Do you, generally, worry about Germs/contaminants on tools/knives?

[dks]

So, after GEC produced a slipjoint with a comb many seemed to be disgusted that something from your beard could come into contact with your food, or that if you bought it second hand it will have germs on it. (not many worried about food cut with the knife getting on the beard...)

This seemed weird to me as, for a reasonably clean person, you don't expect to find anything on your beard that would be poisonous or too bad in general, and really if you buy a second hand knife this issue will be just as bad, as you are more likely to contaminate a knife than a comb.

I may use the same knife to cut raw and cooked meat, open a packet, cut some branches, cut plastic, scrape paint... always washing it between uses. People use files on SAKs to clean their nails and pliers on LMs to work with dirty, oily screws.

This is true for many of us, I would assume. I always wash the knife after use and if bought second hand I will clean it well with soap and alcohol etc. before using it for food. Maybe even using an ultrasonic cleaner.

So, do you really worry about your own germs or someone else's germs or contamination (chemicals, poisons lead etc.) or you just don't care and use one knife to cut everything, washing it once a year (builds patina..)  or just cleaning it with WD40 every decade

Do you have separate pocket knives for clean and dirty work?

[Max Stone]

I try to keep my SC edc clean before/after any use, and try to avoid messy food prep. Typically limited to less challenging slicing work like fruit. Do live with a COVID surface spray bottle that gets used frequently on everything (hands, tools, etc), and also my SAKs when used.

[powernoodle]

I never use an EDC knife for food, and really don't use them that much for anything else either.  Maybe opening boxes, mail and cat sand, though I have largely transitioned to a Screwpop utility knife where possible because I like having a fresh, carbide blade from time to time.  So no, I never have a reason to clean a blade, and have no reason to think about it, though I will clean one with alcohol if it comes from eBay. 


Screwpop utility knife, lower left.

[SteveC]

I clean all used knives and tools I get with rubbing alcohol. I generally don't use my pocket knives or MT's for food prep and clean them as they get dirty. I do have a designated rough duty work knife.

[Aloha]

I don't use my plier based MTs for any food or food related things.  I'll use my SAK can opener but typically wont use the blade for food.  I do have a dedicated SAK in the kitchen which is primarily what I use for cans.  My MT and SAK for my purposes are work tools and as such they are not suitable for food. 

My trads do fill the role of work and food knife.  I have both carbon and ss trads and use my ss more for food.  I don't typically work my trads hard or use them for dirty work so they can fill both roles nicely.       

 

[greenbear]

I do clean my knives before a camp out, and also on return - but really that is just good practice in looking after them 

[Etherealicer]

I don't use my knife that often during a regular day and it rarely happens that I have to do food-prep after I already used the knife for something else (other than opening a box). I always have wipes (even before corona) with me and in general immediately clean my knife before putting it back in the pocket (if I cut something messy, again not after cutting some cardboard).
If I know there will be a lot of food-prep I bring a dedicated food knife (CRKT Slacker).

[SurgeUk]

I don't use my plier based MTs for any food or food related things.  I'll use my SAK can opener but typically wont use the blade for food.  I do have a dedicated SAK in the kitchen which is primarily what I use for cans.  My MT and SAK for my purposes are work tools and as such they are not suitable for food. 

My trads do fill the role of work and food knife.  I have both carbon and ss trads and use my ss more for food.  I don't typically work my trads hard or use them for dirty work so they can fill both roles nicely.       

 

I didn't worry; until now...

In all seriousness, I rarely (if ever) use my SAKs & MTs for food (the only times have been for various challenges) I can't say they haven't performed well when used but, unless slicing soft stuff, I'm not sure they would be my go to choice 

However, I understand that Opinels are good for slicing & dicing so I might try my No:8  (after cleaning it, of course  )

[Aloha]

I almost always have a fixed blade on me at home and while working.  When not working I don't carry one off my property tho its legal for me to do so.  I tend to use a fixed blade for most if not all my food cutting.   

[Nix]

I use my knives for anything and everything.....and try to keep them clean and sharp.   

[cody6268]

Your Granddad probably did everything with his knife, wiped it off on his pants leg and went on. I'm not a germaphobe, but am careful.

I mix a bit of Hibiclens, a surgical disinfectant (which my doctor recommended for acne when I was a teen), with my dish detergent when I clean a secondhand knife. Most used knives on the market today are TSA seizures and you don't know where it's been.

While my multitools don't touch food, most of my other knives do every now and then. But, I have proper kitchen knives, but prefer peeling oranges with my pocketknife.  I like Kydex sheaths better than leather for fixed blades because not only do they have mounting options; they're easy to wash out and thus keep sanitary.

One good thing about Delrin handles. Joseph Lister himself recommended that the use of natural-handle surgical instruments cease because they harbored germs. While I like bone/stag/wood, Delrin is easy to keep sanitary.  In addition to constantly being stiff, it's why I stopped carrying Opinels; as I mostly used them in the kitchen.

