MORE THINGS I'VE LEARNED ABOUT HOW PEOPLE TREAT AND CARE FOR KNIVES

[chief38]

Although I have been hand sharpening knives, axes, chisels and drill bits since I was a Boy Scout, I just recently started a small sharpening gig. It is way different than when just doing a personal kitchen knife or two!

So lately people have given me their knives to sharpen and the first thing that struck me is just how dull, blunt and chipped people let their knives get. They seem to think knives are designed to be sharp and stay in perfect condition forever! They also seem to think it's OK to simply throw their knives lose into a drawer without separate slotted spaces, compartments or a knife block to segregate the blades from chipping and scratching each other. While I suppose that's a good thing for guys who sharpen knives for a living, I wonder how they can spend hundreds or over a thousand dollars on a high quality knife set and then treat them like forks and spoons.

And...... last but not least, there have been a few individuals that have completely shocked me! My next door neighbor is more OCD, neat freak, organizational maniac and perfectionist than I am. Sometimes I even feel like a slob (which I am absolutely not) compared to him - lol. We do get along great! After I sharpened his high end knife set, he thanked me and just threw them into the drawer in one big pile - Seeing a person like him do that shocked me. He just smiled.

I guess you never really know a person until you sharpen their knives - lol.

 

[Autonomous]

Knives are sneaky. They dull slowly so it isn't noticed. Like putting the frog in a pan of water and turning up the heat under it.

Sharpening seems like dark magic to someone that hasn't taken the time to learn. The steel may be pressed into service but only after it is too late.

It's a conspiracy.

 

[steelslaver]

What I hate is seeing a knife with a fine edge used to cut something on a porcelain plate or platter or my wife's favorite way to mess one up on a large glass burner cover.

I made an 8"x8" box 12" high out of hardwood and filled it with bamboo skewers point up. You can slide a bunch of knives of various configurations in it without the blades touching.

I hate dull knives. My wife and step daughters are horrible to them

 

[Xfuzz]

Dull knife will cut you quicker that a sharp knife.

 

[Autonomous]

My wife sees nothing wrong with cutting on porcelain either. Saying something will be taken as an attack rather than as education.
As I'm not short on my own peccadilloes I just roll with it.

 

[steelslaver]

My wife sees nothing wrong with cutting on porcelain either. Saying something will be taken as an attack rather than as education.
As I'm not short on my own peccadilloes I just roll with it.

I figure my wife is extremely luck to have me even if I do have a few flaws

 

[ISCS Yoda]

Amusingly, I was thinking of just this kind of thing last night when my lady asked me for a cutting board to cut up vegetables for a salad. I have several cutting boards and the one on top is plastic and I laughed to myself when I saw how scratched up it is. And last night it earned a few more scars because I handed her a sharp knife!!! One I routinely sharpen because it sees frequent use.

Thanks, chief38!!!! Good post!

 

[JohnRippert]

I figure my wife is extremely luck to have me even if I do have a few flaws

You're so modest.



It would not hurt for me to get a nice set of knives, but now it is just me in the house and I very rarely have anyone over for a dinner that requires a sharp knife, so........

 

[Skyhunter]

I don't mind sharpening knives for my wife. She ALWAYS uses a cutting board (her Mama raised her right!), hand washes the knives, and if they go into the drawer - they have their own sleeve to protect the edge. Her most used (favorite) knives usually live in their own compartment in dish strainer.
She's a darn good cook too! LOL!

WYT-P
Skyhunter

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

Dull knife will cut you quicker that a sharp knife.

True, and often worse because you will have more force behind it.

 

[Sgt. Buzzard]

OK chief, I have a buddy I shoot and ride motorcycles with all the time. But OCD, I go by his house one day just after the lawn guys finished mowing and he's on his hands and knees trimming the edges with sewing scissors.

His wife asked me to sharpen their knives. OK, I do about 20 and yup they all get tossed in the same drawer. He never keeps his guns oiled either.

 

[smoothshooter]

What I hate is seeing a knife with a fine edge used to cut something on a porcelain plate or platter or my wife's favorite way to mess one up on a large glass burner cover.

I made an 8"x8" box 12" high out of hardwood and filled it with bamboo skewers point up. You can slide a bunch of knives of various configurations in it without the blades touching.

