Has IT got SOUL?

Lorien

Lorien

Nose to the Grindstone
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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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The question of whether or not a knife can have 'soul' has been kicked around a bit in other topics lately. Discussion on the semantics around the word 'soul' will no doubt enter the thread, and in my opinion that's ok too.

I think the dialogue will be very interesting, given the diametrically opposed opinions I've read in other threads. I'm going to withhold my view on the matter for now, and hopefully others will chime in. It's not a cop out, I just want the conversation to start from a neutral standpoint.

As always, pictures depicting knives that prove or disprove a presence of 'soul' are totally welcome, and highly encouraged!:)
 
I can't offer any proof, but I lean towards the camp that claims some inanimate objects possess a special quality ("baraka" to some) that might loosely be called soul. The catch being that while such qualities are supposed to be real (objective), they are not perceptible to everyone.

Dave
 
I guess, on one hand, I'd argue against anything inanimate having a soul. On the other hand, I treat my favorite hunting rifles as though they do... For some reason I haven't transferred that feeling into any of my knives....yet:D
 
Everything my dad left me when he passed has soul.
If I am projecting this upon the objects, so be it.
I get a real kick out of using the blades he used to cut things up.
I can only hope that when I go the things I leave have the same "soul" attached to them.
If not, you guys can buy em on ebay!!
 
Whenever someone says or posts that a knife has soul, what that tells me is that it has something special that makes it stand out.
 
I remember a few years ago in Vegas , picking up a Rob Patton fixed blade , not sure what is was , that knife stirred something in me , couldnt explain it , I sat it down and the next person picked it up ...nothing.... I went back to it , there it was again. A guy next to me who was standing there when I walked up looked at me and said " You felt it to huh ? ".

Was it soul ? Was it spirit ? was it good mojo ? dunno for sure , but it felt good.
 
In my opinion.. its the same as when some one says that a knife "speaks to them". Its happened to me today when making a difficult choice between two Fosters. One just felt better in the hand and now I am spending alot of time just holding in my hand. Maybe I am bonding with the knife.

I also think that when a maker has a defined style (often but not at all limited to forgers) their knives have soul. I don't think of it that way with alot of titanium tactical knives. I like to see colorful natual material, and steel that does not look like was mass produced in another country.

Sorry for the rant.
 
To me the soul of a knife is either in the maker's ability to translate their personal experiance into steel or good memories associated with a blade. Things such as knowing a maker has "Been there. Done that" can often be reflected in their knives. Look around a knife show and you can usually see who is a hunter, for example, as opposed to a guy who simply makes hunting knives. The experiance will almost always show. Memories associated with certain blades are also a big part of a knife's soul. 1st "real" knife or Grandpa's old hunting knife. The steel is not as important as the story :) Now as to a maker adding "soul" to a knife? Well that's between the maker and the buyer to decide :)
 
I think you need to define "soul" before your question can be answered. What is "soul"?
 
Some knifemakers take the meaning of a knife having soul to the extreme.There are quite a few,for ex.Phil Hartsfield, I believe feels the knife he makes for a customer is connected in some spiritual way.You can do a search on this if you can.
To me there is a connection if you have some input in how the knife was made or if you buy a knife you really like and have a special attraction to.I agree that an inamiate object does'nt have soul.
 
I think knives can have "soul", but I don't think they can have a soul, if that makes any sense.
 
A knife can be special or unique sure. Actually every knife or object in general is unique, as in they exist separate from other objects. Of course custom knives will have more unique qualities than factory knives.

A knife that fits the users hand can feel like an extension of the arm. As such it may in a way share the soul of the user. Who would make the claim that a knife could murder a person or cause any sort of malicious destruction? Knives are inanimate objects they cannot act on free will of there own.

Maybe there are people who hear knives talking; I would guess those people should seek psychiatric evaluation. :D The perceived connection that one may feel with a knife is no more than personal taste. I mean no offence to those that feel some connection to their valued possessions.

This argument is based on my understanding of the generally excepted idea of what a soul is, in our culture. All of this would go out the window though if there is no direct connection between the soul and free will.

Ok there is my two cents.
 
