninja stuff I think is neat but wouldnt carry it. I guess I did "use" my wasp injection knife to blow up a few watermelons and no doubt it would be a formidable self defense tool but Id hate to explain myself-no matter how justified. Pretty sure most every wasp sold has just blown up watermelons...theres no sharks in the suburbs of atlanta...

 

[GREENJACKET]

I think I've found the king of "carried but never used" knives. The Combat Knife. The one every soldier straps to his webbing like the Kar Bar.
I know as a Cold War Worrier I carried such a knife on my webbing for years and years. Ran up and down mountain and fell. Patrolled for hours in the happy knowledge I had it just in case. Mine was a CR Project II and I was very proud of it; did some milage that knife.

My SAK got used, later my Leatherman Wave got used and my backlock folder that I usually carried got a lot of use. When in the jungle we got issued machete/gollocks. But that combat knife never seemed to have a job. The small blades opened our ration packs/MRE's, and huge crates needed screwdrivers, wire cutters and crow bars which came with the job.
Basically the Combat Knife rarely ever came out of its sheath.
Don't get me wrong I was happy to carry it, would have felt naked without. But the modern soldier really doesn't find much use for one. Just like if you have a good tour then you might never have to fire your weapon in anger. If in the wrong place at the wrong time you would though.
Maybe I was just lucky; not sure what a knife could do to fight off a Nuclear Attack.