How do YOU define "beater knife"?

[silver & black]

David, I can totally relate to what you are saying:

- To me every single knife I buy (folders: exclusively Spyderco) always is a "beater knife" in the sense that I use all of them for any even just remotely "knife-ish" task.
Price, value, rarity... is completely irrelevant to me.

- I fully respect if people have "safe queens" or like to keep some or all of their folders more or less pristine, no right or wrong here... but to me it would feel extremely weird to just "own" a Spyderco, perfectly designed to get used... and then not really and without any hesitation using it.

- Of course it helps that the more a knife gets and looks used, the more beautiful and of higher personal value it becomes to me personally.

- I am actually sometimes a bit surprised how many knives on pics here at least look as if they never got really used - no scratches, no nicks, no nothing. Again, perfectly fine of course - but nothing I could even attempt concerning the way mine are all exclusively "beaters".

Reading more posts and thinking about it I guess I have to qualify a bit what I said above:

- What is definitely true:
I make no difference at all between knives when it comes to getting scratches, dings, nicks, "imperfections from use" as long as nothing occurs that would substantially impair performance.
So I´d use the most expensive Spydie or most rare sprint run exactly the same as a basic Tenacious or Byrd and always appreciate when a knife shows signs of real use and to me thus "life" and gets its own "history".

- BUT: Yes, I do differentiate between folders purely concerning the likelyhood that there could occur substantial damage that WOULD impair basic performance.
This is mostly related to tip strength: While I believe overall blade stock pretty much never is an issue in folder "beater" use, TIPS can get to fine for that and a broken tip is beyond what I´d consider "beautiful signs of use", but makes a knife less functional.
So in very rare extreme "beater" situations I´d ideally choose a strong, sabre grind tip.

I agree with your philosophy. I answered in a general way that it would not be an overly expensive knife or one that I would feel bad if it got damaged. But.... I will use any tool I own/purchase for the job it is intended to do. I'll carry the REX 121 and use it; Maybe not often, and I don't want to damage it, but I will still use it. I have woodworking tools I feel the same way about. Some I would hate to drop on the concrete floor, but I use them every day, regardless.

My personal philosophy about tools: Tools are useless if they are not used.

[Aladinsane]

Basically a knife that is run of the mill with no special steel or handle. Something that is replaceable. Easily resharpened. Stout.

Examples: Opinel No. 8, Lil Temperance LW SE, Leafjumper, SAK Tinker.

[Twinboysdad2]

Generally speaking I use FRN models more freely than any other grouping and Salts even more freely than any other steels

[Naperville]

I don't have any designated beater knives. Maybe I need a few.

[kennethsime]

I think there are two situations to mention here.

The Beater
The first time I carried my Tenacious Lightweight, my first Chinese-made Spyderco, I used it to cut through metal ducting for a tankless water heater install. I destroyed the factory edge, but eh it was a $50 knife and I wanted to see how tough the s35vn was.

In a similar vein, if I ever have to cut something where I might mar the edge, I usually whip out my Swiss army knife instead of my Spyderco (or whatever clip knife I'm carrying), and I'll even use the little blade so I don't have to resharpen as much edge. Whatever they use for blade steel is very, very easy to work with.

Also worth mentioning, I usually carry a Lynch NW prybar for things like paint scraping, paint can lids, the odd screw, etc. This takes the place of the "beater" knife a lot of people use.

The Loaner
If someone asks to borrow a knife, I typically give them my Swiss army knife instead of my Spyderco. If a friend is going camping, I let them borrow a Mora instead of a Bark River or Spyderco fixed blade.

[Evil D]

I was very kindly gifted my first Caribbean by a forum member, and I vowed to put it through pure heck because it was a new model and relatively new steel at the time. I did some pretty stupid cut tests with that knife and it definitely qualified as a beater by a lot of these descriptions. But, I ended up really liking that knife and started to prefer carrying it over others. Maybe I just have a thing for beaters?

