Off Topic Taking up hobbies that can put our precious knives to use

Smaug

Smaug

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Jun 30, 2003
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I just read this thread Am I becoming a bit weird about knives? In which the author questioned what happened to him, having carried a Victorinox Spartan for years and using it all the time, and then got into collecting and obsessing, but doesn't actually need them too much.

Perhaps like him, I feel a bit guilty that I don't use my knives more often. I have a desk job, and when I get down to the lab, other tools are often more useful than knives. (pliers, screwdrivers, wire strippers)

My advice to him was to take up other hobbies activities that can put knives to use. That's what this thread is about. Hopefully, it'll help pull some of us off the internet and get us active again, and just as importantly, it will help use use and appreciate our knives and tools more.

  1. Camping - This is one activity that can really put a knife to use. Probably a hatchet even more. Once the firewood is prepared, maybe some whittling would be in order.
  2. Whittling - This is not a hobby for big tactical folders. My favorite whittling knife is a Victorinox Recruit with the small blade re-shaped into a sharp wharncliffe. Then, put a narrow, razor sharp edge on it. Here are a few of my whittling projects:

    Here's a good starter book on whittling it uses branches, so nothing fancy is needed.
  3. Knot tying - This is kind of an innocent and fun hobby. Some of the more basic knots are useful for everyday things. Some are purely decorational. But one thing's for sure, a lot of paracord will need cutting!
  4. Pruning - Here's one that can put those heavy-duty Spydercos that are so popular here to work. Just whittle in until the branch is thin enough to break off.
  5. Trail clearing - volunteer work for local forest preserves.
  6. Hunting/fishing - gutting and skinning game
  7. Wood crafts- log and stick furniture
  8. Leather working - sheaths, pocket slips, etc.
  9. Collecting fire wood
  10. Sharpening
  11. Trapping
What have YOU got?

(Edited to add responses after my first four)
 
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I don't actively seek out hobbies or activities that might require the use of a knife. As far as my regular carry knives go (usually folders), they reside in my pocket or on my person and are frequently used for mostly cutting, but also for scraping, and light prying.

In the outdoors (camping or hiking), most of my camping is car type camping and I seldom pack in to a camp site. My hikes are generally short enough to complete in a single day. With car camping, I carry a lot of stuff with me simply because I like to have it available. In state parks where there is electricity, I have even brought along electric lights simply to avoid using a fuel type lantern and avoid an vapor or CO2 issues inside a tent. Of course, now the battery powered lanterns are quite good and the batteries can last a good long time. With my hiking, I seldom cook anything... maybe bring along a sandwich or muchies. So fires are mostly for the fun of it and not usually a necessary thing. Car camping, I always like to have a fire if it is allowed.

They say "practice makes perfect" and certainly for woodcraft kinds of things, you get more capable doing it. I seldom need to do such and any woodcraft done is for fun. I feel perfectly capable of building a shelter if materials are available if I had to, or making a spoon, tent stakes or something that might be needed. My approach is mostly practiacal and function related.

Pruning.... yeah I do that with saws or pruning shears. I seldom use a knife for this other than the occasional single task. I use big knives around the yard for wacking a small tree down (but more commonly a saw). There are big trees in my yard and I do occasionally need to chop up (essentially reduce the size) of big limbs that might fall. I maintain a small brush pile behind the house for stashing limbs and debris that occur in the yard and then gradually dispose of the material as I get to it.
 
There's hunting and fishing as well. In fact, those two activities started me long ago on my appreciation for bladed instruments. It has just accelerated this past year for reasons I can't even put my finger on. And now I am even taking a stab at working with leather to make sheaths and pocket slips for my accumulation. Knives seem to run across the boundaries of many of my interests both work and play.
 
I've taken up more volunteer activities as a manner of using more knives, specifically train maintenance for mountain bike and hiking paths. Another bonus is the exercise as I don't have as much time available to stay in a high-level of condition like I used to.

Here's one turning a downed tree into a rideable feature at one of the mtb trails near my house.
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I've also started collecting wood for my fireplace instead of buying it. I find fallen trees in the woods behind my house and either drag the logs out or chop them up and hall out the firewood. I've started using some of the logs for building furniture and things too. I have a bench that's 95% complete, just need to tie the sticks together for the seat and then I'm working on a artsy crafty thing for my wife form a cedar that was knocked down from a storm recently.
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I like to do all of it without power as there's a different appreciation when I'm done and it has been a great stress-reliever, especially smashing up the dead ash trees that take a lot of work to make useful.
 
Hiking and exploring some of the national forests around here have an opportunity to carry and use my larger fixed and folding knives.

I’ve used my knives for home improvement stuff lately, but admittedly a utility knife is a better tool for that job.
 
