Clueless teenager trying to blog about knives

K

Knifestyle

Joined
Dec 6, 2009
Messages
67
...Now that I've introduced myself in my title...

First off, thank you all for this forum existing and contributing so much to my pursuit of the hobby and the skill sets involved. I've been lurking for a few years picking apart tips and tricks, have a small collection of users from various companies, and I'm only making an account to directly get research done and ask more in-depth questions.

I'm nineteen and trying not to talk too much, a college student debating OCS into the military afterwards, with an odd background mixed between the knife-crazy crowd and the anti-knife unconverted. A semester of sociology research and communications training has had me looking at my mixed blend of hobbies and background situation, and trying to think of a way to take advantage of it and educate or entertain. This led to the recently suggested idea of making a blog that would appeal to this culture-savy, steel-deprived generation of mine. Explain the hobby and skills involved, review people-friendly models to shake off the taboo, and explain the methods of modern knife users while debunking myths and stereotypes.

I told the friend suggesting it right off that I'm not knowledgeable enough to appeal to knifenuts, it's not a hobby I'm qualified to preach about.
"...Compared to everyone else we know, you're an expert."
...We're not a very bright area test-score wise...

No, I'm not going to drop a link to a still-in-progress blog page with one sad entry to it. This site is a true forum in the Greek sense of experts and mavens, I'm just here to research and try and give the field as much respect as I can. I'm just here to lurk, make a rare topic asking for an angle I can use for reviews or articles, and just try and better qualify myself as my readers catch up with my limited knowledge. Sure, by the time I graduated high school I could sharpen to split hairs, trained in a couple styles, and research enough to rant about the history of bladeshapes...that's about the tenth the capability of the average user here, and I admit I'm not qualified to be an authority even to non-knife folk. Hence, I really need to immerse myself in the industry to translate and market it to my peers.

Just thought I'd introduce myself and explain my strange purpose, odds are this will be the only time I actually mention the blog in detail. I may ask which models are best for what demo, look around for statistics and history, but otherwise I'm going against my journalist instincts and trying not to annoy my sources.
 
Welcome, I think you will find that the people here are generally very friendly. There are actually quite a few young people on BF so feel free to get involved and ask questions, etc.

If I understand your intent correctly, then I think your goal of creating a blog directed at your non-knife peers is a good idea. Of course in any such undertaking the teacher usually ends up learning the most.

I think you have enough experience and knowledge to begin your blog. I would suggest you start by explaining to your readers why you like knives and how you use them. I would talk about their general utility uses and steer away from self-defense and such.

You might want to subscribe to google alerts for news stories involving knives so that you could report instances where people have used knives to save lives, etc.

In terms of reviews, I wouldn't worry about trying to get a lot of high end knives to review. Most of your readers will probably not be interested in spending a lot of money on knives anyway. Do reviews of sak's and multi-tools, slipjoints, and whatever else you already have or can borrow from friends.

Good luck with your project and post a link when you get it up and running.

Chris
 
Thank you for a great introduction, Knifestyle, and welcome to BladeForums!

You sound like an intelligent and reasoning young man, that I am sure any of our members would be pleased to help and communicate with. I would be most interested in seeing your blog when you feel comfortable. Please don't hesitate to ask questions. Remember, you don't have to be a teacher to teach, nor a student to learn.
 
Hi Knifestyle,

Welcome to the Blade forums.

Your approach and humility are impressive. I believe you will be an asset to this forum, or any endeavor you attempt. School first. Knives second.

On the Blog, there are quite a few sources, forums and Blogs on the internet. Far more knowledge available than 20 years ago. Because there are so many available, few are popular simply because of the time available to knife afi's.

sal
 
Sharpening would be the place to start. Everyone already has knives; they just ain't sharp. Some of them can't be made sharp, either. Others won't stay sharp. That leads into steels and grinds.

