"You don't happen to have a knife do you?"

Happens all the time (because most people are unprepared for such things). Of course, I always oblige, and sometimes I'll even give the person in need one of my knives - it usually makes their day or week or month. I keep several knives (and watches and other stuff) in my truck, and I occasionally hand 'em out to random people in need. Makes my day, makes their day, and it's gotta be bonus points with the Man upstairs, right? Either way, it's fun.
 
link2derek said:
Happens all the time (because most people are unprepared for such things). Of course, I always oblige, and sometimes I'll even give the person in need one of my knives - it usually makes their day or week or month. I keep several knives (and watches and other stuff) in my truck, and I occasionally hand 'em out to random people in need. Makes my day, makes their day, and it's gotta be bonus points with the Man upstairs, right? Either way, it's fun.
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I've thought about keeping some SAK or Opinels on hand if someone needs one.
 
^^^ Do it - you won't regret it. I typically give away Moras, SAK's, and Rat-1's/RAT-2's. What's $20 to make someone's day/week/month/or year!
 
I've given plenty of SAK's away at the local gun shows I attend at least once a month. I always find that kid looking at the $5.00 Chinese crap someone has on his table, politely ask the parent if they mind me giving their kid a knife, then pull out a NIB SAK for them. Better to start them on something decent than the import junk. Forgot about the Opinel's. I'll need to get a few of those too and throw them in my bag.

On the OP's original question, I always carry a less expensive model to hand out to that uneducated knife person who asks to use one rather than hand them my Benchmade 761 or a Sebenza.

Funny reading this post. Just today my father in law asked if I had a knife when the family was all down at the beach. We were packing up canopies and I thought he needed to cut some tie down ropes. I handed him my Craig Wheatley custom necker and to my horror, he began to pry the bent metal post away from the bracket that had become wind damaged. I cringed and wondered why I hadn't thrown a small multitool, fixed blade Schrade, or Becker or something in the bag. Lucky for me the S35VN cut right through the plastic bracket and the blade was none the worse for wear.
I know I've read in other posts where a lot of people carry at least TWO knives on them for this very reason. In folders, I usually carry at least two for that reason too. My buddies and friends can use my "nice" blades and the "non-knife" people get the cheapy. ;)
 
link2derek said:
^^^ Do it - you won't regret it. I typically give away Moras, SAK's, and Rat-1's/RAT-2's. What's $20 to make someone's day/week/month/or year!
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True stuff. Good feeling giving someone a decent blade when all they've ever known is SOG, S & W, Gerber and Schrade from the big box stores.

Dangit, I forgot about the RAT1 and 2. Nice AUS8 steel and very well built for the money. Gotta get some of those for the bag too.
 
I carry two knives on me at all times, the knife I use and the knife I let other people use:)
 
Let me start by saying I hate people. I go a good way to make this obvious. Random people dont ask me...anything... So anyone who would ask is someone I know well, and they know I always have a blade (selection) with me. So if I'm asked 'Do you have a knife?' I stare at the person until they remember to ask the right question: 'Can I use your knife?'
I dont know any idiots to hand a knife to, so my only worries are usually limited to droppage and lock manipulation. I prefer to drop my own knives if they get dropped.
 
If I'm carrying something nice I will do the cutting. A lot of times if I'm at work I just use my rat2 so I'll hand that one out.
 
At the government office where I worked before I retired, "Anyone have a knife I can borrow?" was a fairly common question. After several years of increasing paranoia and posted rules about "weapons" the question became, "I need to borrow a knife. Will anyone admit to having one?"
 
Surfingringo said:
"Why yes sir...yes sir I do. I have a knife right here!...

That's a 30 degree inclusive edge with a 40 degree microbevel. I finished it on a 600 grit DMT to leave it nice and toothy. So yeah...let me know how it handles that thread."
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Ha! That's a nice piece of writing--made me laugh out loud.
 
"I'll cut it for you"... My standard response. I carry knives (usually 3, sometimes 4) I have personally made and hand them to no one to use. After the cutting operation is done I let them hold and fondle it over a safe surface. Just me...
 
Surfingringo said:
I was just curious if I was the only grown man on here that gets a little happy feeling when someone asks me if I have a knife?
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My first reaction is much like yours. My second reaction is cringing. What are the wanting to do with MY knife? I often suggest that they buy their own so they don't have to ask anyone.
 
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My small "inner circle" of friends and family all know that I'm a knife guy, so they usually just come to me when they need a sharp tool to cut some thing with. On the rare occasions that I don't have a knife on me, I'm often given looks of concern, like "are you feeling alright?"

So to the OP, yes, I personally get great satisfaction being asked to step in and assist with whatever knife I'm carrying at the time. And by "assist" I mean that I'll cut whatever needs cutting, but you can't have my knife unless you just want to examine it.

And I also keep a small stash of quality, low cost knives to give away on occasion. Diverting the uniformed away from shiny garbage has its own degree of satisfaction.

Because pictures are fun, here's my current EDC group - some of them ;)

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I don't let others use my knife. I have one friend who I will let use a knife and one family member, that's it. If a coworker asked I always declined, I never offered to do it for them either. Time is money and I wasn't getting paid to do their work. They can buy their own. Life is a lesson sometimes and they are better off learning the lesson they need to get their own instead of relying on others. The whole teach a man how to fish thing.

Reminds me of a work story. A guy says to me "let me use your knife". Told him nope and he went to another guy. He opened it and started cutting cardboard on the concrete with it. The grinding noise was spectacular.
 
As I carry a pair of fixed blades open carry, I almost never get the OP's question.

The questions I get are either "Why 2?" or "What are they?" My "go to town" FBs are Kraton handled Kabar shorties and most folks around here seem not to have encountered them before. Even though they have been available for at least 7 or 8 years now.

If someone asks to borrow one, my current response is "What do you need to cut? I'll cut it for you." That makes me accommodating to their situation, but leaves me in control of my knife.
 
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