All About Pocket Knives

Many years ago........ a co-worker asked to borrow my knife to cut a heater hose on a vehicle. He returned the knife at the end of the day, and stated the knife was a little dull. That night I sharpened the knife. A few days later the same co-worker asked to borrow my knife again. This time when he returned the knife he asked me if I had sharpened the knife. I turned to answer him when I noticed his hand was wrapped in a shop rag because he had cut his finger all the way to the bone. Thankfully, after an emergency room visit and nine stitches, he was able to return to work.

A few years later....... I was deer hunting with a friend. He shot a deer and needed a knife to field dress it. He used my knife and sliced his thumb. Luckily, the cut was not deep and just broke the skin. My friend stated he thought the knife was too sharp to use in the chest cavity of a deer.

Now this year....... a friend of mine was using one of my kitchen knives to slice tomatoes. She commented the knife was very sharp, and she did not feel comfortable using the knife.

A dull knife is just as dangerous to use as a sharp knife. What's your opinion?

You answered the question** never can get one ""to sharp"" -- people just need to know how to use this ""TOOL""

big monk wrote: ↑Tue Jan 28, 2020 8:35 pm You answered the question** never can get one ""to sharp"" -- people just need to know how to use this ""TOOL""

Truth.

A dull knife is more dangerous. It requires more effort to cut with a dull knife and therefore more likely the user will push, saw, etc instead of cutting with minimum effort, and consequently cut something they didn’t intend to cut. Themselves being among the more likely something.

As monk said, proper use of the tool is the key. Treat every gun as though it’s loaded. Likewise treat every knife as though it’s sharp.

Ken

That's one of those yes and no answers.

If you're the one who will be using it, it all depends on what you're going to do. Usually the answer is no, it can't be too sharp but as your deer hunting friend told you, there are some tasks when it can be too sharp.

If you're loaning it out, all bets are off.

If you're a member here, it goes without saying you no doubt keep your knives razor sharp.
If you loan your knife to someone, warn them it is really sharp and they don't have to use much pressure.
John Q Public is probably used to using dull knives, consequently used to using too much pressure.

I don’t think you can get too sharp, but there is what I call “scary sharp”. That’s when a knife is unexpectedly sharp. We have gone through that with new Japanese Chef knives. My wife cut herself a few times on the slight recurve at the handle end of the blade. I actually had to dull the edge for her on the last 1/8th inch. Just a slight touch on a scary sharp blade can cut you deeper than you think.

Not making any comparisons here but dull people with sharp knives can be very dangerous.

I’ve only encountered one knife that I considered “scary sharp”. It was a custom fixed blade my son has that he picked up at a gun and knife show. When he showed it to me I looked it over and then “tested the edge” with my thumb, just as I have done a thousand times or more before. The knife cut my thumb, just from lightly touching it! I’ve tested the edge on all kinds of blades but never before had that happen.

Ken

When people ask to borrow my knife, my standard reply is: "what would you like ME to cut."
Before I did this, I stupidly loaned my knife and on at least two occasions, had the borrower wind up in the ER.

The fact that the person asking does not have a knife tells me that, among other things, he/she is not a knife person, and very likely has no idea of how to handle a sharp instrument, and therefore should only use one under close supervision.

I like them as sharp as I can get them, the sharper the better!

It's supposed to be sharp-it's a knife.

____________
Mike

I keep all of my kitchen knives sharp.

Mr. Chips wrote: ↑Tue Jan 28, 2020 10:21 pm When people ask to borrow my knife, my standard reply is: "what would you like ME to cut."
Before I did this, I stupidly loaned my knife and on at least two occasions, had the borrower wind up in the ER.

The fact that the person asking does not have a knife tells me that, among other things, he/she is not a knife person, and very likely has no idea of how to handle a sharp instrument, and therefore should only use one under close supervision.

What Mr. Chips said, if they need to borrow a knife....
Treefarmer

I agree with Mr. Chips and TF. If they want to borrow my knife, I offer to cut it for them.

There is no such thing as too sharp imo. A dull knife is dangerous, just like an unloaded gun.

Yes, good posts by all on this question. Some people should never be allowed to handle sharp knives or any sharp tools. Especially when they are used to handling DULL ones.

An example of how a knife can be too sharp.

If you are an electrician and using a knife to strip wire, If the knife is too sharp it can knick the wire which weakens the wire so the possibility is there that at some point the wire could break. Is it a sure enough done deal that will happen? NO but the possibility exists.

Jerry, I agree with you and would like to add to that thought, a very sharp knife and small stranded wire is especially vulnerable to the damage you mentioned. A pair of wire strippers works better on these small conductors. Gdogg posted today what he uses to strip big wire.
Treefarmer

Thank you all for your input on this subject.
I feel the same way. Most people do not know what a sharp knife is. What good is a knife if you have to struggle to cut with it. I feel that a knife is a tool and like all tools it should be kept in top condition so when it is needed it can be used for the task it was made for.

I like my knives paper slicing sharp but not razor sharp, BTW.....I thought Marines were not allowed to have sharp objects! ftd

fergusontd wrote: ↑Wed Jan 29, 2020 2:10 pm I like my knives paper slicing sharp but not razor sharp, BTW.....I thought Marines were not allowed to have sharp objects! ftd

That's true. We might slice up a Squid and then how would we get to the war?

jerryd6818 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 29, 2020 2:20 pm

fergusontd wrote: ↑Wed Jan 29, 2020 2:10 pm I like my knives paper slicing sharp but not razor sharp, BTW.....I thought Marines were not allowed to have sharp objects! ftd

That's true. We might slice up a Squid and then how would we get to the war?

Call on us FlyBoys. We're pretty sharp ourselves!

My wife just told me when she was young her uncle would use an electric knife to cut the turkey at thanksgiving because there carving knife would not cut it.

Steve Warden wrote: ↑Wed Jan 29, 2020 3:16 pm

jerryd6818 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 29, 2020 2:20 pm

fergusontd wrote: ↑Wed Jan 29, 2020 2:10 pm I like my knives paper slicing sharp but not razor sharp, BTW.....I thought Marines were not allowed to have sharp objects! ftd

That's true. We might slice up a Squid and then how would we get to the war?

Call on us FlyBoys. We're pretty sharp ourselves!

If we ever get a war in Aruba, Hawaii, Cancun Mexico or someplace like that, we'll give you a call.