If there's a niche for your blog, it's with your peers. They are setting up housekeeping for the first time and need decent sharp knives even if they don't know it yet. Do a good enough job af teaching them what they need to know and lead them gradually to what they might like. They also don't have a lot of money so stick to the low budget stuff. There are both great values and amazing junk out there, enough to keep you busy for a long time.
 
I'm a young knife consumer as well, as well as a mass communications minor, so here are some thoughts and suggestions I have from both a journalist stand point and a consumer stand point. . .

You're saying that you're somewhat new to the hobby, so maybe consider making this a blog (in the beginning at least) for people that are in that same boat. Lefoverdj recomended a blog on sharpening, thats a great place to start because newbies (like you and I) might not know the best techniques and so forth. I also hear a lot of talk in the forums about different grades of steel, and I myself get incredibly confused. That might be another subject to delve into, explanations of the common varieties, pros and cons, that sort of thing.

As your understanding of knives progresses your readers knowledge should expand as well, if you're doing things correctly and they're actually reading. Keep it relevent to them. Newbies don't want to drop 150+ on a knife, the highest I've spent is still 55 for a K-Bar TDI, and I considered that a little on the high side. Review knives in the 15-35 range. Then work into the 35-60 range, and your young readers will start to be like "well damn . . . that knife does sound pretty awesome, I think I have to have one."

I'm sure I'll come up with more suggestions later, I'll be sure to chime back in. Hope this helps.
 
Welcome! Nice introduction. I also studied Communications and Sociology at university. Funny how they've led us here. Anyway, I like your blog idea. I think you have your work cut out for you. What I mean by that is, most people's ideas and attitudes about knives in general are very entrenched and unfortunately misguided--hence your efforts. Conceptions can be changed, but usually as a result of personal experience. Before I took up this hobby about a year ago, I thought anyone who collected, carried or played with knives--other than SAKs and traditional slipjoints--were the type of people who could recite the Unabomber Manifesto verbatim on cue. Looking back, for me at least, I don't think any amount of "knife education" could have convinced me otherwise. It took being personally drawn to knives, using knives, talking about and researching knives myself, to change my fundamental thinking and understanding of them. But I hope for your sake, and every other knife enthusiast's, that the people you connect with through your blog are more openminded and understanding than I was.:)

You're doing an admirable thing, and as cgmblade pointed out will undoubtedly end up doing just as much learning as teaching. It's a textbook case of a simple paradox. Enjoy!
 
Thank you very much for the encouragement so far, especially from Mr. Glesser himself! Glad to see one of my ideas is holding its own weight and may help the community a bit.

I do agree about keeping this as PC as possible for my audience, it's just sensible in the long run. I'd lose a bit of interest from the friends who ask me to bring my tomahawk to bonfires, but needless to say I'd rather draw in the types who could benefit from a slipjoint or keychain model. Drawing up templates for the blog and talking article ideas, I've gotten comments I'm coming off as more of a food critic than a techie or soldier like my usual style. The end result should feel a bit too urban for the average knife guy's tastes, but I'd be wasting everyone's time trying to inform readers who may be carrying knives older than I am. I'm a few decades away from any wisdom, for now I can just take the basics and package them a bit differently.

Marketing wise, I pass off as a generic college student. A tough month of final projects left me a bit shaggy-headed than my JROTC days, and the trendy Salvation Army look truly is a matter of cost out here. I'd be too embarrassed to attend a knife show looking like I do, but looking like a brainless bookworm has helped me connect with a new crowd that's willing to listen. There's a particular girl with green hair and countless earrings who just sent me a note thanking me again for the Spyderco Bug I gave her to use at her job. This new knife supporter was caught up in curiosity rather than her usual politics, instead of seeing my habit as an extension of my identity she saw a peer who seemed to be benefiting from a tool. I'm sure you wouldn't want your children dating my leaf-headed friend or myself as I look like I just got back from a poetry slam, neither of us can really argue with the logic, but in the end you have two voting (legal) adults who see the beauty of a good knife in today's world.

