When to throw away?

Cliff Carter Knives

Cliff Carter Knives

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
May 30, 2011
Messages
715
One of biggest struggles since getting into knife making has been when to get rid of items (worn belts, steel scraps, handle scraps)

Most difficult is my pile of handle cutoffs. I keep anything over about 1/2” wide. Keep telling myself maybe I’ll use the cutoffs as spacers, etc but I never do. This is for normal things like g10 and micarta. Don’t even get me started on the exotic woods, hybrid scales, resins...

So do you all chuck the cutoffs, or will there be a time when I’m happy I’m sitting on a pile of worn out belts and scale pieces?
 
Belts I used to keep them a lot more than nowadays, I lost my patience to rubbing belts. Stabilized wood cutoffs I keep everything above one square inch and 1/4" thickness, liners cutoffs go to the dump usually.

Pablo
 
I use my wood and G10 scraps to make bottle openers. These make nice small gifts.
I have also made pull-cord grips for curtains the same way. I have bins of scraps that I'm too cheap to throw away.

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Appreciate the replies! Never thought to repurpose in that way.

could probably toss some belts, but may hold onto the handle cutouts a bit longer now!
 
I use my belts till it becomes a waste of time using them. I keep wooden blocks for the same reason posted above. I keep larger steel scraps if it’s large enough to make a push dagger.
 
I am also guilty of keeping wood offcuts for too long. Recently I installed a wood burning stove in the workshop, which makes getting rid of any wood pretty easy :) Regarding belts, I find that the more experience I have, the sooner I chuck them. I cut them when they are dull, so I have no reason to keep them. I do, however, keep J-weight belts, as they are great (and free, since you use them for grinding anyway) for hand sanding. I generally throw away smaller pieces of steel, if I can't fit my smallest paring knife on (if I decide to make a tool form an offcut, I label it and do it ASAP, so it is not rolling around collecting dust).

I am planning on giving my old wood offcuts (in my previous shop) and carbon steel scraps to someone starting out - I don't have to look at them anymore, and someone is sure to find a use for them.
 
Very interesting ideas! It may help if I just do a better job organizing. Packing all of my cutoffs in a small box would feel better than having them scattered in my drawers. Same goes for the belts!
 
While grinding if I think "That is not doing what I want, why is that?" It is time to remove that belt.
50 Grits go to be used on wood and grinding non knife stuff.

100 and above will hang around until I can get no more out of them for non knife related grinding, then they get thrown away.

One of the biggest false economies and time wasters is grinding a knife with a belt that does not do exactly what you want when you want it.
 
I keep all handle scraps. I make beads out of them. I've also been keeping tiny (less than half a square inch) pieces of steel. But that's kinda pointless, so I think I'm gonna stop.
 
use the wood scraps as file handles ,or unique knife handles like the leather stacked style add a couple pieces of scrap metal for guards /end caps/spacers.
the scrap steel can be turned into handle broaches..
makes it kinda fun/interesting to put it in your way to motivate you to use it up instead of hiding it in a box/drawer...
 
Like others, my threshold for throwing belts out has lowered. I do keep one somewhat worn 50-60 grit ceramic for knocking off the corners of unhardened blades so when I use a fresh sharp belt to do pre heat treat grinding I'm not shearing off all the fresh grit. I also use these to taper hidden tangs.
I keep wood scraps 1.5" long or longer to use as bolsters and spacers.
 
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