I just saw an auction for one of the original Ford GT40s that had almost no miles on it and sold for something like 12 million dollars. It's really cool but if I had 12 million I would much rather buy the GT40 that has a documented racing history, that has been absolutely thrashed and has the scars to show it. How would you feel sitting in the new car vs sitting in the retired racecar?

That's kinda how I see knives. I don't want them wore out and half broken with tons of pivot/lock play and all that, but the ones I have that I've used the most, I used them the most for a reason and that's what keeps drawing me back.

[Aladinsane]

Interesting question! First thought: A beater is an already compromised item that I don't care if I make it worse, or maybe even break or lose it.

Like that flat head screwdriver we all own that looks like it went through a wood chipper. Same can apply to bicycles, cars, boots, hoodies...

Bicycles ! ! !
Bicycles are sacred objects ! ! !
Blasphemour ! ! !

anyway

Back in the mid 70's I worked in a Bicycle shop while I was in high school . Factory trained of course (ten hours a day for eight days with butt loads of hands on tests) not like the wannabes today .

We had a screw driver like that ; as long as your forearm including your hand .
H*ll it was sort of the magic wand of the shop ; pry , poke , spread , chisel
Leviosa yahknow ?

We called it : MONGO !
hey where's Mongo ?
hey hand me Mongo would yah ?
Mongo did it again !

Well you have to "reverse" accidents some how .

First thing I did when I moved to another mechanic job was buy a prybar of similar proportions .

Hahahaha!!! Mongo! Love it!

[TimButterfield]

Mentally, I might consider 'beater' as a knife so worn out I wouldn't want to carry it, but I don't have any like that. So, in reality, for me, EDC=beater. Why EDC a knife if you're afraid to actually use it? As with others, the also carried SAK can handle non-cutting tasks.

[Coastal]

First, great topic! I'm really enjoying all the thoughtful responses.

I used to have only a few knives, and all got used often and hard: yard work, ranch/farm work, hunting, whatever came up in everyday carry. My Sebenzas saw as much hard use as the rest. Now I have dozens of knives, maybe hundreds, and though most get used, few get used hard. My rotation is huge, and I'm definitely more careful with expensive knives than cheap ones. (Probably doesn't make sense because pricey steels can often take more abuse.)

These days, a beater is a knife I'm willing to use and put away with essentially no care: No sharpening, no lubricating, little or no washing or drying. My beaters are a Matriarch 2, a Resilience S35VN, a Jumpmaster 2 and a Cold Steel Recon Tanto, all for yardwork/gardening, and a Catcherman for fishing. The Matriarch and Resilience are at the point where a sharpening would do them good.

In the kitchen, my beaters are knives I'm willing to sharpen with a Chef's Choice electric sharpener, which is nearly all of them -- Wusthofs, Henckels, Kiwis, Rapalas, Dao Vuas... only my few nice Japanese knives are spared the electric sharpener. The Wusthofs and Henckels even get thrown in the dishwasher occasionally...

[petz462]

Bottom knife has been a beater for a good while. AUS-8 steel and it seems pretty tough, made in Taiwan I believe.
Bought it at a yard sale for the huge asking price of $3. I guess some might think I overpaid, ha! I think the owner used it to open paint cans.

If I ever lose it, the top knife might replace it. Love the Rockjumper!!

[navin johnson]

PE Pac salt. Useless edge retention but use it as a pocket pry tool and box tape cutter for work applications. Broke a
ffg vg-10 Endura and a BD1 Manix but the ductility of H1 works well in this application

H1 is also good as a loaner knife as it is hard to break and easy to fix/sharpen (I also have a serrated PS but I only like serrations for yard type work as they don't cut well (clean) unless very sharp. SE will shred and tear card board unless nearly optimal where PE will still part cardboard when fairly dull especially if one brings edge thickness down.)

