How do you handle the casual 'check out my knives!' folk?

It is all about being polite now depending on if they want to talk about it or just show it off I might educate them on the expansive world of knives and basically clue them in to where the knife they have sits in that world.
 
Insipid Moniker said:
This. If I feel like they 'need' something better and we're close, I'll gift them something on the next appropriate occasion and hope they can see the quality difference.
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Incidentally I have 3 family members that can appreciate fine cutlery but can't afford it, so if I can this year I plan on gifting a Delica to my nephew, a Rat 1 in D2 to my brother-in-law, and a Tenacious or Polestar to my brother. I also have some coworkers getting SAK's as well.
I've also decided to keep an extra slipjoint knife on me, like the old American made Imperial and Colonials, that cost a few bucks but are a great quality tool so I can gift other people when I see fit.
 
As someone who used to buy $10 gerbers for work on an almost monthly basis while in the Navy, I don't talk any smack about guys who have flea market or hardware store pick ups. I do however try to enlighten them and give them ideas for reasonable $30-50 folders that are more durable and user friendly. As a coach and mentor for youth hockey players and adults I find that honest conversations about low quality gear and how to make the most out of it will spark an interest with the uninformed and move them towards the unhealthy addiction known as collecting. Not just knives, but in all fields. We all start somewhere, and sometimes can't afford to move up into intermediate or advanced priced knives, and I like to give tips and advice on how to stretch out those budget $10 folders to their max potential while being friendly and informative.
 
Jisatsu said:
As someone who used to buy $10 gerbers for work on an almost monthly basis while in the Navy, I don't talk any smack about guys who have flea market or hardware store pick ups. I do however try to enlighten them and give them ideas for reasonable $30-50 folders that are more durable and user friendly. As a coach and mentor for youth hockey players and adults I find that honest conversations about low quality gear and how to make the most out of it will spark an interest with the uninformed and move them towards the unhealthy addiction known as collecting. Not just knives, but in all fields. We all start somewhere, and sometimes can't afford to move up into intermediate or advanced priced knives, and I like to give tips and advice on how to stretch out those budget $10 folders to their max potential while being friendly and informative.
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I never used or carried a knife worth more than $20 before last year when I joined BF. I actually EDC'd a S&W folder I got for $5 for 6 or 7 years every day. I just HAD to lose a screw and start looking at knives again... ;)
 
If you are a professional trainer that sells his/her training services, I would see it as an opportunity to promote your service. Something like, "if you are interested in that, come on in and we will set you up with some trainers (knives) where you can learn different techniques."

Personally, although it's been awhile, I like that many of the schools/clubs/etc. I attended (not for knives) prioritized respect for one's self and others in their interactions as an ongoing theme from beginner to expert. The world needs more of that.
 
Blues Bender said:
Wait here just a second...

You're in Chicago...
With a knife...
Willing to defend yourself with it?

You do realize that there are laws that apply to blade length in the city, right? You do realize that there are many people that legally roam Chicago with a firearm (including myself)? What advantage does a knife give you? Why not just apply for a CCL and carry a gun?

While you're waving your Bowie knife around at an attacker, I done shot that SOB (legally) and won't have to jump through legal hoops trying to defend my position on why I had a knife that's considered illegal in Chicago.
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Your in a civilized place my friend, where someone can comeup to you, without alerting you, ask about where to find the next starbucks, pull a knife on you and take your wallet, your gun and your life. Might stab you once, so you better have some skills beside your gun to defend yourself from that point on so you can still make it to ER. Maybe you go to Rio for Olympics with your wife or a Mexico vacation... Quit hating on people who have marital skills and throw everyone in the same kettle based on your prejudism assumptions. Its about the user. Your gun is not everything.
 
JupiterPaladin said:
Incidentally I have 3 family members that can appreciate fine cutlery but can't afford it, so if I can this year I plan on gifting a Delica to my nephew, a Rat 1 in D2 to my brother-in-law, and a Tenacious or Polestar to my brother. I also have some coworkers getting SAK's as well.
I've also decided to keep an extra slipjoint knife on me, like the old American made Imperial and Colonials, that cost a few bucks but are a great quality tool so I can gift other people when I see fit.
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I love gifting knives to folks that use them. I have a friend who's a carpenter that was using a jarbenza and gave him a Cold Steel Voyager for his birthday. He raved about it and, due to a move and blade length laws, now carries a Spyderco Delica.

My one piece of advise is for folks that don't carry a knife, get them a good kitchen knife like a Tojiro. Almost everyone cooks and most of them have never used a good knife in the kitchen. You'll get thanks for it for a long time after. ;)
 
Sergeua said:
Your in a civilized place my friend, where someone can comeup to you, without alerting you, ask about where to find the next starbucks, pull a knife on you and take your wallet, your gun and your life. Might stab you once, so you better have some skills beside your gun to defend yourself from that point on so you can still make it to ER. Maybe you go to Rio for Olympics with your wife or a Mexico vacation... Quit hating on people who have marital skills and throw everyone in the same kettle based on your prejudism assumptions. Its about the user. Your gun is not everything.
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I practiced Shotokan for years, never did we practice with blades.

I've stated my reasons for not wanting to use a knife as a weapon in other threads. Knives are just too risky in many ways.

And yes, my gun is everything.
 
I did go off topic a bit before, sorry. I never discourage anyone because we all started somewhere and for many it was with junk, me included. I'm not going to be the one to crush the beginnings of a romance with edged weapons and I'm glad nobody did that to me. As they progress, they'll have questions and that's when it's time to explain that the $5 gas station blade is maybe something they want to upgrade from. Most times if you let them handle a quality knife they'll immediately be able to feel and see the difference.
 
