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

[ISCS Yoda]

The interesting thing about carrying a knife every day is that you get so used to it it's no different than carrying your wallet and your keys. You can't leave home without it.

But maybe I overdo it?

I have one of these on each set of car and truck keys.

I'm never without a SAK (that other knife is long gone):

And I'm never without a switchblade or a knife that has a thumb stud or hole for easy opening:

Just to show a few.................

And I used to travel everywhere with these knives but as times change I have learned to be careful about what I slip into my checked luggage. The Christy knives are perfect virtually everywhere.

 

[Mule Packer]

Boy! Can I ever identify with Chief38!! I've had countless people ask me to sharpen their knives over the years...and the chief is absolutely right. Some people just abuse knives...whether they don't know any different or are just apathetic, I don't know.

My grandfather gave me my first pocket knife when I was six years old and taught me the correct way to sharpen a knife when I was eight. (By the way, I cut my thumb with my knife that very same day after I sharpened it. I still remember Grandma bandaging my thumb while I was standing there in her kitchen almost seventy years ago...but, I learned how to sharpen my knife.)

I use a pocket knife everyday...everything from cutting hay bales, opening grain sacks, or whatever else needs doing where a good pocket knife comes in handy. In the evening, I sit in my rocking chair and touch up my knife while I'm watching the news. Doesn't take more than a few swipes on a good Arkansas stone, but it's something I do in order to keep my knife sharp.

I've given each of my sixteen grandchildren a good quality pocket knife when each turned seven years old. I've also taught each one the proper way to sharpen his or her knife.

I have to thank my grandfather for all that. It's too bad some of these "dull knife abusers" didn't have a grandpa like mine.

 

[Krogen]

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 shoot with a retired detective who doesn't carry a knife. I'm not longer surprised when he asks if somebody has a knife he can use. Not surprised, but I am perplexed. A knifeless cop! I hope he's not gunless too! Although I've never seen his carry gun, I'm optimistic he still packs one. If I ever hear "hey can I borrow your pistol?" we're both in deep yogurt.

 

[bdGreen]

I have carried a knife, daily, since the third grade.
My father gave me my first knife and I had an uncle that tutored me on the handling of it while 'practicing whittling'. A lesson well received. We were sitting around the campfire well after dark thirty and it was a teaching moment I'll never forget.

I gave my son his first knife that I won at a Duck's Unlimited get together. It was a Buck lockback folder.

I have never lost a knife.

l own every knife I have purchased except for a small few I have traded or given away. Yes, I still have my original Schrade Walden folder.

Knives in our kitchen have a pecking order.

Momma get's to use my tier 3 knives. A complete set of Chicago Cutlery that we have owned for over fifty years. I keep them sharp, always.
She can do as she wishes with them except putting them in the dishwasher. Other than that, they are hers.

I recently, about a year ago, took all of them except a paring knife, an 8" chefs knife and a boning knife and put them away. I saw what she used and needed and removed those that she didn't need cluttering up the knife drawer.

Now, having said all that, I purchased a Kai Nakiri for her and with all the soups and salads she makes it is the best thing going for cutting vegetables. Japanese knife with a fine blade and sharpening angle. She uses that knife about 80% of the time.

bdGreen

She isn't allowed to use my tier 1 and tier 2 knives. And, she is fine with that.

 

[steelslaver]

My favorite kitchen knife is an old Hickory butcher knife. Mainly because the wife and daughters never use it because it is the ugliest one of the lot. Therefore it stays sharp. There is also a big butcher knife I made with a polished D2 blade and an iron wood handle. Note that D2 is harder than the hubs of hell, and very wear resistant. They love it as its a beautiful knife and therefore it is away dull.

 

[chief38]

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 have two close friends that did not have a pocket knife to carry daily. I remedied that by buying them both Case folding pocket knives for Christmas a few years back. I specifically got them the traditional style of pocket knife so there would be no excuse that the clip would show and alert anyone they were carrying a knife (not that it's a big deal anyway). One of them carries it on occasion (when he knows I will be around) and the other has never had it in his pocket. I give up!

 

[chief38]

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.

Well if you REALLY want them sharp - bring Bourbon - LOL!!

 

[chief38]

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

YUP! I am learning very fast! I still can not get over how much better the Diamond Stones are over the finer, slower cutting Arkansas Stones. You should have told me that 50 years ago! LOL!!

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

I like to keep my knives shaving sharp. I always carry a 2 or 3 blade pocket knife. NEVER a single blade. Cuz dull it and you're done.

Minor Rant...People have and show Randall knives that they paid a bazillion pesos for. They rant and rave about the beauty and quality..........YET!!!...I've NEVER saw a pic of a used one that has been sharpened and put to work.....All are still in the box as new.

 

[jeffrefrig]

"Shur 'nuff Barlow"

My dad gave me a knife like this when I was around 8 or so. Some scum bag stole it from me, so years later I replaced it with a newer, cheaper version.
I'm sure many will remember reading Tom Sawyer as young kids. It was an unwritten rule that all young adventurous boys were to read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. I think the knife was a prize for the boy with the most accomplishment tickets for Sunday School. I t's been a long time!

 

[Brooks]

But you can get a 6 knife set for 2 easy payments of $29.95 (second set is half price) and they are sharp forever! Free shipping... allow 4-6 weeks for shipping.

