When do you call it quits on a knife?

[Pete1977]

I would think that I would use a knife at that price point until it was no longer functional. If the blade begins to sit proud of the handle, I would try to grind it down (I don't really have much use for a needle tip, I regularly use a sheepsfoot blade at work.) I need to get the most mileage out of my knives since I can't really afford or justify to replace anything right now. With an eighth of an inch sharpened away and a reground tip, if you are offended aesthetically by the knife send it to me . J/k if you don't want to carry it the way it looks, stick it in your glove box or workshop and use it for the crappy jobs you don't want to use the newer ones for.

However, in regards to oversharpening, I try to get my knives to a good toothy working edge and leave it at that. I regularly cut materials that have dulled an s30v military in 2 cuts. So for me, I prefer to use a steel that is easier to sharpen in the field with minimal effort. I don't "over sharpen" and have found a mirror polished hair whittling edge is next to useless for a work knife. A couple of passes on a coarse diamond hone and a micro bevel to break the burr off of cheaper steels is all I really need and what I find most effective.

I am still using a Byrd Rescue that Sal sent me (to replace the other one he sent me that I lost overboard ) and that I promised to send back to Spyderco over a year ago so they could look into some stress fractures in the blade. I probably put the hairline cracks in when prying open cans of lobster buoy paint. the serrations are much shallower than when they started and there are chips in the blade I have no intention or desire to expend the effort to sharpen out.

When I can afford to buy a new (to me) knife I usually look for something someone else has used. As long as the edge isn't destroyed I can fix it, and as long as the lock isn't wrecked by idiotic "torture tests" and the price reflects its use, I don't mind it. I like knives with some character.

 

[bobusx]

With my line of work, I have to resharpen my blades after every single cut. I have worn through an s90V para 2 in one day. I actually spend 80% of my day sharpening my knives to get an edge back from all the hard work I do. I tried to use a razor knife once, but the edges dulled when I opened the package.

Some of you may say I need to use a jackhammer to cut through all that concrete, but I actually get joy out of using my knives for something other than cutting butter like the rest of you wimps.

 

[Mud Shrimp Moe]

My personal choice for constant cutting (I have those days sometimes, but they're rare) is aligned with Pete1977. Activities like cutting drywall or caulk or carpet would lead me to choose a sharp, cheaper blade like a Byrd Cara Cara. The 8Cr13Mov steel dulls quicker than S90V, but I can always carry a couple of the knives. I do use my more expensive knives, but I hate tearing them up, particularly dirty or wet work with them.

That said, if someone has a job requiring constant heavy use and they want to use an expensive knife and sharpen it daily, it's fine by me. If they (hypothetically) use up a quality knife every year in their job and that's their preference, then who am I to say they're doing it wrong?

 

[Ankerson]

I feel it just boils down to preference. Also if I dull my D2, S30v knives in a day what would that do to a razor? I used to snap them under the stress I cut with. Never broken a knife cutting sheets of cardboard. This is just my personal experience and preference. If you like a razor by all means use it.

Yeah they do snap easy then the person has to dig out the snapped off piece of blade out of the cardboard.

Nothing really good or even positive about box cutters.

 

[bobusx]

Yeah they do snap easy then the person has to dig out the snapped off piece of blade out of the cardboard.

Nothing really good or even positive about box cutters.

Sadly, Boxcutters and Sak classics are about the only thing that doesn't scare people with any regularity out here in the UK. And thats only if you are obviously using it to cut something and put it right away.

 

[Ankerson]

Sadly, Boxcutters and Sak classics are about the only thing that doesn't scare people with any regularity out here in the UK. And thats only if you are obviously using it to cut something and put it right away.

I get a lot of positive reactions were I work from people who are walking by, but then that is the area I work in.

 

[Ankerson]

+1

you're right. with that much demand i would opt for a box cutter, but jim certainly has his own way about him.
from what i gather he over uses his knives, over sharpens them and then rips on people that don't do the same.
i love using my blades but certain tasks aren't worth putting them through IMO.
like the tasks that completely destroy the knife when a razor blade would have sufficed.

john, keep using it brother. i find that blades have more character after acquiring some war wounds.
most people can make a knife last (especially s90v) and still use it quite frequently.

again, i'd mention that if your knives are diminishing into nothing..........you may need a box cutter.

Don't plan on using it at work until the blade is completely gone.

