# What's Your Knife Confession?



## mr drinky (Sep 21, 2013)

I know most of you have something you're not proud of, but no pressure to expose yourself.

Here is mine:

*** I haven't been taking care of my knives and many of them aren't sharp. I did something today (which I will not disclose) that made my sharp knifelike heart sink -- it was really that dull of a knife. Cognitive dissonance has set in and I feel guilty, which leads to avoidance. And some knives I don't enjoy using right now because they remind me of what I should be doing. I should simply sharpen my knives but life's other duties have pulled me in so many other directions: preparing to move, mortgage financing (W TF's up with that crap), a new wonderful kid, legal action x2, and other crazy things. I don't get much sleep. To make it worse, I have been cheating on KKF. No, it isn't one of those other $2 knife board whores...I have been hanging with wine geeks in their internet space. They aren't even that friendly...but at the end of the day there is usually an uncorked bottle of wine next to me and not a sharpening stone. 

Anyhow, I will be back in form one day...just not now. This is my confession -- now back to my bordeaux.

k.


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## Michael Rader (Sep 21, 2013)

I understand completely, but - not to judge - I seem to remember you making a great little sharpening station about a year and a half ago. Tsk tsk tsk. Now ask my wife how sharp her knives are... ugg
-M


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## Mrmnms (Sep 21, 2013)

That custom wood box. Loved it. Weren't you thinking about put a strop on it?


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## mc2442 (Sep 21, 2013)

There is not reason you cannot have an uncorked bottle of wine and a sharpening stone next to you at night. Have to multi-task.


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## ecchef (Sep 21, 2013)

mc2442 said:


> There is not reason you cannot have an uncorked bottle of wine and a sharpening stone next to you at night. Have to multi-task.



+1. I'm kinda going in the same direction as Drinky, although my reason is different. Some kind of neck issue is causing numbness in 2 fingers...makes it hard to hold the angle so I've been avoiding. Doesn't interfere with holding a glass at all though.


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## tk59 (Sep 21, 2013)

I have a few carbon knifes that have some rust spots on them that I've been neglecting. Even more shameful is the fact that I ground a few knives last year, had handles made for them and prepped them for mounting and then I just couldn't do it. I inspect them every once in a while but they remain unmounted. I'm blaming everything on my third kid who just turned 1 yr old and renewing my commitment to being fit... I feel shame...


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## heldentenor (Sep 21, 2013)

After moving, I've put three of my (small) collection of knives into a drawer. They haven't left since. 

P.S. Karring, I'm going to Burch for dinner tonight. Recommendations?


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## apicius9 (Sep 21, 2013)

So far, I can confess to everything mentioned above except to drinking wine.

Stefan


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## Lefty (Sep 21, 2013)

I can't remember the last time I sharpened my knives, other than when I touched one up on my 6k for a customer, and decided to do my wife's knives at the same time. 

I'm also learning that I really can, and should survive with one gyuto, a petty, a parer and a "fun knife". 

Lastly, I check this place more often than is normal and find that sometimes an hour will pass and my coffee has gotten cold, all the while, I don't remember anything I've read. I'm busy, and while I love selling knives to the right people, I'd rather dream up and create. Thus, my site is literally 50 knives behind....


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## mr drinky (Sep 21, 2013)

Mrmnms said:


> That custom wood box. Loved it. Weren't you thinking about put a strop on it?



LOL. That's awesome, I complain about not having time to do basic knife duties and you point out something else I am neglecting. 

k.


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## jared08 (Sep 21, 2013)

I admitt, I had a tojiro itk I took the handle off and ordered some nice burls to attempt my first half a $$ attempt at a wa. After trying to make cheap handles out of pine and succeeding within reason, I still haven't touched the burls. The feer if ruining the wood and an absolutle lack of time due to my first sin, 6 months old, doesnt allow it. My reground, kurouchi remived and polished blade sits in my garage with surface rust building.. shameful


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## Mrmnms (Sep 21, 2013)

mr drinky said:


> LOL. That's awesome, I complain about not having time to do basic knife duties and you point out something else I am neglecting.
> 
> k.



So sorry. It was just such a great idea. My home shop is trashed. My workspace is a mess, and I'm a month behind setting up a we work station. I'm in no position to judge anybody.


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## NO ChoP! (Sep 21, 2013)

I have a drawer full of various vintage carbons, and a shelf full of wood, but lately when I get home from work, I just want to eat a bowl of ice cream, watch a little TV, and go to sleep.


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## mr drinky (Sep 22, 2013)

Mrmnms said:


> So sorry. It was just such a great idea. My home shop is trashed. My workspace is a mess, and I'm a month behind setting up a we work station. I'm in no position to judge anybody.



No harm man; I just thought it was funny.The thing is that in order to finish something with that box I have to make a call to someone else who is also way behind on doing something for me. The point of this thread is that passions take a lot of time and energy and invariably those passions get derailed at points -- and that's ok. 

k.


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## Salty dog (Sep 22, 2013)

I made a brief attempt at fixing the pitting in the blade of a yanagi. I screwed it up royally. 
I was going to have the maker fix the pitting but now they will have a much bigger job.
Nothing earth shattering right? It's the 390 Mizuno Tanrenjo Blue DX honyaki. 
The horror.


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## NO ChoP! (Sep 22, 2013)

Send it to Dave or Jon.....they'd probably have fun playing with it.


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## Asteger (Sep 22, 2013)

I love my knives so much sometimes I take a fav gyuto to bed at night. With saya of course!


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## Asteger (Sep 22, 2013)

... Okay, just kidding. But almost believeable!


