Frustrated handing friends/family your knives

[Hashishiin]

I had an employee ask to see my new knife I just got in. I handed it to him and he instantly grabbed a cardboard box and started cutting through it to see how sharp it was. He still does not understand why I was so mad.

I get it, it isn't the best thing to cut through, but it isn't the worst by far... there are stories of people dragging Sebenzas across brick walls, cutting metal food cans and such with borrowed knives, dragging across metal, chopping wood on a rock so that the knife was kicking up sparks, randomly throwing the knife that they just borrowed into a gravelly road to "test the balance"... all on knives just borrowed from a caring owner who couldn't grab it in time. So, I'd say you got off easy if a lil cardboard abrasion was all it was.

 

[Slickcam]

I get it, it isn't the best thing to cut through, but it isn't the worst by far... there are stories of people dragging Sebenzas across brick walls, cutting metal food cans and such with borrowed knives, dragging across metal, chopping wood on a rock so that the knife was kicking up sparks, randomly throwing the knife that they just borrowed into a gravelly road to "test the balance"... all on knives just borrowed from a caring owner who couldn't grab it in time. So, I'd say you got off easy if a lil cardboard abrasion was all it was.

I use my knives 100 percent. But I like to be the first one to use them. If I am not going to keep a knife to use a never cut anything with it. I buy a lot of knives to just turn around and move the down the line. But yea it was not the end of the world but man I sure felt like it was haha.

 

[moonpath]

If you are as old as I am, show your knives to your young grandsons, they will like them and want them, guaranteed.

 

[John Phillips]

Why would you do that?

Okay, picture this: you own a bicycle shop. A customer comes in. Do you immediately go up to them and show them a 5,000 dollar bike, peppering them with all the special language known to bike enthusiasts and bike mechanics, and expect them to swoon over your awesome inventory? Or do you wait to see what they're in your shop for so you can tailor your approach to their specific needs and their knowledge level?

Now imagine you're just a regular cyclist who doesn't own a shop. You ride your bike to work and obnoxiously show off all your gear to your co-workers who aren't interested in bicycles the same way you are and who wouldn't know the difference between a 300 dollar bike and a 3,000 dollar bike. You for some reason expect them to respond with what you would feel to be an appropriate level of reverence.

Your co-workers would probably hate you. Why would you do that to yourself? Why would you put others through that? There's a proper time and place for these things. Your normal average person probably has no knowledge of or enthusiasm towards your own personal interests.



I think you understand what you're doing but you don't want to acknowledge it.

To most people, a knife is just some varying level of useful vs frightening, and that's basically all they care to know. You can't just always expect other people to see things in a same or similar way to you.

I don’t go around showing people my knives, I really don’t even show them to most of my friends and family because I already know they don’t care and won’t get it. My point is that when I showed my brother, who uses knives EVERY single day, a higher end knife, he really didn’t react at all and I’ve shown him $30 dollar budget cold steels, $180 Spydercos, $400 CRKs, etc. I didn’t start with the grail.

And for God’s sake, what’s up with people thinking I’m sitting in a corner crying and sucking my thumb over this? I was just wanting to hear if anyone else was a LITTLE frustrated with the lack of response from friends/family. Honestly, it makes me laugh more than anything that people who use knives, don’t care when I show them a real knife worth using.

Case in point, I have a brother in law who’s always telling my how great his Chinese SOG is and how it’s all he needs(I actually like old SOGs). I was helping him move in and we were sliding a heavy piece of furniture on a think felt blanket and he needed to cut it at the base. I watched him saw and saw and saw and literally make zero progress(I was loving it). I flipped out my knife and he cut through it cleanly without effort in front of 4 other guys. He handed it back to me and didn’t even stop to ask what it was or even compliment and no one else did either????? Maybe it was his pride but come on man, where’s the love, LOL.

 

[BITEME]

Let them find their own hobbies, leave them alone they think your a nut anyway. Sorry friend but that's the way it rolls

 

[Guy McVer]

If I am not going to keep a knife to use a never cut anything with it. I buy a lot of knives to just turn around and move the down the line. But yea it was not the end of the world but man I sure felt like it was haha.

When I was a kid I was pretty obsessed with comics. I would of course keep them in their dorky plastic sleeves with stiff cardboard backing and I was extremely careful not to crease the bindings. My little cousin was over one day while I was out, and my mom volunteered my room as a place to put them. Imagine my horror when I came home to find out that my cousin had climbed to the top shelf and had taken every single one of my comics out and riffled through them... not in a delicate way.

I still to this day refuse to forgive this gross violation. It's right up there with the time that my mom decided to give away my entire lego collection while I was at summer camp.

 

[John Phillips]

When I was a kid I was pretty obsessed with comics. I would of course keep them in their dorky plastic sleeves with stiff cardboard backing and I was extremely careful not to crease the bindings. My little cousin was over one day while I was out, and my mom volunteered my room as a place to put them. Imagine my horror when I came home to find out that my cousin had climbed to the top shelf and had taken every single one of my comics out and riffled through them... not in a delicate way.

I still to this day refuse to forgive this gross violation. It's right up there with the time that my mom decided to give away my entire lego collection while I was at summer camp.

I literally want to throw up. That’s unacceptable

 

[tony281sc2]

I got my dad interested in the knife hobby a few years ago, when I gave him a ZT 0350. He loved it because of how comfortable the handle was. Now his tastes have changed a bit, he still likes a good handle, but he doesn’t like really wide blades anymore. His current favorites are his PM2 and a ZT 0400 I gave him for Christmas.
When it comes down to it my dad is my best friend anyway. We like a lot of the same things (knives, cars, tv shows etc.)
All of My other friends don’t understand why anyone would spend more than $40 for a knife…. “You could buy a gun for that much money” comes up a lot

 

[Boattale]

Nobody seems to care all that much about how cool my bicycle is either. But they do admire how I look in spandex.

