Meeting knife nuts in real life, outside of Bladeforums...

I've got a sneaking suspicion that my girlfriend's father might be a knife guy. When I first met him i noticed he was carrying what looked to be a Benchmade Monochrome judging by the pocket clip. What really tipped me off was when he had a Ka-Bar kukri sitting out on the dining room table. I've yet to really get to talk to him and find out unfortunately.

 

I once ran into a mentally challenged fellow at a local sports/hunting store who started giving me knife advice on a cheapo OTF, told me all about how he lost one in a mans belly. Havnt had much luck with running into knife people.

 

I went to my usual gunstore haunt and out of 6 people there, 4 of us were carrying knives clipped to pockets. Only thing is the 3 of them were carrying Chinese K/O's. Anyhoo knife people are knife people.

 

I agree that guns steal the thunder. None of my associates want to spend even $50 on a knife. That's their ammo money.

 

If I met a girl who could tell me that I'd marry her. No need to explain to the wife why you just had to buy "another knife just like the others" in the collection.

The first I met a bunch of knife enthusiasts face to face was quite enlightening. With a table full of guys brandishing knives in animated fashion and the amount of noise we were making it was probably only because the manager of the restaurant was sitting with us that somebody didn't call the cops.

 

I've only met one in person, outside of B&M knife shops and shows.

Got into a conversation with a white-haired white-bearded gentleman at work one day, we ended up surreptitiously comparing EDC in the office. He didn't like thumb studs, didn't trust them wet, and so favored Spyderco. Goes to the local shows (more than I do). We don't live close, don't hang out. Don't know if it's a coincidence, but of the four CompSci PhDs I've worked with, he was the only one that could do more than talk convincingly. He could actually program, and well. It was a shock.

IMHO, knife nuts are born. My parents would never have considered carrying such a thing (unlike my grandfathers, both sides). I grew up with ZERO influence or experience in that direction, bought my first jack-knife with saved allowance at maybe seven years old, and have carried ever since except where it's prohibited by law (and once in a while where it was). Got it trouble a couple of times for carrying, my parents were appalled and humiliated.

My younger brother seems to have gotten some of it, my parents were appalled all over again. At least in my own case, I can pretty safely say that it wasn't environment.