What Do You Use Multiple Blades For?

Copperberry

Copperberry

Joined
Apr 5, 2018
Messages
160
Hey Folks,

I am finally biting the bullet and delving into the world of multiple-blade traditional pocket knives! I have both a Case Peanut and a GEC #14 two blade Boy's Knife on the way, and was hoping Y'all might have some recommendations for what tasks to do with each blade.

I understand that this is a personal thing tailored to each individuals cutting needs, but I thought it'd be interesting to see how everyone divides their cutting labor :)
 
I'm new as well, but I've found that I typically use the main blade for food and the secondary for sundry "dirty" tasks like cutting cardboard, tape, envelopes, twine, pruning, etc.
 
I use the main blade of my Peanut for whatever general need I have. The pen secondary gets used for cleaning/trimming my fingernails or working out splinters. As a nail-biter, though, it's used more for cutting dead skin around my fingernails and cleaning up whatever havoc my teeth caused.
 
I usually keep the main blade for something I know will dull it quickly. Cardboard,insulation,baling twine etc. I keep this blade toothy sharp. The secondary, usually a sheepfoot or spey is shaving sharp for those times you need a seriously sharp blade. If there is a third it is usually the beater,scraper,prying, "Damn it broke." blade-- I don't use my pocket knife for food prep much.--KV
 
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JTB_5 said:
I'm new as well, but I've found that I typically use the main blade for food and the secondary for sundry "dirty" tasks like cutting cardboard, tape, envelopes, twine, pruning, etc.
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I think this is pretty close to what I'll do when I order up some bigger knives, though both of the ones I have on the way may be a little small for food in general. Thanks for the input!

Wurrwulf said:
I use the main blade of my Peanut for whatever general need I have. The pen secondary gets used for cleaning/trimming my fingernails or working out splinters. As a nail-biter, though, it's used more for cutting dead skin around my fingernails and cleaning up whatever havoc my teeth caused.
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I like this idea, I'm not a nail biter but I see the case for keeping one blade for grooming purposes. Thanks!

kvaughn said:
I usually keep the main blade for something I know will dull it quickly. Cardboard,insulation,baling twine etc. I keep this blade toothy sharp. The secondary, usually a sheepfoot or spey is shaving sharp for those times you need a seriously sharp blade. If there is a third it is usually the beater,scraper,prying, "Damn it broke, blade"-- I don't use my pocket knife for food prep much.--KV
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Great idea, I might adapt it to the peanut by keeping the main blade shaving sharp and using the pen blade for letter/package opening and other daily tasks that dull the blade quickly, good call!

I'm curious, J jackknife do you have a particular division of labor for your peanut blades?
 
I'm curious said:
@jackknife[/USER] do you have a particular division of labor for your peanut blades?
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Generally on a two blade jack like a peanut or Barlow, I'll have the main clip point blade very sharp for fine cutting, and the pen blade sharpened at a steeper angle for rougher work like stripping wire, opening cardboard boxes and stuff. The point of the pen blade get used for awl duties.
 
I have a Stockman in my EDC Trio.
I use the clip (main) for general tasks.
The sheepsfoot when I need precision and/or straight cuts, and for minor trimming in the garden or on a bike trail (so the NEXT guy along does not have to duck or swerve to avoid a @$#&$*@$ branch or twig.)
The spey for when I don't want to poke a hole (skinning critters, for example), opening a clam pack, cutting plastic ties, etc.
My SAK Huntsman (also part of my EDC Trio) I use the spear point (main) for tasks the blades on the Stockman are not "ideal" for.
I use the saw for larger branches/twigs.
The scissor, for cutting cloth or wayward threads.
The others for their intended purpose; opening a can, turning a screw, opening a bottle, and so on.
The third knife of my Trio is a single blade, either a Buck 110 or Ontario RAT 1. I have it for heavier cutting tasks.
 
I will be a disappointment. I carry different pocket knives, rotating among small ones for the pocket, and sometimes a large stockman on the belt, or lately a Victorinox Hunter Pro. The small one in the pocket may be a Peanut, Pen Knife, Sway Back Jack, Texas Jack, or such, or often a Victorinox Pioneer.

I don't cut cardboard with my knives. But I don't really deal with cardboard anymore. Don't cut paper either. If I have to open a package and I need to cut packing tape or whatever, I use the point of the awl on the Pioneer. I also don't generally use my pocket knives on food.

