gotta have the warm an' fuzzies about a knife producer?

Runs With Scissors

Runs With Scissors

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Dec 3, 2000
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how important is it for you to genuinely like the producer of a knife? Can you feel good about owning a product by a manufacturer you don't like, inspite of it's being high quality?

EXAMPLE ONLY: if You thought Mick Strider was a complete freakin' jerk who happened to make a hellaciously good knife, can you still enjoy owning a Strider?

BTW, that's a maker picked at random. from everything I've seen of Mick Strider, I think he's one hell of an awesome guy making a hell of an awesome knife.

So...do do the warm an' fuzzy friendship, decent character feelings matter alot to you, or can you enjoy a knife for the pure and simple tool it is irregardless of where it comes from?


Myself...gotta have the warm an' fuzzies 95% of the time. Only time I deviate from that custom is in the case of purely defensive knives. (my two REKAT Hobbits being an excellent example)
 
I haven't been in that situation yet so I can't say for sure, but I think that I'd have trouble owning something made by someone I didn't like, regardless of how well-made it is. But like I said, my mind might change if I ever got into that situation.
 
In big manufacture of knives the co's I "like" are the co's I "trust" more like Spyderco and Benchmade, however, I don't care for Cold Steel marketing and Lynn Tompson seems pompous, but I still think they make good knives that I would buy. But I would look to Spyderco and BM first.
In custom there are so many excellent makers, why suport someone you don't liek or you think has poor character? There are some who alienated customers, even other makers, still they have loyal followings- Mad Dog and Lynn Grifith come to mind, so even if they make good designs I would look to others first, maybe give business to up & comer who is respectful as well as knowledgable and skillful.
Martin
 
I don't need to feel warm and fuzzy about a knife maker, but I won't buy from one I don't like or respect as a person.
 
Absolutely! I've got to be able to trust the manufacturer or I will not buy from them. I have to be able to trust the product since I'm shelling out my hard earned cash on it.

The way manufacturers present themselves is diffferent from actual user feedback about their products. If I do some research on something I am looking to buy and it seems to be a winner with most of the folks on bladeforums (THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP EVERYBODY!!) I will usually give that more clout than the hype put out by the company about their own product. According to all the manufacturers, they ALL have the perfect knife for you.

Bottom line is, if I have a bad feeling about it, I don't buy it.
 
Most of my knives from the good old days were just utility production tools, and I couldn't really have any feeling one way or the other for the corporations that put them out.

Now that most of what I buy is more expensive, I honestly feel better about buying from someone I respect and I'm willing to support with my money. That's not just the knifemaker himself, although that enters into it, but also the dealer or the forumite who's selling me a knife he doesn't need anymore.

I would not be happy with a knife from a knifemaker I had some reason to dislike or disrespect, because there are too many good guys out there whose work I want, and I'll never be able to buy it all anyway! :)

For example, I've got a nice WW I German bayonet, and I've bought quite a few modern German knives I've been real pleased with. I wouldn't take a nazi knife as a gift.
 
I'd think it depends a lot on why they're a jerk to me.
If it was a minor thing, than no... I don't think so. If the guy was like Hitler....
You get my point...
 
I'm with martin. There are so many manufacturers out there, there is no reason to spend money to buy from people I don't respect. I can't afford to support all the guys I do like.
 
You bring up a very very good philosophical question.

Wagner's music is some of the best in the world- yet he was an ardent antisemetic, his music greatly inspired hitler, and only until recently was it banned in Israel. It is pretty good music, however. Picasso has some great paintings- but he was a jerk. Or Liszt- he was an adulturer and a druggie; heck what about people like Sir Francis Drake, or FDR, or anybody else that have made wonderful contributions to the world, but as individuals were a-holes.

But they have definitely made the world the way it is.

Very interesting stuff.
 
Originally posted by malazo
You bring up a very very good philosophical question.

Wagner's music is some of the best in the world- yet he was an ardent antisemetic, his music greatly inspired hitler, and only until recently was it banned in Israel. It is pretty good music, however. Picasso has some great paintings- but he was a jerk. Or Liszt- he was an adulturer and a druggie; heck what about people like Sir Francis Drake, or FDR, or anybody else that have made wonderful contributions to the world, but as individuals were a-holes.

But they have definitely made the world the way it is.

Very interesting stuff.
Click to expand...

Ack! you had to git all kinda profound an' stuff...now i done went an' thunk an' so now mah head hurts!
 
With me it varies between production and customs. I don't personally know any owners of large knife companies, although Sal Glesser and some of the Camillus and SOG people maintain a presence on this forum that adds a personal touch.

With a large company, there is a sense of anonymity that is difficult to dispel. It is hard to attach a feeling of connection with just one person. Of course, smaller companies like Busse, Emerson, Strider, etc. have a face or faces you can associate with a knife.

Sufffice to say, in production knives, I mainly concern myself with quality, value, performance, and customer service.

A custom knife is a totally different proposition, and I buy them for somewhat different reasons. I am of course concerned about all of the same performance factors, but the pride of ownership I derive from owning custom knives is to some degree dependant upon the respect I have for the man who made it. I am buying something made by the hand of a craftsman, not a machine alone. And for me to enjoy a knife, I have to like the man who made it.
 
This is a little different, but... I'm really not too fond of our Buck dealer. I've only ever met him once (I've only been here since March) but he treated me like I'm a complete idiot because I'm a woman (and probably because I look younger than I am) and he really talks town to me. I know it's because I'm a woman because he doesn't act QUITE so rude with the guys here, and he will ignore me and talk to them even though I'm the one who makes the decisions on what to buy. THEY have no say in it. Anyway, I must say, this kinda tarnishes my image of Buck knives. (Not that I'm much of a fan to start with.)
 
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