Missunderstood with knives

[bladeboss]

Ehh.... Not so much.
Everyone I talk to knows that high quality=high price, but they don't see it necessary. They question why I need a high quality knife when a Walmart cheapo works too.
Kinda like "why buy a Mercedes when an old farm truck works too?"
As for carrying it, no one cares and I have never had dirty looks.
I live in a country environment.

 

[X_shooter]

I told the sister in law that me buying knives made more sense than her buying those stretchy work out pants. My knives are actually used and I have never heard of her working out. Never heard another word about it.

 

[uofaengr]

I told the sister in law that me buying knives made more sense than her buying those stretchy work out pants. My knives are actually used and I have never heard of her working out. Never heard another word about it.

LOL, I think you won this thread.

I know people who spend hundreds of dollars every few months on the latest gadget that will be obsolete in the following 6 months. I feel good knowing my expensive tools will last me decades if properly cared for.

 

[The1trueBeavis]

You collect classic cars? $40,000 Camaro? Whoa! So cool!
You collect firearms? $2500 AR? Awesome!
You collect knives? $180 benchmade? Completely ridiculous you're a fool does nothing better blah blah blah.
Anyone else notice this trend?

 

[Sullie]

Ya I come here to talk and learn about knives because I don't know too many people who are into them.
I have never had a stranger ask about my knife. My wives family kinda questioned why I had a knife when we first started dating, now my 3 brother inlaws and father inlaw all carry knives that I bought them except one brother inlaw who bought his own. I present them as tools and use them as such. If you pull out your knife as if it is a weapon and use it like one while practicing crazy cool tactical draws than you will get a raised eyebrow, especially from me.
I don't think it is having a knife that is the problem but how you present yourself and knife that cause problems

 

[Marko3]

I think most people think knife collecting is off the beaten path. But there are more folks than you think that do and you don't even know it. . I am a collector and a knife maker that's another animal in itself .. I almost feel that I can't share my passion with anyone . I almost feel sometimes I have to hide it just so I don't have to explain myself.

 

[bladeboss]

You collect classic cars? $40,000 Camaro? Whoa! So cool!
You collect firearms? $2500 AR? Awesome!
You collect knives? $180 benchmade? Completely ridiculous you're a fool does nothing better blah blah blah.
Anyone else notice this trend?

Yup. "Hey check out my new $500 cell phone"
"SWEET!"

"Hey check out my $250 knife!"
"What, are you stupid!?"

 

[davek14]

I believe in live and let live. Anyone who disagrees with that should be taken out and shot.


I live near Cincinnati and work over the river in Kentucky so I see both the country and the city attitude. I carry little slipjoints while not at work. There are still occasionally anal-retentive sheeple but they are in the minority and not really a problem. I think they are the same idjits who cut in front of you at the mall.

 

[dtoad]

I carry what knife I want, when I want and could give a flat rats a$$ about what anyone thinks.

Great thread, thanks for posting, and yes am here because of peeps just like you

 

[ToxicBot11]

Yup. "Hey check out my new $500 cell phone"
"SWEET!"

"Hey check out my $250 knife!"
"What, are you stupid!?"

If someone told me they spent $500 on a cell phone I'd be calling them stupid.

As for knives I've been carrying a Millie for years and never had one question about it.

I don't wave it around in public or pull it out to show off and never tell people I have it..IMO its none of their business and "non-knife" people don't get jumpy/antsy about what they don't know.

Most of the time I forget its even there till needed.

Common sense and discretion go along ways towards avoiding problems like this.

 

[DedRok]

My theory is, don't be ashamed.

A woman has a closet full of 10-20 different kinds of shoes ranging from $50-200, some are occasional, some are casual, some are simply never worn because they are so uncomfortable. This exact needless collection of shoes isn't it any different from owning 20 different knives. This is how I usually explain it to people using me and my girlfriend as examples... People usually agree that yes they might not understand it "why so many", but they understand that why you simply enjoy it.

I also am still smart about where I use my knives, because obviously they aren't for everyone... just like public breast feeding.

 

[uofaengr]

Another thing I've found to be true is, and I think it's awesome:

Collecting expensive knives? "Don't see the need in all that. That's dumb, I wouldn't pay more than $15 for a knife, hold on, my $600 cell phone is ringing."

When they find out you can sharpen? "Aw man, that's so cool! Here's a pile of cash can you sharpen all these things for me?"

Cha-ching.

 

[Jesse B.]

It's disheartening when people pathologize an innocuous hobby. Upon casually mentioning my interest in knives and knife collecting to a co-worker, she made an off-hand comment along the lines of: "You must be the one that the neighbors worry about." I just sort of brushed it off at the time, but it bothered me because I carry knives not just for their utility, but as a tangible spiritual link to my ancestors. For that reason, it's difficult to abide this sort of intolerance.

 

[RevDevil]

If they are, I don't hear about it or pick up on it.

Then again I don't go flipping my knives around in my office. If I have to use one, I discretely open it, use it, and put it away. I'm not flailing around with it to draw attention to myself.

I have a good friend that is into archery, I have a good friend that is into ice fishing, and my wife is into gardening. I don't really get into any of those but I don't think they're creepy by any means. To each their own.

Good post. I don't go around gushing about a relentless obsession with knives, but it's just a hobby to me. Don't get me wrong, love knives. I just do my thing and try not to behave in such a way that would draw negative attention to myself. There are a lot of people out in the world that sit on the edge of their seats, waiting to "tattle tale" on their fellow humans and stir something up out of nothing. I've seen it at work, some folks make your business the sole focus of their existence and can make mountains out of molehills.

 

[jfalkos]

I told the sister in law that me buying knives made more sense than her buying those stretchy work out pants. My knives are actually used and I have never heard of her working out. Never heard another word about it.

Are family gatherings awkward now?

 

[stabman]

Usually nobody is even aware that I am carrying a knife. And if I need to use it to open a snack package or a carton at work, it is out of my pocket, opened up, done it's work, and back in my pocket in less than a blink of an eye. Not that I fear that someone will see my knife, it is because quick-drawing a knife from concealment is one of my key martial art studies and I practice it all the time to see how fast I can do it, and keep my skills up, like how the great samurai legend Miyamoto Musashi stresses in his Book of Five Rings.

Huh...
Not much else to say.

 

[22-rimfire]

Guns and knives, same reaction is common. Accept it.

 

[stabman]

Guns and knives, same reaction is common. Accept it.

No!!!



Not too many weird reactions of my own to report, just the usual "Why would you carry a knife?" when opening something they asked me to open.
To which the answer is to point at what was being cut or opened and say "This."

 

[fetzer85]

I don't know if I can be considered as misunderstood if I don't understand it myself.

 

[TBL]

I find lots of people misunderstand me and my carry. I make the choice to wear a knife on my belt in open carry as per Canadian law. As long as you do not make any attempts to hide what you are carrying and can justify its use as a tool you can carry it (or so it was explained to me by a few police officers). I have had a multitude of reactions from the sheeple that gawk and comment but i have also met some kind hearted individuals who thanked me for bringing back memories of their fathers that used to do the same thing (40+ years ago). Just because it is not something that many people do now-a-days does not make it illegal. The sheep are just misinformed and the media breeds fear into them about everything under and including the sun. I will always carry my EDC tools with me and I'm old enough now that I don't care what other people think.

I do like to come here to drool over steel and it is refreshing to find people with the same hobbies and interests. The wealth of knowledge in this forum is also another thing that draws me here. I think i learn something new every day by reading some new threads.

I believe all of us only have one problem (that is not our obsession)... we never have enough money for all the knives we want (or need).