I have learned the hard way about loaning knives, especially at the factory I used to work at.
Had knives damaged beyond repair.
I try to be selective with anyone asking to use a knife. "Careful it's sharp" almost always gets me some one running their thumb immediately along the edge and cutting them selves.
Usually I ask what they are going to cut with it. If it is not a letter, or bagel or simple thing, I will do it for them, or refuse.
I got one brand new knife back minus the coating, and the edge. My co worker asked to use it. I asked her "for what" and she said she needed to cut some paper bags open. I did not think about it, and handed her the knife.
She came back a while later and handed the knife back. She had sliced open 500 lbs of silicone carbide blasting grit (large sized grit). She did not set the bag up and slice just the top off. Instead she stabbed the bags open in the middle, into the grit. The finish and edge were gone (edge looked like she had been chopping gravel all day). But the worst part was that the grit got in the action, especially between the locking bar and the tang of the knife and removed enough material in from her opening and closing it with large silicone carbide grit in the action that it became a slip joint!!!! No lock up at all after that. You could get the lock to fold with just finger pressure.
My immediate family members know not to fool with my knives. Even my own dad, when I tell him to check the edge, refuses. He just says "I know it is too sharp for me to want to even touch it".
But then again, he thinks keeping an edge sharp enough to tree top hair, and whittle long curlies on a hair is too sharp.
