Dangerous Weapons? Or Just Functional Art Collectibles?

Kevin Jones

Kevin Jones

Joined
Oct 28, 2006
Messages
13,363
IMO, the custom knife community needs to unite in trying to change the way custom knives are perceived as dangerous weapons by the government and the population in general. We see how this perception affects our custom knife community everyday by collectors getting their knives held up and/or confiscated by customs, having knives confiscated by law enforcement, by being perceived as sinister by the general public for daring to collect weapons.

Just for an example; Blade magazine is doing a follow-up to this months Blade Forum Benefit Bowie article (excellent article by the way, if you don’t subscribe please visit the news stand) in next month's magazine. Steve Shackleford wanted to use the thank you letter we received from the BCRF President, however needed permission from them to re-print it and asked if I could get their consent.

I realize an organization such as theirs has to be careful, however I was a little surprised when the BCRF insisted on seeing the magazine and/or this month's article before agreeing to authorize the letter for use in it. So we forwarded an advanced copy of the article to them upon which they seemed very impressed with the quality of the article and magazine and graciously gave their consent to use the letter.

It got me to wondering how much of their initial concern was based on the fact that they were being asked to be associated with a knife or "weapons" magazine.

•1) Do you think the Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s response would have been the same if I had been seeking their permission to print the letter in a golf or stamp collector's magazine?

•2) Do you believe custom knives are generally perceived as dangerous weapons by the general public rather than an accepted collectible?

•3) Do you believe this negative perception has to some extent stifled the growth of custom knives as compared to other collectibles such as coins, watches and such?

•4) Are you for or against laws and regulations restricting the use and transportation of custom knives and shipping of knives to and from foreign countries?

As always, thank you in advance for your participation.
 
You know it is getting bad when customs agents of a country like the Netherlands, where 20 years ago you could by a bong and a switchblade in the same shop, are apparently confiscating and talking about destroying as "contraband" art knives that are shipped into the country. I wonder if they would have let them through if the shipper had written "hashish" in the contents line of the customs form:eek::D
 
kevin...i don't have alot of time to respond but this is a great thread.......i don't think it would have been the same response for another magazine...i think it would be just the opposite response.....as fo rtransporting knives.....i think it should be allowed...i also think customs should have the chance to open and or inspect them.....i almost bought a daggerf rom a maker a while ago and one of the reasons i didn't was that they had an instance were a knife was confiscated.....i still regret not getting that knife.....i'll respond more when i have time....ryan
 
Kevin Jones said:
• Do you think the Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s response would have been the same if I had been seeking their permission to print the letter in a Golf magazine?

No.

• Do you believe custom knives are generally perceived as dangerous weapons by the general public rather than an accepted collectible?

Yes.

• Do you believe this negative perception has to some extent stifled the growth of custom knives as compared to other collectibles such as coins, watches and such?

Yes.

• Are you for or against laws and regulations restricting the use and transportation of custom knives and shipping of knives to and from foreign countries?

Against.

As always, thank you in advance for your participation.
Click to expand...

The public perception of knives is to a great degree controlled by media reporting of crime in which the weapon is blamed for the attack, not the person. This fear mongering is also propagated by politicians that jump on the "Knives kill people." bandwagon. There was a day when a knife was considered a necessity. Now most people think that only criminals have a need for them. As more and more people are programmed to think this way, there will be fewer and fewer people that think of knives as an acceptable collectable. The louder the public outcry, the more restrictions govenments put on importing and selling knives.
 
The knives I primarily collect - Bowies - are weapons. Arguably one of the most famous / infamous edged weapons in American history. Good ol' Jim didn't make a name with his knife by chopping 2 by 4's.

Roger
 
The general public is suspending A student grade school girls for bring a butterknife to school in her lunch box.
Sheep are afraid of teeth.
Nothing is going to change that.
Just don't elect sheep.
 
This thread made me think of a Doctor's office visit I had yesterday. I was wearing my carhartt vest, which has my logo and "The Montana Bladesmith" embroidered on it. The receptionist saw it and asked... "Are you a knifemaker?", then asked if I had any knives with me. I showed her the mosaic EBK that it my EDC, and soon she had the whole office staff at the front desk looking at it. There was one younger woman who had a scared look on her face, standing in the back of the room near the door. One of the ladies told her to "come see this!" She said "No!, knives give me the willies." At that point the receptionist said "Don't worry about her...she just moved here from LA, and still has that city attitude." Thats not to insinuate that all people who live or come from a city environment share that attitude towards knives, just her.

Answer to #1: No

Answer to #2: In my travels I have noticed that what a knife represents varies greatly. For the most part those who are urban born and bred, particularly the younger generation, seem to have the idea more so that a knife is an evil thing...capable of inflicting serious harm all on its own. On the other hand, those who were born/raised in a more rural setting tend to view a knife in the same light as they would a shovel or a rake......just another tool.

Answer to #3: No, with the wide array of knives, most which are users rather than collectibles, I believe that those who collect knives, are going to collect them no matter what public opinions might be. As far a any growth in the collector base, I would have to say yes, simple because our nation becomes more urbanized every day.

Answer to #4: Against of course. The general attitude towards knives here in Montana is that they are another type of tool.....just some tools are more ornate and nicer than others. You have to remember that I live in a place where a rancher will chew you out if you come for a visit and he doesn't see a gun either in your truck or on your person......to not have a knife would be an unforgivable sin!:D
 
Ed Caffrey said:
This thread made me think of a Doctor's office visit I had yesterday. I was wearing my carhartt vest, which has my logo and "The Montana Bladesmith" embroidered on it. The receptionist saw it and asked... "Are you a knifemaker?", then asked if I had any knives with me. I showed her the mosaic EBK that it my EDC, and soon she had the whole office staff at the front desk looking at it. There was one younger woman who had a scared look on her face, standing in the back of the room near the door. One of the ladies told her to "come see this!" She said "No!, knives give me the willies." At that point the receptionist said "Don't worry about her...she just moved here from LA, and still has that city attitude." Thats not to insinuate that all people who live or come from a city environment share that attitude towards knives, just her.

