Why Bother?

knzn

knzn

Joined
Jul 20, 1999
Messages
683
One of the local communities here near where I live had a fall festival this past weekend. One of the event organizers was busy putting finishing touches on some of the shade canopys. He was using a cotton cord, about 1/4" diameter to lash the material to the poles. When it came time for him to trim the cord to lengh, he whipped out his handy dandy pocket knife and proceded to saw back and forth with great effort to cut the cotton cord. Not knowing him, I was slow to offer my knife, and mercifully someone else watching the show offered his and the cord was cut with ease.
What good is a knife that dull? Why bother to carry it at all?
I work with a number of guys who use hand tools for a living. And for the most part their knives are dull too. Are the only people who actually know how to sharpen a knife "bladeforumites?"
I am sure many of you see people in your day to day activites whip out the knife they carry and are amazed at the "butter knife" edge. Why bother to carry it at all? Are we becoming so "civilized" as a society that our beloved daily carry pocket knives are becoming extinct? After all, why bother carrying something that worthless?

"keep em sharp guys!"
 
Worse than that is someone who does not carry any knife at all and is always wanting to borrow somebody else's knife to cut something.
 
I would just be happy to see someone using a knife without scaring the assembled masses. At least he had one.

When I was a cub scout I learned that you are more likely to get cut with a dul knife than a sharp one. It stuck with me (although I have had some pretty nasty cuts from very sharp knives).
 
Originally posted by knzn
I work with a number of guys who use hand tools for a living. And for the most part their knives are dull too. Are the only people who actually know how to sharpen a knife "bladeforumites?"
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I'm surprise by this, I'm not surprised by "weekend warriors" with dull knifes but those who work with tools for living, and I know many, they all keep their knives sharp and other tools in excellent working condition. Most of them don't know the hottest new steel or even yesterday's "best tactical " knife, but they know how to use their knives efficiently and care for them.............
Martin
 
I can contribute my latest knife sharpening abilities to the BFC. Before I can here, I never heard of the Sharpmaker. I used to attempt to sharpen knives with those cheap grey stones, like the ones that come with cheap survival knives. Most of the time I would usually make it duller and scratch up the blade in the process. Now in the last 2-3 weeks, I am truly amazed that it is possible to make a blade razor sharp and I can't even tell by looking at the knives they have been sharpened. Its just one of the many great things I have learned here. Thanks Guys!!
 
I suppose that this individual was one of those that doesn't want to give the sheeple something to talk about, as far as the sharpness of his blade. (Unless he is just inexperienced with sharpening, as I know of some people being.) He may be one of those unfortunate souls who has not experienced the ease of sharpening knives with the Spyderco Sharpmaker 204. ;)

My EDCs ALWAYS have the sharpest edges that I can get on them. :D :cool:
 
I'm not really too surprised to hear something like that. I work part time at the local Wal-Mart Supercenter in the Sporting Goods dept. and as suck I keep and older 204 Sharpmaker under the counter. I am constantly sharpening the knives of several of the folks that work there. This I don't mind at all, just as I don't mind sharpening customers knives. What amazes me is that the 204 Sharpmaker is not magic, nor is it very hard to learn how to use. People ask me all the time "do you sell these sharpeners?" I tell them no, but in thesame breath I tell them that down the road about a mile is a place where you can get one. I also tell them the price for a model with white stones and gray stones. It is a little more than anything we sell, but a great investment for anyone wanting a sharp knife. Most if not all the people whose knives I've sharpened are more than a little amazed. As nice as it would be to take credit for it I can't, and tell them YOU could do the same if you go buy the sharpener. Again most if not all say yeah, but walk off to return next week and say "will you sharpen my knife,........again":rolleyes:
But of course I do. Hey, it's the Wal-Mart thing!!
 
Originally posted by winstonknives
Worse than that is someone who does not carry any knife at all and is always wanting to borrow somebody else's knife to cut something.
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I'm with David, at least he knew enough to carry one--regardless of how dull it was.

And I, like TheBadGuy, can also contribute much of my sharpening skills to this forum. I would normally have to buy a new knife to avoid carrying a dull one until I finally learned how to sharpen effectively. I had the basic theory right, but I needed the advice found here to tweak my technique just enough to get it right. I don't know how I ever got by before, but I sure am glad I finally learned how.

ps...the Sharpmaker rocks, but learning how to sharpen on a benchstone is that much cooler.
 
A guy at work was trying to cut the fingertips off of a pair of work gloves with his cheap folder(serrated too). He was getting nowhere fast. I gave him my Leatherman Supertool(wouldn't let him touch my folder), and told him to use the serrated blade(I also told him to be careful because the blade is sharp...he claimed his knife was sharp :rolleyes: ). He first nicked himself with the blade, then easily cut through the gloves. The guy was looking at me in shock because of how sharp the blade was. :D
 
Well we don't necessarily know how to sharpen... ie I still don't know how to sharpen freehanded.
However, we realize that having a sharp knife is much better and much safer than a dull knife.
 
It used to be that a father taught his son certain things as the son grew up. One of them was how to sharpen a knife.

Today, and even going back a generation, parents are less and less involved with their children. Fathers particularly are so. In fact, an alarming fraction of children are growing up without fathers and, therefore, without the influence and the teaching that fathers are supposed to give. Schools are now teaching the children more that the "three R's." Children now learn everything they're going to learn from the schools. But schools only teach "politically correct" things. Knife sharpening is not one of them. Besides, our public schools are increasingly unable to teach children to read or write. Why should we expect them to do any better at other topics?