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## Marko Tsourkan (Sep 22, 2013)

Once I started making knives, I lost interest in collecting knives. I have 3 knives I use regularly, all made by me. However, I still enjoy getting hands on any performing knife to study it.


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## echerub (Sep 22, 2013)

My confession: I still have OOTB edges on a good number of my knives (which is a count significantly higher than Marko's slim, trim 3!). In fact, this morning I'm going to be *finally* properly opening 2 deba that I've already had in my active rotation for over a month now.

I only get to fit in sharpening time on the occasional weekend mornings now, before my wife wakes up and before I have to start working on A, B, C, or X, Y, Z.


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## stereo.pete (Sep 22, 2013)

My dirty little secret: I have way too many awesome knives that I have yet to use. The primary reason is that I wanted to get comfortable with my sharpening skills before I wrecked my expensive knives. It was only until recently that I started venturing out and using some of my other knives now that I am very happy with my sharpening technique.


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## tripleq (Sep 22, 2013)

I cut myself really bad one day while using a nice yanagi. I'm generally a really calm guy but it was a bad cut on a bad day at a really bad time and I became totally irate. I survived. The knife didn't.


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## quantumcloud509 (Sep 22, 2013)

I have a really bad knife confession. mhenry is going to hate me. I still havent opened the post box I received from him Feb 12 2013. Why? I am afraid to ruin it. I am thinking of bartering it to someone who will teach me to break down a pig. I dont know. I just havent opened it. It was a very beautiful knife in pictures.


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## Brad Gibson (Sep 25, 2013)

quantumcloud509 said:


> I have a really bad knife confession. mhenry is going to hate me. I still havent opened the post box I received from him Feb 12 2013. Why? I am afraid to ruin it. I am thinking of bartering it to someone who will teach me to break down a pig. I dont know. I just havent opened it. It was a very beautiful knife in pictures.



ill show you how to break down a pig. I wanna see this thing. dear god. 8 months in the box?!!!!


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## quantumcloud509 (Sep 25, 2013)

Brad Gibson said:


> ill show you how to break down a pig. I wanna see this thing. dear god. 8 months in the box?!!!!



lol im thinking of asking my chef to teach me everything and giving him the knife really. that way we would both benefit and i will get lots of hands on time. ill unpackage it this week. *shudder* from what i remember it was a sight to behold and i had to sell things to acquire it lol.


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## EdipisReks (Sep 25, 2013)

mr drinky said:


> I know most of you have something you're not proud of, but no pressure to expose yourself.
> 
> Here is mine:
> 
> ...



I know you have at least one knife that's sharp, Drinky, because it wasn't so long ago that I sent it back to you.


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## mr drinky (Sep 25, 2013)

EdipisReks said:


> I know you have at least one knife that's sharp, Drinky, because it wasn't so long ago that I sent it back to you.



LOL...and you are correct sir; it is still sharp. 

k.


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## Dardeau (Sep 25, 2013)

Breaking down a pig is more practice than anything. Buy some little ones and work up. It is so much fun. I've been considering going back to my old job on pig day just to relive the old days. Goats are another good way to practice. They are smaller and usually cheaper.


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## Dardeau (Sep 25, 2013)

Also if you have any questions let me know, I've done this a lot and know some tricks to make it easier. Using the weight of the pig is key. That is what makes it either very easy or very hard, because if you spend the whole time fighting the pigs 275# it WILL win and you'll slip and cut yourself, or gash up your loin or belly.


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## boomchakabowwow (Sep 26, 2013)

confession.

my favorite knife cost me $5.


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## cclin (Sep 28, 2013)

I have a few very nice carbon knives but I haven't use any of them for more than 6 month!! I'm so lazy to wipe blade every few cutting task & to polish carbon knife when I done with it. I only use my semi-stainless/stainless cladding/PM knives now......I used to enjoy sharpening/polishing my knives almost everyday, not anymore. I guess Reality of Life & health problem wear out my passion of knife quite a bit:sad0:


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## Lucretia (Sep 29, 2013)

Was too busy to do much in the way of sharpening this summer, and now I can't get an edge using my Rika to save my life. Any of my other stones, fine. But not the Rika. Shave paper, yes. Cut a tomato, no.

Also have a gorgeous little Yosihide western petty that's sulking in a box. I don't like the balance, but have been dithering over getting it rehandled to see if the balance can be modified or put it up for sale. About the time I get ready to sell it, I take it out of the box, look at it, see the clouds, and put it away again.


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## Mucho Bocho (Sep 30, 2013)

Lucretia, Your Rika not unlike my clawhammer banjo. Its about regular practice, my Enoch Dobson just stares me in the face.


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## Anton (Sep 30, 2013)

It's a bit of vice 

and 

I have too much wood


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## mano (Oct 1, 2013)

Anton said:


> I have too much wood



Which makes you popular with the girls and the envy of the guys.


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## Lucretia (Oct 1, 2013)

Mucho Bocho said:


> Lucretia, Your Rika not unlike my clawhammer banjo. Its about regular practice, my Enoch Dobson just stares me in the face.



This is true. It was no trouble before, just been too busy to use it for a while and have forgotten how to hold my tongue.

Great looking banjo!


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## DeepCSweede (Oct 1, 2013)

cclin said:


> I have a few very nice carbon knives but I haven't use any of them for more than 6 month!! I'm so lazy to wipe blade every few cutting task & to polish carbon knife when I done with it. I only use my semi-stainless/stainless cladding/PM knives now......I used to enjoy sharpening/polishing my knives almost everyday, not anymore. I guess Reality of Life & health problem wear out my passion of knife quite a bit:sad0:



Solution - Embrace the patina my friend...


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