Are you ashamed of your hobby?

I am absolutely not ashamed of my obsession. I let everyone I am acquainted with know about my hobby, and I always try to find out if they could be interested enough to get into knife collecting themselves.
 
Nope, not ashamed, nor should I (we) be. They were made for us to buy, so what is wrong with buying a lot of them? Of course, the people I work with (just the ones in the office, not the ones that work outside like I do) are scared of them.
 
Heck no, I am not ashamed. The truth is that people don't need to be obsessive like me to learn to appreciate knives. Did you know the knife was recently named the most important tool that man has ever created. From it all other tools where evolved and/or made with. There will always be people who have the basic nature to be afraid in general, for them there may be no hope. But your average person should be able to learn something about knives to increase there awareness.
 
I can't believe that some people can't be taught to appreciate a good useful knife.

If that were the case, when did human genetics change? When I was a kid, carrying a pocketknife was so normal, we didn't even talk about them. Everyone always had one handy. Mumblypeg, whittling, packages.

The culture has changed, and the media have become more programmatic and influential. That changed, and it can change again.

Meanwhile, my family and friends have known about my knives for years. I've given knives to people who were surprised to realize how handy a simple SAK could be. I've had friends give me knives that they had no idea what to do with, that were lying around the place from some long-passed relative.
 
I, too, wonder a lot about where we're headed. Whether, 20 or 30 years from now, our hunting, fishing, and pocket knives will be museum pieces that people will look at like they're relics of a barbarian age. I certainly hope not, and I probably (and perhaps fortunately) won't be around to see it, but in any event, that's probably the topic of a different thread.

I hate to get into the old fuddy-duddy "I remember when" territory, but I carried a knife to school every day - and from a very young age at that. I know many people here carried guns to school when they were kids so they could go hunting after class, and nobody gave it a second thought. Lord, how the world has changed.
 
It's not a fixation. I could stop buying pocket knives any time I wanted.

I just need one more knife.


Actually, I told a gal that weapons are to guys, what jewelry is to the ladies. I think a lightbulb went on over her head.
 
The only things I was born to appreciate was my face nuzzling warm boobies. I learned to like knives when my best friend gave me my first one in third grade. By fourth grade, the teacher kept asking me if I had my knife when she needed something cut while we were doing class projects.
 
i am ashamed for not being able to buy all the knives i want.
and feel even more ashamed of having to speak of the kind of knives i own to hardcore knifenutz.
but never am i ashamed to tell folks who arent partial to knives that it is a hobby good as any which is fit for a personal collection.
nuthin' to be ashamed off really, considering that hobbies do come in stranger forms and fancies as in anything from gem stones to vintage jeans 'n sneekers.
 
A. G. Russell said:
Do all the folks in your church know about your knives.

Do the folks you work with know how you feel about knives.
Click to expand...

Yes, and yes. At this point, anyone who knows me knows about my knife collection, and they know they can ask me for one if there's a need. Some of my friends think I'm a little eccentric for collecting knives, but I've been called worse. ;)

I regularly give away the little SAK Classics, and sometimes larger knives, if the person is receptive to owning a knife. Most people see the SAK Classic as 'gimicky', but most later tell me how useful they've found it to be.

I also send people to various online vendors (including A.G. Russell) if they have a specific need for a certain type of knife. Most end up liking the experience of researching knives.

thx - cpr
 
Everybody knows about my love of knives. If they ever need anything cut, I'm the guy they turn to. You can bet it's sharp, too.
 
I'm not ashamed at loving knives, though at the same time it winds up being a PITA hobby/interest to have. Not something to drop during an interview or when you first meet somebody since most people don't take it well when you tell them. My dad still refers to every knife I have a switchblade which gets annoying quick.

On a side not, I don't care that people aren't all that interested in knives in general, but to look down upon those who do is a real pain. I know one day I'll stumble upon that random person at work or wherever who loves knives too and it will be great lol.


Anyone ever run into somebody who was a knife nut, but were in a place completely unrelated(coffee shop, supermarket, bookstore, etc.)?
 
At my office no one was really into knives, they were into hunting, 4 wheelers, car stereo systems, big screen tvs, etc... When they would see me with a different knife every day they would poke fun a little. When I started making them the poked a little more. Now that the knives I make look decent they all want me to make them one. I have 5 knives from co-workers that I need to start now. I was never embarrased of my hobby. I realized how some people would see it as weird. Now I talk knives a little at work.

-frank
 
I have no problem openly admitting that I own/ use knives. When you show that you respect them as tools (or for other docile purposes), people easily differentiate between you and Jack the Ripper. Guns are a different story. I let people know how I feel about them politically, and I'll occassionally suggest that I may have some knowledge about them, but unless I know the other person is pro-gun, it is something that I keep on the down low. It is a much mroe difficult stigma than knife stigma to overcome.
 
Not true in my opinion. About 2 months ago I did not care about knives...only guns...guns, guns, guns, would die for them. Then, one day my buddy called and said hey i'm thinking about buying a Balisong, you interested, I could care less thought they were little kids toys. Bought a trainer to see how I would like it and recently purchased a Bradley Kimura, have not put my knife down since, it's in my hand 24 hours a day + some. The guns have been collecting all the dust in the house and hope to talk the wife into a BM42 soon.
 
This message was aimed towards Shecky, one of the first coments on this page, did not know that the quote was the one I should have used.
 
GIRLYmann said:
i am ashamed for not being able to buy all the knives i want.
and feel even more ashamed of having to speak of the kind of knives i own to hardcore knifenutz.
Click to expand...
Bah, don't be ashamed of that. It would be more shameful to spend beyond your means. Besides no matter what kind of knives you get, you will most likely reach a point where you ask yourself, "Why the heck do I have all these knives?" It is a bit of soul searching most of us experience at least once. ;)
 
I talk about my hobby all the time. I'm a dentist in real life so patients just get to listen to stories about how I make knives or the latest show I went to. I talk about how damascus is made (even though I don't forge, it is a good education for them) and the different exotic woods I have used. I even keep a couple of example knives at the office to show them.

If the church or school is having some kind of fund raiser for a good cause, I make something and donate it. (usually just get one of the sanmai damascus kitchen blades from Jantz and a fork and make up a nice Sheeple friendly carving set).

The results--people aske me to make them knives or fix their knives. I have patients that bring me handle materials because they saw it and thought it was "neat wood for a knife." I have a staff that has actually given me gift certificates for knife making supplies for Christmas!!!

Word is getting around because conversations in the office are staqrting to go like thisa;
Hey doc I lost a filling, but tell me about these knives I hear you are making....

and it begins.....
 
All of my friends know that I make knives as a hobby.
But they don't understand how much fun they are.
If they did, they also should make knives ;)

I never talk about knives with my co-workers;
actually I never talk about my hobbies within the office.
I'm a programmer and my favorite language is LISP but I never talk about it within the office.
 
No way, it's part of who I am......if anyone at work needs a knife to open something, they come straight to me. :D
 
"zenheretic"
thank's for the encouragement.
imho, spending is way to easy a choice.
guess it's all about self control when it comes to making that choice of walking away (probably with regret) or laying it down (until the next one comes around).

anyways, i would prefer to remain level headed in so far as where this hobby is headed.
i wouldn't advice going overboard with all the self-advertising though.
being called eccentric is one thing, but it sure would be a tragic mistake for a self-professed knife collector to start talking to knives in front of a non-receptive crowd.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top