Knife abuse by friends and family members

My father taught me what happens when someone borrows your knife. He would use anybody's knife for any task other than cutting something, so by the time I was 11 years old, I never loaned a knife. My rule is, I wouldn't hand a knife to someone who doesn't carry a knife. As for kitchen cutlery, I gave up on having anything nice a long time ago.
 
I'm married (52 years) to a serial knife abuser. I realized that a year after we were married when she used a nice Case trapper I had given her to dig potatoes. So I keep the kitchen knives sharp and when she needs something cut, I do it. Best advice is don't loan your knives. Period.
 
I periodically do some cooking and got tired of always using dull crappy knives.
Last year I decided to move up and bought a few Shun’s.

I’ll paraphrase by saying my wife has proven there’s a valid reason for CutCo to exist.
 
My wife can do whatever she wants with my knives. Worst case is a knife gets replaced.

Others don't get to touch them ... I don't believe in sharing, and neither does she :)

PS: this is wife #2. #1 was a different story.
 
Fortunately my wife has figured out that I value good quality cutlery in the kitchen and in the field and has learned to appreciate it too. Most other people don’t get to use my knives.
 
Wifey once put the kitchen knives (Victorinox/ESEE) in the dishwasher. I used it as an excuse to "need" a new set and bought a whole bunch of Shun ;)

Now we have two sets of kitchen knives, both because she is scared of mine and because when she's chopping something it sounds like a jackhammer rather then letting the knife do the work :rolleyes:. We split cooking duties with me cooking probably about two thirds of the time. I enjoy cooking and food prep, whereas she is more the type to just want to get things done.

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As for lending knives in general, I lend them to family members if they ask. A few of them often ask to check out my knife to admire it, and my dad always checks my edge and if it's not on point he'll say something like "you need to take a file to that thing boy" (I learned my lesson though now and always sharpen before I visit). Most of them know how to handle a knife, even if they aren't enthusiasts, and they all know that knives to me are something special and use them respectfully. I try to keep in mind though that these are just things, and in the end not all that important.

In other words...I hand them the Dragonfly :p
 
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There is no reason for any adult in this world to need my knife overnight.
But, if Im standing there, depending on the person, either I'll open the package, cut the rope, whatever...
OR hand it to them to use so that someone can enjoy using one of my knives, kinda like a "proud papa" moment.

As far as kitchen knives, unless the knife is being used as a prybar, or in some way MIS-used I don't mind and I don't sweat it. (I'd worry more about someone hurting themself than hurting the knife.) The knife is made of steel, it can be sharpened and shaped. It didnt cost $10,000. Whats the problem?
And again, the proud papa thing when someone gets to use a good knife and they look at you like "Whoa!" after it slices through whatever in a way there knife never did....

Knives are tools to me. I'm not a knife collector, I'm a knife user.
As a mechanic I do believe in having good tools, and in having the right tool for the job, but I use my tools.
I LIKE to use my tools, that's why I have them. What would be the joy in having a big toolbox full of tools, and never using them?

I also enjoy the teaching moments with my wife and family as they begin to appreciate the things I enjoy about my knives, or tools.

EDITED TO ADD:
I'm also a pretty enthusiastic knife sharpener...so if the blades didn't get used, and made less sharp, I'd have no reason to use some of my sharpening tools, and I LIKE to use my sharpening tools :)
 
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I remember a time, about 40 years ago when I was starting out as a mechanic, and I was hesitant to borrow a tool from my mentor, he said something that stuck with me, and I've used it when teaching others. He said:
"Go ahead, you can't break it, and if you do, I'll teach you how to fix it."
 
I watched somebody take their brothers OLDER 110 and try to baton it through a piece of wood. The knife never locked after that... I WONDER WHY.
 
I always have a "sacrificial" knife in pocket - not THAT kind of sacrifice; typically my fifth pocket Leatherman; and I have a Kershaw cheapo Emerson in my center console; those are lenders. I don't let someone "just use for a second" my CRK, Medford, etc.
 
Bought my first nice japaneese gyotu, some weeks later I woke up to this.. Probably my son smacked it on to the sink or something.

Moral of the story is; if you are not the only person using the knife, shit happens.

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I bought my soon to be wife nice knives. I put a magnet up and explained to her about respecting the edges and wiling them with food grade mineral oil etc. She fought with me over the additional burden it puts on her. The first time she used one of her sharp and well made knives to thin slice some veggies she recanted her verbal assaults and finally got with the program. She learns quick only took me 3 years.
 
I'm so glad this thread popped up. It's not new to me but the topic is always fun to talk about, when you're not on the receiving end. I also used to carry around a "beater" or backup knife in case someone needed to use one. Now I only carry my nice knives, basically just my small rotation, and when someone asks I simply say no lol, or cut whatever they need for them.

My stepdad is the main culprit for my horror stories. He's used an old Bark River I had for cleaning under the deck of the lawn mower, scraping and digging at the mower blades and all. Jammed a Giantmouse ACE Sonoma into a metal mailbox slot and tried to wiggle it around to get it opened. Took my ZT 0562 and tried to pry a corroded battery post connector off of a car battery.

You might be wondering why I still lend him my knives to use. I don't lol. Never again. He's also one of the most incompetent people I've ever met in my life, so that doesn't help. (Sounds worse than it is, but it's a long story lol).

Anyway don't lend your knives!! Or do, it's your life. 😂
 
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