Thread reminds me of the time I was backpacking for a week, fishing.. about the 3rd day my buddy comes to me and says he forgot his fishing knife, can he borrow mine. So I give it to him and watch as he puts a trout on a rock and cuts the head off, gives it back and says "thanks." It might have been the last time I went fishing with him

 

[Shrek Of The Arctic]

I am kinda the designated knife geek, wherever I go. I'm right at the precipice of professional sharpening myself. I can relate to these experiences.

I've always been willing to sharpen knives for friends and co-workers, but I did have to learn to say "No" when working an oilfield toolroom here in Alaska.

Welders, fitters, scaffolders, etc. would try to throw a worn andd abused piece of garbage flea market knife across the counter at me and ask me to "throw a quick edge on it" for them. I was using a Spyderco Sharpmaker at the time. (Glorified crock sticks) I eventually started looking them in the eye and telling them that their knife is not worth my time and effort. Of course, some folks got hurt feelers over it, but a surprising majority of folks actually followed my advice, bought decent knives and didn't treat them...errr....as terribly. Secretly, the phrase "Throw a quick edge on it" kinda got on my nerves too, cause it showed zero respect towards my skill and ability? Time, and personal tools.

One of my funnest experiments at the time was an old carbon steel knife that I refused to use a sharpener on. I sharpened it on coffee cups, emery cloth, cardboard, files, etc. It always had a good sharp working edge on it. I even used it to cut and work a broken molar out of my mouth once. It was a dead tooth the root canal had given up on, but standing in the bathroom with a sinkful of bloody spit and an old knife stuck in my gaping maw was still a heckuva show.

 

[6518John]

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

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

My co-workers and freinds have all learned how to aggrevate me. The reply they give now is "we are going to pry open some paint cans, cut on a porcelain cutting board, and screw in some hard to move screws!"

 

[smoothshooter]

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

I have pretty much stopped putting shaving edges on knives.
Once I get any nick's worked out, and do a proper bevel, I finish up by using a very slightly coarse stone or diamond hone to put on a very sharp edge that under high magnification has "teeth" that allows the blade to still cut with a sort of tearing motion well even after the very fine edge breaks down.

 

[smoothshooter]

I am kinda the designated knife geek, wherever I go. I'm right at the precipice of professional sharpening myself. I can relate to these experiences.

I've always been willing to sharpen knives for friends and co-workers, but I did have to learn to say "No" when working an oilfield toolroom here in Alaska.

Welders, fitters, scaffolders, etc. would try to throw a worn andd abused piece of garbage flea market knife across the counter at me and ask me to "throw a quick edge on it" for them. I was using a Spyderco Sharpmaker at the time. (Glorified crock sticks) I eventually started looking them in the eye and telling them that their knife is not worth my time and effort. Of course, some folks got hurt feelers over it, but a surprising majority of folks actually followed my advice, bought decent knives and didn't treat them...errr....as terribly. Secretly, the phrase "Throw a quick edge on it" kinda got on my nerves too, cause it showed zero respect towards my skill and ability? Time, and personal tools.

One of my funnest experiments at the time was an old carbon steel knife that I refused to use a sharpener on. I sharpened it on coffee cups, emery cloth, cardboard, files, etc. It always had a good sharp working edge on it. I even used it to cut and work a broken molar out of my mouth once. It was a dead tooth the root canal had given up on, but standing in the bathroom with a sinkful of bloody spit and an old knife stuck in my gaping maw was still a heckuva show.

In a pinch, for a touch-up you can roll a car window almost all the way down, and use the top edge of the glass to put a very good edge on the blade. The texture on that window edge is like a medium fine crock stick.

 

[Autonomous]

I am kinda the designated knife geek...
I've always been willing to sharpen knives for friends and co-workers...
I was using a Spyderco Sharpmaker at the time..

Same here. I sharpened a lot of knives at work with the Sharpmaker. Actually wore out the diamond sleeves. Carried Flitz and oil too.
One guy that handed me his folder had caught a salmon the day before and hadn't even rinsed the knife off after gutting the fish!
All good though, gave it back looking brand new.

 

[chief38]

I find that keeping my EDC Spyderco Delica K390 shaving sharp it is a very good sales tool / demo. I agree a kitchen knife doesn't need to perform shaves, but when people look at and try my knife they are impressed enough with it that they usually ask me to sharpen theirs. I can sharpen some special purpose knives at more acute angles and to a finer grit if they need to be extra sharp. Regular chef's style knives do need to be a bit more durable and not chip out.

 

[The Norseman]

File it!

Talk about sharpening, one time the
kitchen knives needed it.

Amazing the difference in metals used. I
had one knife that was tough to stone. I
thought about the pedestal grinder, but
knew putting a nice steady edge on
would not be possible.

I had a nice file next to me and thought
why not. I knew I could control the file.
Knife flat near bench edge, eyeballed the
angle, and carefully filed both sides. What
a nice edge was put on, quick, and sharp.

 

[A10]

Minor Rant...People have and show Randall knives that they paid a bazillion pesos for. They rant and rave about the beauty and quality..........YET!!!...I've NEVER saw a pic of a used one that has been sharpened and put to work.....All are still in the box as new.

Some folks like safe queens.......

 

[Autonomous]

Lots of people like collecting nice things, are collectors somehow inferior?