I've heard the term 'ambassador' used by those trying to portray knives positively though their habits and conduct. It's fitting, and I've used it a few times in my stash of future entries, but in my case I have to admit I feel like a missionary in a culture that just hasn't seen anything like this before. I'm between a world that spends its weekends shooting cans with a .22, and in techno clubs after catching indie premiers. As much as I've changed and grown in this first semester, my parents stopped by and went into open denial when they heard I vacuumed my dorm and cleaned the windows before they arrived, some of my role models and even my professors have reacted positively to the bits of home I brought with me. I had a professor on a whim ask me to sharpen an old Buck he brought on his archeology trips, and he later remarked he'd never seen it that sharp. I now had a department chair with a P.H.D, founder of a state archeology association, asking a scruffy janitor working his way through a state school, "You can really sharpen stainless steel?"
 
All I can say is that considering the audience, one that doesn't know anything about knives and can only imagine black coated, partially serrated S&W folders, try to cover a wide variety of styles to help expose them to some things they've not seen.
 
I applaud your efforts, Knifestyle. Although I am not driven with purpose as yourself, there are many similarities that we share. I'm content with enjoying my passion in knives and learning the great wealth of knowledge out there. I don't wish to convert others but when it does come up, I do take time to inform. I think your objectives are laudable and important. It seems like there is no room for middle ground and sensibility in the present culture.

Enjoy your stay at Bladeforums. It's a great place to learn many things and meet some great people. Trust me, it's often a refuge from a society that is PC-crazy. ;)
 
Wow, that's pretty impressive. A self-admitted know-nothing punk kid gets a CEO to respond to his very first post. I think it's a great idea, btw.

One suggestion for a knife blog: lots of pictures! Video if possible too. It's great to be able to see a knife in hand, next to every day objects, and preferably cutting stuff. It's especially nice to see someone interested in targeting non-knife people in a positive way (instead of yet another "tactical" review or just some thug trying to show off).
 
chipped said:
One suggestion for a knife blog: lots of pictures! Video if possible too. It's great to be able to see a knife in hand, next to every day objects, and preferably cutting stuff. It's especially nice to see someone interested in targeting non-knife people in a positive way (instead of yet another "tactical" review or just some thug trying to show off).
Click to expand...

I agree. I don't feel like the web can ever get enough QUALITY reviews on knives. A lot of people out there on you tube just kind of fool around with the knife and don't really tell you anything. If you could bring quality reviews to the web that would be a great place to start. There certainly are several good channels on youtube and such, but I don't feel like I can get enough haha.
 
i agree about pics. most people envision (like stated above) the serrated S&W folders when someone talks about teens and knives. I am also 19 and although I would not consider myself a knife ambassador, i am the kid that everyone knows has a knife for every task on my person.

i would steer away from speculation or speaking on topics which you are unfamiliar with so you dont drive away more knowledgable consumers. I dont know dick about slip joints or the benefits of s90v over s30v so i wont speculate but when i see someone comparing a gerber evo to a benchmade 710, i tend to disregard this person.

this is a helluva endeavor, so good luck to you and post a link the the blog when you have it up and running.
 
Welcome to the BF! Read what peoples tell, try knives from various brands and leave politics what might be related somehow for knives out... and don't limit your self just tactical looking knives, take also traditional slipjoints consideration. You might be pleasantly surprised.

For your blog consider your approach and testing methods. Just putting pictures of knives and videos where you flip 'em and such are hardly a good. They give more impression of weapon than a tool. Testing how each knife fares in terms against wood, doing small wood work and what kind splinter you can make with it. Also testing it in cooking would give more clues how knife feels, how blade performs, edge retention and such.

There are plenty wise people with a lot experience. You will learn a lot.

When you get some bigger 7" + fixed blades, do make videos where you use it as chopper and test such knives performance as one. There ain't enough good chopper videos...
 
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