What's your go-to, beat up cutting tool?

[EngrSorenson]

I spend too much time making a pristine edge on my prized knives just to go willy-nilly cutting reams of cardboard, yards of carpet or hacking through electrical wire. Instead I reach for a "Milwaukee" brand flip open box-cutter/utility knife, or at the very least the SAK in my left pocket.

It's not as satisfying as using my more favored knives for the rough jobs, and I'd have no problem using one if I had no other choice, but I'd rather diminish the knives that are easily replaced.

So what do you use?

 

[mabrowns]

My OG fully serrated endura clipit I've had this for a long time.

 

[sadmin]

These 2 have seen more house projects that I can count. I have a rusty Mora somewhere too that sees a lot of outdoor-around-the-house chores.

https://imgur.com/soZG8Yt

 

[353]

I just call it my "shit-knife". One that you just don't worry if gets dirty and damaged.

It hangs in the kitchen, ready to be misused.

A Mora 510

 

[killgar]

I'm the third generation in my family to own and use this utility knife. It actually still has petrified grime on the handle from both my fathers hand and my grandfathers hand. It gets used for most of my home cutting chores these days (cardboard, cutting tape/opening packages, etc).

How cheap am I? I sharpen the blades when they get dull.

 

[EngrSorenson]

These 2 have seen more house projects that I can count. I have a rusty Mora somewhere too that sees a lot of outdoor-around-the-house chores.

Your picture left me with more questions than answers- what's that stump of a fixed blade, and what happened that that Benchmade?

I just call it my "shit-knife". One that you just don't worry if gets dirty and damaged.

It hangs in the kitchen, ready to be misused.

A Mora 510

In some ways, I appreciate the abuser knives. They don't get much attention and they still do an important job. I'd say a Mora is a perfect choice.

I'm the third generation in my family to own and use this utility knife.

honestly, that's the most attractive utility knife I've seen in a long time. I'd be proud to use something like that.

 

[sadmin]

Ha. Yea, they are ugggly. That stump is some sharpened piece of 01 steel that came with another 01 fixed blade my father in law got me for Christmas. It works wonders on carpet / padding removal.
The Benchmade fell out of my pocket into a campfire; I used a soldering iron to try to cover up the damage and allow it to close. The tip broke off trying to pull staples from a picture frame and I rounded it off with the KO WorkSharp.
I keep trying to kill them but they wont die; that 01 tool shank will be here after the apocalypse.

 

[killgar]

honestly, that's the most attractive utility knife I've seen in a long time. I'd be proud to use something like that.

And it's so old it was actually made in the USA .

 

[rogatsby]

The serrated blade on my Leatherman Wave is my great workhorse. Once in a while, I just need to use a ceramic rod to sharpen it, and it is back like new.

 

[Venice]

Still this old guy. Bought it in the 70s.

 

[willc]

Both of these see pretty hard use at times.
I have no problem tapping the spine with a hammer to cut wet rope or to make shims.

 

[kobold]

My ultimate line of defense are four Hultafors GK knives, which can take hammering with a metal hammer and cut through softer metals. Also a 14C28N fixed blade that lives in my EDC backpack. I don't hesitate to do anything with these guys. I keep them sharp.

For carpets and other man made and natural fibers I use serrated Spyderco Salts: Caribbean, Tasman, Native. I often carry a SE Dragonfly as a secondary knife, just so I can preserve the edge on the primary knife with a PE.

For thin wire I use a Victorinox Spirit or dedicated snips. I guess I could baton wire with the can opener of any SAK in a pinch, or use the metal file.
The "kiridashi" on the Spirit is also great at cutting plastic, including thick policarbonate (lexan) roofing material.

The Inkosi Insingo is great at cutting thick leather, and the Chaparral and the Caribbean shepsfoot SE are my cardboard champions.

 

[K.O.D.]

My Spyderco Gayle Bradley. Durable, tough, blade is scratched up. It can handle most chores. Next is my Yojimbo 2. The micarta Punisher scales are a little messed up, the back spacer is cracked, and it's easy to sharpen.

 

[Murphjd25]

These get beat on and used for everything.

 

[tinfoil hat timmy]

my teeth work pretty well still

 

[Alberta Ed]

Olfa utility knife or a Mora.

 

[Jarhead Greasemonkey]

The "concrete" knife was born just a few months ago...

Was having difficulty getting sacks of pre-mix open with just my hands so I put this to use...

It's now the official "beater" knife of the household.

Love it.

 

[powernoodle]

What's your go-to, beat up cutting tool?​

I don't beat up any of my goodies, but I do carry a screwpop utility knife with a carbide blade. I use that sucker on cardboard, etc., which constitutes most of knife usage (Amazon boxes, etc.). Its tiny in the pocket, but super useful. Carbide stays sharp forever, and when necessary flip it around to the other end of the blade to get a new edge or replace it altogether.

Its the silver thing on the top left.

 

[Sharp Steel]

The "concrete" knife was born just a few months ago...

Was having difficulty getting sacks of pre-mix open with just my hands so I put this to use...

It's now the official "beater" knife of the household.

Love it.

I almost bought one of those before but read some comments that they are difficult to sharpen. Can you get a fine edge on your Strongarm?

 

[bdmicarta]

It's really not that beat up other than its honest patina and dirty scales. This is M4 steel, I don't know its history or how this combination came about. Considering it isn't all that pretty I feel free to use it in my workshop for cutting/scraping whatever.