Ah, at last something I can understand.
If my sister asked me if she could borrow a chainsaw she'd get a flat "No" for the same reason.
Never lend your axe...
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Ah, at last something I can understand.
If my sister asked me if she could borrow a chainsaw she'd get a flat "No" for the same reason.
I lent a axe to a group of campers on a site in wicklow ireland. After a couple of hours when they did not return it I took a wonder over to there site only to find one of there group calmly hitting it into the ground whislt enjoying there cup of coffee.
It was a Gransfors and the blade edge was covered in dints and notches. I was very upset and have always said no to people who ask to borrow my axe since, this makes me feel a bit bad and stingy as its good to be nice.
The only up side from this experiance for me was that I was forced to learn how to use an axe file to re profile the edge a skill I now have
It was a Gransfors and the blade edge was covered in dints and notches. I was very upset and have always said no to people who ask to borrow my axe since, this makes me feel a bit bad and stingy as its good to be nice.
The only up side from this experiance for me was that I was forced to learn how to use an axe file to re profile the edge a skill I now have
.....The only up side from this experiance for me was that I was forced to learn how to use an axe file to re profile the edge a skill I now have
very valid point mate, i would never have re-profiled an axe if it hadn't been for someone else taking a huge great chunk of out the blade, and it is a good skill to have
cheers
stuart
this is a realy good thread....... i now after lending meany tools and jump leads and other things to people on my street DONT....
to meany times have i done so and got back a broken tool etc. the worst thing though is when the "said person" returns the car battery charger and says thank you, when 2 months later you go to charge YOUR car battery and the charger is broken and nothing was even said.....GRRRRRRRRR
now im sfraid its no to all on the street appart from 1 new family who are great.....
ref my bushcraft stuff i think i would, there are a few reasons:-
1) the people from this site are more like minded and im sure would treat it with respect.
2) if the item was broken damaged they would offer to repair it them selves or adleast offer to help.
3) if the item was broken damaged they would have the courtesy to adleast tell me.
regards
chris
to meany times have i done so and got back a broken tool etc. the worst thing though is when the "said person" returns the car battery charger and says thank you, when 2 months later you go to charge YOUR car battery and the charger is broken and nothing was even said.....GRRRRRRRRR
now im sfraid its no to all on the street appart from 1 new family who are great.....
ref my bushcraft stuff i think i would, there are a few reasons:-
1) the people from this site are more like minded and im sure would treat it with respect.
2) if the item was broken damaged they would offer to repair it them selves or adleast offer to help.
3) if the item was broken damaged they would have the courtesy to adleast tell me.
regards
chris
It is funny - this topic, I think, broachs EVERY hobby. I am a big fan of fountain pens and also a member of a pen forum. This subject crops up over there too. I would not lend something that can be easily damaged to someone I do not trust. If I don't think they'll be careful or appreciate the value of the item (not necessarily monetary) I'll politely refuse them. Something like a fountain pen or knife (both of which can easily cost upwards of £200) are generally tough wearing items but break easily if abused.
Having made a living with spanners for a very long time, I quote the Snap-On code
"I make my Living with Snap-On tools please dont ask to borrow them"
I could never afford to replace the ones that were not returned
and it made me furious when some people said "I could have done the job, if I had the tools " yes thats part of being a Mechanic
if someone is serious about their job or hobby they will have the tools.
"I make my Living with Snap-On tools please dont ask to borrow them"
I could never afford to replace the ones that were not returned
and it made me furious when some people said "I could have done the job, if I had the tools " yes thats part of being a Mechanic
if someone is serious about their job or hobby they will have the tools.
The folk I camp with regularly all have enough of a head on their shoulders that I'd lend them tools anytime. That'd go for nigh-on everyone I've met from the forum too.
I do have the general mindset of not lending or borrowing tools, ingrained from enough time in workshops to know where the sentiment comes from. I mind getting my favorite hammer back from an apprentice with the shaft mangled and burned. I mean a hammer isn't a particularly easy thing to damage but no, twenty minutes with that monkey.....
But on the other hand I've a lifetime of friends and I lending each other whatever we might need - tools, bikes, boats, matters not.
My axe is a good carver but a lousy splitter so I use my pals axe all the time for splitting and he uses mine for carving.
I do have the general mindset of not lending or borrowing tools, ingrained from enough time in workshops to know where the sentiment comes from. I mind getting my favorite hammer back from an apprentice with the shaft mangled and burned. I mean a hammer isn't a particularly easy thing to damage but no, twenty minutes with that monkey.....
But on the other hand I've a lifetime of friends and I lending each other whatever we might need - tools, bikes, boats, matters not.
My axe is a good carver but a lousy splitter so I use my pals axe all the time for splitting and he uses mine for carving.
