I like knives because... ??

T

The_Guide

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Feb 1, 2009
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I love knives. Oddly though, I cant define WHY I like knives. My family and especially my sister, just dont get it. When I try and explain it, I cant come up with a convincing argument. Not that I need one, but sometimes it gets frustrating when my sister says "Why are you buying knives again?" in that derogatory tone. She doesnt get it, and I cant give her a compelling reason why I like knives so much. I dont need them to understand, but it got me thinking about exactly why I like knives so much. Its more a feeling than a definable reason.

Obviously they are great tools. Also, I am drawn to the philosophical significance of a blade. A simple extension of the hand, offering an exponential increase in function. A knife makes life easier. Rather than struggling to open a package, a quick cut, and done.

But there is use, and obsession. I love collecting knives, but will only buy knives I intend to use.

So, simply put, why do you like knives? And for those with the obsession like me, what is it about blades that you find so captivating?


Cheers!
:cool::thumbup:
 
I really couldn't tell you, because I don't know. They're just cool. Guns are the same way. No one understands an obsession until they try it and enjoy it.

I can see it from a different point of view as well, like girls with designer clothing. It all looks pretty much the same to me, but they see very noticeable differences between pieces of clothing.
 
Typical conversation on the subject for me:

"Hey man, Why do you have so many knives?"
"Iunno, I just like them."
*turns to a friend/family member*
"Hey, why the hell does he have so many knives?"
"Iunno, he just likes them."

My attachment to sharp objects seems pretty weird to most people and, tbqh, doesn't make much sense to me either, but there it is. :confused:

Friends and family have learned to accept that just because I have umpteen sharp objects lying around at all times, I'm not some axe-crazy serial killer, so it's all good in the hood. :thumbup:
 
I've always had an affinity for steel (and iron) and the things that can be done with it. When I was very young, I got busted trying to take metal hydraulic fittings off of an old Air Force jet in a nearby park. Not because I was trying to vandalize the jet, but because I just liked the parts so much and figured no one would miss them. The park ranger wasn't quite so understanding and I almost lost the wrenches I "borrowed" from my dad for the job (half the fun is just using the solid metal tools/wrenches). Knives just take it to a whole other level especially with the modern steels. So many shapes, styles, and designs. Being able to take something that looks like a piece of worthless scrap, shape it, and put a mirror finish on it is pretty close to magical for me - and then being able to put a razor edge on it (not that I'm very practiced at these things) so that it will glide through all sorts of materials makes me giddy (if I'm allowed to use that word here). They're such basic and useful everyday tools and can also be incredibly fine pieces of art. I feel the same way about well made guns. I never get tired of the feel and sound of just the mechanical action alone. I'm sure I've said more than I should have, here they come with the drugs and to put the straight jacket back on. Mike
 
I like knives because they cut things. I like good knives because I appreciate well made products.
 
It does seem hard to define. For me I think there is something that resonates with my primitive self, that this is a simple useful tool/weapon that man has used for centuries. And even though I'm not a SD nut or overly occupied with a knife's tactical nature, the simple weapon aspect does have some unexplained role in it's appeal to me. At the same time, a lot of the appeal for me is the simple but beautiful construction that modern production techniques can create. Something about a folder with very few parts (relative to most modern machines) but with super tight tolerances and attention to detail is just appealing to me, both in a tactile sense as well as a visually aesthetic sense. Then, of course, there is my compulsion to open and close knives while I'm surfing the web, watching tv, what have you (this obviously ties in to my tactile experience).

Most of my friends and family accept it (even if they don't understand). I've decided that the next time somebody asks why I need so many knives, when I have to find reasons to use them, I'll simply respond that compared to most collectibles, knives at least have intrinsic value.
 
My grandfather was a tool and die maker, my father is a machinist, I'm a (very amateur) knife maker.

Insofar as I believe that genetics predispose one toward such abstracts as career choices or hobbies, I will sometimes say "it's in my blood".

