What's the most abusive thing you do with a knife?

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Mar 27, 2004
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Do you abuse your blades? I'm not talking about testing but just normal everyday abuse. What's the hardest use you put your knives to on a regular basis? How do they hold up?


I hit mine with a hammer.
When I'm framing a roof it is often much faster to pound my knife through a board than to climb over to where I left the saw. For trimming the ends of rafters I have always used a knife and a hammer, even when a saw is available because it's easier. The knives don't always like it though. I broke a 440c Benchmade in half this way. My old edc in differentially quenched 1080 held up pretty well but the spine was really mushroomed after a year or so. My current edc in cpm3v has held on strong for almost four years with hardly any signs of wear. The edge has gotten a little thicker than I like from repeated sharpenings on the belt grinder though.
Yesterday I needed to cut a mortice for a door latch on my new shop so I hammered the tip of my knife in about half an inch and pounded on the spine to cut a square. Once the four sides were cut I pried out the center. I've also pounded my knife through sheetmetal flashing quite a few times. Oh yeah and if you ever find yourself without a can opener just remember that it's way easier to cut through the side of a soup can just below the top than to cut through the top:D




I think the worst thing I've ever done to my knife though is cutting steaks when I go out to eat. I always manage to hit my plate and dull the edge. I use plastic plates at home. Anyway, I'm way too lazy to sharpen anything in 3v by hand so I always end up taking it to the grinder. My knife has lost a good sixteenth along the edge from sharpening.

I don't think my use of a knife is typical but I'd love to find out for sure.

So what's the worst you've done? I'd love to hear your stories.
 
You've set the bar pretty high :D I'm not surprised by your experiences with 440C, 1080 and CPM3V, respectively. How often do you have to sharpen the 3V? Does it chip or just dull? Wearing down a 1/16" in four years doesn't sound too bad if you're beating it that hard.

Batonning through wood is something a utility/survival/etc knife should be able to do without problems, in my opinion, although I don't use a hammer. But if it's working for you with your knife, go for it.

Plastic pallet strapping is pretty tough on an edge, cardboard can be, too; the steak/plate thing is probably the worst thing I do on a regular basis. Interesting topic!
 
I sometimes use mine in the shop to deburr parts, which are frequently plastic or aluminum, but occasionally steel. This isn't really that bad.

I have a hard thin skinner I use as a steak knife. D2 cuts meat fairly well even when it is blunted, I guess because of its toothy nature.

Cutting drywall and especially roofing shingles can be pretty bad.

Someone was using one of mine to chop ironwood recently which wasn't real good for it

What takes the cake is turning a piece of brass using the tip as a lathe tool held in a tool holder. I did that a couple weeks ago.

I have used a knife to slit scotchbrite rolls before feeding the material into a press to blank out pads in semi production. This is one of the things that got me interested in high hardness abrasion resistant steel.
 
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Sometimes I cuss at them and call them names when they slip the wrong way on the grinder. :grumpy::D
 
I remodeled our bathroom and used a test bowie to pry off sheet rock and remove tiles. It looks pretty bad now but didnt break. It was a good test for it and I found the edge holding wasnt very good. I thought it should still shave arm hair. :)
 
I stick mine in a vice and break it in about 9 places ;) . other than that I dig up roots, cut dry wall and every thing in between.

I like Dustin's response.

-Josiah
 
Loan them to my wife -
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She used this one to try and hack through a tractor PTO shaft..... That's why I only give her the very best!

Andy
 
I do all kinds of nutty stuff. Like removing the plaster from the lathe on my walls ( I have bean remodleing my house) Chopping into lathe and plaster is quite fun and also hard on a blade. The hawk I made from 1084 has held up quite well. I often cut wire tin rope and all sorts of stuff here on the old farm. I have also made a few large knife/machete type devices that see duty in clearing brush and such. Our farm was seriously overgrown when we purchased it. Its a real challange trying to get this place into shape but its fun. Its especially fun abusing the F$#@ out of some edged tools.

Speaking of tools I realize I probly sound like one but Oh well. And Kids dont try this at home:)
 
I constantly use mine in my shop. Everything from opening boxes to prying scales off knives...... I have one always stuck in the main work bench within easy reach.
 
the worst ive probably ever done with my knives was use them as screw drivers :), ive only done it a couple time and I was very careful the entire time worrying about breaking it.

anyway that aside the worst was cutting up heavy cardboard, plastic pallet ties, zip ties and the occasional wire. im pretty easy on my knives.
 
My dad uses a knife as a pry bar, screw driver and a hammer, among other things. That's why I have knives for cutting stuff, a pry bar for prying things, a hammer for hammering things; and a screw driver for screwing screws.
 
I have 4'' Damascus Drop point with Iron wood handle that I made. I do everything that I ain't suppose to do with it. I scrap off epoxy and paint off other knives. I deburr with it. I cut sheathes with it. I pry off handles. I hammer on the spline. I cut my steak with it. Even drop it last week and banged up the tip. I made it in December I have sharpen it three times. I even clean it it up at shows and display it. It is still a beautiful knife I carry and show it every chance I get.
 
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