Explaining My Obsession

J

jklip13

Joined
Oct 19, 2012
Messages
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How do i explain my interest in knives, my pursuit for the perfect edge, and my recent ventures in knife making to non-knife people without conjuring the popular Hollywood images of Psycho or serial killers/ninjas? All I'm interested in is performance either in the kitchen or in the woods.
 
Why explain? Everyone has different interests and hobbies. People collect all sorts of odd things from toy trains to doll furniture. Don't act like a psycho and most people won't think you are one. Don't brandish an aggressive looking knife inapropriately in public. And don't attempt to push your hobby on people who are uninterested or intimidated.
 
jklip13 said:
How do i explain my interest in knives, my pursuit for the perfect edge, and my recent ventures in knife making to non-knife people without conjuring the popular Hollywood images of Psycho or serial killers/ninjas? All I'm interested in is performance either in the kitchen or in the woods.
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There is nothing to explain. Most people are brutally ignorant by choice about all things. They would rather lead live a mindless bliss driven by nothing deeper than fads, popular opinion and mass marketing. They certainly would resist your attempt to expand their horizons on any subject, including knives.

n2s
 
not2sharp said:
There is nothing to explain. Most people are brutally ignorant by choice about all things. They would rather lead live a mindless bliss driven by nothing deeper than fads, popular opinion and mass marketing. They certainly would resist your attempt to expand their horizons on any subject, including knives.

n2s
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I agree.
 
Only my close friends know that cutlery is my hobby.

No reason to stop every passerby on the street and make him look at my knife. That would be weird.

By the time somebody knows that I own an inordinate number of pocket knives, they know enough about me to just shrug.

I seldom talk to anyone about it in depth. That's why I hang out here.
 
No need for any explanation, they will find and figure it out as they get to know you. The interests and hobbies that a person engages in, develops thier personality
 
knarfeng said:
Only my close friends know that cutlery is my hobby.

No reason to stop every passerby on the street and make him look at my knife. That would be weird.

By the time somebody knows that I own an inordinate number of pocket knives, they know enough about me to just shrug.

I seldom talk to anyone about it in depth. That's why I hang out here.
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I have to agree with this. In my experience, life is just lot easier if you keep it your business.
 
No need for everybody to know your business. I think its weird if somebody collects shot glasses, but if I know them well enough to be at their house and see that they have a collection, it doesn't bother me.

If you have gotten pushback, just don't talk about it and if its really a problem, save your cool knives for yourself and if someone needs a knife carry a little SAK too.
 
I agree with the above that nobody needs to know about your knife obsession, but I'm assuming you're talking about people who've already found out about your "hobby." You just tell them you like the utilitarian beauty of knives and you appreciate fine craftsmanship. Then -- and I swear this works -- you geek out on them and start talking about the history of knives, steels and heat treatment. They'll be baffled, but they'll realize you just have a hobby and most people actually think it's interesting to have weird hobbies. It's almost always better to engage people and educate them.
 
Or you can just tell them that it helps you keep your mind off your obsession with gun collecting. ;)
 
I would have to agree with OP.

I just started venturing into the dateing scene again after about two years and I am stomach churningly afraid to explain my blade passion to potential GF . I think I would ease her into it with my interest of the outdoors let her see blades as tools then let her see the bat cave
 
If a friend asks me about it, I tell them that I like tools. Knives are tools. What good is a knife that can't cut? Thats why I like a sharp knife.
 
knarfeng said:
Only my close friends know that cutlery is my hobby.

No reason to stop every passerby on the street and make him look at my knife. That would be weird.

By the time somebody knows that I own an inordinate number of pocket knives, they know enough about me to just shrug.

I seldom talk to anyone about it in depth. That's why I hang out here.
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Very well put, I agree 100%.
 
jklip13 said:
How do i explain my interest in knives
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Say this:

Well, my interest in knives is because of my dad. You see, he served on an elite military unit during the Viet Nam war. In February, 1968 - right after the Tet Offensive - my father found himself deep in North Vietnam. He still won't tell me what the mission was. But he came upon an orphanage deep in the remote jungle. And this was not just any orphanage. It was really more of a prison camp, and the poor kids it held - hundreds of them - were the children of those who the Viet Cong had sent to re-education camps. I won't go into the whole story, but the orphanage had been rigged with explosives to prevent those poor kids from escaping into the jungle. My dad killed 12 Viet Cong that day with his knife, and cut those explosive charges to save those kids. There was a big write-up about it Time magazine. But he gave me that very knife, and I carry it to this day to honor him and those children he saved. I don't like to talk about it, but that's why I love knives. Its to honor my father and those kids.
 
My friends think I'm obsessed with knife collecting. Well, I tell 'em it's my own money, and to hell with 'em.
Sonny
 
I personally find it a bit odd if a person isn't passionate about one thing in life and has no particular hobbies or specific interests. I'm not as outgoing about my knife enthusiasm as I aught to be, but I try and educate those who are interested in why I own or need such knives.
 
Bufford said:
No need for any explanation, they will find and figure it out as they get to know you. The interests and hobbies that a person engages in, develops thier personality
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Knives are just a mulifaceted hobby for most of us. Well, for myself anyway.
 
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