I agree with the philisophical argument that the knife is a link to our heritage, and a tool that will probably never lose it's usefulness in even the most civilized and urban contexts. I would also add that folders offer "mechanism fascination", and even the most decorative fixed blade harkens back to the promise of preparedness and capability for unforseen situations.

So are we all carrying around the equivalent of Dumbo's feather? Well, maybe. Realistically, I have never had the need to EDC anything more "tactical" than an SAK. And yet, I regularly carry a Mini-Griptilian, a Stubby Razel, and some others. Some of them have "tactical" cues, some do not, but in any case, their locks are far stronger, their blades far larger and heavier than I would "need". And yet, my life experience has taught me that, at the human level at least, the world looks very random. It's not that I have any illusions of surviving some variety of apocalypse because I have a knife with me, it's that I feel better equipped to deal with my day.

That's why I like knives.
 
There are a number of reasons I like knives. For one, we are talking about one of the oldest and most useful tools known to man. While animals have teeth and claws, a knife is the only thing that can give us a similar edge in nature. Combined with superior intelligence, it's quite a combination. Secondly, it's amazing just what can be done to increase the function of such a simple piece of equipment. Some people are into pens, others like watches, lighters. Chicks like shoes and purses. It's all the same. It's an appreciation for the quality and craftsmanship that goes into something. A;; we are really talking about is a sharp object with a means to grasp it safely. All the ways in which this can be done is just amazing.
 
blade junkie said:
Haha no need for a reason. The tread makes me feel a bit more normal.lol. Everytime my girlfriend makes a knife comment. "another knife" or why so many. My response is usually why so many handbags or shoes!
Click to expand...

Good for you! For Scagel's sake, I like vanilla ice cream, too, but I don't feel I have to defend it. And people don't ask me to.

I do like knives because I enjoy simple tools and I appreciate the thought, craftsmanship, and skill that goes into making a well-made knife. But to the people who ask me why I like knives, I typically say "I just do." Because it seems like the people who ask think that you shouldn't like them for some reason.
 
I'm fascinated by all things that take precision construction to function at high levels. Nice knives, Nice tools, Nice lighters, Fine cigars, powerful cars... all this has intrigued me forever.
 
I like knives because my mother would't let me play with fire.
I like knives because it's hard to skin game or fish without them.
I like knives because my fingers would be just to damned handsome without a few scars on them.
I like knives because knives like me.

jwh
 
They're a relatively simple concept that has been around nearly since the dawn of intelligent life, and yet can range from a sharp stone tied to a stick, to incredible works of art. I think it's great that there can be so much innovation and artistry around something that's so eminently useful and overtly simple. There are very few things outside of knives that are as widely useful in so many aspects of life. Do you carry anything else (besides money, perhaps), that you feel is MORE useful on a regular basis? I can't think of much!
 
Oh one more thing I'd like to add. Knives last forever...the kind I buy anyways... I think if you ever wanted to pass a collection down to kids/family etc; what would be of more value, some honest to goodness tools or a stack of trading cards, stamps, beer cans/bottles, things of that nature... lol
 
I like knives because you can't do J S without cutting something. :)

Plus, I love tools and knives are one of the most primary tools.
 
I don't know. I'll ask my psychiatrist tomorrow.
In the mean time, I came up with a theory:
knife=weapon
you+weapon=increased confidence
increased confidence is the result of an in increase of serotonin in your brain... so knife=increased serotonin which feels good to the brain.
Is just a theory but I think it might be right.
 
My dad always says "Life is always easier if you have the right tools." While I find that it can be taken metaphorically to also mean skills, determination, knowledge, etc. There's just something about handling and using a sharp, well-made knife to accomplish a cutting task. How sharp and how well-made...that's where being a bladenut comes into play. A lot of people can get by with a decent knife to do the job, then there are nuts like us that obsess about having the best knife possible to do the job even better.
 
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