What's your loaner/beater?

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Need4Knives

Joined
Jul 21, 2005
Messages
34
I like to carry a quality knife for my personnel use. However, when some average Joe asks if he can borrow a knife I whip out a 'loaner' which doubles as a beater. This is something that I learned the hard way (some git used by benchmade 710HS as a screwdriver).

My EDC is Benchmade 710HS, Grip, Mini TESK, Spyderco Centofante, Buck 112, Leatherman Wave depending on the mood and location.

My beater is a SAX Huntsman. Cheap, reliable, useful and does not scare the general public (plus it has a screwdiver for the idiot that misused my 710).

How about the rest of you? Do you carry beaters and/or loaners, if so what is it?
 
Probably the most "beater" type knife I have is a Kershaw Blackout... but I don't loan it either.

I think the idea of cutting what ever it is for the person is a good one, rather than handing your knife over. I already carry too much stuff without adding a throwaway for people. :p Is that a suck-o attitude or just realistic?

I dunno! :D
 
I will not loan any of my knives to anyone who is so negligent, unaware, or just plain stupid enough to NOT carry a knife.

Those of that ilk obviously have no idea how to use a knife, or how to take care of it. If someone needs a string cut, or box top opened, I'll do it with my knife, which then goes back in my pocket.

Kinda like the guy who says, "Hey, I wanna go huntin' but I don't have a gun. I'll just borrow one of yours." Right. :grumpy:

If someone wants to think ill of me because of my refusal to loan him something he should have been carrying all along.... I could not possible care less.

Just my take on things.


L.W.
 
A Spyderco Meerkat makes a good little beater/loaner. Only 23 bucks and the AUS 6 is very easy to reprofile if the blade gets a little dinged up... Not to mention it's an absolute blast to watch someone who's never seen a Meerkat try to figure out how to release the phantom lock on the knife so they can close it. :)
 
The beauty of using the SAK as a beater/loaner is that it is not an extra item to carry as it is useful in itself.

I do take the point that leanding a knife to anyone is a risk. However, I generally like people to realize how useful it is to carry some form of man's oldest tool for themselves. This is best achieved if I let them use a knife for themselves.

But you are correct there are some people out there that have no respect for tools wether they are their own or borrowed (I hate those people).
 
I carry a cheap, no name razor knife fot a loaner. I have sold small Schrade folders to most of my co-workers.
 
Recently i haven't had to loan a knife, but i've loaned my Buck 110 to a few responsible people last month. Since the purchase of my new wallet i've slipped a Victorinox Secretary into it and i'll probably use that as a loaner since it's seen a fair bit of use.

Some people use knives for rediculous things that make me question the sanity of these people, for instance: Un-corking a bottle of wine with my CUDA EDC probably wont work, i wouldn't even bother asking.

When i just said no to that little situation the response was something like "If you spend that much money on a knife and you're afraid it will break it's not a good knife."

Me: "No, if i spend that much money on a knife and i'm afraid it will break it's not a good corkscrew."

People...
 
Whenever someone asks to borrow my knife they get the serrated blade from my Swiss Tool period. I never loan out my main EDC. (not without a band aid anyway. :D )
 
I used to carry a loner/beater, but I stopped. More from lack of pocket space than anything else, but I really don't miss it much. The SAK I carry has enough tools on it to cover most things that would be "abuse" for a regular knife (pry with the flat screwdriver, actual screwdrivers for use on screws, etc). I keep a LM XTi in my backpack for really tough stuff (sawing, filing, scraping). The current crop of people I work with are actually rather scared of my knives (too sharp :D ), so they usually ask me to cut something for them rather than holding the knife themselves.
 
I love these threads. They're like "stupid pet tricks". :) I think the classic was the guy who loaned out a SAK so the borrower wouldn't break the tip off his folder, and he broke the tip off the SAK knife blade instead of using the screwdriver.

"Against stupidity even the gods contend in vain." -- Schiller
 
I'm of the school of cutting things for people. Not because they'll abuse the knives, but just because a lot of the people I work with are 16 year old girls (:D) and they tend to be a little jumpy.

I did let a co-worker borrow my Heat to cut something and the assisted opening scared her (she actually screamed when it popped open).

For tough stuff, I carry my Leatherman, it'll take any abuse anyone can give it, so I'll loan that if it's a non-knifeable problem.
 
Psychopomp said:
I did let a co-worker borrow my Heat to cut something and the assisted opening scared her (she actually screamed when it popped open).
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That's awesome. :D
I almost never loan my knives out. The one that I have that I beat up, that I might hesitantly loan out is a small CRKT M16 tanto (I think it's an m-16, it's a carson design, with zytel handles) It's held up fairly well so far.
Click to expand...
 
Boozoo Chavis said:
A Spyderco Meerkat makes a good little beater/loaner...Not to mention it's an absolute blast to watch someone who's never seen a Meerkat try to figure out how to release the phantom lock on the knife so they can close it. :)
Click to expand...

The _best_ feature of the Meerkat is the I-know-I'm-gonna-get-it-back factor. sure, ascaaterbrained or questionably ethical person might end up slipping any other knife in his pocket and walking away, but if he can't close it... :D
 
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