If I buy another PE PS it will be a beater even if new

[SpyderEdgeForever]

beater knives.jpg

Bottom knife has been a beater for a good while. AUS-8 steel and it seems pretty tough, made in Taiwan I believe.
Bought it at a yard sale for the huge asking price of $3. I guess some might think I overpaid, ha! I think the owner used it to open paint cans.

If I ever lose it, the top knife might replace it. Love the Rockjumper!!

Perfect pair. The SOG Aegis Tanto designed by our friend Spencer Frazer.

[gk4ever2]

... Got to be careful these days how I express my self ; some damsels these days are not , strictly speaking , human .
...

LOL! I met one of those many years ago. She was carrying bags of groceries into our apartment building, so I held the door for her - she snarled at me, saying "you don't need to do that". Needless to say I never did again, for her.

Beater knives: for me, anything cheap and easily replaceable, and if it gets damaged doing a non-knife task then it's no big deal.

[olywa]

My Byrds are my beaters, a perfect intersection of high value and high performance.

[warriorsociologist]

"Beater knife" = a knife I'm willing to loan out to a "non knife person."
That usually means a Mora, Opinel, SAK, or sometimes a higher-value knife that's been used & abused long enough that it's got "issues."

[GarageBoy]

Durable enough knives that can survive being used in a stupid way, yet I wouldn't be too upset if it didn't

[horzuff]

For me a beater knife has to meet the following criteria:
1. Not extreme geometry, so custom regrinds with 0,2mm BTE are usually out, but anything >=0,4mm is good to go. Other extreme also not acceptable as it still needs to cut, but that's a non-issue as I just don't buy thick BTE knives
2. Not extreme materials, so no REX121 or S110V and MoP handles, why risk unnecessarily
3. Below 250€, the limit at which it starts to really hurt when something breaks/scratches
4. Replaceable or not a model I couldn't live without in my collection, so usually no sprint runs, apart from the PD#1 Seki's as they are such great users
5. Comfy handle, duh
Further nice-to-haves, but not absolutely necessary:
1. Thumb studs or opening holes. Alternatively front/top flippers. I don't like the interference flipper tabs introduce
2. Washers instead of bearings for perceived reliability (perceived as I had maybe one or two issues with ball bearings damaging the races when I dropped or torqued the knife, not bad enough to cause problems but introduced some friction in the action)

[PaloArt]

All my knives are users, some light users some more heavy users but beater knife would be just one in my collection - Manix 2 in G10. I threw every silly job on that blade including job around house and garden of my parents in law (opening bags with gravel, mulch, cutting down countless cardboard boxes, plastic pipes and tubes...), bushcraft, maintenance around the apartment etc. I lend it to other people when someone needs a knife and I don't care what would happen with it, if it will gather more scratches and whatnot. Currently sharpened at 20 degrees and the bevel is already pretty wide as it has been resharpened so many times. That one I do consider my beater knife and it's still kicking. Lock super strong and reliable, it is a beast of a knife and if Spyderco would sell replacement blades I would definitely buy that blade and replace it in my trusty Manix OR it might be slowly approaching time to buy new Manix and have this one for spare parts since handle and the lock are in good condition. Rest of my knives I would hesitate to lend to anyone and I am very mindful of their use, not with this one though.

[petz462]

beater knives.jpg

Bottom knife has been a beater for a good while. AUS-8 steel and it seems pretty tough, made in Taiwan I believe.
Bought it at a yard sale for the huge asking price of $3. I guess some might think I overpaid, ha! I think the owner used it to open paint cans.

If I ever lose it, the top knife might replace it. Love the Rockjumper!!

Perfect pair. The SOG Aegis Tanto designed by our friend Spencer Frazer.

Thanks SEF. That SOG is the only knife I don't mind using as a prybar when needed!

[zuludelta]

I see this a lot, and I (mostly) can't relate.

Are you doing things with these knives that you know you shouldn't be doing with a knife, like scraping stickers off brick walls or using them as screwdrivers?