Answer to #1: No

Answer to #2: In my travels I have noticed that what a knife represents varies greatly. For the most part those who are urban born and bred, particularly the younger generation, seem to have the idea more so that a knife is an evil thing...capable of inflicting serious harm all on its own. On the other hand, those who were born/raised in a more rural setting tend to view a knife in the same light as they would a shovel or a rake......just another tool.

Answer to #3: No, with the wide array of knives, most which are users rather than collectibles, I believe that those who collect knives, are going to collect them no matter what public opinions might be. As far a any growth in the collector base, I would have to say yes, simple because our nation becomes more urbanized every day.

Answer to #4: Against of course. The general attitude towards knives here in Montana is that they are another type of tool.....just some tools are more ornate and nicer than others. You have to remember that I live in a place where a rancher will chew you out if you come for a visit and he doesn't see a gun either in your truck or on your person......to not have a knife would be an unforgivable sin!:D
Click to expand...
I wonder what the young lady from Lotus Land uses to chop veggies?:D
 
1- No
2- Yes
3- Yes
4- Against

It’s perception. When they think Custom Knife they probably think of all the fantasy knives at the cutlery shop at the mall. Mall Ninjas with Lord of the Ring swords.

Face it just the name “Blade Magazine” in and of its self is offensive to the sheeple. They think Freddie Krugger.


Mitch
 
Yes= any organization such as this is going to want to proof anything going in a magazine

Yes= In this country and any other the more metropolitan the people the more fear of knives the more rural ya get the more tool oriented and everbody carries one. I have been to places where a large sheath knife is the norm.

Yes to a certain degree but look what gun owners have to deal with and gun collectors I believe are pretty commen. I know more people that are into guns than knives and there are many more restrictions on firearms yet collecting flourishes.

I do not want gun laws Knife laws are simple silly. I live In Pa and I can carry a concealed firearm and I regularly carry a fixed blade knife in the 7 1/2 to 9 1/2 range and have never had a problem.
 
Of course all knives can be dangerous weapons but as Ed pointed out so well, the vast majority are used as tools. I would venture to say (even though the entertainment media would have you believe different) that all through history man has utilized the blade more for work, food gathering and preparation than as a weapon.

It was said that "a Bowie had to be sharp enough to use as a razor, heavy enough to use as a hatchet, long enough to use as a sword and broad enough to use as a paddle".

My point in this thread is when the average person sees a beautiful precision made custom knife is it perceived as a dangerous weapon or as a precision handmade tool, or beautiful collectible piece? We as an industry need to work towards them seeing it as the later two if we are ever to change the unfortunate conditions I spoke of in the first line of my opening post.

Take Marcel for example. He buys a lot of knives and does everything he can do to support custom knives yet those bastards confiscate two of his knives.

I always enjoy your post Ed.
 
"when the average person sees a beautiful precision made custom knife do they perceive it as a dangerous weapon"

Yes. They have no clue. The vast majority of people today have no clue how something is made, what it's made of or what it takes to make it. So they have no inherent appreciation of it. Only the most superficial observation that it’s a knife and they’re used to kill people like in the movies.


Mitch
 
JParanee said:
Yes= any organization such as this is going to want to proof anything going in a magazine

Yes= In this country and any other the more metropolitan the people the more fear of knives the more rural ya get the more tool oriented and everbody carries one. I have been to places where a large sheath knife is the norm.

Yes to a certain degree but look what gun owners have to deal with and gun collectors I believe are pretty commen. I know more people that are into guns than knives and there are many more restrictions on firearms yet collecting flourishes.

I do not want gun laws Knife laws are simple silly. I live In Pa and I can carry a concealed firearm and I regularly carry a fixed blade knife in the 7 1/2 to 9 1/2 range and have never had a problem.
Click to expand...

Yes Joe, but gun owners/collectors have the NRA. Where would they be without that organization? Not everyone agrees with everything that the NRA does, however gun owners/collectors are much better off as a result of it.

We don't have an organization that unifies knife owners/collectors and lobbies against those that would ban knives.
 
I am a card carrying nra member and would join and back any organization that would fight for knife rights gladly.
 
Ed Caffrey said:
"... She said "No!, knives give me the willies."
Click to expand...

You would have loved the uniformed Customs agent who told me the same thing when I was returning from BLADE to Toronto last year. She said "...I think knives are scary!" I feel so much safer and secure knowing "agents" and "officers" with attitudes like that are patrolling our shared border. :rolleyes:
 
Every year at Blade "Cold Steel" has a slasher video depicting enactments of brutal violence on such things as motorcycle boots filled with chunks of raw meat, cutting through limbs, hacking at carcasses hanging from suspended ropes. Water bottles demos filled with red liquid.

While this is all highly entertaining, it does send a strong violent-intent message!

i Dont think people make the distinction normally between production/custom knives either.
David
 
JParanee said:
I am a card carrying nra member and would join and back any organization that would fight for knife rights gladly.
Click to expand...

So would I Joe. :thumbup:
It will take many years for the CKCA to actually make a noticeable difference in this endeavor, but even the NRA had to start somewhere. ;)
 
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