I hate dull knives. My wife and step daughters are horrible to them

I feel your pain.
I am good at sharpening knives and have done hundreds over several decades.
More than once I have spent over an hour sharpening a 2 or 3 bladed pocket knife with some really tough steel for someone ( for free ), making it shaving sharp. Then in a couple of days they bring it back to me to sharpen again. Upon examination I see that the edges are trashed, and I ask " What in the H**l have you been doing with this knife?!! ", and get an answer like " Oh, I was working on the truck and had to pull and scrape carbon off the spark plugs ", or find out they used the knife to scrape off an old head gasket on a car engine..

 

[45Smashemflat]

Random co-worker, "Can I borrow your knife?"

My reply, "What are you gonna cut with it?"

(Actually, usually, I start with, "You don't have one?")

My Dad always said, "Never trust a man who doesn't carry a knife and something to write with." When I asked why, he said, "Because an honest man doing honest work will use them everyday. He'll never be without them."

 

[Jack Flash]

Good thread.

There are people who look at a $200 knife and a Walmart screwdriver as tools and just toss them a drawer or toolbox jumbled in with everything else.

For my kitchen knives, I routinely wash them, dry them, and put them away before any other dishes get washed. That way they don't bang around against the forks and spoons in the dish drainer.

 

[375hh1973]

I got a neighbor that likes to sharpen stuff.

I bring over our kitchen knives and a 6 pack of Labatt Blue and let him go to town.

I suck at sharpening knives, not ashamed to admit it.

Have several knives in my daily carry collection, when one gets super dull, it goes back to the factory, they tune it up and send it back.

 

[marinevet]

I remember when I was very young...........60+ years ago and my Grandma always cussed Grandpa when he sharpened the knives.........and did't tell her........

 

[StrawHat]

Bob,

Stick with it and you will hear all sorts of stories, "we got these knives 40 years ago and they are still sharp!" Yeah right!

Every day I get someone, usually male, who asks that I make their knives razor sharp! I always ask, "Do you shave with any of these knives?" Because a shaving edge is the worst edge for a kitchen knife or a pocket knife. A shaving edge is appropriate for a straight razor. A kitchen knife needs a sharp durable edge. Same with a pocket knife. Such an edge is attainable in three to five minutes on a good stone. Less on a slow speed belt sander.

Stick with it Bob, it is a great career!

Kevin

 

[jeffrefrig]

Steak knife!

This is the only decent steak/vegetable/roast knife I own. Wife is only, maybe 4'10" tall, so she can't reach it wherever it may be! It gets used for other purposes so I blow the germs off of it when used as an eating utensil.

 

[steelslaver]

My wife sees nothing wrong with cutting on porcelain either. Saying something will be taken as an attack rather than as education.
As I'm not short on my own peccadilloes I just roll with it.

I figure my wife is extremely lucky to have me even if I do have a few flaws

You're so modest.

Ah, but I am not conceited as conceit is a fault and I am faultless. LOL

 

[smoothshooter]

Random co-worker, "Can I borrow your knife?"

My reply, "What are you gonna cut with it?"

(Actually, usually, I start with, "You don't have one?")

My Dad always said, "Never trust a man who doesn't carry a knife and something to write with." When I asked why, he said, "Because an honest man doing honest work will use them everyday. He'll never be without them."

I do exactly the same thing with people like that!
I do realize that most of the 30 and under crowd never developed the desire to carry a pocket knife because the schools have banned them, and the parents are afraid to give or buy them a knife because they are afraid the kid will take it to school and get expelled. But I have encountered guys in their 50's and older that don't carry a knife either.
I can be pretty merciless when some knifeless guy wants to borrow one of mine, to the point that some have gotten pretty pissed off by my words. I couldn't care less.
I started carrying one when I was 8 years old, every day for the next 60 years (today). For the last 20 years I have carried 2 daily, a Huntsman Victorinox Swiss army, and a Benchmade lockblade.
One of my favorite entertainments is watching a Millenial or Generation Z dude gnawing and gnawing with his teeth like an animal on a package of peanuts or some kind of candy or chips trying to get them open; presumably because they are too much of a wuss to carry a knife.
My dad drilled into me by the time I was 7 or 8 that a man should always wear a belt, and carry a pair of fingernail clippers and pocket knife.
I have faithfully followed his rule ever since.