Is it because of the cost? A knife is expensive so you don't want to ruin the resale value or something? I just don't buy with the intention of selling it someday. For me the more expensive a knife is, the more I HAVE to use it to justify the cost. The two knives I own that cost me the most money have both been reprofiled and heavily used.

Do you feel that you're "ruining" your knives by using them hard, scratching them up etc? Heck to me that's just character. That's earned patina. That's a well broke in pair of boots that fit perfectly.

One more follow up question, if you said that you're using your beater knives for non knife uses, scraping and prying and screwdriver use and all that, do you carry or have you considered carrying a multitool? I don't ever have to use a knife to turn a screw because I have multitool for that.

I don't think this is a lifestyle thing either, I goof around in my yard and garage constantly, I work on cars, I don't hike or camp much anymore but those kinds of activities seem less "beaterish", I imagine this as more of an urban improvised tool scenario than using your folder while camping.

If I'm working on a car, I have the right tools for scraping or whatever, so unless I'm broke down and my multitool can't do the job, but again do you need a beater knife for this off chance situation?

It's not that I don't fully understand it. I have knives I wouldn't go out and cut sandpaper sheets and drywall with, I have nice knives that I carry on dressy occasions that I don't want beat up. In a way my situation is more like most of my knives are beaters, or most of them are hard use knives that I wouldn't hesitate to scratch up, and a select few that get pampered. So, I get it but I guess I don't get how often people seem to rely on having a beater.

The one scenario I completely get it, is loaning a knife to a non knife person but honestly I just stopped going that entirely. I'll cut it for you or it won't get cut lol.

With a small handful of exceptions, every folder I own was bought with the intention to use as a work and EDC knife, though only the ones that best fit my hand and work cutting tasks end up as a regular part of my work/EDC knife rotation. I especially enjoy teasing out the details of how differences in handle shape/materials, lock-type, blade shape, edge geometry, and steel affect the ease (or difficulty) with which I deploy a knife for use and cut the various materials I encounter at work. So I guess you could say all of my folders are beaters, if the definition of a beater is a knife that is intended to be used in situations where it might potentially get scuffed up or damaged or even lost, which are always possibilities whenever one uses a tool at work.

All that said, cost, replaceability, and sentimental value do play a factor with regards to what knife I bring to work. I'm more likely to bring, say, my current-production SPY27 Dragonfly 2 to work rather than my ZDP-189 Dragonfly 2, which is a discontinued model and holds a special place in my collection since it was my first ever Spyderco. The former offers enough performance for my job, and I can easily replace it if it becomes lost or irreparably damaged, which cannot be said for the latter as far as finding a replacement.

And yes, I do carry a multitool at work, for all the prying & fastener driving tasks I might encounter on the job. In fact, for years, I only used to just carry a Leatherman Wave (this was before the Wave+ was a thing) as my work knife, before I started carrying a dedicated work folder.

As for loaner knives... I don't like the idea (I already carry enough stuff in my work vest and in the tool pouch on my belt) but I begrudgingly carry one. My bigger worry—more than worrying about a coworker damaging my knife—is handing my knife to a coworker and they end up accidentally hurting themselves with it, as it could lead to my workplace's management and/or Safety Committee coming down hard on the use of work knives outside of the crappy utility blade holders issued to employees who regularly do cutting tasks (and of course, I also worry about my coworkers' welfare). And if you think that worry is overblown, here's an example: I once handed my already-open work knife (a Para 3 at the time) to a coworker who said she needed to borrow it for a second, only to see her try to cut the plastic wrap off a palletized product with the blade's spine LOL. I managed to stop her before she could put her thumb on top of the edge to push the knife through the wrap (to be fair, the lighting was poor at the time and the Para 3 is a bit unusual-looking, especially for a non-knife person... but I still have a little chuckle when I remember the incident). So I always have the aforementioned crappy utility blade holder on me at work as a loaner knife.