What to do with junk knives??

Baatfam

Baatfam

Joined
Apr 2, 2006
Messages
96
OK...most of us probably have a few...knives that are junk...
I know I have a box with 10-12 junk knives in it...

Gifts from well meaning, but uniformed friends...
Things we bought before we knew the difference...
Stuff we found in the trunk of a used car...

Knives that you will never use because they'll probably break or hurt you...

I have a hard time putting them in the trash...
I won't give them to anyone...

So, what to do with them?

Bob
 
Open boxes, there good for that, at least a few times anyway.....
 
I think all sharp edges need to be removed before disposal, I even grind off the tips. Alternatively you can take them to the police and they will dispose them. I gave some of mine to the guy who sharpens for me.
 
bwperdue said:
Sharpening practice, mumbletypeg, letter opener, garden work?
Click to expand...

That's a good suggestion. Occasionaly someone posts up here they are wanting to start sharpening on a belt sander. This method definately requires some practice before attempting a quality blade.

Next time someone posts up, you could offer your junkers for the cost of postage.

Kevin
 
I know what you mean about having knives you don't know what to do with. Growing up my dad's friend Bob made knives, and I spent a lot of time just hanging around his shop. He was always giving me knives that I didn't know what to do with. So I'd put them in a box under my bed. I forgot about them until we were cleaning out my parents attic and found them along with a bunch of other stuff from my room. Mr. Loveless was a very nice guy, but I don't know what do with all of them, there must be a hundred or so. Should I donate them to Goodwill? Any suggestions?
 
chipm said:
I know what you mean about having knives you don't know what to do with. Growing up my dad's friend Bob made knives, and I spent a lot of time just hanging around his shop. He was always giving me knives that I didn't know what to do with. So I'd put them in a box under my bed. I forgot about them until we were cleaning out my parents attic and found them along with a bunch of other stuff from my room. Mr. Loveless was a very nice guy, but I don't know what do with all of them, there must be a hundred or so. Should I donate them to Goodwill? Any suggestions?
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R.W. Loveless? Haha if so, donate to me :-)
 
I take 'em apart and see if I can use any of the parts, ie screws, pocket clips, standoffs, and pmaybe pivots, and even washers if they have them.

My most recent use was a folover clip from a Winchester marked knife that cost all of $10 new. Actually the clip was the best part on it! Used the clip on my Ontario Retribution 1.
 
Practice convexing and changing grinds overall. Very good thing to practice.
 
Make sure you always have one around for when somebody asks "Can I borrow your knife?" After they break the tip off using it as a pry bar or a screwdriver and get done sharpening it on a concrete curbstone you can just tell them to keep it.
 
chipm said:
I know what you mean about having knives you don't know what to do with. Growing up my dad's friend Bob made knives, and I spent a lot of time just hanging around his shop. He was always giving me knives that I didn't know what to do with. So I'd put them in a box under my bed. I forgot about them until we were cleaning out my parents attic and found them along with a bunch of other stuff from my room. Mr. Loveless was a very nice guy, but I don't know what do with all of them, there must be a hundred or so. Should I donate them to Goodwill? Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

LOL

cutter17 said:
I take 'em apart and see if I can use any of the parts, ie screws, pocket clips, standoffs, and pmaybe pivots, and even washers if they have them.

My most recent use was a folover clip from a Winchester marked knife that cost all of $10 new. Actually the clip was the best part on it! Used the clip on my Ontario Retribution 1.
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+1

That's what I do, too. Take them apart and play with the parts

Great for sharpening practice, file work, experimentation. Some or most of the parts may end up in the trash eventually, but you'll get some fun and/or knowledge out of them anyway.
 
i keep them because there is always that extremely nasty job that needs to be done and i dont want to muck up a good one :barf: :D :eek:
 
I'd use them for destructive testing or parts or decoy knives. Fact is, even a junk knife can usually be sharpened to sharper than most people's kitchen knives, and that's where they'd be looking if you didn't have a decoy knife.

I know what you mean about the Loveless knives, chipm. Just this morning I had to kick a big pile of old Randalls out of the way to get to the bathroom. If you cut the blades off, the handles make good chew toys for a teething puppy.

In these "somebody borrowing your knife" threads that always come up, I don't think much of somebody who doesn't (or won't) carry their own knife. But as a carpenter, I was frequently asked for a chisel or plane, after my co-workers found out I had sharp stuff. I ended up with a set of decoy tools, sharp enough for them to use, but cheap enough for them to ruin. Not so much because I was a generous guy, but because it mostly kept them off my good ones...

Parker
 
Generally I try to avoid junk knives, but they come my way from time to time as gifts. What I do with them depends on whether they're safe to use. If they aren't safe, they get thrown out. If it's just a matter of junk steel but otherwise safe, then I give them away.
 
I threw out my "junk knives".

They sat around for a long time. I moved them from one place to another.
Then put them in a box. Which I moved from one place to another.
I was undecided about what to do with them.

But recently, I came to the conclusion that I was not going to use them, ever.
And I was not going to sell them or gift them either.

So, I saved one, and threw out the rest.
Disposing of them felt as good as making the decision to do so.
 
Practicing new sharpening techniques (YMMV depending on steel)
Practice make modifications.
Spare parts.
Loaner.
Make a spear:D
 
chipm said:
I know what you mean about having knives you don't know what to do with. Growing up my dad's friend Bob made knives, and I spent a lot of time just hanging around his shop. He was always giving me knives that I didn't know what to do with. So I'd put them in a box under my bed. I forgot about them until we were cleaning out my parents attic and found them along with a bunch of other stuff from my room. Mr. Loveless was a very nice guy, but I don't know what do with all of them, there must be a hundred or so. Should I donate them to Goodwill? Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Good one..........:thumbup: :D

Just send them on to me... I'll even pay postage...... :thumbup:
 
well, if you've heard the old statement that "one man's junk is another's gold"...
so if you can't stand havin' em around, it's best to dispose 'em all into the lovin' hands of those who (believe it or not!) would, can and...by george! actually will appreciate the very thing you loath.
 
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