Around since at least 600 BCE, pocket knives have remained a popular staple of mankind’s tools, and for no small reason. There are few things as useful and versatile as pocked-sized folding knives, and these are just some of the many uses for your everyday carry (EDC).
Household Uses
As a place where you usually spend a large amount of your time, home is where a pocket knife can most often come in handy. Here are a few things you can use a folding knife for around the house.
Opening Packages
There are few feelings as satisfying as feeling a pocket knife glide through the tape on the package for your recent online order. After you’ve opened your package, the knife will also be helpful for breaking down the box before recycling.
Opening Mail
Opening envelopes is one of the most common uses for a knife. If you don’t trust your fingers not to tear up the letter, and don’t have a letter opener on hand, a folding knife can be the perfect tool for opening up your mail.
Popping Open a Bottle
If you don’t have a corkscrew or bottle opener on hand, a pocket knife can be used in a pinch to replace either. As long as you’re careful, you can use your knife to open a beer bottle by pressing the blade on the underside.
While it may not be the ideal replacement for a corkscrew, a folding knife with a sharp point can open a wine bottle. Just slowly wriggle the blade deeper into the cork, and once it is deep enough, slowly twist the cork until you are able to pull it out.
Getting Out Batteries
If you just trimmed your nails and are having trouble pulling some stiff batteries out of your remote, you can carefully use a pocket knife to pop them out.
Removing Staples
If you need to pull out some staples, you can use your pocket knife to bend the staple ends and remove it.
Sharpen Pencils
While it isn’t always as pretty as using a sharpener, a pocket knife can be used to shave the edge of your stubby pencil to a point.
Adding Holes to Your Belt
Whether you’ve lost a few pounds or gained a few, it’s hardly a reason to get a new belt, especially if the old one still looks good. You can use your drop point knife to cut a new hole in your belt, just be careful with the amount of pressure you use.
Cutting Loose Threads
If you don’t have scissors around, you can use your pocket knife to cut loose threads off of your clothes without pulling them loose.
Cleaning Your Shoes
While you need to be careful not to cut through the soles, a pocket knife can be handy for cleaning dirt out of the tread on your shoes. Use the back end of the blade to avoid causing any damage.
Separating Legos
Recommended for ages 4 to 99, Legos are a common household toy that can be a joy to build with and a curse to step on. As anyone who has played with the classic building blocks can attest to, it can be a pain to pull apart two blocks that have been stuck together too tightly. A pocket knife with a sharp edge can be very useful in prying the pieces apart.
Untie Knots
Everyone has to untie a too-tight knot on occasion, only to spend minutes in frustration trying to loosen them however they can. Pocket knives can often get into the tight spots that your fingers cannot, and help loosen the tricky knot.
Peeling Stickers
It can often seem like half of the things you purchase have price stickers placed inconveniently, and they can be a nightmare to get off. As long as you’re careful not to scrape the material under the sticker, the edge of a blade can be used to shave those stickers off.
Cooking
Whether you are cooking over a stove or a campfire, a pocket knife can come in handy for all sorts of things when you are working on making a good meal.
Peeling
Before cooking and eating your fruits and vegetables, use your pocket knife to peel and prep them. Whether it be apples, carrots, potatoes, or anything else, most quality folding knives can handle it. You may peel off a little more than you want at first, but you should get the hang of it quickly.
Chopping
While not the ideal use for a smaller, pocket-sized blade, your knife can do the deed of chopping meat, fruits, and vegetables when you don’t have an alternative.
Cleaning Fish
If you don’t have any standard kitchen knives, pocket knives have been a go-to for outdoorsmen who need to gut and clean fish in the wilds. If you have a pocket knife with a gut point, that will be especially useful.
Deboning
While it won’t be as easy to use for butchering larger cuts of meat, a pocket knife can more than do the trick of cleaning meat off the bone.
Crushing Spices
If you haven’t got a mortar and pestle, you might be able to get away with using the butt of your knife handle to crush whole spices in a pinch.
Opening Cans
If you haven’t gotten bigger knives on hand, you probably don’t have a can opener with you either. You can make do with your pocket knife to cut open a can, just make sure not to slice your hand on any jagged edges.
Spreading
It may not be the intended use for a sharp pocket knife, it will do fine for spreading condiments when you need to.
Slicing Bread
Especially easy if you have a Swiss Army knife or another jagged blade, you can use your pocket knife to slice bread.
Outdoor Activities
If you are a fan of the outdoors, then you already know how useful a pocket knife can be if you are camping, hiking, or otherwise spending time in nature. That said, there may be a few uses for your trusty folding knife that you haven’t considered.
Fishing
You already know about cleaning your fish with a pocket knife, but you can also use your knife to cut the fishing line and prepare the bait.
Hunting
While it will definitely be easier the smaller your game is, hunters have used pocket knives to skin and clean their kills for millennia. You probably shouldn’t attempt this if you are not already a seasoned hunter, or have one to show you the ropes.
Making Kindling
Kindling can be a lifesaver when you’re building a fire with damp logs, and a pocket knife can be a lifesaver for cutting small twigs and wood chips into usable fire starters.
Splitting Firewood
It will certainly take longer than using a hatchet, but splitting firewood with a pocket knife isn’t as grueling as it may sound. Using a mallet, stone, or other strong material you have on hand, you can hammer a pocket knife into your firewood to split it.
Cutting Rope
Rope can come in handy when tying down your equipment, setting campsite perimeters, and all sorts of crafty things. If you need to cut your rope, a pocket knife is about the best tool you could hope for when you’re in a rush.
Removing Splinters
As with any other time you have a blade close to your skin, you need to be very careful when removing splinters with a knife. That said, a pocket knife can be an even better option for removing splinters than tweezers in many cases.
It is incredibly easy to get dirt under your fingernails after a day or two outside without a shower. You can use a pocket knife to carefully clear some dirt from under your fingernails if you haven’t got a better option.
Cutting Zip Ties
Zip ties are very useful for tying things down firmly, but can be a pain to remove when you tighten them too much. If you do have trouble getting one-off, you can use your pocket knife to cut through.
Sharpening Other Knives
While this isn’t recommended for the health and appearance of the blade you use for sharpening, you can use the flat back of a blade similar to honing steel.
Throwing
Though not the safest activity, and certainly not of particular use, throwing knives is an addictive pastime that feels at home in the outdoors. Work on your aim and blow off some steam by trying to peg a nearby tree trunk (just make sure there isn’t anything you could hit on the other side).
Other Uses
Outside of the ordinary things your EDC can do for you at home or outdoors, pocket knives can also come in handy in less expected situations, even emergencies at times.
Emergencies
They may be situations that you hope never to face, but it is always possible that you find yourself in a life-threatening situation. In times such as those, a pocket knife can save your life by cutting a caught seatbelt, stripping cloth to make a tourniquet, or even defending yourself against an attacker.
Arts and Crafts
Pocket knives are a classic tool for hobbyists who enjoy whittling, engraving, carving, or otherwise crafting.
Gifting
A high-quality blade with a unique design is one of the most personal gifts a person can give. A tool or accessory that can last more than a lifetime, a pocket knife can be a wonderful thing to pass along to a friend, spouse, or child.
William Henry has a stunning range of beautiful and elegant pocket knives with artisanally crafted Damascus steel and other rare and incredible materials, perfect as gifts for both others and yourself.