Shotokun is where people come up to one another and see who's tougher. Pretty stubborn marital art just like the gun comment. When you introduce a knife it teaches you how to actually be mobile.
 
Sergeua said:
Your in a civilized place my friend, where someone can comeup to you, without alerting you, ask about where to find the next starbucks, pull a knife on you and take your wallet, your gun and your life. Might stab you once, so you better have some skills beside your gun to defend yourself from that point on so you can still make it to ER. Maybe you go to Rio for Olympics with your wife or a Mexico vacation... Quit hating on people who have marital skills and throw everyone in the same kettle based on your prejudism assumptions. Its about the user. Your gun is not everything.
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I have good marital skills but wouldn't have a clue how to defend myself.......:D
 
Blues Bender said:
Wait here just a second...

You're in Chicago...
With a knife...
Willing to defend yourself with it?

You do realize that there are laws that apply to blade length in the city, right? You do realize that there are many people that legally roam Chicago with a firearm (including myself)? What advantage does a knife give you? Why not just apply for a CCL and carry a gun?

While you're waving your Bowie knife around at an attacker, I done shot that SOB (legally) and won't have to jump through legal hoops trying to defend my position on why I had a knife that's considered illegal in Chicago.
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To clarify, Bowie knife is a side-sport similar to fencing we bring out because it has interesting history dating back to New Orleans dueling academies. It's fun, not applicable, if anyone truly carried one I'd have the same response. My story was reflecting on how people were gleefully taking pictures of the Bowie sparring and asking to hold the trainers, while if we were drawing blades and grappling the cops get called.

Chicago has a 2.5 inch limit which we all adhere to with our real tools, to the point we grind down popular blades to fit that limit. Bowie and Filipino stick and knife is pure sport to me, I fenced foil in college and now compete all over in full-contact longsword. Not all blade training is paranoid, take it from a guy who giddily waits all year for the party where we cut melons with swords. I will never have a 31 inch rattan stick, nor a twelve inch Bowie, nor a Filipino Gunting, or tomahawk on me in a real world scenario. But man, are they fun!

And clarifying further, almost everyone I train for defense with has a valid CCL and carries, myself included. When people come asking for defensive training, we start with 'Get a gun', then we work towards for when that gun isn't applicable such as in clinch situations, gun-free zones, etc. We primarily are fighting in an area the size of a phone booth, that's where drawing a firearm becomes tricky. By all means, any logical person should go for their legally carried and dutifully trained firearm before a blade. But that still doesn't stop me from playing around in older martial arts with blades or implementing edged weapons into my tool box along with firearms, impact weapons, hand to hand, and pure common sense. Pure knife types quickly get told these realities and either lighten up or retreat to wherever they got those ideas from. I also compete in IDPA, USPSA, and work as a safety officer at Glock matches....I consider that limited accuracy and pressure testing and augment it with realistic seminars, hoping to train with Southnarc up here in a couple months. He's doing ECQC Off the X facilities in Niles in September, if you're interested.
 
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I don't really care what they collect. Expensive/inexpensive, modern/traditional, used/new, large or small. I like them all, and I like them even more so when they differ from whatever I am currently collecting. Knife collectors are a small subset of the population. Enjoy their energy and enthusiam and if it is not what you prefer, then take the opportunity to learn something new. Those cheap big box store knives are what most people use, including most of those in the trades, farmers and others who work with their knives every day of the week.
 
Try your martial arts (I received a legitimate (certified by the home country assn.) black belt in one long ago) against a "prison rush" attack-rotsaruk! :( MAYBE Aikido or Jiu Jitsu would work, maybe. :rolleyes: Just show consideration to those who don't know quality knives and they may wish to talk with you more. :thumbsup:
 
Thats never happened to me but, I would be enthusiastic if someone tried to display interest in something they may not actually enjoy as much as me simply to appease me. It's a sign of flattery.
 
stabman said:
Indeed.
I handed a training knife to an untrained friend of mine who proceeded to flail all about...it was surprisingly hard to get past without getting "cut" pretty badly.

The untrained do some weird, unexpected things. :D
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Amateurs are always dangerous. Who can know what they will do?
 
katanas said:
Try your martial arts (I received a legitimate (certified by the home country assn.) black belt in one long ago) against a "prison rush" attack-rotsaruk! :( MAYBE Aikido or Jiu Jitsu would work, maybe. :rolleyes: Just show consideration to those who don't know quality knives and they may wish to talk with you more. :thumbsup:
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10th Planet BJJ is our main grappling art. Grappling should be mandated with every defensive curriculum, even just to teach body mechanics. We also heavily emphasize this same reality you describe. Just this weekend we did multiple opponent drills with four people on one knife user. We tried every disarm, block, and grapple we could find or knew...Hand switches and maneuvering got around it, and they were onto the next person. Knife dueling styles: Fun little pursuit, keep it in context. Knife fighting: Either getting away from the sewing machine ambush, or initiating the ambush. We're definitely in agreement, thank you for serving this country.
 
I remember when I was younger and reading an ad for Sog knives. They had a section of the ad dedicated to SoG Fusion knives which were cheaper. For the life of me I didn't understand why not buy the fusion version of the knife.

Inexperienced people believe their flea market knives are good becaise they don't know what makes a good knife. To them steel is steel or stainless steel and they think they can tell the best knife in the flea market by feeling it with their hands.
 
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