You + Knives = Dream Job: 13 Knife-Wielding Professions

Let’s be honest. If you could get paid to utilize your knife, wouldn’t that be the perfect profession? Here are 13 different careers and how each of them wields knives in their work.

1. Chefs.

This profession has its own knife named after it. A chef’s knife has a large, smooth blade. It is a chef’s bread and butter (although slicing bread and spreading butter are best done with serrated knives and butter knives, respectively). A chef’s knife collection will also include a quality paring knife for smaller cuts, a large serrated bread knife for, well, bread, and a boning knife for fish bone removal.

2. Electrician.

Don’t be too shocked, but electricians will utilize a handy pocket knife all day. Between stripping wire and notching wood, boxes, and tape, a career in electricity requires some knife skills.

3. Surgeons.

If you need to dissect a body, a scalpel is your best bet. (And if you do, let’s hope you’re a surgeon.) Scalpels come either as:

• Disposable, single-use instruments
• Single-use, replaceable blades with a reusable handle
• An entirely reusable instrument with a permanent blade

Surgeons will utilize sterilized instruments, so most come disposable and individually packaged.

4. Firefighters.

When firefighters enter a fire, they never know what they will be facing. Arming themselves with a strong, versatile knife gives them their best chance against whatever they face. Firefighters must be prepared in case they need to cut through rope, cloth, seatbelts, or another material. A rescue knife, such as this Benchmade Rescue Knife, has many different functions to be helpful in any emergency. It is designed to withstand heavy-duty sawing and cutting and comes fitted with a glass breaker.

5. EMTs.

Like firefighters, EMTs need to quickly reach people, cutting any seat belts or cloth that might come in between. The efficiency and versatility of rescue blades literally save lives every single day. Be sure to find an online knife store that has a hero discount for first responders.

6. Butcher.

That steak isn’t going to cut itself from the cow. A butcher’s arsenal of knives will include a cleaver, a scalloped slicer, a band saw, and boning knives for creating the perfect cuts out of each animal.

7. Warehouse Stocker.

If you open boxes and break them down all day, keeping a knife ready helps speed up the process.

8. Knife Thrower.

A knife thrower without knives would be lost and confused. How would they know what to throw? Knife throwing has become a popular sport in Europe and America. Knife-throwing acts have also been entertaining audiences for centuries. Knives designed specifically for throwing are meant to land in their intended target but don’t typically have any other functions. Likewise, your Attn2detail Mercantile Mark 3 could, in theory, be thrown, but it would serve you better if you utilized it as a knife.

9. Landscape Installers.

When you envision planting large rose plants in your yard, you might think a shovel would be the tool of choice. A knife, or, more specifically, a soil knife, can give the shovel a run for its money. Japanese soil knives, also known as Hori-Horis, are double-sided knives. The serrated side and the smooth edge combine to make one knife able to face any obstacle a landscape installer might encounter, from weeds to landscape fabric and anything in between.

10. Military.

A group of individuals using weapons to defend themselves, their homes, and their countries is a tale as old as time. Weapons have evolved over time, but knives remain a constant. While many military branches are armed with guns and other more modern weapons, the Navy keeps their SEALs armed with an Ontario MK 3 Navy Knife. This simple blade is efficient and has been proving its worth for decades. Other branches utilize other blades, such as the Fairbairn-Sykes.

11. Actors.

Whether these are all stunt props or legitimate blades, knife scenes improve any movie. If you play a part in a movie with a knife, just beware that knives can steal the show, like the iconic shower and knife scene from “Psycho.”

12. Construction Workers.

When building up something new, knives can be a helpful tool in the process. As a wire stripper, makeshift screwdriver, and drywall cutter, a basic utility knife can help create something beautiful and new in the hands of a construction worker.

13. Farmer.

From cutting barbed wire to trimming cattle hooves to cutting twine, a farmer needs a knife. Feed bags don’t open themselves, and knives are just right at maneuvering splinters out.

This is by no means a comprehensive list. But the best part of any job, whether you get to use a knife or not, is that you can save up your money to buy more knives for your collection.

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