What do you really use your knives for......

Makael

Makael

Loving wife, kids and life.
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Sheath maker here. Was curious what everyone uses their EDC knives for on a daily basis. I use my 110 for random service work. Other than that I try to come up with reasons to use it.....:thumbup:
 
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I use mine occasionally at work to open boxes if my box cutter isn't on me, for cutting through a straps that dull utility knives after one use, and some other small odd jobs that come up. Also use it maybe once a week to cut out a bad spot in an apple, and besides that, the usual thread/piece of mail. Mine see plenty of use :).
 
I work in an office and live in the suburbs. Frankly, I often look for excuses to use my edc knives: "oh, goody, there're some cardboard boxes that need to be broken down! Yay!"

My only rule is "Don't Scare the Muggles."
 
I've been using my BK15 in the kitchen just so I get some use out of it. My Delica gets used for slicing fruit for lunch, opening cereal sachets, the odd parcel.. all pretty mundane stuff. It's a bit sad being a knife knut stuck behind a desk all week in the concrete jungle. I really need to go camping and fishing soon so I can get some legitimate fixed blade use.
 
I work construction and use a knife every day. I rarely use utility knives and put the real deal to work, it's what they are made for. I usually have some GEC knife or another on me every day. I like big thick modern folders for certain tasks as well. Nice to have a one hand opener knife when you are holding something in place and need to cut something. I use knives to cut caulking, open tubes, boxes, cut plastic sheet. Make templates, score wood, draw pull it on a piece of wood to remove a high spot. I could go on and on...
 
Well, when I'm not doing the typical stuff that seems to happen to a lot of folks around here everyday: those survival situations where I am somehow transported into forests with only one knife (after I lose two other knives); rapidly deploying my folder to fend off thugs and rapscallions; rescuing people from flaming, crashed jet planes; penetrating the subclavian artery of enemy sentries; etc., I open packages and prepare food, mostly.
 
Asshole repellent... People don't ask me for "a dollar" or a cigarette.

 
almost daily - open mail or boxes, fidget, trim a stray beard hair, cut an apple or meat for lunch.
office life is rough
 
I own a lot of knives, most of which are in what I call my collection. They do not get used except for very light duty, most not at all...

I own a hand full of knives that I do carry and use as the need arises. Those needs are typically opening packaging, digging out a splinter, open an envelop, cutting a rope, etc... stuff where a knife is the best tool.

I don't pry, beat, screw, chop, etc with my knifes, even my cheap ones... just doesn't make sense unless I am in a bind and do not have a better tool at my disposal
 
Well, being a high speed low drag Socom operator type I could tell you but would then have to kill you.

In reality, today I opened a packet of hot chocolate mix, yesterday it was crispy seaweed snacks. I also open and close it a lot sitting at my desk and if I was more of a show boat kind of guy I would be on Youtube cutting paper with it. But that's just me.

Hey.... you asked. 😃

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Mine don't get much use at all. My job prohibits the use of personal knives on the premises other than break time, otherwise, mine would see a ton of use. Needless to say, I may open the occasional piece of mail or use it to tackle the unexpected task that may arrise.
 
At work: just opening mail & packages, cutting sandwiches, fruit, cheese & the occasional brownie.
At home: open packages (often more knives), cut some tape or twine, do some dinner prep.
On the street: looking like I'm NOT carrying a knife.
When camping: food prep, and might prep wood for fires.
Hunting: prepping wood for fires, and field dressing deer.
Fishing: cutting bait, cutting line, cleaning fish.
 
Food, boxes & packaging, strapping, ropes, cable ties, cutting away epoxies from circuit boards, etc...

I'm technically a light to medium user with a high frequency. I've carried a knife or 2 every day since I was roughly 5 years old, getting started at 4!
 
