I thought I'd start a new topic and just talk about wearing out knives, instead of just waiting and waiting.
Do you retire your old users or do you beat them into submission. With my folders, I retire them. I've only retired two so far, and haven't honestly really had much need to beat the snot out of any Busse, except for fun.
How far have you beaten you knives? Have you sharpened them down to a toothpick?
Let's hear some stories.

unless a fixed blade came out of its handle or a folder developed too much play, i never gave it a rest. i never retired knives either cuz i never had more than i needed till a year ago. i carried a 440 chinese lockback for three years and i wanted something exactly the same after it developed play (which was only when closed, not open) so i searched and found BF.

I haven't killed a folder in a long time. When they broke it was usually at the tip. Folder quality in general from most of higher end brand names (e.g., Spyderco, Benchmade) is high. Now I usually retire my old folders because I find something I like better, like the Axis lock or a new steel I want to try.

I do have a Frost cutlery fixed blade that I am trying to kill right now. A buddy got drunk one night and ordered the 100 knife special on Home Shopping Network. He brought it over to me and said 'please take it, get it out of here'. I have chopped oak with it, batoned oak with it and all I've managed to do is make the guard a little lose. The Frost Surgical Steel is still extremely sharp too. But I'm not giving up <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

To my memory, I’ve never broken a knife, and I’ve owned like 100+. I don’t abuse them more than I think they can handle.

I've broken a few knives. I broke the tip of my spyderco native accidently. I broke a kabar and that really made me upset. I bought it like a year and a half ago right before I came over here thinking good enough for veitnam good enough for me. So we were on patrol up a mountain on the Pak border and my buddie says let me see your knife to cut some 550 cord well he dropped it and it fell for about 15 or twenty feet and bounced of some rocks when I went down to get it it was broken in half at the center of the blade a clean break. I was really mad so I emailed kabar and they said sure pay the 20 dollars shipping and well take a look at it and send you another one. Well it wasn't worth it to me and so I tried out scrapyard and I'm never turnin back.

your pal shoulda replaced your knife.

I have broken a few......2 shall reamin nameless, but another was a RD9 and another was a Ramboesk style knife a friend got me......all I did was chop with it and it broke at the handle. I pushed a few to the point where a lesser knife would have but they are still in circulation and going strong. The AK is one of them......somamabitc$$$$ bit me yesterday....but before that it was clean cutting 3" diameter trees and branches with 1 stroke.

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Can't say I've ever worn any out. Broken yes mostly from throwing them.
I still use my old knives just not as much.



Here are a couple of case knives that I have had since about the age of 7.






Bors

I have broken several knives, included a Gerber MK 2, a UC Rambo II, an Al Mar bush knife, a couple of Ka-Bars, and a cheap folder or two. I need rugged knives. I use them hard.

+1


Yep thats why I like SYK's.



I buy good tools because I use them....Ok really use them sometimes. I buy good knives for the same reason...



Bore

Closest I have come was with two knives. Both were loaned out.

First was a cheap folder with a tanto blade. Room mate picked it up from BESIDE my screwdriver and went to use it to unscrew a hinge. The tip broke. I reground it the best I could and put a bit of a penetrator tip on it.

The second is an old sheath knife, VERY fine edged. Was a real razor... Another buddy tried chopping with it and took a BIG chip out of the edge. Still have it and plan on trying to regrind it, but I'll need to take a good 3/8" off of the blade. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />