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

I look at (fondle) way more than I use. Not so much in public places... But if I'm on the crapper I'll take a good look at the knife I'm carrying. I enjoy the hobby and the craftsmanship​.
 
Surprisingly I use my machetes the most. I use them for about 3-6 hours of constant chopping a week. We have bamboo and blackberries that spread like weeds and become overgrown quickly. Our entire farm in lined in a natural barrier of blackberries, but there are lots that spring up in random places and spread like crazy. My favorite blade for that is my CPM 3V slimline machete from Robert Martin, followed by a 3V slimline from C3 knives, then Carothers light chopper. I am thinking of buying a Busse AK or maybe a Waki, which will change things up a little.

As for folders and small fixed blades. Other than winter when I stab the drinking troughs to break up the ice on cold days for the outside animals. Fishing a couple times a weeks, regulars farm cutting chores, the standard indoor quick cuts, etc. My folders and smaller blades don't get as much use, but they do get used a lot. For this I use lots of custom, midtech, and production folders. My favorites for EDC would be Ferrum forge Fortis, FFKW Archbishop, Jeremy Robertson El Patron, Spyderco KC Cru Wear Manix 2, Real Steel Sea Eagle. For a small fixed blade I usually use Carothers D3V field knife which is my favorite smaller fixed blade, or C3 Knives 3v fixed blade. I have an Infidu coming which might get lots of use.
 
To accessorize with my daily outfits...

And occasionally cut my fingers on accident...
 
Spey said:
Makael,

I would have to say that I agree with Quiet, both initially and after reading last reply (from Makael).

When I initially read the OP, I thought the question was "leading" (confrontational/challenging tone related to either folks carrying potentially needlessly - meaning they really don't use their knives for good purpose, or the second part relating to the list of steels somehow indicating that the type of steel means something relative to the typical uses of average user daily carry choices).

I came back, choosing to take the high road and reply from a perspective that perhaps the goal was to open thinking of useful purpose options that may not readily present themselves to the casual user.

I will say that I overlooked Makael being listed as a knifemaker. It is confusing that the OP would include the statement "I use my Buck 110 while doing service work maybe once twice a week at the most." This seemingly leads a reader (me at least) to believe the subject of the question relates to not using a daily carry pocket-knife very much ... ?

Is the Buck 110 your daily carry of choice?
If so, why would a knife-maker make this choice over a product of his own making ?

Is the Buck 110 only a carry option "while doing service work"?
If so, that would be understandable because doing service work would mean there are many other more specific tools near at hand. But still, why not carry a product of your own making ...?

Why the mention of those steels in the OP?
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Make sheaths, not knives.
 
Even now as a semiretired mechanic/tradesman I use them every day, several times a day. I get up in the mornin and the dog gets his meds either in a piece of balled up bread with peanut butter or little precooked turkey breakfast sausages, I have to cut the bread and remove the crust or section the sausage to hide the pills. ;) :), open mail, cut ropes, scrape gaskets, cut rope, break down boxes, the list is endless. It's more like what don't I use it for. I have enough need for a knife daily that I carry 4 ;) :)

I use it to start a fire in the fire place, cooking, eating, wrapping presents, unwrapping presents...

I have a question for the OP, How do you not find stuff to cut and use it on all day long? Maybe it's 'cause I live in the country surrounded by woods or maybe it's the career path I chose but whatever it is I'm just happy I have choices. :)
 
Cleaning my fingernails, opening boxes and sometimes kitchen duty. When I left my first wife I used a Herter's "improved bowie" as my only kitchen knife. Last Thanksgiving my Son used that same knife (30 years later) to carve the turkey. Its a decent knife, 1095 steel. My EDC is usually a mini lock back utility knife. I find anything else unhandy for pocket carry. I have a drawer full of mostly fixed blades large and small... some day I want to be a mountain man
 
T. Erdelyi said:
...I have a question for the OP, How do you not find stuff to cut and use it on all day long?
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I feel the same way. If you are used to using a knife, how do you not use it? I use a pocket knife at least three or four times a day. I don't clean finger nails with a sharp knife. But if that was all I had and they were bugging me, I would. I use a knife so often that it seems stupid to list typical things that I use it for.
 
Makael said:
Make sheaths, not knives.
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I was waiting for someone to point this out lol. BTW I think your question is very valid and not aggressive or incendiary in any way. I honestly thought that you may be asking this to get ideas for sheaths that have specific purposes??? But this may be due to the fact that I read the sheath maker part lol.

I mentioned earlier that I primarily use knives to skin game, but I also use them to hunt trolls. 🤣


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Slicing paper, mail, boxes that need shredding, string, rope, food slicing and cutting my nails when needed.

Supervisor asked to use my knife. I handed him a trapper and he started scrapping gasket material off of a flange. I stopped him, and got my knife back. I told him my knives are not to be abused. He laughed.
 
Mine mostly get used opening boxes and packaging at work. Especially those molded plastic abominations. Office work is dangerous and demanding. Around the house it's mostly the same. I'll fidget with the flipper watching TV, and wish I had a more exciting life while doing it. Ironically, when I was in the Army and in the field I had a knife and used it much more extensively, but the knives were all ~$25 knives that I abused. Nowadays I have much nicer knives that are used for way less demanding tasks. Funny how that worked out. At least I now get some satisfaction using a knife, whereas before it was rather unimpressive and dull (no pun intended).
 
Charlie Mike said:
Asshole repellent... People don't ask me for "a dollar" or a cigarette.

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I share this sentiment. I dont openly carry large fixed blades but do carry knives for SD, especially XL cold steels anytime I leave the house along with a handgun. The other night a old friend from high school was stabbed by a bum who asked him for money outside a gas station. When he refused the bum pulled a knife a stabbed him in the gut, now hes in the hospital in bad shape. I dont let those parasites finish their sentence or get within ten feet.
 
oxman198 said:
I share this sentiment. I dont openly carry large fixed blades but do carry knives for SD, especially XL cold steels anytime I leave the house along with a handgun. The other night a old friend from high school was stabbed by a bum who asked him for money outside a gas station. When he refused the bum pulled a knife a stabbed him in the gut, now hes in the hospital in bad shape. I dont let those parasites finish their sentence or get within ten feet.
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I carry two Cold Steel 5.5" blades . An XL Talwar serrated and a L Espada . They primarily serve as SD last ditch backup for my cane . Insurance and peace of mind . I'd rather carry and never need than not have when needed !
 
Plumber by trade, I end up needing a knife quite frequently on an average work day. Everything from cutting a pump loose from its pit, cutting mj seals on cast iron joints, to opening piles of boxes and bags when I'm installing new fixtures.

SAK gets a lot of use as well (pioneer in think) opening access panels, clearing debris from fasteners. The pointy awl on that thing is awesome, but I actually snapped the top 1/4 off last week working on a faucet. Still functions just not as pointy.

I also break down all my recycled boxes and stuff on the job and at home.

Plumber is a great job for a knife guy.
 
From what I am reading, it seems like most of us could get by with a with nothing more than a Vic Cadet or Pioneer but, where is the fun in that? I know that I could get by with a SAK for about 90% of the time but I want something that is easier to open and offers better blade steel. I think most of us do.

I am not in the service any more so I don't really need a high speed, low drag tactical knife. Nor do I need anything with a lot of bling. Give me a knife with good steel and FRN, G10 or something basic for my scales. That's all I need for light duty task like cutting tape, string, cardboard and food prep. The kind of stuff I do.
 
oxman198 said:
I share this sentiment. I dont openly carry large fixed blades but do carry knives for SD, especially XL cold steels anytime I leave the house along with a handgun. The other night a old friend from high school was stabbed by a bum who asked him for money outside a gas station. When he refused the bum pulled a knife a stabbed him in the gut, now hes in the hospital in bad shape. I dont let those parasites finish their sentence or get within ten feet.
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I open carry because concealing a fixed is illegal in my state.
 
I use them for anything an edge tool can be used for. I usually just break down cardboard, food prep, making tinder, opening beer cans to shotgun them, clean out underneath my fingernails and pictures for the social media aspects.

I'm usually looking for any reason to use them.
 
marcus52AR said:
Plumber by trade, I end up needing a knife quite frequently on an average work day. Everything from cutting a pump loose from its pit, cutting mj seals on cast iron joints, to opening piles of boxes and bags when I'm installing new fixtures.

SAK gets a lot of use as well (pioneer in think) opening access panels, clearing debris from fasteners. The pointy awl on that thing is awesome, but I actually snapped the top 1/4 off last week working on a faucet. Still functions just not as pointy.

I also break down all my recycled boxes and stuff on the job and at home.

Plumber is a great job for a knife guy.
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I agree, plumber here as well. Plenty of things to use a knife for without looking for a reason. All day today and yesterday I constantly used an s110v manix to cut fiberglass insulation and tape to put on a copper line we installed.
 
I'm an hvac service tech, I use mine for everything from cutting apples to stripping wires to cutting fiberglass ductboard. You want to test Edge retention cut a bunch of that.
 
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