Wow, you are asking about a tool. The uses vary as do the days and what is put before us. I will spend maybe 5-minutes with consideration that other may find this somehow useful, that they may find new uses and joy in their day for their tool of choice :-)

Daily (like every day or two) shaping or sharpening a toothpick from a piece of wood or plastic, sharpening a pencil #2 or carpenters pencil, cutting/shaping small scraper or paddle from piece of wood like a chopstick to be used as a stir-stick for any number of things, cutting food, opening packaging (plastic strapping and/or packaging materials), cutting tapes (electrical, masking, etc.), trimming things (stray threads, fabric, cuticles, etc.), money containment (use a DragonFly as a money clip and small blade option), Impacting (using spine to break/cleave an ice-cube, cracking something open or fracturing), …

Weekly (once or more) scraping (using the spine to shape, level or smooth), shaving (like planing over-paint from a surface, stripping a sticker, thinning a material, etc.), shaping (making two pieces of what-ever fit together), trimming branches, cutting ropes & lines, trimming whisker hairs that may have gotten missed, cutting cans and/bottles in half or less - temporary containers (bottom portion) and/or funnels (top portion), sliver removal (wood and/or metal slivers), scribe tool to make fine lines, use as a gauge for measuring, …

It’s hard to even begin to think about the various daily, weekly options/uses for using a daily-carry-knife because of the usefulness and multitude of practical applications.
 
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Good stuff guys, Its cool to read what you guys use your knives for. I also look for reasons on a daily basis.
 
Makael said:
Reality check, What is the daily purpose of your folder or fixed blade.? I would imagine cleaning your fingernails, Opening the mail, Cutting a long thread etc. Im not talking about the 3 times a year you go camping, or backyard bush crafting. I would hope some people camp and back pack in and use their knives quite a bit. I'm curious on a daily occurrence what do you use your S90V, D2, 5160, 1095 knife for.

I use my Buck 110 while doing service work maybe once twice a week at the most.
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I'm curious as to why a knifemaker would make a post with this confrontational tone. I do not require your approval as to what I "really" use my knives for. Many of us camp or mess around in our backyards a lot more than three times a year.

My answer? I use my knives whenever I have need of a knife to cut things. If I'm reading your post in the wrong light, then I apologize. I just don't understand the question, when you answer it for yourself. Yes, most of us open mail, cut threads or "etc.". Not sure what else needed to be said. Then you list of bunch of steel types, a couple of which are supersteels. Are you attempting to make a "You don't need that!" argument?
 
Lots of boxes. Opening them and breaking them down. I have a daughter who i spoil the crap out of so lots of toys that need to be opened which if anyone tries opening anything from hasbro knows a knife should be included. Lots of tags being cut off of toys. I dont really think it should matter though. Paper dulls a knife really fast. And i dont subscribe to the notion that you dont really use your knives unless you are an outdoorsman. That kind of stuff id be relying on a fixed blade anyways. As long as im cutting things i view the knife is doing what it was designed and made to do. The way i see it is even if you built your house with nothing but a field of trees and a jarbenza there is probably someone else out there who uses their knife even more. Like the guys living in central and south america. Tribal people who dont have a ford pickup and a raised ranch to go home to after their adventure in the woods ends.
 
I work in an office, and am still at the time stuck in an apartment.

I use my EDC for opening/breaking down boxes, trimming loose threads, cleaning my fingernails, and occasionally scraping something off. Each of those things I do a few times a week on average. But, it has been used to trim the little potted plant we have, cut long limbs of new growth from the bush in front of my door that management refuses to trim for some reason, etc.

My fixed blades? I do not camp, or hike daily (boo). So most of the time, they sit in a drawer.

When I camp or hike though, they see use multiple times every day. Its usually for food, fire prep, and camp work (guyline stakes, etc).

I also have an Opinel #6 that I keep in my work bag, to eat the apples they put in the basket at work once or twice a week. So most of the time it just sits there, but I still use it regularly. I do this because I don't always know if my EDC is clean. So I don't cut food at all with my EDC. If I'm at home, I use a proper kitchen knife. If I'm out and about, I use my Opinel.
 
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Its not confrontational. Was a general question out of curiosity.


Quiet said:
I'm curious as to why a knifemaker would make a post with this confrontational tone. I do not require your approval as to what I "really" use my knives for. Many of us camp or mess around in our backyards a lot more than three times a year.

My answer? I use my knives whenever I have need of a knife to cut things. If I'm reading your post in the wrong light, then I apologize. I just don't understand the question, when you answer it for yourself. Yes, most of us open mail, cut threads or "etc.". Not sure what else needed to be said. Then you list of bunch of steel types, a couple of which are supersteels. Are you attempting to make a "You don't need that!" argument?
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