What do you use your folding knife for?

Lapedog said:
Just search "canadian milk jug" in google images and you will see the brilliance.
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I was certain this search was going to return some "adult only" images.

Back in topic. Opening packages are my #1.
 
My pocket knife easily sees use several times per day for things like... Food prep and eating. Opening the mail, packages, cutting open feed bags, cutting down boxes, heavy plastic zip ties, twine, etc.
 
Ok. In all seriousness compared to my previous post, I open mail, packages, blister packs, cut up cardboard for recycling, string, zip ties and many uses on my boat. I'm always ready on the boat in case someone gets a leg caught in a line for example. A big, sharp knife must be quickly at hand. It could save an arm or a leg.

I'm always ready when someone says "who has a knife". For whatever might come up. I like that! It happens regularly.
 
I find for my own uses opening mail and package goes number 1... but I also cut up fruit, whittle and with little ones around I seem to always be cutting off tags and loose strings here and there. But what gets overlooked is how often I use my traditional pocket knife to help others... it seems very seldom do the people around me (co-workers, freinds and family) have a knife when one is needed. I'm always the first person they ask lol. Christmas time is always a busy time for my pocket knives with children... they package some toys no a days like fort knox. It's enough to drive you bonkers if you don't have a pocket knife handy.:D
 
My daily edc is 3 knives first knife is a modern folder around 3.25 - 3.5, this is my big task knife, at work its skinning back some wire and cutting up boxes. my second is a traditional folder eidther GEC or northwoods, thats my apple cutter, small task knife to use near the sheep people lol and then my third is my alox soldier, quick box break opening or plastic and of course bottle opener
 
I was in the trades (electrical/carpentry) for 30 plus years and carried traditional pocket knives (folding and pocket/neck fixed blades) for the most part. A utility/razor blade knife and briefly a modern locking knife.

Today in the furniture store its task list is a little mundane. In my handyman business it ventures back to the trades list of cutting tasks, wire stripping, bags of qwikcrete, cardboard, drywall, wood, tubing and food tasks at break.

The enjoyment I derive from a traditional far exceeds time savings (which is minimal) with a modern knife:thumbup:
 
I just use my knife for life's menial daily cutting tasks from opening packages or mail to occasionally cutting g food.
On Wednesday the only thing I used my knife for all day was to cut a hospital band off my wrist after an ER visit.
 
I use mine for opening mail peeling potatoes or apples ... cutting tape and whittling that's about it


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Hickory n steel said:
On Wednesday the only thing I used my knife for all day was to cut a hospital band off my wrist after an ER visit.
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That doesn't sound like any fun; sure hope you're feeling better, now!

For me, most days I'll use a pocket knife to open packages, open mail or trim threads from frayed cloth. It does get pretty frequent use stripping insulation off electrical wire and cutting electrical tape, and for the classic purpose of sharpening pencils. :cool:
 
Jeff_R said:
That doesn't sound like any fun; hope you're ding ok, now.

For me, most days I'll use a pocket knife open packages, open mail or trim threads from frayed cloth. It does get pretty frequent use stripping insulation off elelectrical wire and cutting electrical tape, and the classic purpose of sharpening pencils. :cool:
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Thanks, and yes I'm fine.
My acid reflux caused me to get some food stuck in my throat, luckily the shot they gave me to dilate my esophagus eventually allowed me to " cough it up " ( there was no way it would have gone the rest of the way down ) before they were going to transfer me by ambulance as they didn't have the right type of doctor on call who could remove it.

BTW I can only recall one or two times that I've ever had to use my knife to sharpen a pencil,sure I should start 🤔
 
I use my pocket knife for just about anything that needs cut during the day. That being said, one thing I don't like cutting with my pocket knife if I can help it is that fibrous shipping tape like Amazon uses on their packages. I don't know what it is about that stuff, but it seems to dull an edge (especially more traditional, non-super steels) very quickly. Anyone else find this to be the case, or is it just me?
 
Slicing paper, slicing cardboard, cutting plastic straps, chopping, battoning etc😏
Oh wait its about tradional folders oops
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btb01 said:
I use my pocket knife for just about anything that needs cut during the day. That being said, one thing I don't like cutting with my pocket knife if I can help it is that fibrous shipping tape like Amazon uses on their packages. I don't know what it is about that stuff, but it seems to dull an edge (especially more traditional, non-super steels) very quickly. Anyone else find this to be the case, or is it just me?
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You're talking about water-activated tape. It's basically brown paper, so yeah it's almost as bad as cutting through cardboard. I've found if you just make a little slice at one end, you can use the box flaps to pull it apart very easily.


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I work in an outdoor warehouse. So my knife (Emerson Bulldog) gets used for just about any and everything. It's even cut metal banding a couple times. Though mostly it's cardboard, shrink wrap and plastic banding. She's held up well over the last couple years.

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joeradza said:
Mostly humble tasks as noted before. Food (a lot), envelopes, normal everyday tasks. At this point carrying anyone of my traditional knives is more emotionally satisfying just knowing its there and gives me a connection to something that is hard to adequately express.
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Wurrwulf said:
Brilliantly stated, Alan. I joke a lot about "pocket jewelry", but you've succinctly struck the proverbial nail on its head. It is very much an emotional connection, which I find mostly linked to nostalgia.
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I agree with Alan and Shawn that carrying a pocket knife is much more a matter of nostalgia for me than a matter of utility. I used my scout knife for all kinds of stuff from ages 10 to 17 growing up on a dairy farm, but I lived quite successfully without carrying a knife from ages 17 to 62. Nostalgia brought me back to carrying a traditional folder almost exactly 3 years ago. I keep looking for uses for my knives, but the genuine needs for a knife in my life are few and far between. I do enjoy using my pocket knives for food prep, and I'd like to have more time for whittling, but other than that, I don't need to cut much.

Interesting to me that so many mention opening envelopes and cutting threads. One of the knives I carry is always some model SAK with scissors; that's what I use for loose threads. And I open envelopes much faster with the edge of my thumb than I do with a knife blade.

But I certainly enjoy pulling out a knife to admire for a minute during the day! They look good, and the design is ingenious. Many are good desktop spinners, too. Are those "uses"?? ;)

- GT
 
I only use my metal handled knives as spinners Gary. I actually wore a hole in an old SAK that was a great spinner.
 
joeradza said:
I only use my metal handled knives as spinners Gary. I actually wore a hole in an old SAK that was a great spinner.
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:D:thumbup: Thanks for the advice, Alan! Aren't obsessions great?!? :rolleyes:

- GT
 
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