 

[Wild Willie]

When I was a kid I was pretty obsessed with comics. I would of course keep them in their dorky plastic sleeves with stiff cardboard backing and I was extremely careful not to crease the bindings. My little cousin was over one day while I was out, and my mom volunteered my room as a place to put them. Imagine my horror when I came home to find out that my cousin had climbed to the top shelf and had taken every single one of my comics out and riffled through them... not in a delicate way.

I still to this day refuse to forgive this gross violation. It's right up there with the time that my mom decided to give away my entire lego collection while I was at summer camp.

I still haven't forgiven my brother for ruining my entire CD collection when I went to college.

In response to the OP, I have exactly one friend who is in to knives. So other than him, I don't really share with many people.

 

[Barman1]

I'll hand someone my knife and they stab the air like Norman Bates with full sound effects.
Unfriended Immediately...

 

[Hvactech]

Alright, does anyone else get frustrated when you hand a friend/family member an amazing knife to look at or use and they kindly say “that’s nice” and quickly hand it back to you?

I handed my brother one of my grail knives, Rockstead Hizen DLC, he glanced at it, didn’t even try to open and close it and handed it right back with a haphazard “nice”. Total viewing time, about 6 seconds. Same response when I handed him my CKF Evo 2.0. Dude, can you please stop and appreciate the craftsmanship, the extreme tolerances achieved, the design, the crazy 100% flawless mirrored DLC blade, anything?????

I don’t expect others to be knife nerds/addicts like I am but I’ll stop and stare to appreciate a really nice sports car in a parking lot even though I don’t know all the details that make it so special. Does it go A to B like a Camry, yep, is it in another universe comparison wise, YES!!! How about just a little more appreciation!!!!! Just a smidge please, LOL.

Who’s got a similar story and do wish almost wish you didn’t show it at all given the response you received? What was the knife?

I know exactly what you're talking about lol. Might as well show them a pos flea market knife. In all honesty they would probably get more excited looking at a pos knife like that, because that is the type of knives that they buy and think they got a great deal haha. There's just no help for some simpletons.

 

[Hvactech]

I know exactly what you're talking about lol. Might as well show them a pos flea market knife. In all honesty they would probably get more excited looking at a pos knife like that, because that is the type of knives that they buy and think they got a great deal haha. There's just no help for some simpletons.

And even if you did show them and they half way appreciated the knife, once you tell them the price you might as well hang it up. All attention that you had is long gone hahaha. Once again they don't seem to understand the work and craftsmanship it takes to build some of these beauties. Especially when made in America. But they don't bat an eye to spend 6 bucks on a cup of coffee or over a grand for their iPhone etc.

 

[DMG]

Alright, does anyone else get frustrated when you hand a friend/family member an amazing knife to look at or use and they kindly say “that’s nice” and quickly hand it back to you?

I handed my brother one of my grail knives, Rockstead Hizen DLC, he glanced at it, didn’t even try to open and close it and handed it right back with a haphazard “nice”. Total viewing time, about 6 seconds. Same response when I handed him my CKF Evo 2.0. Dude, can you please stop and appreciate the craftsmanship, the extreme tolerances achieved, the design, the crazy 100% flawless mirrored DLC blade, anything?????

I don’t expect others to be knife nerds/addicts like I am but I’ll stop and stare to appreciate a really nice sports car in a parking lot even though I don’t know all the details that make it so special. Does it go A to B like a Camry, yep, is it in another universe comparison wise, YES!!! How about just a little more appreciation!!!!! Just a smidge please, LOL.

Who’s got a similar story and do wish almost wish you didn’t show it at all given the response you received? What was the knife?

Nope. I use knives and I like knives but I don’t need validation.

 

[DocJD]

My first collection of any import was my massive collection of comic books and mad magazines , accumulated throughout my childhood .

Filled a whole extra large, hard sided suitcase . And some boxes .

I came home from college to learn that my Dear Mom had "donated " them .

Probably lost ~3 mil U$D on that deal , plus psychological damage of betrayal !

 

[Monofletch]

I handed my wife a new Reate K2. Without hesitation she flipped it open and started scraping caulk off the edge of the granite countertops.

 

[AntDog]

My bros all “get it”. They know knives are one of my jams. They indulge me, and some are even genuinely interested and knuts themselves. I think it’s cool to talk to somebody totally geeking out on whatever they’re into. It’s not all interesting to me personally, but I’ll gladly let a bud rattle on about something they’re stoked on.

 

[John Phillips]

My bros all “get it”. They know knives are one of my jams. They indulge me, and some are even genuinely interested and knuts themselves. I think it’s cool to talk to somebody totally geeking out on whatever they’re into. It’s not all interesting to me personally, but I’ll gladly let a bud rattle on about something they’re stoked on.

This is what I’m talking about!!! Good for you man!!!! All I’m looking for is just a little give a shit, lol.

 

[EngrSorenson]

Dad and my grandpa are gone, they were the only knife people in my family.

Yeah, same here. I miss the way Grandad would inspect the edge of my knife and pull out his ol’ flea market beater slip joint and show me what a keen edge was. Dad would always glow about utilitarian blade shapes and classy stag covers.

I gotta good buddy who’ll politely listen to me go on about knives, and he’s a fan of any practical knife, but that’s as good as it gets. Well I guess except when Dergyll and I get a few beers, but that’s basically like bringing the forum out for a beer.

I do have hope though- my 4 year old has a keen eye for knives and sometimes picks one out for me to use. He also loves to put them back where they belong.

 

[Rupestris]

I show home movies of my knives.

Instagram is the modern day version of photo slides and home movies.