What do you do when someone asks to borrow your knife?

Usually I have been watching them and know what they need before they ask. I then open the appropriate tool or blade on my SAK and hand it to them handle first. If they were raised properly at all they know never close a blade that they did not open and they return it to me handle first for me to close. If they weren't raised properly, I take the opportunity to educate them.
 
kevnkar said:
If they were raised properly at all they know never close a blade that they did not open and they return it to me handle first for me to close. If they weren't raised properly, I take the opportunity to educate them.
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dictating to others how to handle your things is your right, but even if handed an open knife, tradition/respect or not, i close it before returning it. there is a gentleman i work with that doesn't know the first thing about knives, but insists his is the correct manner of knife handling and care, and launches into diatribes every chance he gets. seriously we only live once, just be cool.

kevnkar said:
Usually I have been watching them and know what they need before they ask.
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this part however, i could not agree with more. odd that such a sentiment came just before one that i find completely contradictory ^^
 
It depends on who it is. If it's my cousin or step-dad then I have nothing to worry about because I know they are completely knowledgeable about the dos and don'ts of knives and tools in general. Anybody else I ask what they are going to do with it or at least are they actually going to cut something.
 
j4ckwr4th said:
funny, but mine was unfortunately serious :(
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My experience is that they never learn until bitten. Then, if they were not exposed to being cut at a young age, they are more likely to flip out and never touch a folding knife again.
 
j4ckwr4th said:
dictating to others how to handle your things is your right, but even if handed an open knife, tradition/respect or not, i close it before returning it. there is a gentleman i work with that doesn't know the first thing about knives, but insists his is the correct manner of knife handling and care, and launches into diatribes every chance he gets. seriously we only live once, just be cool.


^^
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In many parts of the country, closing a knife that you did not open is an old superstition of bad luck and is just a form which I adhere to. That being said, I never have a chance to close one which I didn't open because I always have a knife on me. Out side of that, safety is always paramount.
 
If I trust them to handle the knife safely, I let them borrow it. If I don't, I ask what they need cut and offer to do it for them.
 
this is why i carry 2 knives, my primary (mine) & a secondary. generally the secondary is a smaller blade n one that i dont mind if it gets jacked up by a non knife person or those who are reckless with the tool
 
"do not use it as a hammer or screw driver!" some people...
my coworker was using my benchmade adamas to hammer some little nail or something
I look at him, realize what hes doing, "SCOTT! WHAT Are you doing?!"
 
Man alot of you guys are really possessive. I'm usually happy to lend out help any way I can. But 90% of the time someone asks me for my knife it's someone who knows me and how insane my knife addition is.
 
Toss 'em my Techno. It'd take serious skill to break that one, and I don't think I'd mind if it happened. It'd be worth the cost of replacement to have a story of someone who failed so much at life they broke one.
 
The other day my foreman asked if I had a blade.
For some reason "nope" was the first thing out my mouth.
Later I found out the cut man already lost two knives somehow.
It was night work though and we were in a low light area.
 
Double no if I have an atom-splitting edge on it! Thats just in case I have remove an appendix in order to save a life. Or slice tomatoes paper-thin. Or shave something.... When I was in Panama this summer, an older guy i knew asked if he could use my knife (Benchmade 710). I asked him what for? He said he was getting an ingrown toenail and he had to shave his nail down... I laughed at him and told him to sterilize the crap out of it before he gave it back to me. He was a Dentist so I he knows how to clean sharp instruments. Gross? Maybe. Funny, yes.
 
im usually very hesitant to allow people to use my anything of mine when they ask to borrow it. I also like to use fairly expensive fountain pens and people are frequently asking me if they can play with it or use it. I just dont really feel comfortable letting someone who probably doesnt have the same respect for my tools as i do use them. usually the people who do respect knives or pens that i would trust to use mine have their own.
 
RemyKaze said:
Never hand an engineer a knife. Only 10% of engineers deserve the title and can operate a knife without help.
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That is why they are training to be a engineer. They are after lots of sheepskins that say they are in the know and usually have no manual dexterity.
 
Sometimes a "knife person" may forget their knife. If a person asks me to borrow a knife, and if I know them to be a responsible "knife person", then I will let them borrow mine. Another requirement I have is that the person I am lending my knife to has to be an honorable person, meaning that if they drop my knife on a concrete floor or otherwise accidentally damage it, that they will replace it.

If a person asks to borrow my knife, and if I don't feel 100% confident that they will use it responsibly, then there is no way I will lend them my knife. Perhaps if the knives I carry were inexpensive I would feel different, but each of the two knives I carry cost $300 each. I didn't spend that kind of money just to let others ruin my knives.

Whether or not I cut something for someone else depends on how they ask, what it is that needs cutting, and what I happen to be doing at that moment. What I don't do is act as a "cutting service" for everyone who can't find it within themselves to carry a knife. I'm not going to just drop whatever I'm doing every time someone needs something cut.

And I don't believe in carrying around a knife just to lend to people who refuse to carry one for themselves. Heck, should I also carry around another, cheaper cell phone for people to borrow? Should I buy a second set of cheaper tools (hammer, pliers, screwdrivers, etc) for other people to borrow? Nope, not gonna happen.

I like to help a person out, but there's a limit. I consider myself fortunate that I don't feel compelled to please others, be the "nice guy", be liked by everyone, be popular, etc, etc. And I don't need to be a "KNIFE HERO" who eagerly offers up their knife to serve anyone and everyone at the drop of a hat. So if someone thinks ill of me because I don't lend them my knife or cut stuff for them, I couldn't care less.
 
I made the mistake as an apprentice PH in loaning my beautiful Kershaw skinner to one of the skinning crew.
Those guys know how to skin a beastie, but once done, he thought he would do me a favour and proceeded to sharpen my blade on some concrete.

The lesson learned was to always have some inexpensive knives for rough use or abuse (Okapi/ Opinel/ Wilkinson Sword), and to always keep my edc on me and used by me only.
No more tears.
 
Moxy said:
So what do you do if someone wants to borrow your expensive knife?
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no two thoughts about it, if it's a lifesaving matter;
but all other situation would have me thinking.
in all, any borrowing is akin to lending someone your toothbrush, or worst...
 
It's a sad day when an over-priced "high end" knife has to come with "brittle" steels; what am I missing here?
 
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