How to explain to women & wives who ask us but don't understand,"Why all the knives?"

Hi autoopen -

Why do women collect expensive purses? Isn't one purse the same as another? They all look the same to me, and if you have all your crap in one, then you are set, right?

And how about precious moments figurines? And Longerberger baskets?

Ok - now if you collect guns or knives, you have something of tangible worth on more than one level:

A knife will always have intrinsic worth for it's ability to be used for it's purpose, like a gun.

Knives can be works of art - most ARE art pieces, even if it is simply for beauty of function.

From there, go on to educate your lady about the "Guns and Butter" principle.

best regards -

mqqn
 
autoopen said:
My girlfriend recently found out about my knife collection/obsession. We've only been going out for a few weeks but she sat me down and asked me, I quote, "Why all the knives? Just wondering."

At first I was taken aback like what's wrong with collecting knives? I mean people collect virtually everything stamps, baseball cards, books, vintage cars, dolls, toys, etc.
Then it dawned on me that she wasn't really asking me why I collect "things" but why I choose to collect and obsess and care so much about "things" that for her have no value or meaning AND can be used as dangerous weapons.

So my question to all of you guys is how do we answer our women when they ask us, "Why all the knives?"
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Just answer her with:

"I used to collect women. But I stopped when the police started getting close to my trail.

Besides, knives don't stink up the crawlspace."

Then go on cleaning your knife whilst humming Garth Brooks' "Friends in Low Places"...or the spoof version by Pinkard and Bowden "Friends in Crawl Spaces."

She'll never ask again.
 
I have a built in reason, sharpening for money occasionally, so I need many different knives to practice techniques and methods. But I mentioned this thread to LOML, and she said it's a perfect opportunity to answer the question behind the question.

She says the girl aready knows whether you're a serial killer or not - she figured that out on your first date. What she's really asking is:

"Are you as excited about spending time with me as getting a new knife?"

"Do you have enough devotion for me and your knife hobby, or will I be competing with it for your attention during our time together?"

The "tool" argument, the usefulness, the historical significance of knife design and development, that's all guy stuff. What she's asking is, "Do you like/love me more than your knives?"

Emotional connections are very important to a woman.

There you have it, from (this) woman's perspective, although secondhand. She carries a 4" Frost hawkbill that I inherited from my dad, and uses it frequently.

Parker
 
Snappy come-backs like: "why so many purses" and "why so many shoes" solve nothing. Having several handbags is normal to Mr. and Mrs. Smith. If someones handbag collection is excessive, then the worst it can amount to is economical troubles. Being defensive about knives will only alienate you from people.

When it comes to knives, let's not kid ourselves — we're talking about weapons, at the end of the day. I mean, yes of course they're tools and that's what I use them for, but that's how people view them; especially when they are well-designed and scary-looking.

If I have a simple Mora on my belt when I'm out camping, working construction or when I'm out fishing, then no one will think twice about it. However, if I'm carrying a machete instead of an axe, then people start to wonder. I mean, seriously: who really "needs" to have a socially unacceptable tool when acceptable ones are readily available (axe etc.)? Yeah, the machete is better for certain tasks and vice versa, but using one will many times give you the "Rambo-stamp" and people will think you're a wanna-be spec-ops dude or whatnot; unless you're actually deep in the jungle somewhere.

Wearing a small tactical or otherwise threatening blade such as a Kershaw or a Spydie in an urban environment isn't perceived as necessary among "normal" people, so it makes them uncomfortable. But, I have what?: 8 or 9 Global kitchen knives hanging on the wall in my kitchen and the only responses I get for those are: "man, you're such a snob" or "wow, that's expensive" and not once does the notion of a mall ninja come up. Why? Because the knives are in their setting and they are perceived as necessary, although it's excessive to have 8 or 9, like me; but, that takes us back to the shoes- and purses question and how the only obvious danger in this case is how big a hole those blades created in my wallet (no pun intended).

During Christmas I snapped out my hair-poppin' Spyderco Caly Burgundy ZDP-189 and calmly opened my packages in the blink of an eye, without giving it much thought... until I noticed how the temperature had dropped and that the whole room was looking at me like: "OMG... was he carrying that thing all the time?!" or "where the hell did that little razor come from?!". They were both shocked by how amazingly sharp it was and the fact that such a dangerous object had been lurking among them the whole evening, without their knowledge. What had happened was that I had taken them out of their comfort zone and I don't blame them. However, a few minutes later everyone was using it to open their packages!

