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What is the best "work knife" you have ever owned?

K

kgriggs8

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I have owned a lot of knives that were meant to do my daily cutting tasks at work. I have two classes of knives, work knives and weekend type knives. I work on elevators and sometimes it is construction and sometimes it is repairs so my cutting tasks are varied. I cut many different materials at work but I wouldn't say that I abuse my knife.

My knife will get dropped on concrete, it is just a fact. I have to wear gloves most of the day so sometimes I fumble when opening or closing my knives. The best knives are the ones that can be used with gloves. I also like flat ground blades because they will still slice cardboard well even if dull. A thick hollow ground blade will have much more trouble when dull on cardboard and other materials.

Anyway, the best knife I have ever had for what I need a knife for at work is the Benchmade 921 Switchback. I never used the small blade on the back but the Wharncliff blade was the perfect size and shape for what I needed. Now I have a Spyderco Para-Military and it is doing a good job but the 921 was much easier to close with the Axis lock.
 
If you go by number of years carried regularly to work, it would be a large Case locking SodBuster. I carried that knife to work for around 7 years.

Not high-tech, but it did the job of scrapping, cutting, and mild prying.
 
I'll list two. My all time favorite work knives:
BM710HS for tough cutting jobs, and Victorinox Electrician Plus for everything else. The 710HS is gone, after several years of heavy use and intentional abuse.
I carry a Spyderco Paramilitary at work now, but it's mainly just to "have a knife". My job position and tool uses have changed, and I rarely need a knife. The Electrician Plus does everything I need a knife for, and I use the flathead screwdriver a lot more often than a blade.
 
I use my Delica at work. Nightshift shelf stocking at Kmart. Cutting lots of cardboard, plastic packaging and shrink wrap, tape etc.

Seems to handle everything fine, but the thickness of the blade does make cardboard cutting more difficult than if the blade were thinner. I think the Delica should have maybe 1/8th or so of it's overall blade thickness trimmed down myself.

I like it though. Stays clipped to my pocket well, opens easily, stays sharp and does what I need it to.
 
I find that I like My Buck Alpha rubber grip fixed blade for daily beating.
It's grippy, holds a fair edge and just " works"
 
Strider SMF. Stout as all get-out and smartly designed form top to bottom to be a fantastic user.

Benchmade Activator 210. Small and stout. Easy to access, easy to carry.
 
kgriggs8,
My Spyderco Endura is a workaholic of a knife for me. I do not wear gloves on the job, so dropping it is not a concern. You mention that the knife will get dropped on concrete...ouch! The Para is indeed a nice choice, however I would worry about the tip if I dropped it a lot.
 
It is not going to be dropped a lot but it does happen. Since I work on elevators, there is a chance that it may be dropped up to 40 stories! That is the tallest building around unless I work out of town.

I had a Kershaw Vapor that I used as work knife for one solid year. I dropped it many times and once I dropped it about 5 stories onto the concrete pit floor. I expected to find it in parts when I went to get it but to my shock, it was fine. There was hardly a scratch on it and it worked fine. I used that knife for a year and when I was done, it still looked great. It really was a fantastic knife for $19.95!
 
To this point, my best work knife has been a Spyderco Spur. I know it's small, but it's quite stout. I've cut through single and double-jacket fire hose, pried with it and have been able to make some purchase cuts for axes and other tools through 1.5" rubber sheathing. Sure, it needed some TLC afterwards, but it survived. I even cut through some shingle with it. Also used it to cut up carpet and while that wasn't bad, the concrete below wasn't kind to it. Good little knife.
 
after a lot of years in ems and now fire service my 2 standbys have been the buck 110 and the endura plain edge. both have served very well. later, ahgar
 
Victorinox Compact. The scissors is great for trimming paper, the main blade for cardboard and tape, and the combo tool for light prying. Oh, and the toothpick is handy after lunch.
 
I will still swear my Benchmade 941 was my most used/useful. I haven't EDCd it in awhile but it was for over a year. Only reason I shelved it was for a bigger blade of S30V.
 
Hello!

kgriggs8, my best work knife is going to be a knife that I will feel no guilt whatsoever for any dings it may acquire with use. It will be a knife that I will beat to the ground. Many of my knives are used, but not abused.
So for me, my work knife would have to be the Endura for me. When the waved version comes out, it will be that one. The price is right, with everything that you need and nothing that you don't.

Stay sharp!
D.H.
 
orthogonal1 said:
If you go by number of years carried regularly to work, it would be a large Case locking SodBuster. I carried that knife to work for around 7 years.

Not high-tech, but it did the job of scrapping, cutting, and mild prying.
Click to expand...
My first thought when I saw this thread was an old Case Sodbuster ..... a smaller one, non-locking, and it'd seen some hard use before I got it. It's one tough slipjoint, very comfortable in the hand. I still carry it in my general toolbox.

BTW I liked it so much I later acquired a large Case Sodbuster, a newer one and it literally broke apart the first time I sharpened it.
 
I'd have to say my best work knife is my Spyderco Military. It's been finicky, and I find myself adjusting it all the time, but it has never failed me. It's not as pretty as it used to be, and has lost a little width off the blade from resharpening, but now it's like a well worn pair of shoes. Everything is just right.
 
Without a doubt my S30V Native. Gets a TON of use, cuts everything I need it to, and keeps a great edge.

I just ordered a Griptilian in M2 to carry at work also, so we'll see which I like better.
 
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