What knives have you actually worn out?

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fireincairo

Joined
Feb 21, 2011
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I mean to the point where you had to retire it or throw it out. If you could also point out whether you would have purchased another because you appreciated how well it did hold up to use, that would be nice.
 
i have never wore out a knife i have never carried the same one long enough to wear it out.I have a couple of hundred.
 
I've never worn out a knife. Even my Opinel, with it's "cheap soft steel" has decades of life left, even after ten years of use.

Most knives will last generations if properly cared for.
 
I had a kitchen knife at work to cut insulation. I sharpened that one enough that it looked like that knife Bill the Butcher tapped his glass eye with. It turned into a kind of hook-shaped thin blade.

Other than that, the Columbia River m16 that is my handle here got used hard. I sold it to a friend who used it hard. It wouldn't really stay sharp long, but it wasn't worn out.

I think a lot of our thought and attention goes to knives that can withstand a ton of use/abuse, but rarely do they get worn out beyond serviceable. Maybe that's because they are great knives that last longer than bad knives. Maybe that's because much of what we like is really overkill.

For folders, the lock is really important. A sturdy lock is key- that's where high-end knives come into play. For fixed blades, you'd be surprised what a normal Chicago cutlery kitchen knife will do.
 
this is a good thread idea.. maybe people can post their most worn out blades and how long they have owned them/used them. Would be interesting to see how they really hold up with time compared to all the folks who like to take a pic of their collections.
 
I've got a Buck prince that has been abused horribly. I've had it for 15-18 years since I was a teenager (can't remember exactly when I got it) I've dropped it on it's tip and had to use a stone to file the point down to sharp, I've nicked the blade and worked that out of it, the wood is dented and the nickel bolsters or dinged horribly but the blade isn't noticeably worn. I'll rebuild it and someday give it to my child with that same blade. I don't know that I could wear it out unless I tried sawing concrete with it and it's a general 440c blade, nothing super top of the line.
 
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I haven't managed to wear a knife out yet, really. I've had some with lock mechanisms and such that have started to show wear, but that's just about it.
 
A paring knife and an old swiss army knife, which ended up with no blade left to speak of.:)
Now that I have such a bunch of knives in the rotation, all with good steel to boot, I don't foresee wearing any others out.
It's enough of a challenge to get all of them out for use!:D
 
Ive seen several old case and "old timer" folders sharpened down to the spine before.. Some old ontario butcher knives too..
 
Not a one. Heck, I couldn't wear out my current lot of knives in 10 lifetimes. :o
 
I am with others - I never seem to carry a knife long enough to wear it out.

I did break 2 SAK's - one Vic and one Wenger - but out of stupidity and not long term use. I had a Gerber folder kinda fall apart on me not too long ago - but it was because of fit and finish issues. I also broke a Gerber multi-tool but it was again from fit and finish issues.

The knives I have carried for some time still look relatively new - I try to take care of my stuff and use the right tool for the job.
 
I have one of my grandfather that has really been sharpened so much that it has altered the blade's shape. It's from the 60's I guess. I put a decent edge on it recently and I don't see myself ever wearing out a knife through normal use because I also rotate a lot.
 
I have a BM mini-stryker that was carried for years and opened and closed so many times I have no idea how to even guess. The liner lock is touching the other side. It still opens and closes fine but I have retired it. The blade has a great deal of life left but the liner has worn to the point I don't use it. The g10 which used to be rough is now very smooth also.
 
None yet !!! Any blade that is sharpened by hand with no machines should last a good long time. I have never worn out a fixed blade or a folder blade, but the folding mechanism is a different story.
 
I've never really worn a blade out. However, I've retired 2 Oldtimers in the last 35 years. The Sharpfinger scales loosened and started cracking. The stockman slip joint loosened up enough it was a little scary to handle. I think corrosion probably led to both knives demise. I probably only cleaned and oiled them once a decade. Corrosion will eventually kill any 1095 steel but I still prefer the ease of sharpening and edge quality over stainless. Without my abuse and neglect, each knife would have served me well for the rest of my life. When I get the opportunity, I'll refurb both knives and put them back into rotation.
 
I have a gerber clutch, with the broken pliers and snap off burnt blade... I'm kinda the abuser...and I used it for 2years...
 
I've seen restaurant chefs knives used and resharpened down to paring knives. Those knives got worked every day for at least a decade. I don't believe you can wear out a knife unless you've been a butcher for 30 years.
 
I've got a bunch of my Grandfather's knives. Many of them have been sharpened so much that the blades are recurved. I remember him using the grinder on the back of the electric can opener on their kitchen knives.
 
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