Hollywood - Knives worse enemy?

[JDRanger]

(This is nearly a re-post of a response message I placed on another string but I wanted to hear other’s thoughts).


Like a lot of members on this forum over time I’ve accumulated a lot of knives.

I started out with cheap Tac Force, Mtech, and other garbage products. Then I moved up to Gerber, SOG, CRKT and the Bokers of the world. From there to ZT, Benchmade, Spyderco, Southern Grind... Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how I look at it) I then gained a fondness for Brous, Bradford, Spartan, Hinderer, and the other usual suspects in the mid/higher end.

Here’s the point of my post:

When my “non-knife” friends look at my folders (the knives are all neatly lined up in rows) they almost always gravitate towards the Mtech and other goofy crap knives I have stashed away in the less visible corner of the display. This is consistent whether it's a man, teenager, or younger boy. The only higher-end knives they seem to grab are my karambits.

A few Spyderco and Emerson knives get some draw but really nobody has given a Reeve, Tighe, or my Olamic more than a second glance.

Then there’s my line-up of small fixed blades. Bradford G3’s, Winkler, beautiful wood handled Benchmade and DPx, etc. don’t get noticed but anything with a hawkbill style blade seems to thrill people.

They generally like all of my large fixed blades but I definitely see the "bigger is better" mindset in play.

To me (I'm probably full of it) it seems that action, war, and stupid zombie movies or television shows are creating a strong fixation on “tactical" style knives among people who aren't real knife enthusiasts.

Frankly, I'm not sure that this is a good trend because “knives = killing weapons” rather than people thinking of knives as tools could be becoming a common association among the general public.

There seems to be a lot of good people working hard to push for less knife restriction laws but this can’t be helping the cause.

I’ve also noticed that many knife, gun, and outdoor magazines commonly show menacingly looking characters bearing evil looking knives on their covers.

I guess I don’t have a specific question or statement to make but was curious what others think about this.

And - sorry for the long-ass post.

 

[marcinek]

Interesting point, but "Hollywood" (whatever that means), is hardly to blame.

Look at the early history of Bowie knives. 1830s. They sold like crazy even if no one knew what they looked like.

Why?

Because people fantasize that they are scary bad ass high speed killing machines. They always have. Makes people feel good.

Mid 1800s Bowies were the zombie killer Rambo knives of their day.

Stuff like that always has, and always will sell. They are sexy.

 

[W. Anderson]

..because while they are tools, knives ARE weapons. Do you really think they're not? That's like saying guns are only for hunting and target practice, and people shouldn't be interested in tactical and military firearms.

People seem to be naturally intrigued by weapons. Historically speaking....

 

[W. Anderson]

Interesting point, but "Hollywood" (whatever that means), is hardly to blame.

Look at the early history of Bowie knives. 1830s. They sold like crazy even if no one knew what they looked like.

Why?

Because people fantasize that they are scary bad ass high speed killing machines. They always have. Makes people feel good.

Mid 1800s Bowies were the zombie killer Rambo knives of their day.

Stuff like that always has, and always will sell. They are sexy.

I'd say that there are deffinitely some high-speed killing machines out there.

 

[marcinek]

... Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how I look at it) I then gained a fondness for Brous, Bradford, Spartan, Hinderer, and the other usual suspects in the mid/higher end.

...

To me (I'm probably full of it) it seems that action, war, and stupid zombie movies or television shows are creating a strong fixation on “tactical" style knives among people who aren't real knife enthusiasts.

Frankly, I'm not sure that this is a good trend because “knives = killing weapons” rather than people thinking of knives as tools could be becoming a common association among the general public.

There seems to be a lot of good people working hard to push for less knife restriction laws but this can’t be helping the cause.....

Well, at least knife makers aren't pouring gasoline on that fire!

Nevermind.

 

[marcinek]

I'd say that there are deffinitely some high-speed killing machines out there.

There are, but I really can't talk about it. Top secret.

 

[danbot]

We do owe Hollywood a big round of applause for contributing to the ridiculous switchblade laws.
When things were heating up in the media about roaming gangs of delinquent immigrant youth, Hollywood wasted no time pumping out movies like Rebel Without A Cause, Crime In The Streets, 12 Angry Men, The Delinquents, etc. Within a year of these movies coming out, switchblades were banned.

 

[Thomason]

..because while they are tools, knives ARE weapons. Do you really think they're not?

Of course some knives could be consider weapons and then again it would be a real stretch to consider others as weapons. I never thought my little yellow handle Case peanut was a weapon. Maybe it has more to do with the mindset of the person than the knife. Or not .

 

[danbot]

Of course some knives could be consider weapons and then again it would be a real stretch to consider others as weapons. I never thought my little yellow handle Case peanut was a weapon. Maybe it has more to do with the mindset of the person than the knife. Or not .

Yep. A gun or a knife or a baseball bat is only as dangerous as the person holding it.

 

[brasileiro]

A scalpel can save a life or quarter a person. It all depends if user is a good doctor or a manic.

A rope can make life easier for people lifting weight, or they can hang another person. It all depends of user.

A shovel can dig prosperity or dig a pit.

A crowbar can leverage objects or open safes.

A hammer can build a building or torture a person.

What will they do? Ban ropes and trucks and pen and scarfs and brooms and what else?

Here in Brasil we live this dilemma.
Everything was taken from us.
We can carry just knifes and up to 10cm blade length. And it doesn’t make any difference because the thief don’t care about laws.

