Knives as status symbols?

U

uofaengr

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Jan 9, 2014
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I've seen this topic around the Internet and see the argument commonly used in YouTube comments usually in videos featuring knives over a certain price point. It's obvious there is a point of diminished returns, but that's true in many things. Realistically, there is a knife for everyone at every price point as even a $5 gas station special will likely do the job.

I view a status symbol as maybe a fancy watch or car, for example, probably even more so than a house. Everyone sees your car or jewelry every single day. Yes, there ARE enthusiasts out there that appreciate the finer details of each and are willing to spend the coin to have those things and enjoy them and could care less about what status it may or may not give them, but some buy them solely to impress others. Additionally, watches and cars are accepted symbols in society recognized as being wealthy or important, and everyone can recognize a Rolex, diamond earrings, or a Bentley.

Why I feel the status symbol argument doesn't correlate to knives is that knives are not an accepted thing in society outside of enthusiasts and people who generally have common sense or use them in their job. Pulling up to a club in a Bentley will no doubt get even the most nerdy, timid, arrogant, anorexic, obese, etc guy laid, but average Joe trying to pull out his Mammoth Bark/Damascus Mnandi (or any knife featured on the Jim Skelton channel) to show a girl will likely lead to the opposite reaction (if she reacts positively, marry her).

Of all the days I've had a Hinderer, Strider, or CRK clip showing from my pocket, only one stranger recognized it and said something, a fellow enthusiast in a crowd of people. I kept the conversation short and sweet as it caught me off guard and I just don't bring up knives or any of my other hobbies around random people. I actually prefer for my knife not to be noticed and why I went for months to deep pocket carry. Whipping out your custom Southard at a new girlfriend's Christmas party to open everyone's gifts isn't gonna impress anyone and the ones who aren't terrified of you likely won't care or think you're a baller because the vast majority of the population don't carry a knife nor see the point, and a large percentage of those think no one should be able to carry a knife.

IMO anyone buying knives to elevate their status rather than to just enjoy cool knives are just doing it wrong, and I don't understand the argument. Is the argument a sour grapes thing? I thought I'd bring this up for discussion and trying not to be too long-winded while making my point so what are some of your thoughts?
 
They absolutely can be, but I don't think price alone distinguishes status knives.

Some of my favorite status symbol knives are Case bone-handled traditionals, available for ~$50 and gorgeous.
 
IMO a five dollar gas station knife WONT do 'the job.' Its simply too cheap.

A Jarbenza, Rostafrei or a Smatchet will of course do for ALL jobs - cleaning ones finger nails or building a space shuttle....and everything in between.

Undoubtedly some buy expensive knives solely to show them off and to elevate their own perceived status on the forums. Its a bit sad. All these well built solid knives kept pristine instead of being used and having the snot beat out of them.
 
They are not a status symbol at all.
As the original post says, no one outside a small group of people even cares at all what you spent on a knife.
And most of those are people you'll never meet in real life!

If it's a status symbol, it's the most limited, useless one I've ever heard of.
 
I'd agree that if you're trying to impress out IRL, your knife is possibly the last thing regular folks would notice. The car is probably #1 followed by clothes, shoes, watch, jewelry, MAYBE your wallet if it's a well known luxury brand. But with forums like this and social media like Instagram I can see the minute details making a difference. I wouldn't presume that the owner bought that gear SOLELY to impress their feed with a sweet pocket dump but more power to 'em if they did- not my money. They may be doing it wrong for the real world but I'll favorite that nice pic of your Sebenza/Rolex combo any day.
 
Yeah, I think the status symbol argument is a bit silly. I do think you can make a similar but more logical (and perhaps less insulting) argument that knives like the Sebenza are items to buy for the pride of ownership. There is a definite satisfaction that comes from owning nice things regardless of whether or not anyone else sees or appreciates them. Heck, plenty of people buy knives knowing full well they'll never carry or use them just for the satisfaction of having it.
 
marcinek said:
Yep. The odds of impressing a random person with your knife are incredibly slim.
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You mean I shouldn't run up to random people on the street and say "See my knife? Isn't it great? How do you like me now?" :D
 
Agreed: Outside the forums, few would be impressed by X brand knife. Some wont know, most dont give a hoot.

Sheeple think we are all nuts for spending our time and funds on more than one knife anyways.

Within the forums, some buy an expensive user knife or knives, never ever use the knives and only take it/them out of the safe for pics and showing off on the forums. The examples are legion. Call it a sad misplaced attempt of elevating ones status...... or call it something else. Its there.
 
BladeScout said:
Within the forums, some buy an expensive knife and only take it/them out of the safe for pics and showing off on the forums. The examples are legion. Call it a sad misplaced attempt of elevating ones status...... or call it something else. Its there.
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How about..."Net-cred"
 
If I wanted to impress someone I'd just whip out my big ten inch.... Fallkniven NL1. :D
It certainly impresses me.
 
If I went downtown to show off my Sebenza, I'd get a bunch of "meh".

If I tell folks how much I paid for it, I'd be called an idiot repeatedly.

Get a knife for what it does for you... not for what it might say to other people.
 
A man's status should be measured by his character. Not his knife, his watch, or his car. And where I'm from and where I am, knives are certainly an accepted thing in society.
 
Velitrius said:
If I tell folks how much I paid for it, I'd be called an idiot repeatedly.
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That actually worked in my favour before.
A girl at work thought my knife (that I was using to open some boxes and cut rubber hose) was a dangerous weapon...I might be dangerous too.
Then I told her how much it cost...I was no longer dangerous; I was only an idiot. :D
 
Yes they can be status symbols, but only to other knife collectors. The average Joe wouldnt know the difference between a slick-looking $5 truck show knife and a $2,000 custom folder. Nor would they care. If you tried to show it off, they wouldn't be impressed and would probably just question your sanity for spending $2,000 on a knife.

I don't discuss knives with anyone other than forums. It's my hobby but it's strictly my enjoyment. Relatives think a $20 byrd cara cara is outrageously expensive. I don't discuss higher end purchases with them nor show off my collection. They would crap their pants as they think any knife over $10 is absurd.
 
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Hah yeah, when someone finds out I'm carrying a $400 pocket knife it's a status symbol that says 'I'm an A-hole'.

Beyond that - I don't know anyone (in the flesh) who gives a crap about knives and I don't wear my knife on a necklace so I'm pretty sure it's not a status symbol for me personally.
 
stabman said:
You mean I shouldn't run up to random people on the street and say "See my knife? Isn't it great? How do you like me now?" :D
Click to expand...

Only if it is something with XXXL in its name, and you whip it out of your pants. That'll show those sheeple!
 
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