I keep a mental note of how people care for the things you lend them (and how quickly they return them). I start with little things like a paperback. If that comes back OK then next time I will consider them a "good borrower" and will trust them with more. Generally I have found that if someone returns a book promptly and in good condition then they will be as careful with expensive or precious things (like tools or cars or large sums of money).
Everyone will have a mishap once in a while but I have found that the difference with a "good borrower" is that if they damage something of yours, then they consider it their problem to put it right or make amends. I think for this reason such folk will decline to borrow something of great sentimental value as they know it cannot be replaced.
I have one brother with whom I regularly share tools and stuff, the other, while I am happy to give him things, I never lend him anything anymore as I know I would be disappointed if I expected it back.
Z
Everyone will have a mishap once in a while but I have found that the difference with a "good borrower" is that if they damage something of yours, then they consider it their problem to put it right or make amends. I think for this reason such folk will decline to borrow something of great sentimental value as they know it cannot be replaced.
I have one brother with whom I regularly share tools and stuff, the other, while I am happy to give him things, I never lend him anything anymore as I know I would be disappointed if I expected it back.
Z
There is a saying...
"Neither a lender nor a borrower be."
There is another saying...
"Asking a man if you can borrow his axe is like asking him if you can borrow his wife - frowned upon in many circles."
I concur with both.
"Neither a lender nor a borrower be."
There is another saying...
"Asking a man if you can borrow his axe is like asking him if you can borrow his wife - frowned upon in many circles."
I concur with both.
For me it's got to be all about the person. To most it's a 'no'. I'm left handed and as daft as it seems, it takes me forever to hone handles to suite me and I notices when righties have used them. But when it comes to my father-in-law or brother-in-law, it is a resounding YES. Both are engineers and more often than not, I get things back in superb condition, often better than when they borrowed them.
I also learned a lesson with this a few years back , two friends and i were camping on the shore of Loch Etive ,it was getting dark and i started about the fire while one of my mates a joiner as well saw my nice shiney Gb sfa and started splitting some wood ,all i can remember was the noise chop chop chop CHINK ,he was doing it on a large boulder .The worst thing was he laughed and tried to say the big chip was nothing it was an axe , you should see how well his chisels etc are kept in.
i'm very much of the opinion if the tool is dirt cheap like my tool kit at work then i'll happily lend it out cos its easy to replace cos i am not paying for it lol
but i will not lend out my sharps or any item of kit that i personally own unless i know that person really well and trust them not not damage or at least repair or replace said item.
when i was in the TA i did have a few incidents where items came back damaged or were misplaced. like the time i was on exercise down on salisbury plains and we had a few officer cadets with us from ULOTC. most of the lads were spot on but unfortunately for my gun crew we had this complete moron with us who was so useless he was relegated to teaboy. anyways during a fire mission the gun commander asked him to get a brew on, unbeknown to me the fool decided to raid my assault vest and pulled out my crusader mug filling it with cold water and chocolate powder. not bothering to mix it he simply stuck it on the burner to boil. when it got to me you can imagine the the look on my face seeing the burnt congealed mess of chocolate powder at the bottom of my mug! needless to say i launched the mug at his head and it made a nice 'DING' as it glanced off his helmet lol he didnt last much longer on our crew after he picked up a live 105 HE shell and dropped it on the other shells exclaiming ' wow chaps these really are heavy!'
but i will not lend out my sharps or any item of kit that i personally own unless i know that person really well and trust them not not damage or at least repair or replace said item.
when i was in the TA i did have a few incidents where items came back damaged or were misplaced. like the time i was on exercise down on salisbury plains and we had a few officer cadets with us from ULOTC. most of the lads were spot on but unfortunately for my gun crew we had this complete moron with us who was so useless he was relegated to teaboy. anyways during a fire mission the gun commander asked him to get a brew on, unbeknown to me the fool decided to raid my assault vest and pulled out my crusader mug filling it with cold water and chocolate powder. not bothering to mix it he simply stuck it on the burner to boil. when it got to me you can imagine the the look on my face seeing the burnt congealed mess of chocolate powder at the bottom of my mug! needless to say i launched the mug at his head and it made a nice 'DING' as it glanced off his helmet lol he didnt last much longer on our crew after he picked up a live 105 HE shell and dropped it on the other shells exclaiming ' wow chaps these really are heavy!'
It is, and always will be a straight no from me untill i know you as a person, I will let you look but nothing elde, i do not trust any one,
Ah, now I have heard that one.
My dad used to say it all the time.
I always thought he was talking about money!
"Neither a lender nor a borrower be!!!" - Best advice ever - applied to everything, not just sharp shiney things 
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