You don't know your knife until...

Until you prepare several meals with it. By cutting different food items one gets a feel of the edge. Thicker knives are terrible cutters regardless of sharpness. I always find it funny when people argue that this and that tactical blade that is half an inch thick cuts as well as any other blade. Sure they can cut a twine fine, but for any type of slicing said knives are useless. I have a few thick busse knives that are hair splitting sharp but are useless for food or carving. They are fun to beat up though--probably great zombie killers as well :)
 
I agree with whittling. Most of my knives are used for cutting wood so it's my litmus test as well. I can tell very quickly if it's going to work for me or not when working on a little well-seasoned hardwood.
 
Until you have compared it to other knives you have had, and or your dreams expectations. (If you took it to bed, was it better than the X ?). Whatever you did with your other knives, how does this one compare? You know the knife when you can speak of how it performs in referrence to other knives- other jobs, even other people's related jobs. The learning proccess rarely ends though. There is always something more to know about the knife- till it breaks, bites you, or you loose it, and take that knowledge on to the next knive.
 
Until you've used it in the freezing cold. For me if I can't use a knife when its cold and I'm tired I won't carry it.
 
Until your drunk and flipping it end over end trying to catch it by the handle and you stab yourself in the finger requiring stitches.
 
infocus2006 said:
Until your drunk and flipping it end over end trying to catch it by the handle and you stab yourself in the finger requiring stitches.
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In that case, I don't really know any of my knives. Just curious, do you "really know" any of your guns? :p
 
OldeWolf said:
...you found out the next day that you slept with it and did not remember bringing it to bed with you.
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sometimes i sleep with knives at night. I feel if i dont notice it after a nights tossing and turning then its clear to edc.

i also use wood to test the overall performance of my blades as well as testing new edges after shaving the middle of a flat piece of paper
 
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Until it gives you stitches...(5x's by 5 knives)..LOL...not to mention a dozen or so "tape up" cuts..
I've been playing with knives for over 30 yrs...
 
I EDC'd the same knife for 10 years, when you know exactly where it is in your pocket, and don't even think about the process of retrieving it.
 
until you've field dressed or skinned an animal IMO there's no test of edge retention quite like ( not saying it's the toughest material by any means ) cutting through organic matter such as flesh and organs.
 
I'm a knife maker , and find all the replies interesting in terms of what all of you value in a good knife, and consider a good test. Some needs seem job specific “I want it to whittle good!” period. Some only care about it’s looks. Others expect a good knife to skin game. The ability to cut your finger to the bone is a good test … here, I have a knife for you to test for me. (grin). It’s at it’s best when it breaks, and you know it… um… er….. I mean ‘used to know it’ now it’s past tense and time for another one. I do appreciate reading all these comments. It helps me understand my customers and what they expect when I build a knife. I’d be curious what all of you pay for these knives you are getting to know. When we say ‘perfect knife’ we understand now ‘perfect’ means a lot of things to different people! Perfect to me is getting to know a tools limits and using that knife for what it was intended to be used for. So I carry a leatherman for carving the spoon and fork, cutting wire, and as a screwdriver. I carry a light skinner in a sheath to skin game and do light camp chores. I have a light camp hatchet for cutting tent poles driving pegs, as a hammer. I carry a small folding bow saw for cutting firewood (instead of a chopping tool) . Sometimes I substitute a light machete for the folding saw and hatchet.(depending where I am going what I expect to be doing, if I am walking or have transportation.) Total weight of all of it is about the same as a big bowie knife. I say you do not know your knife till you understand what it was intended for – what it can do and can not be expected to do. Yes taking it to it’s limits and knowing those limits can be important too. In an emergency I know I can cut wire and use my skinner as a screwdriver. But I understand I may need a new knife when done.
 
. . . until you've used it -- really used it -- in the kitchen.

You go camping, you will have camp kitchen duties as well as camp fire and whatever hunting/fishing duties go along with it.

You stay at home, you will have kitchen duties and kitchen opportunities.

You go on a road trip, you will have traveling kitchen duties and opportunities.

A knife that goes with you everywhere will spend at least some of its time being your personal kitchen knife.

I make sure that all my outdoor knives spend time in the kitchen. They cut cheese and salami, they make salads, they trim fat, they carve roasts and poultry, they make stews, they open packages, and they serve as eating utensils. There's not a steak knife made that outperforms a knife that I EDC. I can section an apple or pear with a Stockman as well as with a paring knife. I have a folding fillet knife that slices bread as well as -- or better than -- any bread knife.

I know which knife cuts carrots well, and which ones toss the carrot slices off the counter. I know which knives will slice a tomato and which ones will dice a tomato, and the same for onions. Slicing up a bell pepper? Gotcha covered with this knife right here: it has a nice point for fine work and an edge that requires no force to cut. Chopping celery? No problem, got one right here that makes that job easy.

I've also taken the time to learn how to use a Buck 110 for kitchen duty, how to make a salad with a skinning knife, and how to joint and serve a chicken with a medium stockman or small sodbuster.

You learn quite a bit about a knife when you try to make it do delicate work for which it was not designed.


I'll also agree with the whittling crowd. You use a knife for working in wood, you get a real sense of its capabilities and limitations.


Still, I use the kitchen as my primary testing lab. That's where my knives go for the first phase of our relationship.

 
ArfinGreebly said:
. . . until you've used it -- really used it -- in the kitchen.

You go camping, you will have camp kitchen duties as well as camp fire and whatever hunting/fishing duties go along with it.

You stay at home, you will have kitchen duties and kitchen opportunities.

You go on a road trip, you will have traveling kitchen duties and opportunities.

A knife that goes with you everywhere will spend at least some of its time being your personal kitchen knife.

I make sure that all my outdoor knives spend time in the kitchen. They cut cheese and salami, they make salads, they trim fat, they carve roasts and poultry, they make stews, they open packages, and they serve as eating utensils. There's not a steak knife made that outperforms a knife that I EDC. I can section an apple or pear with a Stockman as well as with a paring knife. I have a folding fillet knife that slices bread as well as -- or better than -- any bread knife.

I know which knife cuts carrots well, and which ones toss the carrot slices off the counter. I know which knives will slice a tomato and which ones will dice a tomato, and the same for onions. Slicing up a bell pepper? Gotcha covered with this knife right here: it has a nice point for fine work and an edge that requires no force to cut. Chopping celery? No problem, got one right here that makes that job easy.

I've also taken the time to learn how to use a Buck 110 for kitchen duty, how to make a salad with a skinning knife, and how to joint and serve a chicken with a medium stockman or small sodbuster.

You learn quite a bit about a knife when you try to make it do delicate work for which it was not designed.


I'll also agree with the whittling crowd. You use a knife for working in wood, you get a real sense of its capabilities and limitations.


Still, I use the kitchen as my primary testing lab. That's where my knives go for the first phase of our relationship.

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I do agree with the fact that the majority of my EDC tasks are food-preparation oriented.

However, there have been a few knives that I have used frequently for kitchen duties without any problems, but as soon as I started whittling with them, the problems with the handle-ergos become very apparent
 
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