Knives- What is the big deal?

[Edbon09]

I want to throw out a question to you that I have been asking myself, why the heck do we like knives? Especially those of use that get in to the high end ones. I mean really, I have a safe full of knives that I spent a great deal of money on, and I can't quite figure out why. That being said, I look for new ones all the time! We all read about them, talk about them, and even write about them, and when you get right down to it, the knife is really only a very simple tool that mankind has used for thousands of years. I, like all of you, appreciate the craftsmanship and talent that goes into designing and making knives, but is that the reason for the addiction to them? What is the draw? Why do we EDC rotate them for no real reason (most of us)? Just throwing out that question to everyone. I would love to hear why your hooked as well.

 

[Lycosa]

The knife is man's oldest tool and constant companion. That runs deep man.

 

[Sufler]

The knife is man's oldest tool and constant companion. That runs deep man.

If that old man saw how much you spend on knives today he'd slap you over the head and call you silly.

 

[Clem Kadiddlehopper]

I think they are beautiful, so simple and can be made thousands of different ways.

 

[singularity35]

Let's wait for the powernoodle analysis. That will probably shed a lot of light.

 

[Lycosa]

sufler- Broh, I edc a $18. Bucklite.

 

[HillBill]

For me its the combination of materials and styles that work together to give you something both aesthetically beautiful, yet completely functional and useful for so many purposes.

There is no limit to what can be achieved by a skilled maker Endless scope and variation, from simple everyday tools to artistic masterpieces that will stand the test of time. They will be around long after the maker has gone to meet their maker Some in private collections, others in museums. We are but one link in a chain that spans thousands of years in human history. Long may it continue

 

[Sufler]

I read somewhere that the act of collecting things was a psychological disorder attempting to overcompensate for something. So... we're all nuts with little nuts.

 

[johansson D]

People buy paintings and hang'em on the walls, and
you can't even cut with a painting

 

[Shorttime]

+1 so far. The act of carrying a knife can reflect a recognition that the world does not always go as planned, and preparedness can dramatically alter the outcome of the situation in your favor. It also makes the daily annoyances of our pre-packaged society a little easier to open, without using your teeth or car keys.

Finally, as Lycosa started to say, the knife has been with us for thousands, if not millions of years, and for those of us who recognize how transient our mortality is, the knife can serve as a link to heritage and history. It is not only a practical tool, it is also a symbol, and the combination of the two can be very powerful.

 

[sunnyd]

Its the never ending quest for the 'perfect' cutting tool.. That is we are always searching for something just a little bit better, be it beauty of the materials, mechanics of the knife, blade steel type, grind, cutting edge profile, ect..

The eternal search goes on and on, and on..

 

[chrisfa]

I want to throw out a question to you that I have been asking myself, why the heck do we like knives? Especially those of use that get in to the high end ones. I mean really, I have a safe full of knives that I spent a great deal of money on, and I can't quite figure out why. That being said, I look for new ones all the time! We all read about them, talk about them, and even write about them, and when you get right down to it, the knife is really only a very simple tool that mankind has used for thousands of years. I, like all of you, appreciate the craftsmanship and talent that goes into designing and making knives, but is that the reason for the addiction to them? What is the draw? Why do we EDC rotate them for no real reason (most of us)? Just throwing out that question to everyone. I would love to hear why your hooked as well.

I think most people EDC rotate them that way they feel like their using all of their stuff, to help justify that they aren't wasting their money on them because all of them get use.

 

[Elgreco]

I wanted to buy all sorts of guns and start collecting them. But then I remembered I'm poor and knives are more practical. Still love my ruger sr9 though.

 

[powernoodle]

why the heck do we like knives?

Like guns, flashlights and multitools, they allow us to manipulate our environments, rather than be manipulated by them.

I read somewhere that the act of collecting things was a psychological disorder attempting to overcompensate for something. So... we're all nuts with little nuts.

This.

that the reason for the addiction to them?

As I have brilliantly noted before, for many of us - me included - knives serve as a temporary distraction from our subconscious inner turmoil. Some people use drugs, others cigs or alcohol or internet porn. We use knives. The planning, the online reviews, the hunt, the purchase, the staring at the mailbox and the opening - they each anesthetize us from the worries and turmoil and angst that are part of being human. So for a short while, we are distracted. When the distraction quickly fades, we start looking for the next knife or MT or whatever, and the process starts over. This is how many of us end up with dozens of knives. Its why we sit there and flip our knife open 9000 times while watching Sportscenter. The brain is focused on the thwack, as it would otherwise be reverting to the angst. For us, knives are comfort food for the brain.

This is the basic mechanism at play in all of hoarding. Its variants including crazy collecting, survivalism, extreme couponing, etc.

Not everyone who buys knives excessively can be characterized in this manner, but I think it is true for the vast majority.

What else can explain this but the action of deep, unseen psychological forces at play?

 

[powernoodle]

Let's wait for the powernoodle analysis. That will probably shed a lot of light.

Missed this post. Thanks for recognizing that I live on the fringes of sanity. :thumbup:

 

[Bigfatts]

I started collecting rifles. Old Euro sporters mostly. Mausers, stalking rifles, etc. but I always had a fondness for knives, ever since my grandpa gave me my first Barlow when I was a little kid. Then I realized I could buy several nice knives for less than 1 of the rifles I liked to buy.

ETA: Wow Powernoodle. Talk about hitting the nail on the head.

 

[Nauplios]

It's all in your head. There is absolutely no true need to rotate through a bunch of different daily carry knives. The variation, pride of ownership, addiction, etc. is all psychological. You only need a maximum of two mobile knives, and the larger of those will only see limited use and only when the anticipated need to use it arises.:jaded:

 

[Spokklett]

Versatile, historic, efficient and plain awesome. A great knife is the most useful companion a man can have.

 

[BrentD86]

For me, I can honestly say it is an addiction hunting and buying them. As far as carrying different knives go I agree with the pride of ownership statement made above. If I buy a nice knife I don't want to hide it away, I want to take them around and show them off/explain what makes them special. Most of my friends humor me but I realize they understand something is wrong in my head just as much as I do.

 

[Chuka]

I didn't really know the reason either until I came across this quote by Bob Loveless... it really resonated with me

"When a man picks up a knife, there's an old memory from the collective unconscious that surfaces. A knife is an atavistic experience. It was man's first tool and weapon. Man was chipping flint into cutting edges before he invented the wheel. No matter how sophisticated we become, a knife takes us back to the cave."