The most I can say is when I do cut something, and the knife has a spear point blade, I'm likely to use that. If I need a nice small point and the knife has a clip point, then I will use that; or if I'm using a knife with a wharncliffe blade and no clip point, I will use that.

In short, it depends, and it depends on what I have at the time.
 
I tend to go for the dirty blade/clean blade system and the clean blade gets something with some belly for food prep and I like a sheepsfoot for a dirty/utility blade but a clip point is fine too in the case of a spey/slip combo. For 3-blade, clean/dirty and tape/really dirty (sticky crap) and for 4-blade... I don't know. I tried 3-blades and could never get used to the added blades and I really just liked the 2-blades on trappers and muskrat/moose patterns.

I would like to get a 3-blade with a hawkbill (loose material), sheeps (utility), and clip (clean) but they don't make it. The GEC 38 jon chapman was pretty close and I liked it but not over a trapper as I wanted a larger belly blade on it for food.
 
Been carrying a Boker barlow with a sheepsfoot main for quite some time.

The main gets used for everything. Opening boxes or breaking them down, hitting a fish, whittling a point in a hot dog stick, cutting leather , stripping wire, slitting open a feed bag... the list goes on. The straight edge draw cuts very well. If it gets a little dull, a quick touch up on a coffee up or strop on a boot and I am back in business. I loves me a sharp edge but sometimes I can't get to re sharpening until the weekend.

The pen blade is kept hair popping sharp. Mostly it gets used for trimming fingernails and cuticles but also is used for splinter removal, trimming thread and finer whittling tasks. I strop it regularily to keep the edge polished.

Sometimes I try carrying a stockman just to see if I like it. To try and convince myself that three blades must be better than two. I really really try but the third blade (spey) just never gets used. I need me one of those punch stockmans I have seen from Case...
 
I EDC a Case trapper. The long spey blade is used for general every day cutting and the clip blade for small game . The clip blade has also been used to skin deer occasionally.
 
For me it really depends on the knife. For my stockman, I use the main clip for food as well as some general use when I need a longer blade(I know it’s probably not the most sanitary). I use my sheepsfoot as well for general use and some tasks that need a fine point and controlled cuts. Finally, I make the Spey razor sharp and mostly use it for grooming, whittling, or when I need a really fine edge.

A knife like my 78, I use the main for food or long blade general use when necessary. I mostly use the pen for controlled cuts, opening boxes, whittling, and other small blade tasks. On these types of blades, there really isn’t too much method to my madness
 
Which one to use.....which one to use......oh heck , I don't know...... hey.....someone come over here and cut up this box for me!

I don't use more than 2 blades very often , but something about multi blades trips my trigger. But , then again , I am a huge fan of single blade knives. Pretty fond of fixed blade stuff too. Oh heck , I'm an addict, ur on ur own!!
One of my more recent acquisitions makes no sense at all , but makes me very happy.......get whatever makes you smile or feel a sense of pride when using.
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I normally carry a Stockman and 99% of the time it is this Stockman; I use it nearly everyday for something. I used the Sheepfoot blade last night to cut several pieces of 1/2" drywall (I sell drywall and cut a lot of samples - a Sheepfoot blade is simply the bomb for that job). At lunch today I used the Clip blade to cut the greentops off the strawberries that Jason's Deli included with the fruit-cup side I had with my sandwich at lunch (they gave me a fork, why not a knife?) I wiped the Clip blade with my handkerchief and cut the strawberries, then wiped it again when the cutting was done and put it back in my pocket. The Spey doesn't get used as much - mostly as a scraper when I need one but I also use it for cutting monofilament close to terminal tackle and lures (and those occasional damned birds nests!) My knife hygiene wouldn't suit many, but I'm 62, been doing it this way most my life and I'm still kicking - I do wash the blades lightly with soap and water if I have to cut open the seal in an oil can or antifreeze can. I don't clean game with my Stockman - that chore goes to heavy duty Buck Knives (110, 118, 121). By the way, any of these small blades (I use the clip) make simple work of pulling an attached tick off your body; slide the sharp edge (carefully) under the tick and stop at the head, then put your thumb on the tick and the blade, and lift up the blade and pull back - tick comes off and you don't get cut (of course you could practice on a buddy until you get it right). I could list hundreds of things, not to mention my wife is always needing me to cut something for her. OH

Case_6318_CV_Nine-dot_1981.jpg
 
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