What I mean is, the bad guy can use anything to injury good guys just don’t guns, or blades. For me is a BS make laws that take from you the right to defense yourself and other and the right of freedom.

Im sorry if sound rude but is my opinion about some stupid laws as we have here.

Edit. Here we have a tv channel that always bit at the theme. If they say that sky is red many people will believe and applause. Some people can’t think by themselves.

 

[justjed]

In the US, we have just as many stupid laws. They vary by state, but the point is that the people who make laws don't trust anyone else to be civil. And since the lawmakers are SOOOOO much smarter than any of the rest of us(at least if you ask THEM), they can get away with it. They KNOW the laws don't affect criminals, who, by definition, don't obey the laws. And since crimes never happen when there are police nearby, all these laws do is get people killed. Which is what the lawmakers actually WANT to happen, so they can pass even MORE laws that won't do any good. Same with guns.

 

[Hickory n steel]

I just hate the word weapon, and feel it has no place on this forum.
Anything can be used as a weapon so nothing is one until it has been used as such.

Now, i do believe Hollywood is kind of bad for knives.
They never show a knife that isn't tactical, or one being used normally for utility unless it's a traditional knife in a movie set back in time.
Maybe someone in said movie will use a Barlow to peel / slice an apple, or is sitting there whittling a stick, but that doesn't do anything to properly represent the world and culture of knives today.

 

[Grease]

I just hate the word weapon, and feel it has no place on this forum.
Anything can be used as a weapon so nothing is one until it has been used as such.

Nah, some things are purpose built as weapons. A club is used to kill a fish. A flail is very much a man-killer version of a club, useful only as a weapon. A knife is a tool. A dagger is really only useful for stabbing and killing something. Explosives can be handy for excavation and mining and demolition. But a hand grenade will never be anything but a weapon.

 

[Steely_Gunz]

I remember when I first got into knives. I was a young boy, and I had no idea what one was. My grandfather would try to educate me using pantomime and wild hand gestures as to explain what various knives looked like and were used for....

No wait, actually I watched Rambo, and Chuck Norris movies, all manner of God-awful martial arts ninja flicks, and Conan the Barbarian and I wanted every cool knife, sword, or ridiculous throwing dagger depicted

Hollywood is the catalyst that gets a lot of us into the hobby. I started collecting flea market junk. I graduated to nice entry level folders. I'm currently dabbling in the higher end production line. I can see myself going midtech at some point. There is a learning curve, but most people get into a hobby because something interests them. Some folks get into knives because their grandpa took them hunting. I got into them because John Rambo covered himself in mud and took out a patrolling guard with a Jimmy Lile.

 

[Hickory n steel]

Nah, some things are purpose built as weapons. A club is used to kill a fish. A flail is very much a man-killer version of a club, useful only as a weapon. A knife is a tool. A dagger is really only useful for stabbing and killing something. Explosives can be handy for excavation and mining and demolition. But a hand grenade will never be anything but a weapon.

Just like a tool can be used as a weapon, a " weapon " can be used as a tool.
A club can be used as a tire thumper by a truck driver, and a midevil style mace could theoretically be used by a butcher to tenderize meat.
No matter what something was designed for we can use them for whatever we want.
My point still stands
Nothing is a weapon until it has been used as one

 

[danbot]

I remember when I first got into knives. I was a young boy, and I had no idea what one was. My grandfather would try to educate me using pantomime and wild hand gestures as to explain what various knives looked like and were used for....

No wait, actually I watched Rambo, and Chuck Norris movies, all manner of God-awful martial arts ninja flicks, and Conan the Barbarian and I wanted every cool knife, sword, or ridiculous throwing dagger depicted

Hollywood is the catalyst that gets a lot of us into the hobby. I started collecting flea market junk. I graduated to nice entry level folders. I'm currently dabbling in the higher end production line. I can see myself going midtech at some point. There is a learning curve, but most people get into a hobby because something interests them. Some folks get into knives because their grandpa took them hunting. I got into them because John Rambo covered himself in mud and took out a patrolling guard with a Jimmy Lile.

True that! Hollywood is what made me want a butterfly knife more than anything. Then I discovered they are illegal where I live and throughout most of the continent!

 

[Grease]

Just like a tool can be used as a weapon, a " weapon " can be used as a tool.
A club can be used as a tire thumper by a truck driver, and a midevil style mace could theoretically be used by a butcher to tenderize meat.
No matter what something was designed for we can use them for whatever we want.
My point still stands
Nothing is a weapon until it has been used as one

That's a terribly flimsy point. That's like claiming your tent is a permanent residence that deserves its own street address because you plan to live in it forever.


Intent of use may reflect a bit on what something is, but original design is what dictates the true nature. You can want a tent to be a house, a grenade to be a paperweight, or a goat to be a pony - but you're still gonna be wrong.

 

[danbot]

Just like a tool can be used as a weapon, a " weapon " can be used as a tool.
A club can be used as a tire thumper by a truck driver, and a midevil style mace could theoretically be used by a butcher to tenderize meat.
No matter what something was designed for we can use them for whatever we want.
My point still stands
Nothing is a weapon until it has been used as one

Nuclear bombs? Got an alternative use for those?

 

[Charlie Mike]

Nuclear bombs? Got an alternative use for those?

Excavation.

 

[justjed]

Nuclear weapons? Operation Plowshare, Sedan shot. Exploring the use of nuclear weapons for commercial/civilian things, such as road-building in mountainous terrain and mining. In the end, it was determined the risks were greater than the potential rewards.

Looks like Charlie Mike beat me to it...!