So, what to do?! Just get with the program, don't flash your blades in front of people who don't know anything about knives. If you do, then you're just diggin' a hole for yourself. If we need to educate them, it'll have to be one by one.
 
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My Wife bought me A BM 530 for X-mas, and an Emerson kerambit on my 40th B-day, not to mention a three day training seminar with Bram Frank for My 38th B-day. I think I'll keep her.
 
jfn said:
...my GF of 4 years (read: practically married) doesn't get my knife obsession, and downright hates it due to instances of knife violence in her family. ...
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Hmmmm, does that mean that if her family ran each other over with cars she wouldn't get in one? She's confusing the tool used to commit violence with the violence itself--something that is quite commonly done.

Most of the issues here are people putting their own interpretations on 'collecting knives' rather than paying attention to the behaviour of the collector.

I'd have to say that explanations may or may not work, and may or may not be worth the trouble. I guess that depends on the relationship and the depth of explanation required to get a positive result.

I know that some of the women at work respond positively to the term "pocket jewellery".

Greg
 
The answer is simple, collect multiple knives or have multiple girl friends :) I'm sure she will understand.
 
The last time April, my wife gave me any grief over knives was years ago. The last argument we had about knife purchases I asked her what the crisis was? Point blank I told her to get real because my habits were good habits and she could certainly have done worse than with me and my habit of knife addiction. If I was out sticking dollar bills in strange good lookin' gals panties while they waved their tits in my face or drinking at the bars and playing poker every night with the guys till all hours of the morning coming home smelling of cigar smoke and Jack Daniels leaving her to worry at home all alone she had a legit gripe but leave it alone with the frickin' knives already. When you get a legit gripe worth discussing I'll be all ears! I never heard another complaint after that about any knife I bought. Took me about 18 years of marriage before I finally spit that out to her. Now, getting close to 27 years of marriage I can look back and say I always was a slow learner. I should have spit that out much sooner. Even better I should have gotten that out of the way before the I dos. The way I see it knives have made me happy. They have helped me enjoy this life more than I would otherwise and given me something to look forward to and introduced me to new friends and allowed me to make some spare change doing something I love. It could be much worse the way I see it and if anything the wife should be happy that she snagged a guy who's worst habit was buying another knife he didn't need every now and then instead of taking his pay check to the slots or some other such thing.

STR
 
I just tell them like it is right off the bat, if they like it fine, if they don't then I tell them to hit the door.

I am single, divorced twice and I have money in my bank account and almost no bills. I pay cash for my knives so I don't run up any debt.

It's far better than when I was married with no money, having someone complain about everything and the stress of all the other BS that goes with it.

I put up with ZERO BS from women, I just don't want to hear it and I really don't care what their opinion is when it comes to my hobbies.

Most women would love nothing more than for you to blow every cent you have and more on them while they pad their bank accounts. They really don't care if you are happy or not as long as they are happy. ;)
 
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There are really 2 questions here –

One is about the knives – tell her you really like beautiful things. You’re an art collector and the type of art object you collect is the knife. It has intrinsic beauty and it also has utility value. It is man’s oldest tool etc.

The second and core question is – can she trust you? Or are you some kind of weirdo who might attempt to use those knives on her?
You can say all the right things but it will just take her some time to learn to trust you as she gets to know you better. Meanwhile take her along to a couple of knife shows and involve her in your passion. Who knows where that will lead?
 
My wife has watched me purchase firearms and knives over the 24 yrs years we've been together and care for them meticulously.

Since in the end, if and when I sell one, I ususally break close to even or in some cases make a few dollars.

That's cool with her, since I'm a homebody and she knows I need some toys to play with. (beside her) :)
 
I usually say something like, "there are so many stupid things i could be spending money on, is it really THAT bad that i buy knives? I carry them, i use them, i take care of them...as well as learn about the different steels and designs...Is it really that big of a deal?" And within a short time they usually come to terms with it and its not that big of a deal:thumbup:
 
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