Traditional folder usage during a day

[Gary W. Graley]

Hi Folks, lots of times we use the term Every Day Carry but often we may not actually put it into use, so I looked back on just today, so far, and I counted 17 times I've taken my knife out to do this and that chore, or just whittle or trim a loose thread off my hat.

My knives are not pricey, quite modest in value, but in 'value' they are priceless, to me at least

So take a shot, add comments if you like as to what chores you use your folder, always interesting to hear.

I carry several knives at a time, yes, I know I have a problem, my wife does remind me of this, but none the less I do carry and for good reason...I can amongst the lot are some listed here;

SAK Executive probably one of the oldest knives I've ever owned.
SAK Pioneer, one of the most useful 'tools' that I own, especially the awl portion, so handy because you can use it with abandon and not worry about that thin cutting edge, it's meant for tougher things and does it with aplomb. (paid $5 for that word)
John Primble Congress, a gift from a friend that never ceases to bring a smile to my face when I draw her out to use her, sliced up a crab apple from one of our trees today with that, along with some whittling thrown in, just a great handling folder.
Opinel #10 Slim, good for slicing up my subway subs, my wife doesn't get it but when she sees me eating my sub in neat sushi sliced sections of the sub, she did say that looks like it would be easier to eat without the mess...yep.

So, lets hear from you folks, you can add up each use into the day's total, as I did mine, I do have different uses for the ones I carry so I can rationalize my 'problem' of carrying so many folders at once, well, at least in my head that works !

And I hope everyone had a great Labor Day holiday today too.
G2

edited to add, thread's worthless without photos, here's that John Primble congress

John_Primble_morning by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

 

[JJ_Colt45]

I had to think a bit ... if it simply asked how many times I used a knife throughout a day it would be much higher but a traditional ... I had to pause ...

For awhile I didn't use a traditional alot but have been carrying one daily with my other knives and find myself using them a bit more often ... especially since I got my Northfield Improved Trapper ... it just makes me want to pull it out and use it.

So I probably use others more often but have noticed a small shift in what I reach for at times lately.

Didn't have time to get a good picture of either the new Northfield or this Bull Dog ... but this is what is in my pocket today.



Being as it's inching closer to fall ... my daily usage will jump up alot ...walks in the woods ... preparing for hunting season ... getting the house and vehicles ready for winter ... will be lots of things pop up through the day ... I may try counting one or two days and actually see how often ... it may shock me ... I'm sure I'll have to take my boots and socks off to get that high ...

 

[mitch4ging]

Since I've retired, my situation has changed. I use to use one a lot at work, and I typically carried a modern folder, a SAK and another traditional. Now, I just usually carry one trad, and just use it a few times during the day.

My favorite to carry is usually the BF's Harness Jack. Love that knife!

 

[Railsplitter]

I chose 1 time because we are not permitted to use our own knives at the workplace and that is where I encounter 95% of my cutting chores. Thank goodness there's no rule against having one in my pocket.

There are days that I don't use my knives at all. Sometimes even weeks. For me, a pocket knife is something I carry primarily because I like them but also just in case I might need one outside of the workplace.

 

[jackknife]

I think it varies some, but since my main etc pocket knife is the little SAK classic on my keyring, it may be as much as 10. I use the knife to open mail, trim threads, open packages. The nail file SD tool gets used quite a bit to trim a chipped nail, untangle a knot in something, the scissors get used for snipping things from the corner off a mustard pack to stray beard/mustache hairs, chipped nails, and the tweezers for anything tweezing if that makes any sense. The SD tip has felt with tons of small Phillips screws and let me make actual repairs on stuff with no other tool.

I use a small SAK soooo much, I'd rather go without my other knives than go without my SAK. In the course of the day, it gets used for many other things than cutting.

 

[Titan]

My daily carries on me (except the ones in my bag) are my SAK Super Tinker, Case Carhartt Wharncliffe and Kershaw Zing. I usually use the scissors on the SAK when opening coffee in packs, and I prefer the Zing when needing a blade as its easier to deploy one-handed with its assisted opening. The Case I take out from time to time to fondle and caress

 

[afishhunter]

I use mine for whatever cutting task I may have, opening envelopes and/or boxes, wood work, worry stone, food prep, and while eating, as needed.

 

[Wurrwulf]

Once a day is actually pretty generous for me. Even though I may carry 2-3 knives at all times, I rarely have a need for them. I used my Peanut today to open a bag of charcoal, and I cut the cardboard flap off of a case of beer with my BFTC. I don't recall using a knife at all Saturday or Sunday, though. My M-F doesn't rule against knives, but my need for a knife has lessened over the years.

 

[willard0341]

I've been using mine quite a bit, I am quite thrilled with the little knife

 

[jc57]

My usage is very sporadic. I may go for a week or more with no need of a pocket knife at all, and then use it multiple times in a single day. It just depends on what I'm doing that day. None of your poll options apply to that. On average, less than once a day I would guess.

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Poll options are tough to cover all situations, so posting how your usage fluctuates is the one way of 'voting' your particular daily cutting chores.
Thanks!
G2

 

[Ace Rimmer]

I said two as an estimate of average usage. I think I use my knives more often than I realize, but then sometimes days go by without any real need to use them. As I think back over today I recall using my Warncliffe Mini Trapper to open a box of cereal and then later to open a miniature pecan pie box (50 cents at Walmart!), and mid-day I used my Vic Walker to cut down some giant ragweed that had fallen over a path and the Walker's saw to trim a mulberry branch. Oh, yeah, and I used the trapper to cut a stick so I could get a flannel moth caterpillar off a redbud tree. (The flannel moth caterpillars can cause extremely painful skin irritation if you touch them.)

I did some whittling with my RR split-back whittler, but that's not really an EDC knife.

 

[gonebad395]

Just twice today to slice apples for the kids during the Labor Day parade we walk in with my union.

 

[knarfeng]

I dunno. It varies. Some days, a dozen. Other days, nada.
If I had to make a stab at mentally averaging it, I'd say, "a couple of times a day."

 

[Ernie1980]

I went with 2-4 on average, but like many others it depends on the day! I make a conscious effort to use my carry of the day for little tasks just because I like to use the knives I have in my pocket, but sometimes they are just along for the ride

 

[Hickory n steel]

It varies day to day, but today it was only a handful of times.

Today I opened a pack of crackers, opened a box of pasta, cut some 4 cheese garlic bread, and a few other things I don't remember.

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Like some of you, I'll find uses, today as I was throwing away a paper towel, I noticed a milk carton in the trash, taking up a lot of space, so I slit the top off, sliced down through the 4 corners and folded it flat, took up a lot less space
Living in NY now, we don't have a burn barrel like we had in PA...
G2

 

[Peregrin]

I chose 2 to 4 but that's rather arbitrary. Some days it's none and others it could be a dozen. As others have mentioned, it depends on the day. I do know that if I don't have a knife in my pocket, I'm sure to need one at some point during the day.

 

[Vaporstang]

I said 5-10. If using it to fidget and play with, I'm definitely there... otherwise a little lower. I am carrying the 2016 BF knife and having the punch/awl blade really increases my usage.

 

[Ironbut]

My Dad taught me to never leave the house without my knife. That was well over 60 years ago. I use my knife every day but never gave it much thought how many times. I'm retired now, so it doesn't get used as much as when I was working, but I can count at least 5-10 times a day, just working around the house/shop/yard, etc.