"Can I borrow your knife?"

[enduraguy]

I know it can't be just me. Whenever someone asks me this question, I'm usually reluctant. :) I almost always have a flash back to when I was in the Marines and handed my Benchmade CQC7 (I've learned a lot about knives since) to my platoon sergeant...then saw him use it to CUT the steel band off of an ammo can. It took me a long time to let someone "borrow" another knife. Nowadays I usually ask "what for?" or "can I cut something FOR YOU?"

[chuck_roxas45]

"No. What do you need to cut? I'll cut it for you".

is what I usually say. I used to carry a K/O for lending purposes but it's one more pocket I can carry a spydie in.

[Stugots-II]

I feel the same way, they ask can I use your knife and I always reply what are you going to use it on or what for. Usually they are reluctant and just hold out their hand like give me give me cause they know I am the knife guy who always has one or two. I always end up saying step aside and I preform the task or say **** NO I wont use my knife for that. If someone is doing to damage a knife it will be me, which doesn't happen really often. I learned that lesson when I was much dumber younger and stupider.

[Googz]

No way, never again! Last time I lent my friend my BM vex, we were fishing and he started hacking away at a Mullet. The next day it was completely ruined even after washing with freshwater, it was never the same. I thought he was just going to cut line or just something other then fish.

[I_like_sharp_things]

Everyone thinks you are crazy for carrying a knife until they need it.

[chuck_roxas45]

I learned my lesson after a friend asked to see my(new at the time) orange millie and tried to push the liner lock the wrong way and managed to make an early engagement into a 40 percent engagement. If I had noticed the change in the engagement at the time, there wudda been blood and teeth on the floor.

[gbelleh]

Only if I have a Tenacious around. I used to keep one in my desk at work for people to borrow.

[I_like_sharp_things]

I learned my lesson after a friend asked to see my(new at the time) orange millie and tried to push the liner lock the wrong way

That reminds me of a friend I have that was snooping through my camelbak after a bike ride when I was driving. (he was in the back left seat of the truck) I turned around to check my blind spot before changing lanes and he's got my Tenacious in his hands and is freaking out because he can't find the "button" to close it. I keep the knives away from him now.

[grumpyphil]

My standard reply is "if you want to rent tools go to U rent. I don't loan mine."

[deputy tom]

After one friend burnt a spot on a good knife after hitting a hot wire and another hitting a metal staple using another good knife my reply is NO! tom.

[angusW]

Always ask the "What are you cutting" question. Funny how some people want to borrow your property but don't want to tell you what they are going to do with it. Really a simple solution. They don't get to use it.

Shouldn't have lent my Para 2 to myself yesterday. Cutting a box and didn't realize there were a couple big staples. Spent a couple hours tonight fixing it :o

[SQSAR]

Everyone thinks you are crazy for carrying a knife until they need it.

Well said. Like others have mentioned, when asked if someone can 'borrow' my knife I always ask what are they cutting, , , and then usually end up just going and cutting it myself. I really enjoy sharpening my blades after I get them dull. However, I absolutely hate sharpening a blade that someone else has dulled.

[marlinspike]

Not only do I readily lend knives, I've even given knives to people to keep. I find that after I do that, they always have a knife on them.

[chuck_roxas45]

Yeh, I don't get why people who want to borrow my knives are often reluctant to tell me what they wanna use it for.

[SolidState]

When I get pressed for being reluctant to hand it over I generally say: "I've seen enough of my friends cut themselves on this thing to know better than to continue to hand it out." Even knife nuts cut themselves, but NKPs fear cutting in general so I use that to my advantage. They really don't like the idea of gashing themselves. I also keep a mini prybar for prybar stuff that I'm not worried about lending out. Usually the "What for?" is followed with an answer about a task they actually want a slightly sharp pry bar for.

[DMgangl]

I always ask what they are cutting and cut it for them.

A co-worker asked me to sharpen the knife on his leatherman wave. The edge was completely destroyed. I asked what happened. He lent the knife to another coworker to cut some cardboard. He put the cardboard sheet on the concrete floor and dragged the knife across to cut it. Sparks flew when he "cut" the cardboard.

DM

[Shike]

Simple rule: If you don't want something lost or broken, don't let other people borrow them.

[redyps04]

My dad has a great saying that has always made perfect sense-

"Nobody will take as good 'a care of your stuff as you will"

[Mako109]

Never again. Here's my story...

This goes way back when I was still a struggling college student. I had a cherished custom folder with exotic wood scales, received as gift from someone special and had it for just about two weeks. My best buddy and I were recruited to help decorate an auditorium for an event and had to hang some decorations up on the ceiling. He asked to borrow my knife then climbed up a tall ladder to hang up whatever. When he was done, he yelled down at me, “Hey look I’m a pirate!” then clenched my opened knife in between his teeth and slid down a rope. We both got a chuckle. When he handed my knife back I was shocked to see his teeth marks deeply indented into the wood scales, both sides…an impression of his upper and lower teeth!

I was so pissed :mad: The irony is, my buddy went on to become a successful dentist.

[Popsickle]

i lent my sog trident(i no longer have for obvious reasons) to the bottle service waitress at the night club i was bartending at and i watched as she used it to "defrost" the coolers that froze over....that wasnt fun to watch. never again.