Simple skills that used to be passed from father to son, skills like sharpening a knife, are rapidly being lost.
 
Two questions make me cringe when talking knives with a non knife knut: "It won't rust, will it?" <i>and</i> "Will it get dull?"

I used to go to great lengths to explain that no knife - even carbon steel - will rust if you take care of it properly (they might stain, sure, but not rust) and that no good knife will stay sharp forever, that you'll have to re-sharpen from time to time. Now, though, in my old age, I just :rolleyes:
 
My dad tried to teach me to sharpen knives, never quite took right, probably just not enough practice. wasn't his fault, he taught me right, and had nice stones he was showing me on, I'm just a clutz. But my lansky keeps things sharp now, and looking at a sharpmaker.

But yes, I agree that a sharp knife is definitely safer than a dull knife. Cuz when you cut yourself(and we all know you will ;) ) at least it will be a clean cut that'll heal quickly and iwhtout getting infected. :)
 
My dad showed me how to sharpen a knife also, which is why I could never do it. :) He could get a decent edge on a knife, but never got them truly sharp. I was always the same. I could make a dull edge better, but never really sharp. I just picked up an Edgepro last week though. On my second try I got my knife sharper than it's ever been since I first started using it. On my third try it's nice and sharp. I need to play around with it a bit more, but the results are very promising, very quickly. :)
 
We should keep in mind that some folks have their own uses for their pocket knives. KNZN can't understand why the individual in question carries a dull knife - - but maybe that's the way he finds it most useful.

I bought my father a little Buck folder many years ago, and when I borrowed it once I was shocked at how dull it was. Thinking that maybe he didn't value the gift, I mentioned it to him. He pointed out that he liked the knife a lot and used it all the time - - to clean his fingernails and ream/clean tobacco out of his pipe. He preferred the a duller blade so as not to cut his fingers or gouge his pipe. Fact was, a dull blade was the best form for him when using it for these tasks.

Could be that KNZN's experience was with someone like my Dad, who had better use for a "duller" blade. And, when faced with a need to cut some cotton twine realized that this was the best he could come up with at the time - - even though it was very dull for that task.

TT2Toes
 
I think most people, even people who carry knives have never been affiliated with someone who uses one alot.
I grew up around my granfathers farm and learning from my father how to work with tools. knife sharpening, like hunting is second nature to me. And it seems that theres alot of people out there who have never been "properly" intoduced to the idea of knowing how important a sharp knife can be.

When I first met my wife I was at a parade with her and her brother. He asked to borrow my knife, and I let him use it. To my dismay he cut a plastic bottle full of water in half, closed the blade shut with water all over my beautiful blade of ats-34 (now this is when ats-34 was expensive!).

I think we just have to remind ourselves we are a different breed, and its ok to be different!!

you should see how many people in my church really dont know what to say when they find out I collect and make knives and blacksmith. when I lived in ark. however it did'nt phase any of them. everyone I knew there carried a pocket knife, and if nothing else had an idea how to sharpen a knife!!
 
I'm one of the oddities in my generation.

*I was given my first knife by my grandfather, now 87, when I was 5 for my Bday(spring). *A small cheap(compared to current knives), Sheffield slipjoint with about a 1.5" blade. According to the collectors area here, it's made in the '50s...
*my grandfather taught me how to sharpen freehand with a stone. I was allowed to use my knife doing whatever I felt I could use it for. Plenty of chances to sharpen being an adventerous 5yr old...
*got my 2nd for Xmas that year, a small one he got free from Co-op, about 2", knife and file.
*continued to recieve small ones from my grandfather until I was 12. *I was given my dad's old(he has no use for it) hunting knife, 6" and hollow handle(bought during his youth)... also recieved his air pistol...
*started buying my own knives at age 12
*found out what sharp was at age 15 when I started with Spyderco...

My father uses a knife daily, but in his pipe. I have offered to sharpen it for him once, and he told me he prefers it dull.

My grandfather still uses his knife daily(I just cleaned it this spring, it hasn't been cleaned before). He keeps a reasonable edge on it for a knife done in the 30s... It's his 2nd knife he bought, and has made it for 70yrs... he has another knife here if that one ever breaks. he bought the newer one in the 70s...
 
I remember from 40 years ago, my uncle sharpening his pocketknife to cut baler twine. He had a small stone he held in his hand and rotated the knife blade on it till it was sharp. I'm sure it was sharp long before he finished, but he liked that circular motion! He had to buy a pocket knife twice a year, but he liked that circular motion! Now I know that if done right, you only have to remove just enough metal to make the edge sharp, not grind and grind away.

It must be the meat cutter in me (put me through college) but I can't stand a knife that is only almost sharp! If it starts to drag a little, a couple of swipes on a chrome butcher steel (not those silly things with the grooves in them, but a plain, smooth, shiney steel) and it usually does the job. If not, a couple of strokes on a ceramic rod and then the steel. Ahhh, perfect! I find once I get a knife sharp I hardly ever have to go back to a stone.

Bruce

PS: The other day I had to endure a "Cutco" demonstration. When it got to the part where she cuts half inch sisal rope to demonstrate the "Double D" cutting edge, she asked if anyone had a knife that would cut this rope? I pulled out my small Benchmade AFCK with no serrations but a wicked edge. I sailed right through. The demonstrator was astonished. She was expecting someone to drag out an old pocket knife or something. The Benchmade rained on her parade!
 
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