Has IT got SOUL?

The "soul" to me means the ability for a knife to carry a message by its maker.

And, i do think there is something to the idea that everything has a destiny or purpose. whatever that means...

If you have a bond with anything you connect on some level of psychological or spiritual feeling i suppose.

You can name your knives and give them "soul" If that's in your imagination to do so, too.
Was it in the movie "Full metal jacket" where the guy's best friend was his rifle? ..This, before he totally cracked up.

On the other hand, There are special knives that carry a meaning or have emotional significance. Made for a reason. How does any of this connect?

..I don't know.

Early this morning i looked into my house from my yard and saw a face staring at me. I called to it, thought it was my son, but he soon appeared from the back deck, outside with me.

This spooked me a little bit. Who was this?

I think my house has "soul".
David
 
LOL :D

Should makers charge extra for "soul"?

Hey!... I mean if it's got "soul",... why not charge for it?

"Soul" for sale! $$$ Chaching! :)

... Here I've been selling my "soul" for rock and roll! :D

Get your "hot steel soul" here, fresh off the anvil!... while the getting is good! $$$

SOUL MAN!

Comin' to ya on a dusty road
Good lovin' i got a truck load
And when you get it you got something
So don't worry cause i'm coming


I'm a soul man
I'm a soul man
I'm a soul man
I'm a soul man


Got what i got the hard way
And i'll make it better each and every day
So honey don't you fret
Cause you ain't seen nothing yet


I'm a soul man
I'm a soul man
I'm a soul man
I'm a soul man
 
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Tai Goo said:
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.
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I kinda do not believe in material objects haveing a soul in the same way say a liveing creature would have But I believe Tai kinda put his finger on it with the mojo energy thing. I believe that maybe when a knife or sword or even a custom gun just feels right you impart energy or could you say confidence into the object hence making you more confident and able to use it better. I have some knives and guns and especialy swords that give a special feel so I feel connected with them I guess you would say. You archers will know the saying become the arrow. As for makers I am not one but I do know a few that believe it. sales pitch probale but kinda cool and I have chosen not to dought things I do not fully understand. Not to long ago when men depended on steel you can see why they would reach out for this connection. If you told A Samurai his sword was just a piece of steel I think he would adjust your attitude with a real short haircut like neck length. And I can only imagine if you told a traditional japanese sword smith that the prayer ritual that he goes through was just a sales pitch I think he would look at you rather oddly. In these modern times we live in This all sounds silly but If things ever rolled back maybe we would put a little more stock in the steel that kept us alive. The soul of the samurai?
 
I'm a Soul Man!!!!

Being of native American decent, I tend to think objects can have a soul. It is part of our beliefs. But a man made object? Some times. I am sure on more than one occasion, we have all felt the aura, or karma of an object. Sometimes something we Cherish.

Couple this with the fact that many knives are made with exotic scales, or say Stag Ivory's, bone. These things were once a part of a live being.

Steel? I don't know! Carl Saegan was known for saying that we are all "Star Stuff". That we are all make up of matter from the universe. As is all that is on the Earth. Perhaps this goes deeper, and further back than any of us can imagine!

Mike
 
Lorien said:
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?
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maby this is it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_entanglement
 
No. Just a spiritual term of endearment for our most hallowed possessions. Ordinary language is too mundane/inadequate, so we borrow from the spiritual realm to find transcendent terms that justify our emotions and exuberances.

Different meanings: Many, including myself, may use soul in describing special knives as metaphorical spoofs. Literal usage may go as far as apotheosizing stag and steel into genuine 21th century idols.

Transitory meaning: Remember that first custom knife that you thought you could not live without only to sell it a year later when you realized it was crappy compared to maker X's knives, which warmed the cockles of your heart until you found maker Y, whose creations ignited a passion that spoke to you . . . until.

Personal meaning: One man's septic tank is another man's hot tub. There are new, unused knives on this very page that are as ugly as sin to me that hold their owners under a spell.

Functional meaning: Some knives are elevated to soulful status by simple cosmetic glory. Others may reach mystical status for faithful, important, or even dangerous service. But I prefer what a famous brown bear guide of my acquaintance did when he retired, simpling selling his trusty .375 H & H mag. pre-64 Mod. 70 Win. that had saved client lives and his own--no sentimentalism or apotheosis of a tool whose time had passed.

Delusional meaning: I once had a rack full of world class rifles/shotguns that I devoted myself to. But when I swapped world-views (paganism for Christianity), all my idols became mere nice stuff, which I promptly unloaded.

I guess it's only logical that humans are organically wont to bestow life to lifeless objects since many of us believe we owe our genesis to Mother Nature's giggering life from puddles of inorganic chemicals infinity past. Not of that persuasion, myself, the concept of giving souls to knives seems altogether laughable, and please forgive me as I sing along with Tai.

ken
 
JP mentioned the "prayer ritual" of traditional Japanese swordsmiths. I don't think this type of "chanting" was all that uncommon in bladesmithing in former times.... "blade enchantment". I've experimented with it a little. :) I think it's different than "soul" or "a soul", but still seems to be on topic...

It gets back to the idea of "Hado" I was talking about...
https://www.hado.net/hado/index.php


En*chant"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Enchanted; p. pr. & vb. n. Enchanting.] [F. enchanter, L. incantare to chant or utter a magic formula over or against one, to bewitch; in in, against + cantare to sing. See Chant, and cf. Incantation.]