While essential to knives and not exactly "using", I would say that sharpening can be considered a hobby for some enthusiasts.
 
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DB_Cruiser said:
There's hunting and fishing as well....
Click to expand...
That along with trapping were central to my knife use as a pre-teen and teen. I fish mostly for trout and do the catch & release thing, I don't really use knives for cleaning fish which is the expected use fishing.

I agree, knife sharpening is a bit of a hobby or can be.
Broadening out to making sheaths and perhaps knives is another aspect of the hobby if it is something you wish to do or attempt.

Minor home repairs is certainly a knife use of mine especially with a SAK or multi-tool.
 
In regards to cooking! I have a pretty basic knife set, victorinox with a random vg10 santuko made from a blank. The thing I am often lacking is a little paring knife! For fun, I have stuck an opinel No. 8 in one blade slot and a No. 12 in another for random cutting. They have been wonderful. My wife likes to use her Byrd Meadowlark that I bought her as a small paring knife as well!

I have had mixed results with carving. On the plus side, it helps me make use of my many moras that I have stockpiled, including the tiny wood carving one they sent in mistake to me while I was trying to buy a different one.
They also let me use my opinels as well, but for the most part, the amount of knives I can use effectively is quite small compared to those two budget brands.

Definately recommend cooking with your knives though! Rotate a few knives through, you usually only need one or two in use at a time. It certainly makes you respect knives that are easy so clean as well!
 
For a paring knife, Victorinox makes nice ones for not too much money. I get a thrill out of using one of my pocket knives once in awhile, but that thin blade in a dedicated kitchen knife makes a difference.

Victorinox 3.25" paring knife, $7 (online

If you like one with a harder steel and a heavier construction, I also have one of these Mercers, which is 5 star rated and only $16.

My little Opinel #6 is a bit too small for my taste; the index finger is always right there next to the blade, which is sharp all the way back. I should probably just blunt it for the last 1/2" or so...

Back on topic: Cooking is fast becoming one of my favorite pastimes; and it has a lot of benefits:

  • Saves money, compared to eating out or buying instant-type food
  • Is healthier, and I know exactly what is going into my food, with no unnatural chemicals
  • Left-overs!
  • I get to use and appreciate knives all the time!
 
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bikerector said:
I've taken up more volunteer activities as a manner of using more knives, specifically train maintenance for mountain bike and hiking paths. Another bonus is the exercise as I don't have as much time available to stay in a high-level of condition like I used to.

Here's one turning a downed tree into a rideable feature at one of the mtb trails near my house.
GrMxjVQl.jpg

2KYJqjbl.jpg

aFEVhn2l.jpg

6i8hLdMl.jpg

GnF7R4sl.jpg


I've also started collecting wood for my fireplace instead of buying it. I find fallen trees in the woods behind my house and either drag the logs out or chop them up and hall out the firewood. I've started using some of the logs for building furniture and things too. I have a bench that's 95% complete, just need to tie the sticks together for the seat and then I'm working on a artsy crafty thing for my wife form a cedar that was knocked down from a storm recently.
bqpZydvl.jpg

KiTnBFQl.jpg


I like to do all of it without power as there's a different appreciation when I'm done and it has been a great stress-reliever, especially smashing up the dead ash trees that take a lot of work to make useful.
Click to expand...

If you can do all of that work by hand with an axe you're in fantastic shape.
 
I have a little different take. I buy blades that support my woodworking hobby, by making custom handles. I mostly use folders, but making custom handles is what keeps me in new knives.

(this post is NOT a solicitation for work. Please don't ask as it gets me in hot water.)

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bikerector said:
I've taken up more volunteer activities as a manner of using more knives, specifically train maintenance for mountain bike and hiking paths. Another bonus is the exercise as I don't have as much time available to stay in a high-level of condition like I used to.

Here's one turning a downed tree into a rideable feature at one of the mtb trails near my house.
GrMxjVQl.jpg

2KYJqjbl.jpg

aFEVhn2l.jpg

6i8hLdMl.jpg

GnF7R4sl.jpg


I've also started collecting wood for my fireplace instead of buying it. I find fallen trees in the woods behind my house and either drag the logs out or chop them up and hall out the firewood. I've started using some of the logs for building furniture and things too. I have a bench that's 95% complete, just need to tie the sticks together for the seat and then I'm working on a artsy crafty thing for my wife form a cedar that was knocked down from a storm recently.
bqpZydvl.jpg

KiTnBFQl.jpg


I like to do all of it without power as there's a different appreciation when I'm done and it has been a great stress-reliever, especially smashing up the dead ash trees that take a lot of work to make useful.
Click to expand...
I've read that chopping wood with an axe actually boosts testosterone, in addition to being great cardio and back exercise...
 
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