When you let someone borrow your knife.....

M

MacTech

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Jan 7, 2006
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611
do you hand it to them closed or opened, point towards you or point towards them, if it's open, do you present them the blade or the handle.....

for me, it's a safety issue, if i'm letting someone borrow a knife, i hand it to them *closed*, with the point facing me, i.e. the blade pivot is facing them

this is for a couple reasons, most importantly, if they're going to drop a knife, i'd prefer it be a *closed* knife....

secondly, even my "scary" knives (like my Spyderco Harpy) don't seem *as* scary, when the person borrowing the knife opens it, most of the time the reaction is "this is a really nice knife..."

i also tend to wait around until they're done with it, in case they have trouble closing it (most NKP aren't familiar with the Spyderco Ball Lock on my Dodo, so i have to show them how to unlock it)

i've noticed a very favorable reaction to the ball lock from NKP, most of them get this huge grin when they figure it out, the immediate response to the ball lock is "that seems like a really safe lock/what a neat idea!"
 
People dont borrow my knife unless they have the same last name as me. These people know how to handle it so its of little consequence how the handoff occurs.
 
I hand it to them open with both hands. Edge facing me, handle on my left hand.

If I dont trust them I have the handle on my right hand or put it down and let them pick it up themselves.
 
Growing up in Scouts, we were taught to never hand someone an open knife. I never gave much thought to which way the blade was oriented; I don't have any automatic knives.

-Bob
 
Borrowing a knife is like borrowing a pen or borrowing money, you generally never see it again. I don't do it.
 
I only lend my knife to folks that I know well--and only to ones who know what the heck they're doing with a knife.

I always hand it to them closed, and that's how I expect them to hand it back to me.

If it's one of my brothers or a fellow knife nut, I'll usually toss the closed knife to them (lockbacks and slip-joint only).:D

Allen.
 
I am EXTREMELY particular to whom I lend my knife to!! It does NOT happen very often. But, when I do, I hand it to them closed.
 
Open with reverse grip flick and hand off blade open, handle first. My knives don't get borrowed except for the task at hand which I usually wind up doing.
 
When you let someone borrow your knife.....
Click to expand...

I don't. Period. If something needs done I do it myself. I cannot stand seeing my stuff in someone else's hands. I'm an ass when it comes to my tools.
 
The only person I'll lend my knife to is my wife, and unless she takes it from my pocket herself I hand it to her open, handle first. And I don't have to tell her it's sharp, she knows (expects) that.
 
There are only a few people that I will loan one of my knives to. If it's for immediate use, I'll usually hand it to them open, handle first. If they need to walk away with it, I'll usually hand it to them closed.

They know how I am about my knives, and I know where they live...so I don't usually have a problem with getting them back.

Jubei
 
I loan my EDC only to very few people. I am giving a knife closed and always clean it after use, even if person who borrow it cleaned it.
R
 
When I see my coworkers or non knife friends pick at a box with a pair of scissors or keys, I have to just let them use the right tool for the job. I'll hand the my knife over closed with the pivot facing me.

Usually, after they open the knife, make the cut and figure out how to close it (Axis folder) they usually want to know where to get one because they like it so much. Well, that's till I tell them how much it costs. Even though I usually mention the least expensive Axis knife, a Griptillian, $40-50 is too much money for a "knife". :p
 
The only thing that I know is if you hand it to them closed then they need to give it back closed and vice versa if its open otherwise you will lose it. This is the only superstition I have. As a rule NOBODY borrows my knife. They can look at it and admire it, but not use it. Buy your own. A man should always have 3 things. His belt, his wallet, and his knife. Rules to live by.
 
I'll hand it to them closed, and usually with the pivot facing them just because that's how it comes out of my pocket (I EDC a Grip, tip up carry). If I loan someone my buck 112 then it's the same thing (I got used to tip up carry with my grip so I carry my buck tip up in a belt sheath). People only get to borrow the knife if I know them and I know what they're doing with it. I don't mind opening a box or letter for a person in need though, they just don't get to touch the knife.
 
Folding knives are for girly men :mad: :barf: :D
I hand them the handle, I hold the blade.
If they try to steal it, I reach in the other pocket and break out a real " weapon" and shoot them :cool:
 
Almost never, every one I know would end up trying playing around with it till it gets broken or they lose a finger. The only knife I really ever let people borrow is my Leatherman Wave.
 
If someone asks to borrow my knife, I generally require that they extend their non-dominant hand, palm facing down, into which I insert my knife (open, of course) between the second and third metacarpal bones. This leaves their dominant hand free to draw the knife, wipe it off, and complete their cutting task. [/joking]

No, seriously, I rarely let anyone borrow my knife. Usually I'll ask them what needs to be cut, and I'll do the cutting. In the rare event that I am asked by someone I trust to use it responsibly and carefully, I will hand them the closed knife. I expect them to hand me a closed knife when they've finished with it.

Peace.
Alex.
 
I let some people I know see my knife and feel and admire it but not really use it. Their are only a couple of people I trust to use my knife correctly and those people rarely ever ask because they always have a knife of their own anyway. I figure if your not smart enough to carry your own your not smart enoug to use mine responsibly. I usually hand the knife over closed but if we are in the middle of doing something and I use the knife and then they ask to use the knife I usuall just hand it over open with the blade in my hand.
 
quite honestly I rarely let anyone borrow my knives.

"Can I borrow your knife?" or "Do you have a knife I can borrow"

Is normallly followed by:

"What are you going to use it for?"

and then, depending on the answer, either:

"No."

or

"Here, let me do that for you."
 
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