- Joined
- Dec 27, 2010
- Messages
- 6,852
I have exactly zero safe queens. Many of us, myself included, EDC blades that cost more than 350 dollars, and use them on a regular basis. I like stonewash blades because they don't show use as much. I also take good care of my blades, so they tend to stay looking decent, despite regular use on a daily basis.
I also take primarily beauty shots of my knives, because sometimes, a good knife just deserves to be shown off. Same way a good woman likes to dress up and be taken out on the town. My wife would probably stab me if I put up pics of her in her working outfits. My knives would probably stab me if I put up pics of them all dirty and scuzzy, and frankly, nobody wants to see that. This forum tends to attract lovers of blades, and just because we put up beauty shots, doesn't mean the knives don't see use. I have to say, intended or not, your wording could be a little more diplomatic. The one of these threads you put in the Becker subforum seemed rather offensive and rude to me, and that's a much more lax group often than the general crowd. Just saying. You could have just said "let's see some shots of your knives in use," and gotten the same effect, without the insults to people who like to put up beauty shots of their blades. For that matter, there's a lot of art that goes into getting a good beauty shot, and showing off the knife to full effect. I also would submit that you would benefit from spending some time thinking about the alternate perspective. By your logic, nobody should purchase a katana, because frankly, who among us really has a NEED for a sword. It's not like any of us are ever likely to use one for its intended purpose. Also, people should never make ornate knives, because knives are made to be used. Would YOU use a knife like, say, Buster Warenski's King Tut dagger for its "intended purpose" of cutting?
I'm not really a fan of the premise of this thread, despite my own preferences for never buying a blade I won't use, if only because the way it's presented comes off, to me, as rather rude, and entirely dismissive of the collector's culture, which is in my view perfectly legitimate. It's also dismissive (and evidently ignorant) of the rationale behind beauty shots in the first place, and almost entirely devoid of appreciation for the inherent artistic value within a good beauty shot. This isn't the only one of these threads you've created in a short period of time, and that, to me, begs the question of why? I'm sure you don't mean to come off this way, but in my opinion, trolling can best be avoided by presenting one's own opinion, complete with reasoning or evidence, and by AVOIDING making judgmental comments where possible.
All of my knives are tools, true, but for me, a knife is as much an object of beauty as it is a tool. And, I spend the bulk of my time around people who understand that knives are tools, but never see the beauty inherent in a good knife. Blade Forums is one of the few places I can come and spend time with like-minded folks who also understand that there's more to a knife than just using it. And ask any knifemaker on here if they approve of folks who use knives just as tools, without respect for its status as something MORE than just a tool. Often times, those people are the sort to ABUSE a knife, and they won't take care of it, sharpen it, etc. As far as I'm concerned, what makes Blade Forums great is that it's a community of people who actually understand and appreciate the artistic value and the soul of the steel, beyond just its utility for "cutting stuff." Sure, the occasional thread about using our knives is nice. But don't make the mistake of assuming that people on here don't use their knives, or that a knife that's had a beauty shot never gets used.
For instance, I've processed an entire cord of firewood with this gladius:
It still looks like that, because I oiled it after and buffed it.
This knife was carried and used hard every day for more than a year, and helped me pry open some elevator doors when I got stuck in an elevator with my boss.
This one has been used to clear brush, cook dinner, flip burgers, and cut up boxes.
Don't presume to know the story behind a blade just because a picture of the blade posing in pristine condition gets put up on the forums. If that's all you're getting out of it, I'd say you're missing the point. Hopefully this doesn't get me in trouble; I feel it's responsive to the topic of the thread, and hopefully clarifies why you've been getting so much push-back. I believe it's always instructive to consider that most people you disagree with, contrary to popular belief, aren't actually idiots, and may have good reasons that you haven't considered for believing what they do. Doesn't mean they're RIGHT, of course, but a little respect for the other side never hurt anyone.
I also take primarily beauty shots of my knives, because sometimes, a good knife just deserves to be shown off. Same way a good woman likes to dress up and be taken out on the town. My wife would probably stab me if I put up pics of her in her working outfits. My knives would probably stab me if I put up pics of them all dirty and scuzzy, and frankly, nobody wants to see that. This forum tends to attract lovers of blades, and just because we put up beauty shots, doesn't mean the knives don't see use. I have to say, intended or not, your wording could be a little more diplomatic. The one of these threads you put in the Becker subforum seemed rather offensive and rude to me, and that's a much more lax group often than the general crowd. Just saying. You could have just said "let's see some shots of your knives in use," and gotten the same effect, without the insults to people who like to put up beauty shots of their blades. For that matter, there's a lot of art that goes into getting a good beauty shot, and showing off the knife to full effect. I also would submit that you would benefit from spending some time thinking about the alternate perspective. By your logic, nobody should purchase a katana, because frankly, who among us really has a NEED for a sword. It's not like any of us are ever likely to use one for its intended purpose. Also, people should never make ornate knives, because knives are made to be used. Would YOU use a knife like, say, Buster Warenski's King Tut dagger for its "intended purpose" of cutting?
I'm not really a fan of the premise of this thread, despite my own preferences for never buying a blade I won't use, if only because the way it's presented comes off, to me, as rather rude, and entirely dismissive of the collector's culture, which is in my view perfectly legitimate. It's also dismissive (and evidently ignorant) of the rationale behind beauty shots in the first place, and almost entirely devoid of appreciation for the inherent artistic value within a good beauty shot. This isn't the only one of these threads you've created in a short period of time, and that, to me, begs the question of why? I'm sure you don't mean to come off this way, but in my opinion, trolling can best be avoided by presenting one's own opinion, complete with reasoning or evidence, and by AVOIDING making judgmental comments where possible.
All of my knives are tools, true, but for me, a knife is as much an object of beauty as it is a tool. And, I spend the bulk of my time around people who understand that knives are tools, but never see the beauty inherent in a good knife. Blade Forums is one of the few places I can come and spend time with like-minded folks who also understand that there's more to a knife than just using it. And ask any knifemaker on here if they approve of folks who use knives just as tools, without respect for its status as something MORE than just a tool. Often times, those people are the sort to ABUSE a knife, and they won't take care of it, sharpen it, etc. As far as I'm concerned, what makes Blade Forums great is that it's a community of people who actually understand and appreciate the artistic value and the soul of the steel, beyond just its utility for "cutting stuff." Sure, the occasional thread about using our knives is nice. But don't make the mistake of assuming that people on here don't use their knives, or that a knife that's had a beauty shot never gets used.
For instance, I've processed an entire cord of firewood with this gladius:
It still looks like that, because I oiled it after and buffed it.
This knife was carried and used hard every day for more than a year, and helped me pry open some elevator doors when I got stuck in an elevator with my boss.
This one has been used to clear brush, cook dinner, flip burgers, and cut up boxes.
Don't presume to know the story behind a blade just because a picture of the blade posing in pristine condition gets put up on the forums. If that's all you're getting out of it, I'd say you're missing the point. Hopefully this doesn't get me in trouble; I feel it's responsive to the topic of the thread, and hopefully clarifies why you've been getting so much push-back. I believe it's always instructive to consider that most people you disagree with, contrary to popular belief, aren't actually idiots, and may have good reasons that you haven't considered for believing what they do. Doesn't mean they're RIGHT, of course, but a little respect for the other side never hurt anyone.