1. To charm by sorcery; to act on by enchantment; to get control of by magical words and rites.
 
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Here’s a dramatic example of what modern day "blade enchantment" can look like. It’s a pic Buddy took on a full moon at my shop. That’s Blaine at the left on the didgeridoo and to his left is Melva, (the lead enchantress), facing the forge doing the actual chanting… there were a couple other chanters too, but they aren't in this pic. The others shown are just witnesses (and good vibes)... :)

Enchanting.jpg
 
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Doesn't quantum mechanics say that even the simple act of observation affects an object? How much more effect would the intense concentration involved in making a knife have? Not to mention the will-power or intention being used to get the knife to turn out just the way the maker wants it to. Now add in the affection many makers have for their work, both while they're doing it and afterwards, and the appreciation of owners, especially users (assuming they like the knife) and it's pretty easy to make a case that you end up with something more than an equivalent lump of steel and handle material, no?

There's a guy in Japan who photographs the crystal structure of water and has shown great differences in water samples from the same source after various "inputs" ranging from having music played around it, to even just attaching various symbols to the containers. Bottom line is the world seems to be more mysterious than we usually give it credit for.
 
I've heard stories that James Black did some kind of "enchantment" or magic to the original bowie knife and may have used some meteoritic iron. I've also seen references that he kept his methods very secret...

Anyone else ever hear that? I tried to Google it but couldn't find much... other than it was a guarded secret...

I'm sure that there are lots of examples of this kind of legend or "mythology" in bladesmithing history.

It's archetypical of the craft, and really part of the tradition...

Hey,... the Excalibur sword! :)
http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Magic_sword_-_Mythology/id/1739230
 
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Wow, Tai,

That pic shows the biggest joint I've ever seen. I'm sure it's "enchanting." Getting that enchanted makes it a little hard to work, though, doesn't it?

Spoken very tongue in cheek.

Gene
 
All of my khukuris have a bit of "soul" in them.

I think a knife that is specific to a culture has more "soul" than just an ordinary knife. The khukuri, puukko, katana, are immediately recognized as as being Nepalese, Scandinavian and Japanese. They are cultural icons and their peoples ultimate expression of the knife.
 
this is becoming a very interesting thread.
I wasn't expecting any references to Excalibur, but there's a whole raft of new ideas, all based on the idea of 'enchanted' blades, which do 'more' than simply part matter. There are many references to enchanted blades in modern times as well. Not that I ever played much D&D, but I'm sure you'd find all sorts of references to blades with 'intent' in pop cultural places like that.
I just finished watching Star Wars with my daughter, (we're having a sick day unfortunately:() and I wonder at the soulfulness of the light sabre. :D
 
speaking of soul, do you know how to make a good soul singer? put a duck in the microwave until it's Bill Withers.
 
Not to debunk the idea of soul or energy or chi invested in material objects, but…As I understand it, one reason traditional blade smiths chant at work is as a timing device. To produce this particular result, you heat the blade to cherry red (or whatever). Then you beat it this way for this amount of time. Fine; now where’s my stop watch? Oh, it hasn’t been invented yet. How do I time it? Experience—and my old teacher—tells me that chanting five verses of this text at this standard rate will give me the timing I want. When I reach the end of the fifth verse, I move on to the next step.
 
Some of you guys are a little spooky.

I think everything has got soul/spirit if you give it some. Nothing like looking at a big old tree or a rock... Being enchanted helps.

We live in the bush.
Collect our antler. A handle from an animal I've killed and butchered has more spirit than a piece from a drop, which still has spirit. We found some moose antler once where the skull and some spine were still attached. A winter wolf kill. Wow, that was powerful. We could see it happening.
...Recover all our steel. Most of the steel comes from blades that have cut thousands of trees. There is some wicked spirit there.
Every step of the way. Fire, grinding, finishing... a tool is born so to speak.
Our power is from the sun ( it's cloudy that's why I'm here). As far as we are concerned that is good mojo.

The process, the process...

"Well hello mister soul I've come by to pick up a reason.
For the thouight that I had that my head was the event of the season".
(Neil)

Scott.

Cariboo Blades
Moose_skull_500.jpg
 
Raymond1000; that is a neat theory that I've never heard of. It sure makes a lot of sense, especially when you look at how the craft is passed from teacher to student, and how the development of technique/procedure is so integral to consistency.

Scott; I tend to agree with you, and the thought behind the history of the saw blades you harvest and how that history imbues 'spirit' into the material is also quite fascinating.

So, here's another thought- Is there a limited amount of particular matter on our planet, or is it constantly being added to in the form of 'stardust'?

If there is a finite amount of matter that is constantly recycled, should not everything be connected by its particular history. Would this convey soul or spirit into everything, no matter the material? Or is soul or spirit unique to 'living things'?

If there is new matter constantly landing on the planet from beyond our atmosphere, what does it bring with it? Could we say that soul or spirit is not bound by terrestrial existence? That it exists beyond 'our world'? That it actually arrives here, from out there?
If this is the case, are knives that are made from meteoritic matter the most soulful of all?:D

I realize I'm starting to veer into topics that are a little beyond just knives or whatever, but judging by the soulful words you guys are using to describe how you feel about this topic, I believe there is still lots to talk about, as it relates to handmade and custom knives.
 
I dont know about soul. I do know that I have knives with personality. I have some knives that almost seem like they want to be carried and are happy to be used and to serv. On the other hand I have knives that want to stay in my gun cabinet. I have some that are quick to bite if given the chance. And last I have a large hunter given to me by an uncle that reminds me of a semi retarded farm boy that is prone to nose picking and leaving his fly unzipped. I love the thing because it was a gift from someone I love. I just dont take it out in public. Greg S.
 
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