What do you do first after buying a knife?

H

Halingca

Joined
Apr 21, 2014
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I am new to knives and their uses. Last week I bought a Buck Bones 870 and today I bought a Benchmade Hunt Small Summit Lake. But what now? I haven't really needed to have a pocket knife but with so much variety, I can see how useful to have them. The Benchmade is brand new and has such classic looks that I am hesitant to try it out.

So what do you do when you get a new knife? My own uninformed thoughts are to buy a case for it, wipe down the blade with some kind of cleaning cloth, and maybe see how sharp it is to cut paper. I guess I am asking if you do any kind of preparation for a knife prior to putting it into everyday use.
 
For a folding knife that I plan to carry I impatiently open the package and inspect the knife for any defects.
I then test the functioning. If it opens and closes smoothly I usually take the current folder out of my
pocket and put the new one in to see how the clip holds and if any adjustment need to be done. Test
the sharpness and if adequate start using it. Cut some paper and some cardboard to see how it performs.

From there I do not baby knives. If it is a $40 knife or a $200 knife I use it the same. I don't have any
knifes that I buy and just put away. I have a nice collection but they all get pocket time. If you are
never going to use it why buy it is my feeling. I will typically carry that new knife for a few weeks
non stop unless I find some issue with it or it does not suit my purpose that day.
 
First always check the knife for any problems. ie “lock up and folding”

Second get acquainted with your tool, know its strengths.

I always put my new knifes through a check list of small things.

I cut one large zip tie, then a 3 strand rope, then I cut through a few card board boxes and then I do a paper check to see how well the blade holds a sharp edge.
It’s not a lot, but it gives you a base line. I keep a mental note of its performance for a week and then I know if it’s a keeper…. It’s just what I do, but I’m sure others have better ways.

Hope this helps, Battle
 
Use it for a few days. Take it apart, lube and reassemble. If there are titanium part, heat anodize it. If the blade angle is not optimal, reprofile it. Life's too short to have safe queens.
 
Change the pocket clip first thing before using it, normally they come right hand tip up, so I change it for left hand carry since that's the side it normally resides on
 
Inspect, clean, adjust and if I like it enough to know I'm going to keep it I get rid of the typically poor factory edge grind.
 
I just got a new one today, and it was a pretty typical reception experience. I come home on lunch just after the mail man stops by. I grab a beer, grab the package, open both and play with the knife for a while before going back to work. Then I try to find any excuse to cut something with it. I waste no time putting my knives to use.
 
get the little manual that came in the box with it and read it over and over for an hour while on the toilet.
 
fot0 said:
For a folding knife that I plan to carry I impatiently open the package and inspect the knife for any defects.
I then test the functioning. If it opens and closes smoothly I usually take the current folder out of my
pocket and put the new one in to see how the clip holds and if any adjustment need to be done. Test
the sharpness and if adequate start using it. Cut some paper and some cardboard to see how it performs.

From there I do not baby knives. If it is a $40 knife or a $200 knife I use it the same. I don't have any
knifes that I buy and just put away. I have a nice collection but they all get pocket time. If you are
never going to use it why buy it is my feeling. I will typically carry that new knife for a few weeks
non stop unless I find some issue with it or it does not suit my purpose that day.
Click to expand...

I completely agree with this. If I'm spending money on the knife I'm going to use it. I have a buddy who buys expensive benchmades but never carries them because he doesn't want to ruin them. Never understood that.
 
I check the blade centering, all screws for tightness, adjust centering if needed. See how it feels in the pocket.

Then, if it is a satin finish (non-coated) blade, I wax the blade with paste car wax. That was something I learned on this forum. Helps in cleanup later and makes it really smooth.

I then do a paper/arm hair cut test and sharpen it if needed on my Sharpmaker.

Then it goes into the pocket until I need to use it. Or, if I watch tv, I usually open it and close it a million times to smooth out the action.

If the opening of the blade is hard, I hold the handle in one hand, grasp both sides of the spine with the other hand and quickly almost open and almost close the blade a bunch of times to get some looseness going but not wear out the lock interface in the process.
 
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