Like I said, next time I have to thin it out I will retire it, that means to normal EDC type use and it will last for a very long time, likely the rest of my life.

Not really sure what overuse means....

The more use a knife gets the more often it will need to be sharpened.

 

[jackknife]

Too may people over sharpen their knives. Too much obsession going on about being able to whittle hair, and other useless points. Just sharpen when it needs it, and you'll know when that is when it stops cutting well. As long as it glides through the top of an envelope opening your mail, or cleanly cutting a piece of twine, go with it.

As to when do you give up on a knife?

I've got one knife from a long gone relative that has two blades that re little more than sharpened toothpicks. Most of the blades are gone from 40 years of daily use. It was still in use when the owner passed on. It was still doing the job. I still have the Buck stockman I carried for 25 years, and while it's worn, and the blades may be a bit skinnier than they uses to, it still cuts just fine.

By nature of the beast, a knife is a disposable piece of equipment. Everytime you sharpen it, a bit of blade is gone forever. Get over it, that's the nature of it. The more you obsess over some U tube video of some idiot sharpening away till he can whittle hair, and working away on whatever gizmo he uses, the more you will be influence to do the same. Stop obsessing, and just carry your knife, and use it when you have to. If it gets dull, touch it up, but stop when you get to where it will cut well. How sharp do you really need to have to. How many of you will be doing cataract surgery with your knife? Most of you are probably office workers or suburban dwellers, not buffalo skinners or big game guides. If it is doing what you really need to do, then your good to go. Heck, that kid that went climbing and had to amputate his own arm, did it with a semi dull Chinese knockoff of a Leatherman. I'm pretty sure he didn't know what a Sharpmaker is, let alone use one. Peg leg Smith cut off his own leg with a bowie knife he sharpened on a rock.

When we loose perspective, it's easy to loose sight of what's really important.

When my own pocket knife starts to not cut well, I just use a medium 600 grit Eze=Lap model L to touch up my blade. Soon as it get sharp enough to cut newsprint, I stop and strop it a bit on the back of my belt. That's it. I never use any finer than 600 grit. My knives cut well.

If you don't over sharpen your knife, it will last a lot longer.

Carl.

 

[Pete1977]

Too may people over sharpen their knives. Too much obsession going on about being able to whittle hair, and other useless points. Just sharpen when it needs it, and you'll know when that is when it stops cutting well. As long as it glides through the top of an envelope opening your mail, or cleanly cutting a piece of twine, go with it.

As to when do you give up on a knife?

I've got one knife from a long gone relative that has two blades that re little more than sharpened toothpicks. Most of the blades are gone from 40 years of daily use. It was still in use when the owner passed on. It was still doing the job. I still have the Buck stockman I carried for 25 years, and while it's worn, and the blades may be a bit skinnier than they uses to, it still cuts just fine.

By nature of the beast, a knife is a disposable piece of equipment. Everytime you sharpen it, a bit of blade is gone forever. Get over it, that's the nature of it. The more you obsess over some U tube video of some idiot sharpening away till he can whittle hair, and working away on whatever gizmo he uses, the more you will be influence to do the same. Stop obsessing, and just carry your knife, and use it when you have to. If it gets dull, touch it up, but stop when you get to where it will cut well. How sharp do you really need to have to. How many of you will be doing cataract surgery with your knife? Most of you are probably office workers or suburban dwellers, not buffalo skinners or big game guides. If it is doing what you really need to do, then your good to go. Heck, that kid that went climbing and had to amputate his own arm, did it with a semi dull Chinese knockoff of a Leatherman. I'm pretty sure he didn't know what a Sharpmaker is, let alone use one. Peg leg Smith cut off his own leg with a bowie knife he sharpened on a rock.

When we loose perspective, it's easy to loose sight of what's really important.

When my own pocket knife starts to not cut well, I just use a medium 600 grit Eze=Lap model L to touch up my blade. Soon as it get sharp enough to cut newsprint, I stop and strop it a bit on the back of my belt. That's it. I never use any finer than 600 grit. My knives cut well.

If you don't over sharpen your knife, it will last a lot longer.

Carl.

well said Jackknife...

Even though I have never met the guy I have learned more from reading Carl's posts on bladeforums than probably anyone else. Experience speaks volumes...

