How important is it that your knife looks cool?

How important is it that your knife looks cool?

  • Not at all. Knifes ain’t gotta be pretty to slice a hog in half!

    Votes: 15 13.0%

  • A little bit. Cool-looking knife isn’t a prerequisite, but I still enjoy one.

    Votes: 31 27.0%

  • It’s important. A factor in my decision-making.

    Votes: 47 40.9%

  • More important than I would care to admit.

    Votes: 19 16.5%

  • If my kitchen knives aren’t damascus, nobody’s eating dinner.

    Votes: 1 0.9%

  • (Other)

    Votes: 2 1.7%
  • Total voters
    115
I voted that it's a factor. Not sure how I could say that it's more important than I'd care to admit, since I'll readily admit how important it is to me.

I've bought a fair amount of ugly but functional knives, but there are so many knives on the market that I eventually decided that there's no reason to. It's pretty rare that an ugly knife is so functional and such an exceptional value that there isn't a good looking alternative.

Now there are knives that are clunky or defy conventional aesthetic preferences, but still look good in my opinion. And there are knives that I didn't like the look of at first, but they grew on me.
 
I definitely want my knife to be functional first but it's a bonus if it looks nice.
Then there's the "aesthetics of ugly" where you can see beauty in seemingly ugly knife like some people are drawn to urban exploring etc.
Also there's beauty in functionality - when you see something really simple but you know it works and it looks beautiful in that sense.
I've also had knives that look really purdy brand new but when you put them to use they kind of start to look bland and ordinary.
It's all relative.
 
I cared a lot about knife appearance before I got into Spydercos, now ergonomics and blade geometry come first. Looking cool is more of a bonus rather than a requirement.
 
Kryme said:
I cared a lot about knife appearance before I got into Spydercos, now ergonomics and blade geometry come first. Looking cool is more of a bonus rather than a requirement.
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Spyderco is a brand that grew on me, when I first saw them I thought they were exceptionally ugly, but over time I started to see something in them, and they started to become more and more pretty :) now I just like to browse through knife-selling websites and look at Spydercos because I enjoy looking at them. Sadly I haven't ever seen a Spyderco at a store - or maybe that's a good thing, because I'd have to buy a lot more then!
 
Life is too short to carry an ugly knife and there are plenty of knives that look great to me and check all my performance boxes.

I get more hung up on size, weight, simplicity, and choils.
 
Interestingly enough, I kind of see the from the other way around- knives that are designed to look wildly different, unique and cool just to look that way… I stay away from them. Doesn’t appeal to me, really.

Now the difference between ESEE, Becker and CPK Kephart knives matters to me. Form and function are similar, but the execution matters. That’s where I think aesthetic plays a role.
 
Sorta peaked at the sebenza, to me thats the pinnacle so i dont care terribly much. i suppose id like to have a shamwari if people weren't always flipping them. just simple slabs of titanium, symmetrical. yeah i guess looks dont mean terribly much.
 
Hvactech said:
I usually always agree with you bro, but Emerson is the best looking knife? I think you need to get back to the optometrist my friend! I'm telling Les btw 😂
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Haha, something about his blade designs just speaks to my inner childhood mall ninja self. And when you talk to Les tell him to start making some dam new blade designs! Oh, and a g10 Talos! 😂
 
When I was a kid in the 80s, all we could get would be considered a traditional now. I has an Imperial Barlow, Buck 110, Stockman, Swiss Army knives, kabar fixed, etc. Lots of steel, wood and brass.

Then at some point in the 90s, I found these hideous knives with serrations, plastic handles and a big hole in the blade. I wound up with a Native in gin 1 steel. I still have it although it is in rough shape from hard use and being lost in a tacklebox for a couple of years and from being reground after I damaged the tip a bit.

Now I have more Spydercos than any other brand and they look good to me. I guess I am saying that form follows function.
 
1. It has to feel good in my hand.
2. Appearance…artistic use of the material without the drama of exaggerated shape.
 
LostCause said:
Cool, boring, beautiful and ugly are different things.

There are beautiful but boring knives.
There are also ugly but cool knives.

My coated Spyderco Matriarch is kinda ugly - but really cool. And I love that about it.

Civivi Elementum for example isn't ugly, but it is plain boring unless you get the damascus version. So I don't own one.

To me, it is the most important for a knife to not be boring.
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"To me, it is the most important for a knife to not be boring."

-Ugh, this really Hurts!
Hahha. I want to be as boring as possible. Unnoticed. Subtle.

I struggle with knowing what Anybody likes? I get hung up on colors and style. It often paralyzes me. I'd probably get more knives out if I didn't think.

I'm jealous of the great brands like Beck. and others They are classic and simple, aesthetically. .......Part of me want to only make black handled knives and brown handled knives........
but I've got a wall of scales I'd have to eat.
 
Aesthetics are a foot in the door for me. If I don't enjoy the lines it's not getting a shot.

#bossqueen

It's funny because I was just looking at my folders and noticed they are 90% Laconico designed. I hadn't consciously realized that when I purchased them.
 
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