Permanent damage that you've actually done to a knife?

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GarageBoy
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Permanent damage that you've actually done to a knife?

#1

Post by GarageBoy »

So I had a "beater" knife I use for work and I'm not happy with it - and this made me think a. why am I bothering with a "beater" and b. has anyone actually permanently damaged a knife, short of prying with it? If yes, what were you doing with it?

My main concern was that someone was going to borrow my knife to do something stupid, like cut against a metal beam, and dent the edge, but that can be fixed.
bobnikon
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Re: Permanent damage that you've actually done to a knife?

#2

Post by bobnikon »

The easy answer is carry the beater to lend, and your knife for you alone. People who carry knives tend to become known as the knife guy. So people come to you when they need something cut, or to borrow a knife. For them, the knife you don't like. If you know them and trust them maybe you lend them the good one to foster another addict.

For my purposes, doing what I am supposed to do, with the knife that is suppsoed to do it, I have done very little damage. Doing dumb stuff with the wrong tool for the job, I have done some damage.
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tonijedi
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Re: Permanent damage that you've actually done to a knife?

#3

Post by tonijedi »

I think the worst damage I've made to a few knives was letting them sit on the drawer for too long.
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Re: Permanent damage that you've actually done to a knife?

#4

Post by JRinFL »

No permanent damage to my knives, but definite permanent damage to my wallet. :eek:
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nerdlock
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Re: Permanent damage that you've actually done to a knife?

#5

Post by nerdlock »

Stupid newbie sharpening mistake. Managed to flatten/straighten out the curved belly near the ricasso of my Delica.
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joeldworkin307
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Re: Permanent damage that you've actually done to a knife?

#6

Post by joeldworkin307 »

Permanent, no. Seriously chipped edges that were annoying to sharpen out, yes.
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Cambertree
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Re: Permanent damage that you've actually done to a knife?

#7

Post by Cambertree »

Bent the tip of my CF Chap while whittling a bit of hard, dry wood held in my other hand.

Broke a couple of mm off the tip of my S30V PM2 accidentally stabbing it into a doorframe as I walked past, the same day I bought it.

Broke about a mm off the tip of my thinned out ZDP189 Dragonfly about three times, with the inevitable drops on concrete that come with using it as a work knife for 5 or 6 years.

All my fault, no blame attached to the knife in any case. Except maybe the PM2, which I’ve had some funny issues with.

My standard answer if someone asks me to use my knife is ‘Show me what you need cut’, while holding it firmly in my hand! :D

I can count the friends and family on one hand who I’d trust to use my knives! ;)
carrot
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Re: Permanent damage that you've actually done to a knife?

#8

Post by carrot »

I screwed up a folder batoning with it (sorry, I know I shouldn't have).

Otherwise, nothing beyond terrible edge damage that eventually sharpened out. Lost 1mm of tip here and there.

I think as long as you are simply only cutting with a knife you'll never ruin it. All of my nicest knives do see use.
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VooDooChild
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Re: Permanent damage that you've actually done to a knife?

#9

Post by VooDooChild »

I have rusted a knife or two in my day, before discovering the salt series.
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Wartstein
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Re: Permanent damage that you've actually done to a knife?

#10

Post by Wartstein »

Just a few dulled / broken tips (not more than one ore two mm) and some not to bad chips here...

Tips are really the only thing I could be a bit worried about - actually I don´t care for the combination of rather thick blade stock but fine tip (PM 2, Para 3..), but prefer thinner stock, but a bit more robust / reeinforced tip (Stretch, Endura, most leaf shaped blades (Manix, Chap..))
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Re: Permanent damage that you've actually done to a knife?

#11

Post by TomAiello »

I've broken the tip off a PM2. I had to get it reground, so now it's about 3/8" shorter.

I also did quite a bit of damage when I was learning to sharpen, but thankfully mostly on cheap knives. Except my SuperLeaf, which was also part of that process and definitely took more of a beating than it deserved.
SG89
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Re: Permanent damage that you've actually done to a knife?

#12

Post by SG89 »

Shun chef's knife plus coconut plus hammer... It was then i learned that caveman way of doing things is wrong lol
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The Mastiff
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Re: Permanent damage that you've actually done to a knife?

