Off Topic "Mall Ninja" : Is just mere ownership of certain types of blade enough to earn the title ?

[Dav1]

Not a term used or at least I'm familiar with in the UK. I'm weapons trained (not firearms but in a martial arts sense). I've spent over 30 years in a confrontational environment/job and certainly wouldn't dream of using a knife for self defence, much better options even in the UK where there's strict no public firearms carry.

I buy the knife/knives I want regardless of any perception of their image.

 

[seanj]

I've always been suspicious a well known member of Glock Talk started the whole thing as a joke just to see how far they could take it. I doubt they will ever fess up though.

 

[BSheppard]

I've always been suspicious a well known member of Glock Talk started the whole thing as a joke just to see how far they could take it. I doubt they will ever fess up though.

Well he did a REALLY great job if he did. A lot of that is just classic, even if he was putting on.

 

[DangerZone98]

If the term has any validity at all , I always thought it should apply only to some kind of inappropriate , obnoxious public display of weapons .

I thought it might also apply to poorly designed and/or junky tacticool stuff that pretend to be actual weapons .

So , what does this label mean to you (if anything ) ?

Cold Steels are probably the closest to “functional mall ninja” items. Absolutely ridiculous and impractical at times (maybe most of the time), but they’ll withstand more punishment than prettier knives several times more expensive.

Your standard mall ninja kit, in contrast, will fall apart after one nudge from a malnourished kitten.

 

[DangerZone98]

Partially serrated tanto folders.

Serrated anything, really.

 

[greater]

Serrated anything, really.

Serrations are good.

Cold Steel may not be above marketing to mall nijas however I literally can't think of any Cold Steel design that is a fantasy knife. Lynn Thompson really is a practiced edged weapons expert. His products are high quality tools of whatever purposes they are designed for. His meat cutting videos can be misleading but they are revealing if you take the time to watch them. They also are entertaining.

 

[DocJD]

Serrated anything, really.

Nope ! Here we differ ,

Serrations can be very useful for fast and efficient cutting of flexible fibrous material .

Can be a life saver , when time matters . Or simply save time and energy for chores .

Ropes , lines , vines , belts , straps etc .

Especially in an emergency .

 

[chalby]

Serrated knives have their place. There are jobs that are much better suited to serrated edges.

Having said that, 90% of what I use a knife for I would prefer a plain edge, therefore I wouldn't generally carry a serrated knife. Partial serrations IMO make the knife almost useless. Not enough of either to be effective.

I like having the serrated blade on the Leatherman Wave though, despite not really using it very often.

 

[craytab]

Serrated anything, really.

Most knife folks would disagree. They may not like serrations on the day to day, but they do know they can be very effective and have their place. For an emergency knife or if I have a ton of yard work to get done, a serrated spyderco salt knfe is going in my pocket.

 

[DangerZone98]

Serrations are good.

Cold Steel may not be above marketing to mall nijas however I literally can't think of any Cold Steel design that is a fantasy knife. Lynn Thompson really is a practiced edged weapons expert. His products are high quality tools of whatever purposes they are designed for. His meat cutting videos can be misleading but they are revealing if you take the time to watch them. They also are entertaining.

Not fantasy as in “super out there” perhaps, but take the Chaos Bowie for instance. Not exactly practical, but I enjoy owning one anyway.

 

[BlindMouse2of3]

I like both serrated and non serrated blades. I dislike combo blades. I can have occasion to do a fair bit of cutting at work and a fully serrated matriarch does that amazingly well. A small plain blade is also a must for more refined tasks.

 

[scdub]

Wait a sec guys - being a Mall Ninja is a BAD thing???

I got my XL Talwar with the specific intent of finally earning my MN Merit Badge…

 

[BlindMouse2of3]

Wait a sec guys - being a Mall Ninja is a BAD thing???

I got my XL Talwar with the specific intent of finally earning my MN Merit Badge…

View attachment 1959992

Sadly I think you are mistaken. That talwar looks to useful and unless I'm mistaken you spent some time to get the lanyard on there. Maybe order up a clingon batlith (sorry Trekkies I'm not looking up how to spell it no offense intended)

 

[K.O.D.]

Serrated anything, really.

I too must disconcur. Serrations have their place, partial less so.

 

[DocJD]

And no, I don’t have a neck beard.

If not for my wife , I probably would , just from neglect .

 

[knarfeng]

"Mall Ninja" : Is just mere ownership of certain types of blade enough to earn the title ?​

So , what does this label mean to you (if anything ) ?

Nope. As the sayings go, "There's no accounting for taste." & "It's not what you got, it's what you do with it."
(Yes, I know the second one is usually applied to a different type of "weapon". It still applies here.)

There is no problem if a person enjoys "flamboyant" knives. There is a problem if all he can do is talk about how much damage he can do with them.

 

[DocJD]

Nope. As the sayings go, "There's no accounting for taste." & "It's not what you got, it's what you do with it."
(Yes, I know the second one is usually applied to a different type of "weapon". It still applies here.)

There is no problem if a person enjoys "flamboyant" knives. There is a problem if all he can do is talk about how much damage he can do with them.

This is my take also , basically .

There are BF members that have many Mall Ninja type blades , but only have them under glass for display .

My own carry is as discreet as possible . Most of the extreme gear never leaves home .

IMO . to qualify for "Mall Ninja" requires some sort of bad behavior, not simply ownership of martial knives / swords .

 

[K.O.D.]

Nope. As the sayings go, "There's no accounting for taste." & "It's not what you got, it's what you do with it."
(Yes, I know the second one is usually applied to a different type of "weapon". It still applies here.)

There is no problem if a person enjoys "flamboyant" knives. There is a problem if all he can do is talk about how much damage he can do with them.

For some reason reading "flamboyant knives " cued images of Elton John dancing across the stage with a pink feather boa in one hand and a Gil Hibben dragon themed knife in the other.

2am K.O.D. has a very weird imagination.

 

[Chronovore]

Nope. As the sayings go, "There's no accounting for taste." & "It's not what you got, it's what you do with it."
(Yes, I know the second one is usually applied to a different type of "weapon". It still applies here.)

There is no problem if a person enjoys "flamboyant" knives. There is a problem if all he can do is talk about how much damage he can do with them.

So just to be clear, we're all cool to invest in a totally rad pair of fist claws so long as we don't talk about all the high-speed, low-drag, ninja-slaying we can do with them.

 

[Kirk Raptor]

Mall ninja? Your BudK shopper, of course!