I think I know what you mean, but I don't think soul is the right word. Soul implies that there is an eternal essence that lives on even after the knife is destroyed and no longer exists on the physical plane... I think maybe psychic energy, mojo, vibrations or hado, etc... might be better words for it.
 
John T Wylie Jr said:
I remember a few years ago in Vegas , picking up a Rob Patton fixed blade , not sure what is was , that knife stirred something in me , couldnt explain it , I sat it down and the next person picked it up ...nothing.... I went back to it , there it was again. A guy next to me who was standing there when I walked up looked at me and said " You felt it to huh ? ".

Was it soul ? Was it spirit ? was it good mojo ? dunno for sure , but it felt good.
Click to expand...

I had a Rob Patton knife talk to me yesterday. ;) :)
 
First, I do not belive inanimate objects can have any spiritual presence of any kind. That's just my belief.

There are knives that become a labor of love. We like the way it's working out so much that we put a little extra into it here and there. To some degree that has to set the knife apart, and those differences can be seen The knife becomes a bit special. We may even shed blood over it, quite by accident, during the process.

People picking the knife up may see, even subconsciously, that this knife has a little more to it than others. I don't know.

With that said, about 10 years ago I was making a knife to order, and there was something about it that bothered me. Everytime I picked up the blade I felt a sense of evil. How? I cannot tell you. It finally got to the point that every time I handled the blade I felt like it was going to cut me.

I called the customer and told him there would be a slight delay in that I was making a new blade. I explained why, just as I have here. Neither of us understood but he agreed. I made a new blade and felt, or sensed, nothing. The knife went together fine and he loved it.

I took the first blade and changed the profile a little. That stopped that foreboding feeling. There was no longer any sense of evil to it.

I still have the blade and still don't understand, but years back I learned to listen to my subconscious.

Gene
 
I believe that some knives have a "soul" (for want of a better word).
When I am visited and the conversation turns to my knives(as it often does) I'll remove the a knife from the display and allow the guest(s) to see, hold and handle it.
I've noticed that more often than not, even after the conversation has gone on to something other than knives, the knife will repeatedly be picked up, handled briefly and put down again. This seems to be an almost unconscious action.
Sometimes though, a knife does not have this "essence", and I've noticed that it is not picked up and handled by my guests during the visit.
I do not know of a more descriptive word than "Soul".
 
So can a knife be 'imbued' with something during its construction, especially one made by hand? Perhaps imbued with the 'spirit' of the artisan/craftsman? Or does it stand alone with its own soul or spirit or whatever you want to call it?

How about a production knife? After years of use and ownership, can the 'spirit' or 'soul' of the owner rub off on the knife? Like an old pocket worn slipjoint past down from one generation to the next. Or is its specialness simply wrapped up in its history?

A funny thought I had about this, is that there is possibly a macroscopic and a microscopic point of view. They may equate to the same thing. The truth is, I'm not smart enough to know to REALLY know the difference.

However, I was thinking that on a microscopic level, everything including the inanimate vibrates at least on a molecular level. Could this explain why a knife 'speaks' to a person? Perhaps the vibration within the knife is harmonious with the vibration within the beholder. Perhaps it's the materials that the knife is made from, especially if those materials started off being naturally occurring.

On a macroscopic level, as an object, is there simply an aesthetic consideration which imbues the object with 'character'? Is this to be confused with 'soul'?

I for one, don't quite know what to think. Although the presence of a higher power, or God, seems plausible, and that many many people believe it and find the proof of it in their life, I have yet to see hard evidence. Well, except the belief part. The simple ability for our species to believe at all, points me to the theory that there is something greater at work in the universe than we understand but can't readily explain. How this relates to objects and knives is really the basis of my original question.

Is it enough to simply 'believe' that a knife has 'soul' or a 'spirit' for it to ACTUALLY have one that others can sense for themselves?
 
The maker is the soul of the knife, he that really cares puts all heart and soul into every knife he/she makes to make it the very best he/she can.
So when you buy a custom knife you actually do get a piece of the makers soul from the sweat, knowledge and charactor he expended to produce it, but then again I think that everything thats produced with the love and care of producing it has parts of the makers soul imbedded in it, regardess of what it is.

Thats like soul music, the music receives its soul from those that sing it with deep feelings from within the soul.

Bill
 
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