What do you really do with your knives

S

Shann

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Sep 2, 2004
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I have a couple dozen knives, nothing too fancy, lots of Himalyan Imports stuff, a couple Ka-Bars, spydercos, schrades, SAKs, etc. I like them all, but to be honest, I don't use them much. I try to carry a pocket knife, but I'm a lawyer, so I can't carry when I go to court and instead of worrying about forgetting to leave it in the truck, I just don't bother to put one in my pocket.

I hunt a little, but don't camp and rarely seem to "need" any of my knives. I use my khuks to chop down sumac and saplings in the yard. What do you guys do with your knives on a regular basis.

For what I've spent, I probably should have just bought a small sebenza and a nice kitchen knife which would cover most of my needs.
 
A Sebenza IS a nice kitchen knife. :)

For what you've bought, you've probably learned a lot that you wouldn't have known otherwise. How much use do you get from a painting hanging on a wall? Many knives are at least that decorative.

It's true that many people do not have serious daily use for an expensive knife. This is one reason so many hoplophobes are so unfamiliar as to be afraid of them. They feel they CAN dispense with them.

To each his own. Even among those of us who do or did use knives heavily or often, there is a great variety of opinion as to what makes an appropriate knife.
 
I like your painting analogy, Esav. Part of the appeal of knives to me is the appreciation of the "art in metal" that they represent.
 
I use it for SOOO much stuff. Hard to list it all.
Knifemaking: I've got packages to open, stuff to box up and ship, sandpaper to cut, epoxy to scrape, kydex to trim and deburr and on an on.

General stuff:Open stuff, cut loose threads, trim finger nails etc.

Barn work: opening horse feed when the thread on the bag breaks, opening bales of hay, cutting miscelanious stuff like broken halters or ropes or stuff.

Also have to skin stuff from time to time, set traps and all that good stuff.

At work there's boxes of wire for the baler, and all sorts of stuff. Scraping stuff, whittling things down to fit, scribing lines.

Basically, I don't see how I'd ever get by without a knife or 3 :D
 
I utilize my knife for daily survival. Often I have to cut the tape on a shippment of office supplies necessary to continue my existence. At other times survival consists of open the envelopes containing the checks from clients. There is also the death deifying task of using my knife to help clear a printer jam (just the thought makes me tremble with fear!). Then there is the ever present binding strap on the cases of copy paper. I need a drink!!!
 
Mine are mostly for lookin' at. We have boxcutter/utility knives at work for anything I might use a real knife for. I do keep an Opinel in my backback or daypack; that's about the only time I carry a knife.

-Bob
 
Seems like I use mine alot but I get old bread from a bakery and have to open the bread bags, we open about 200 a day to feed to my cows and then there is skinning coons and such from the trapline, skinning rabbits and such for the table,cutting rope and rubber hose, chopping tree limbs that get in the way were we let cows threw gaps, digging out broken of post so they will not get into tractor tires. that is just the farm when out teaching or living my survival skills I make fuzz sticks for fires, chop wood for many uses such as makeing fire sets and hunting tools or digging sticks,makeing or fixing shelters,self defense if one of the dog packs running around shows up.There is not a day that I don't use my knives alot around here.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
A Sebenza IS a nice kitchen knife. :)

It's true that many people do not have serious daily use for an expensive knife. This is one reason so many hoplophobes are so unfamiliar as to be afraid of them. They feel they CAN dispense with them.
Click to expand...


Or any knife for that matter. Expensive or not.
I do camp and spend lots of time in the out doors where I need a knife. But even when I'm in the city at work, I still use a knife. For all the things that others have described. But there are products made to replace knives for most cutting purposes. All in the name of safety for dumbies I guess. Heck, they've even made a CD plastic wraper-taker-offer-thing. It cuts the plastic wrap w/o danger to dumbies.

But I still prefer using a knife for just about any cutting I do. Because I can and because I'm Innocent (with out having to prove guilt: you know, that Constitution thing....) of any crime.

Also, I just like knives. They're cool, useful, fun, and asthetic. As I said, I just like knives. Don't like golf clubs, so don't have any. I also have more flashlights than I need. But I like them too. I drive a 4WD (commonly called SUV) because I drive off road, not cause I think I'll look tough in a Hummer. But that's just me.
 
I have those I collect, those I use.

The ones I use, I use for almsot everything. From camping, hunting, fishing, whittling, cutting strings, ropes, opening letters, woodworking, gardening, etc etc. etc.


...and helping those who do not carry one...

:)
 
BIG knives for some camping and lots of hunting.

Small(er) knives for the everyday tasks that can "only" :D be done by something very sharp.


;)
 
I view my knives as cutting tools and use them accordingly. Some of the many tasks I use them for include:
  • openning letters and packages
  • cutting strings from clothing
  • cutting paper
  • removing hang nails (esp. w/scissors from my SAK)
  • etc.

    When outdoors I find many additional uses for my knives:
  • processing & skinning game
  • cleaning fish
  • cutting ropes of various types
  • cutting food around camp
  • cutting hoses for camp/farm equipment

In short, there is no end to the uses for my knives, whether they are expensive customs or reasonably inexpensive production knives. I try never to pry with any of my knives... that's why I have screwdrivers and other prying tools around. :D

AJ
 
Don't get me wrong, I love my knives. I do use them, just not all that much. Most of my real needs could be covered by an economy SAK and a boxcutter, but that wouldn't be as much fun as rotating my barlow, my calypso jr and my SAK when I do have a chance to carry a knife
 
probably don't hear this too often......

but I use two of my knives to help make other knives.
 
Daniel Koster said:
probably don't hear this too often......

but I use two of my knives to help make other knives.
Click to expand...

The Mommy Knife and the Daddy Knife?? ;)
 
With the exception of 6 or 7 of my favorite knives, I use all the rest of my knives to trade for other knives that I think that I might want more than the one I'm trading-off.:D.
 
Carried a Queen Dr. pattern to work today. On Fridays we alternate bringing in bagels (about 25 people in the dept.) The person who got them this morning forgot to have them cut.

I left the knife on the table (perfect size for bagels) during the morning and just got back from picking it up. From the looks of it before I cleaned it, it got quite a bit of use. :D.
 
Sharpen.
Open and look at.
Check sharpness.
Repeat.
Cut sliver of paper.
Repeat 500 times.
Resharpen.
Check sharpness.
Need to cut something.....go get a crummy knife that NEEDS sharpening.
Open and test smoothness.
Resharpen.
Open and look at.

Unless it's a fixed blade.
Then....unsheath.
Look at.
Check sharpness.
Cut slivers of paper.
Resharpen.

Post experience.

:D
 
Since I was a teenager and I am now in my 50's I have always carried a knife on me whenever I left the house. I have never had to use it to defend myself,but I would should the need come up.I think my fasination of them has to do with my appreciation of my knives. To me they are functional works of art. I also appreciate the different mechanisms on my knives as well as the makers design. I guess one of the reasons I am always buying new knives is I am looking for that perfect knife. Hey it's an addiction and I love it.
Larry
 
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