[powernoodle]

However, I understand that Opinels are good for slicing & dicing so I might try my No:8

Opinels really are awesome for this, and far better than any of my lame kitchen knives.  I did do some slicing with Opinels for a Challenge, and they are pretty much the gold standard.

[SurgeUk]

(Image removed from quote.)
Opinels really are awesome for this, and far better than any of my lame kitchen knives.  I did do some slicing with Opinels for a Challenge, and they are pretty much the gold standard.

Does that apply to the Carbon (B/O blades) as well 

[Nix]

Even more so.

[SurgeUk]

Even more so.

[Fuzzbucket]

Like Aloha, I don't tend to use multitools for food, in fact never actually... The same goes for spanners and hammers etc... You'll never see me using a chisel in the kitchen.

However, I do use pocket knives for food, mostly snacky type things really, I always clean the blade afterwards. For raw meat and fish there's only a couple I occasionally use and they get disinfected after use.

[dks]

Coming back, the only multitool I regularishy (new word..) use for food is the Leatherman Flair.

I do have  a pretty large selection of kitchen knives but I do still use a folding knife to peel an orange, cut an apple, cut up small amounts of meat, as I can just quickly wash it afterwards and re-use it whereas the dedicated knives go in the dishwasher thus being out of operation for half the day.

I also like using a pocket knife for small food related tasks, for some reason. I usually use a folding knife for skinning/preparing came, when hunting, which I wash afterwards and use for other tasks.

For several years my main deboning knife was an opinel 12 slim... that knife slices really well - I use a similar fixed blade opinel for that purpose now (soft steel, but gets sharp easily).

For mushroom picking I would use whatever knife I have on me, or a dedicated mushroom knife, which will be covered in earth by the end. Again, wash afterwards.

[lister]

Using folding knives to cut food? You utter smurfing monsters! You should all have your pocket knifes confiscated and given to responsible people!

 

[Nix]

Like Aloha, I don't tend to use multitools for food, in fact never actually... The same goes for spanners and hammers etc... You'll never see me using a chisel in the kitchen.

You should attend a pig roast sometime. The usual cooking tools are shovels, mops, power saws, pliers, and wire snips. Often a proper butcher's knife makes a cameo, too.

[derekmac]

Your Granddad probably did everything with his knife, wiped it off on his pants leg and went on. 

And that's me.  Quick wipe on the pants, and good to go for whatever needs to be cut next.  Now if I'm carrying my Trapper, one blade will be for food use, and the other for everything else.

[Fuzzbucket]

You should attend a pig roast sometime. The usual cooking tools are shovels, mops, power saws, pliers, and wire snips. Often a proper butcher's knife makes a cameo, too.

Sounds like a night out in Leeds.

[Nix]

Sounds like a night out in Leeds.

OK...now I'm genuinely interested in visiting Leeds.....

[McStitchy]

I use my knives for anything and everything.....and try to keep them clean and sharp.   

Same here 
Fruit, wood, tissue, tendons, bone...

[Nix]

Same here 
Fruit, wood, tissue, tendons, bone...

I never said that I use them on myself.....!   

('though...from time to time...I may have.... )

[McStitchy]

[Poncho65]

I use my Vic Executive to cut apples up or to peel an occasional citrus I started carrying an Executive for this very reason in fact

I am also bad to wipe the blade on my pant leg and then put it back in my pocket

I don't really use that blade for anything else and have multiple blades on me most of the time for other types of cutting jobs

I also bought my mother an Opinel because she loves tomatoes so much that she carries one with her and a knife to use at fast food places She use to carry a small kitchen knife with her in her purse and has almost grabbed the blade end more than a few times So after hearing about that one to many times I bought her the Opie She keeps it clean and sharp, so no worries about it with her either

[pomsbz]

Yes but not crazy. I keep my sak big blade for food and the little one for other stuff, I usually wash my blade after food use but will make do with a baby wipe or alcohol rub (hey there's plenty around these days) if I can't get to the sink. I don't start poking around the pivot with a toothpick though. As long as soap or alcohol got in there that's fine.

[Poncho65]

When voting I marked yes, for used tools I do clean them before use but that is sometimes out of neccesity as they are bought dirty and need to be brought up to par

[pfrsantos]

Yes but not crazy. I keep my sak big blade for food and the little one for other stuff, I usually wash my blade after food use but will make do with a baby wipe or alcohol rub (hey there's plenty around these days) if I can't get to the sink. I don't start poking around the pivot with a toothpick though. As long as soap or alcohol got in there that's fine.

+1

Living in a city and working in an office, that's pretty much the only use my knives get.

[Alan K.]

I carry a pliers based multitool and one knife for most of my cutting needs and a SAK reserved for emergencies. I hadn't thought of them as being for clean and dirty work but I guess they are.  I rarely use the knife blades on the pliers based tool either, but I would still use them before using the blades on the SAK because I like having the blades on the SAK clean and sharp just in case I do need them for food or for first aid or something else where clean and sharp might make a difference.