Knives as status symbols?

uofaengr said:
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?
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Status symbol for whom? I remember asking someone who was wearing a several million dollar designer item of jewelery whether they were at all concerned abouth being rob. She said not at all because everyone who saw it belived it to be just costume jewelry.

A knife is just a knife, until someone who can tell what it is sees it; and it is to that individual, and only that individual, that it conveys additional information.

This is a distinctive $250,000-$440,000 watch (the design is based on the Ferrari engine)....most people would be hard pressed to identify it as a watch, much less an expensive item in that price range. They would tell you their Timex is a far better watch. To the extent that it conveys status, it would only be recognized by a very tiny group.

hublot-masterpiece-mp-05-la-ferrari-watch-front.jpg


n2s
 
stabman said:
Now I just have to get XXXL tattooed on my... :D
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Some of us dont need a tattoo, if you know what I'm sayin'. Nudge, nudge, say no more, say no more.

But in all seriousness, if you are gonna whip out anything out of your pants at random people to impress them...make sure it's your knife. Trust me. Awkward!
 
Insipid Moniker said:
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.
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Agree very much. Much like a fine watch, I can appreciate a high level of craftsmanship beneath the fact it's a common tool.
marcinek said:
Yep. The odds of impressing a random person with your knife are incredibly slim.
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Thanks for keeping it pithy as always ;)
stabman said:
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.
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Very good points.


To be more clear, the status argument is usually made in a blog post or video where the author is dogging a certain aspect of a high end knife...often not even having owned said knife. Then via either jealousy or needing confirmation from said author of their combined misery, the "X knife is a tool, Y knife is a status symbol because I own X and not Y" dogpile begins. I wanted to get others' views on these fine critical thinking skills.
 
I think it all really depends on the person.

I buy expensive knives because I enjoy them. I don't buy them as a status symbol.

However, with things like Instagram I'm convinced that many people just buy things (like a $500 bottle opener or bead) just to show them off. If you've ever browsed the exchange you'll know what I'm talking about: "Direware for sale, carried for 3 months but never cut anything with it...asking $1,500". The same guy only posts in 2 areas of the forum, the exchange and the pic threads. I've seen it several times.

I understand that some people enjoy a fine blade but aren't faced with many cutting tasks in their life, perfectly fine. I just don't understand why some people need to make this a hobby a pissing match about who carries the most expensive or rarest knife (or bottle opener, spinny-top, bead, etc...).
 
Blues Bender said:
I think it all really depends on the person.

I buy expensive knives because I enjoy them. I don't buy them as a status symbol.

However, with things like Instagram I'm convinced that many people just buy things (like a $500 bottle opener or bead) just to show them off. If you've ever browsed the exchange you'll know what I'm talking about: "Direware for sale, carried for 3 months but never cut anything with it...asking $1,500". The same guy only posts in 2 areas of the forum, the exchange and the pic threads. I've seen it several times.

I understand that some people enjoy a fine blade but aren't faced with many cutting tasks in their life, perfectly fine. I just don't understand why some people need to make this a hobby a pissing match about who carries the most expensive or rarest knife (or bottle opener, spinny-top, bead, etc...).
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Human nature.
It hasn't nor will it change in our lifetime if ever.
 
Offcourse, a knife is like a lighter, or anything else.

A bic lighter can get the job done, but a Zippo does it better and with better looks.
A crappy knife can get the job done, but a A-brand does it better and almost always looks better.

Why do you think, top ranked phones are not black and brick styled anymore?

Nice forms and materials sell. Thats just how it is.

And if something is of great quality, you can see and feel it in the product.
 
iMarcoU said:
Nice forms and materials sell. Thats just how it is.

And if something is of great quality, you can see and feel it in the product.
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But not all nice things are status symbols.
A status symbol has to convey your status to others, or gain you status.
Knives don't do a very good job of that.

Expensive clothes (that are fashionable enough for others to know they're expensive), nice cars, watches like a Rolex that everyone knows is pricey, those things are status symbols, because they let others know you have the cash/status, and will impress them (increasing your status points).
 
I don't think of knives as status symbols, although i think there may be some here on the forums that think that way (increasing their "net-cred", as it were).

I really think that status symbols are only impressive to those that use the items that are being flaunted. For instance, I see a lot here saying watches are status symbols. That may be true for some, but I can't tell a difference, and would have no idea how much any given watch would cost, nor can I identify a Rolex (unless it says it super large and obviously). So to me, I don't associate watches as being a status symbol.

With that in mind, I feel that houses, and cars, and somewhat clothes are the main status symbols (other than maybe the size of a tv?). Just because almost everyone interacts with them all the time, and so they are more likely to notice one that is "different".

So no, I don't think of knives like that.
 
stabman said:
But not all nice things are status symbols.
A status symbol has to convey your status to others, or gain you status.
Knives don't do a very good job of that.

Expensive clothes (that are fashionable enough for others to know they're expensive), nice cars, watches like a Rolex that everyone knows is pricey, those things are status symbols, because they let others know you have the cash/status, and will impress them (increasing your status points).
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I agree, but showing off your Zirconium/Timascus/multi-row bearing/superconductor bolster'd/sooper-steel/only-2-made folder will definately raise your status on Instagram or maybe in certain areas of this forum:D

Status-symbol in day to day life? No...

Internet status symbol? Quite possibly!
 
uofaengr said:
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?
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That is unless... To play Devil's advocate, one is operating within a subculture of knife nutters like bf, then sometimes it is a status symbol.

I'm not saying to me it is, anymore at least... But until I actually got a +$100 Spyderco or a CRK at varying pooints in time, or even a custom fixed blade there was a certain pang of incompleteness in my body of experience with pocket knives that left me wanting. It was an itch that needed to be scratched if I had the means to.

And p.s. Contrary to pricey knives whenever I pass over a tiny slipjoint for someone else to use to cut a thread they seem to marvel that folks still carry something so old timey and novel.

Whereas whipping out the CRK 21 usually got me "what are you doing with that thing and why would you pay that much for it!"
 
Maybe (theoretically) there is a planet somewhere in existence where knives are the most important things there are. Or perhaps someone is just going Into the Badlands. Then the relative badness your edc would command some respect.
 
BladeScout said:
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.
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I agree with this. I have a few nicer knives that sit in a safe and never get used. I don't need them but like having them. No one ever sees them.
 
Status symbol??? Really?? Warm beer is around back!!!;) John :thumbup:
 
iMarcoU said:
Offcourse, a knife is like a lighter, or anything else.

A bic lighter can get the job done, but a Zippo does it better and with better looks.
A crappy knife can get the job done, but a A-brand does it better and almost always looks better.

Why do you think, top ranked phones are not black and brick styled anymore?

Nice forms and materials sell. Thats just how it is.

And if something is of great quality, you can see and feel it in the product.
Click to expand...

I halfway agree. A Zippo is undeniably cooler than a Bic, but I've never found them to work better and actually, in some ways, I think they're worse. Similarly, a Rolex can be damn cool, but it will be outperformed in almost every possible way by a fairly humble digital watch. And there are many, many fancy folders, including any number of customs, that will be pretty handily outdone by a humble Opinel.
 
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