'Beater' EDCs

Joined
Jun 8, 2006
Messages
188
I was just posting in another thread about how whenever I carry a 'high end' folder, I always carry a beater knife along with it (Buck 110 lately). I usually end up using the beater all day and the ''high end' knife never leaves my pocket so it can stay pristine.

I also find, that since I know I've got a nice knife with a perfect edge in my pocket, I'll use the beater knife for things I'd never usually use a knife for. I've dug through rocky soil, cut roofing material, scraped burrs off copper pipe, cut wire, cut sand impregnated jute netting, pry lids off paint cans, etc.

Anyway I'm wondering if any of you do the same thing and if you have any pictures of your beater knives, I'll try to post mine when I get home.
 
Several decades ago, I worked as a ski instructor in rocky Vermont. Thin snow conditions can destroy skis when you hit a rock. "Rock skis" are "beater skis" you don't mind destroying by ripping out an edge. If you don't have a pair of rock skis, you ski timidly and timid skiing sucks.

The guys I hung with had a saying. "All skis are rock skis." It was a call or challenge to ski the skis like they were meant to be skied without care of the ramifications. Yes, some skis died this way. They're just skis. Turns matter more than skis.

If I'm not willing to use a knife, I don't carry it. If a knife is too dear to be used and broken, it looses its appeal to me. Sort of like a Cadillac pick up truck. I don't get it.
 
I keep a CASE Sodbuster JR CV in my garage tool box for such occasions..:rolleyes:
John
 
Several decades ago, I worked as a ski instructor in rocky Vermont. Thin snow conditions can destroy skis when you hit a rock. "Rock skis" are "beater skis" you don't mind destroying by ripping out an edge. If you don't have a pair of rock skis, you ski timidly and timid skiing sucks.

The guys I hung with had a saying. "All skis are rock skis." It was a call or challenge to ski the skis like they were meant to be skied without care of the ramifications. Yes, some skis died this way. They're just skis. Turns matter more than skis.

If I'm not willing to use a knife, I don't carry it. If a knife is too dear to be used and broken, it looses its appeal to me. Sort of like a Cadillac pick up truck. I don't get it.
You can carry both. You really can do it. I do it, everyday. It's great !
 
The "beater knife" should be your favorite knife. But I totally get the thing about saving the most beautiful precious for noble tasks, like looking at it and fondling it. Guilty all the way I am...

I get a lot of satisfaction using a knife that I love as my hard user.
I also find that higher quality knives cut better then your run of the mill “gas station” knife.
 
The better the knife, the harder you can use it. I mean, strictly knife tasks, of course. And yes, my "very high end" knives cut like a dream. I regret not one penny spent on them. Quality translates into efficiency all the time. Not talking price here, that's another topic.
 
I have a tendency to use all my knives that I carry. I trimmed roofing the other day to get a roof jack to fit using my CRK. Had to clean it off with some lighter fluid and put the edge back on it, but it works fine now. The better knives will hold up just fine as long as you don’t do anything stupid with them. Like use one as a pry bar with a high HT no matter if it’s a folder or fixed blade.
 
Honestly no, I carry and use my knives regardless, I can't justify keeping them otherwise. That said, I also work a desk and there are no tasks I encounter daily that I wouldn't use any of my knives for. If I know I'm going to go to do more demanding tasks that day, I'll probably grab a knife with "bomb proof" warranty, right now that would probably be my Aaron Fredrick custom Charon in 3V, he says he'll fix anything, you just have to tell him the story of how you jacked it up.
 
Don't do silly stuff (knife ways...) and you will be golden. My most loved knives get used the most and for any cutting task that may present itself. Those who fall out of favor get sold or relegated in a drawer. Tough cheese...
 
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