Interesting Knife Uses

David Mary

David Mary

pass the mustard - after you cut it
Moderator
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Jul 23, 2015
Messages
12,410
I am just making my lunch now, and it occurred to me that I don't know anyone else, nor have I heard of anyone, who uses a knife to crack open their eggs. I have found that holding the egg in my one hand, and giving the shell a quick tap with the edge of my EDC is the most efficient and consistent way for me to start the egg so I can open it one handed and drop it into the pan with the least mess. I used to crack them on the side of the pan or the side of the stove but I was often spending time cleaning egg white off my stove and/or hands, but now I don't have that problem, and the blade doesn't get egg on it either, most times. Whenever it does, it's a simple wipe with fingertips and gone.

How do you use your knife that might not be obvious, but has saved you time or effort?
 
On a few occasions I've used an open knife to extend my reach and work a box off a high shelf to the point that the box will fall and I can catch it with my other hand.

On one occasion I stuck the tip of the blade into a bottom corner of the box, on another recent occasion I stuck the tip of the blade under the top flap of a cereal box laying on it's back.
 
killgar said:
On a few occasions I've used an open knife to extend my reach and work a box off a high shelf to the point that the box will fall and I can catch it with my other hand.

On one occasion I stuck the tip of the blade into a bottom corner of the box, on another recent occasion I stuck the tip of the blade under the top flap of a cereal box laying on it's back.
Click to expand...

I do this a lot.
 
killgar said:
On a few occasions I've used an open knife to extend my reach
Click to expand...

Ah, yes. Sometimes when cutting up cardboard for the recycling bin, a piece will fly off and miss the bin. But where the bin is located in my kitchen, the fridge blocks off a small nook that my cat can fit into but not me. If the piece traveled far enough into the nook that I can't reach it, it's easier to reach in and skewer it with the tip of my EDC. But not when the cat's in there, of course!
 
I use a knife to crack all around the shells on my hard cooked eggs. I tend to overdo the pressure when I try to roll one before peeling. A few light taps around the circumference with either a closed folder handle or the flat of a sheath knife blade.
 
I use my EDC to pop the tops of micro-brews.

I used to use a BIC lighter to do this, but that's back in the day when I used to smoke and always had one on me. Not so much any more.

I guess I could get a knife with a cap lifter, but I don't see the need when my method works just fine.
 
I never knew hypnosis really worked, except in really rare/perfect conditions

but yeah, other knife use: (my guess is it's not rare among bf members) - but - the spine!

from scraping to light prying to making an indentation in something you don't want to cut, it's quite useful
(I've used the spine as a way to start a fold in thin gauge sheet metal)

and of course the usual spark spot for a rod
 
I like to cut off young cedar saplings in the pasture with whatever knife I have on me. A pair of nippers or a machete would normally be a more efficient choice to clear the little buggers but I find it entertaining to bend the sapling over and slice through its stem right at the arc of the bend where the tension is greatest. It can be perilous, trying to avoid scraping into a chunk of flint, but it really tests the blade geometry and durability of the edge. So far my Para 3's and Large Voyager excel.
 
I doubt it is an unusual practice, but I use the spine of my chef knives as a board scraper to separate processed ingredients on my cutting board and sweep them into bowls or directly into cooking vessels off the board. I actually own a dedicated board scraper but generally the back of the knife works fine.
 
oldmanwilly said:
I like to cut off young cedar saplings in the pasture with whatever knife I have on me. A pair of nippers or a machete would normally be a more efficient choice to clear the little buggers but I find it entertaining to bend the sapling over and slice through its stem right at the arc of the bend where the tension is greatest. It can be perilous, trying to avoid scraping into a chunk of flint, but it really tests the blade geometry and durability of the edge. So far my Para 3's and Large Voyager excel.
Click to expand...

you should instead just replant them to the outskirts of your property - they make amazing year-round privacy fences and wind/snow breaks... not to mention increasing property value etc etc :) I lived on a large piece of cedar forest for many years... they are simply one of the most amazing trees period

lightweight and ultra valuable lumber - extremely rot resistant etc etc etc
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thuja_occidentalis
 
D dirc ,

I might agree with you if I lived in the Pacific Northwest or elsewhere with beautiful old-growth cedar forests. In central Texas, however, they are voracious weeds that choke out any pasture or creek they can access. Their pollen also chokes out any sinus they can access. As far as I'm concerned, the only good cedar on my property is one drying on a burn-pile or wired up as a fence post.
 
Velitrius said:
Why thank you, David!

1999 it was. Got hypnotized. Never had another cigarette. Been buying knives with the proceeds ever since.
Click to expand...
Sorry to get off topic!
I seriously have my doubts that it works BUT you're far from the first person to tell me that it does.
My uncle told me he went in for a hypnosis and it worked, like he went from pack or two a day to no smoking for
2 weeks, smoked one and it's like the addiction came back again/ went back normal.
Went back in a second time and it worked for a year till he smoked one night at a party or whatever and it was right back.
Seems like for some the hypno-therapy gives them a serious boost at the start of quitting and can even help maintain
if they stick with it.

On Topic Hypocrisy:
I make coke cans into spit-cans when packing a Copenhagen
I'm hypnotized the other kind of way-nicotine addiction
64989fae2dc7426ef89555d4b171333ef8e37688.jpg
 
dirc said:
I never knew hypnosis really worked, except in really rare/perfect conditions

but yeah, other knife use: (my guess is it's not rare among bf members) - but - the spine!

from scraping to light prying to making an indentation in something you don't want to cut, it's quite useful
(I've used the spine as a way to start a fold in thin gauge sheet metal)

and of course the usual spark spot for a rod
Click to expand...

I have a buddy who went to school and studied hypnotherapy. He couldn't hypnotize me, but he does sessions with a few of our acquaintances and they say it works wonders for them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top