#13

Post by The Mastiff »

I can't really think of anything other than bad sharpening long ago. As a kid I couldn't afford a knife and I saw the kids who had them doing stuff like throwing them into trees and destroying them. By the time I had knives to carry I took care of them and performed whatever maintenance they needed without complaint. I was just happy to have a knife ( about 8 or 9 years old). I was already using tools to do stuff around the house/land and would get punished for putting a tool away dirty and not oiled . The lawn mower I used by 6 or 7 had a lot more maintenance involved than any knife I ever owned so taking care of tools and maintaining them was a habit before any of my first knives came around. My first knife was a imperial fish knife with a broken blade, no scales and rust all over I found in a field and I really was happy to have it. It beat running to the shed to grab a sickle to open a box or cut string. :)
koenigsegg
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Re: Permanent damage that you've actually done to a knife?

#14

Post by koenigsegg »

Aside from hitting the blade on a hard surface no.. but I never let anyone use my good knives. My work issued a knife when we started so I just give people that one lol
S30V, VG10, M4, XHP, BD1, Cruwear, Elmax, Maxamet, 204P, H1, K390, A11, Rex45, LC200N, M390, 20CV, BD1N, S45VN waiting to afford MagnaCut
JD Spydo
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Re: Permanent damage that you've actually done to a knife?

#15

Post by JD Spydo »

At this present time I've got 8 Spyderco folders that I rotate and use on kind of a regular basis. And I've resigned myself that those knives are going to be used and used hard. Take my 440V NATIVE model for instance. That knife has been through the equivalent of a World War with the two horrible jobs I used it in thinking that the knife wouldn't even survived it.

I have 3 full SE Hawkbills that I rotate ( Spyderhawk VG-10, Harpy ATS-55 and Merlin ATS-55) and use on a regular basis. I also have an old school Stainless Handled ATS-55 RESCUE SE model ( most Spyderco fans don't even know that one exists). Along with two other full SE beaters. I'm fine with any of those knives sustaining permanent damage. But I haven't completely destroyed one yet.

Many times when I trade I try to find previously used models. It's really hard for me to use a new, pristine Spyder anymore. :o
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steelcity16
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Re: Permanent damage that you've actually done to a knife?

#16

Post by steelcity16 »

Spydergirl88 wrote:
Wed Sep 16, 2020 10:22 am
Shun chef's knife plus coconut plus hammer... It was then i learned that caveman way of doing things is wrong lol

Ha! I used to own Shun knives back when I was single. Once my now wife and mother in law broke the tips off of a handful of them using them as pry bars and badly chipped the edges on numerous things I decided to switch over to German steels.

I also now have a dedicated super cheap beater cleaver I keep for pretty much the sole purpose of hammering through spaghetti squash!
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James Y
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Re: Permanent damage that you've actually done to a knife?

#17

Post by James Y »

I don’t know if it can be classified as permanent damage, but I ruined the blade finish on the first knife I ever bought back in the 1970s, a large Schrade stockman. It was straight carbon steel, and not long after I started carrying it, the blades, especially the main clip blade, as well as the back springs, developed rust spots. I didn’t know that was normal for carbon steel pocketknives, nor did I know much of anything back then, so I tried to remove all the rust spotting with sand paper. The knife was still fine and functional, though. So this doesn’t really count.

Jim
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Re: Permanent damage that you've actually done to a knife?

#18

Post by pantagana23 »

Bent the tip of LC200N Native.

Tried to get it back by putting it on the stone, tip snapped.

It was a **** of ride to get the tip back.
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Re: Permanent damage that you've actually done to a knife?

#19

Post by vivi »

I chipped my Ronin 2 using it at a camp site. Unfortunately I'm not sure what even caused it.

Image

Since this photo was taken I've sharpened most of it out. I just sharpenit as it needs it, I don't worry about the chip.

I've chipped a few other blades a little less than this by taking steels extremely thin (well under 10 degrees per side), not using a micro bevel, then aggressively carving hard woods.

That's about it. Can't recall ever breaking the tip off a knife by accident.
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Ric
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Re: Permanent damage that you've actually done to a knife?

#20

Post by Ric »

Used a folding knife to baton wood for the fireplace in winter. Had then massive blade play.
It was no Spyderco.
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