I remember reading something along the same lines re: oversharpening by AG Russell some years ago

 

[Ankerson]

Too may people over sharpen their knives. Too much obsession going on about being able to whittle hair, and other useless points. Just sharpen when it needs it, and you'll know when that is when it stops cutting well. As long as it glides through the top of an envelope opening your mail, or cleanly cutting a piece of twine, go with it.

As to when do you give up on a knife?

I've got one knife from a long gone relative that has two blades that re little more than sharpened toothpicks. Most of the blades are gone from 40 years of daily use. It was still in use when the owner passed on. It was still doing the job. I still have the Buck stockman I carried for 25 years, and while it's worn, and the blades may be a bit skinnier than they uses to, it still cuts just fine.

By nature of the beast, a knife is a disposable piece of equipment. Everytime you sharpen it, a bit of blade is gone forever. Get over it, that's the nature of it. The more you obsess over some U tube video of some idiot sharpening away till he can whittle hair, and working away on whatever gizmo he uses, the more you will be influence to do the same. Stop obsessing, and just carry your knife, and use it when you have to. If it gets dull, touch it up, but stop when you get to where it will cut well. How sharp do you really need to have to. How many of you will be doing cataract surgery with your knife? Most of you are probably office workers or suburban dwellers, not buffalo skinners or big game guides. If it is doing what you really need to do, then your good to go. Heck, that kid that went climbing and had to amputate his own arm, did it with a semi dull Chinese knockoff of a Leatherman. I'm pretty sure he didn't know what a Sharpmaker is, let alone use one. Peg leg Smith cut off his own leg with a bowie knife he sharpened on a rock.

When we loose perspective, it's easy to loose sight of what's really important.

When my own pocket knife starts to not cut well, I just use a medium 600 grit Eze=Lap model L to touch up my blade. Soon as it get sharp enough to cut newsprint, I stop and strop it a bit on the back of my belt. That's it. I never use any finer than 600 grit. My knives cut well.

If you don't over sharpen your knife, it will last a lot longer.

Carl.

Some are OCD when it comes to sharpening, hair whittling edges etc, etc, etc.....

On my user knives I just use a semi polished edge and usually just touch them up as needed once they stop cutting well.

My EDC knives rarely ever need sharpening, my work knives... well they need more attention as would be expected.

I can usually get away with just stropping my work knives unless the edge is damaged, it just depends on what is needed.

My Native 5 in S35VN went 3 weeks using it at work without having to take a stone to the edge, then I used it for the 4th week and had to repair the edge because I hit steel with it. Actually it seems to be one of the better user steels for me as with S30V and XHP for my uses at work.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

If the tip starts sitting proud of the handle grind down the kick or the recess for the stop pin, depending on which method the knife uses. Problem solved--use away.

 

[A.L.]

Nothing really good or even positive about box cutters.

I've had few summer jobs back in the days where box cutters came handy, such as cutting plastic insulation around rocky/concrete areas where blade hits the hard spots constantly (and is in contact with sand). I'm not afraid to use my knives, and I'm proud of wear and scratches in the blade, but I find it more practical and worry free to do this kinds of tasks with box cutters.. and it does the job just fine.

 

[1234]

My knifes whittles hair at 30 degrees inclusive , just saying.

Oh , and if you gonna beat knifes up like that , get a Mora .

1234,,,,,

 

[Doug S]

Jackknife said it about as well as it can be said.

 

[Ankerson]

I've had few summer jobs back in the days where box cutters came handy, such as cutting plastic insulation around rocky/concrete areas where blade hits the hard spots constantly (and is in contact with sand). I'm not afraid to use my knives, and I'm proud of wear and scratches in the blade, but I find it more practical and worry free to do this kinds of tasks with box cutters.. and it does the job just fine.

Well there are always certian uses that a different tool might be used for various reasons.

 

[NightMare Silverado]

With a long wood saw you could probably get through 4-5 times the amount the knife would get through in the same time.
Just a thought.

Customer wants a clean edge on everything.

 

[Reeek]

I have never worn a knife out yet. I'm just a dog with a large territory so I end up hopping fences to find a new toy long before a knife wears out.

Translation - I usualy fall in love or gain with another knife (or rotation) long before a knife (or rotation) wears out. I'm also somewhat easy on my EDC due to my typical needs so the knives I carry in my RFP usually look good and function well for a very long time. My BOB knives on the other hand, get some hard love.

So my answer is "when I cheat and move on to another" . . .

 

[Ankerson]

Here is a photo of my 2 ZDP-189 Endura 4's.