- Joined
- Dec 27, 2013
- Messages
- 10,017
Sir, I just have to say, the Klingons' noble weapon is called a Bat'leth. They've been used for many of their centuries to decide battles of honor in single-combat.
-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Morality and Knife Design
- Thread starter BlueRabbit
- Start date
Sir, I just have to say, the Klingons' noble weapon is called a Bat'leth. They've been used for many of their centuries to decide battles of honor in single-combat.
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2014
- Messages
- 15
This is an interesting discussion in all sorts of ways.
Does frequency of use/occurrence factor into the debate? How many thousands and thousands of combat knives are floating around that have never been used in a hostile situation, never drawn blood (well, someone else's blood), and so on?
I suppose the moral issue could trump all, but you could design and make a lot of combat knives and never have a single one draw blood. Or you could be the really unlucky bastard who designed a paring knife that a disgruntled prep cook used to go on a stabbing rampage that kills 47 people before he or she is subdued.
It's an interesting debate but if you're paralyzed by the moral implications of even just one person taking a knife you designed for utility and doing harm with it, knife making might not be for you.
Does frequency of use/occurrence factor into the debate? How many thousands and thousands of combat knives are floating around that have never been used in a hostile situation, never drawn blood (well, someone else's blood), and so on?
I suppose the moral issue could trump all, but you could design and make a lot of combat knives and never have a single one draw blood. Or you could be the really unlucky bastard who designed a paring knife that a disgruntled prep cook used to go on a stabbing rampage that kills 47 people before he or she is subdued.
It's an interesting debate but if you're paralyzed by the moral implications of even just one person taking a knife you designed for utility and doing harm with it, knife making might not be for you.
not2sharp
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Jun 29, 1999
- Messages
- 20,448
He can always learn to make "art knives". At that level there isn't a need to make it functonal not even to use proper materials and heat treatments or sharp edges. Those would amount to knife shaped decorative sculpture. Of course, even then, people could use the things to kill each others; not because they are purpose made weapons but because people can improvise a weapon from just about anything.
n2s
Did you hear about the lady who stabbed her husband with a ceramic squirrel?
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2013
- Messages
- 537
While I have enjoyed reading Mr. Hossom's thoughts on this, unfortunately I probably will never own one of his knives. I would like to hear from one/a couple of the knife makers who post knives for sale often here. I'm not calling anyone out....but since I own one of his knives and am proud to do so, I'd like to hear Robert Hankins thoughts on this. Also, Bradshaw blades has some interesting, and popular(to say the least) blade designs and I'm wondering what he has to say. Or not....
Knives are just tools until they are weapons. Personally I don't see how a knifemaker could/should feel any guilt if his creation is used harm someone. Did Sam Colt quit making firearms? John Browning?
Oh, BTW. When I first got into knives I purchased a Besh Wedge. The big one. Probably an 8" blade. I got it in and thought WTF? I now know what it is for. It's not much of a knife unless you want to kill someone. Same goes for a SOG dagger I have. Funny, they haven't jumped up and killed anyone yet.
Knives are just tools until they are weapons. Personally I don't see how a knifemaker could/should feel any guilt if his creation is used harm someone. Did Sam Colt quit making firearms? John Browning?
Oh, BTW. When I first got into knives I purchased a Besh Wedge. The big one. Probably an 8" blade. I got it in and thought WTF? I now know what it is for. It's not much of a knife unless you want to kill someone. Same goes for a SOG dagger I have. Funny, they haven't jumped up and killed anyone yet.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2005
- Messages
- 19,385
A lot of us get the "cool" stuff first and then shift to stuff we actually will use. None of my knives have killed anyone yet. But some have cut someone... me unfortunately. 
Did you google that? We take this Star Trek stuff pretty seriously. Are there moral implications relative to the Bat'leth?.... but of course not for Klingons.
Did you google that? We take this Star Trek stuff pretty seriously. Are there moral implications relative to the Bat'leth?.... but of course not for Klingons.
For the maker/designer, I think it may also depend on how personally invested they are in the work.
Think of it this way. If you made or sold guns and found out one was used in a crime, you might just shrug it off. Part of the business. What if you were a gunsmith and literally put your heart and soul into making a weapon. Hours of work engraving and testing and fitting. And then you find out some ahole used to to murder a child. You might take that more personally than if you sold a Glock and it was used in the same way. Rational? No. Human? Yes.
For some people knives are just steel, but craftsmen put their blood and sweat into their work.
There's always the Winchester house. The heiress to the Winchester repeating arms corp fortune went bonkers and believed that the only way to appease the ghosts of the people killed was to keep continuously building a house. Batsh*t crazy.
Think of it this way. If you made or sold guns and found out one was used in a crime, you might just shrug it off. Part of the business. What if you were a gunsmith and literally put your heart and soul into making a weapon. Hours of work engraving and testing and fitting. And then you find out some ahole used to to murder a child. You might take that more personally than if you sold a Glock and it was used in the same way. Rational? No. Human? Yes.
For some people knives are just steel, but craftsmen put their blood and sweat into their work.
There's always the Winchester house. The heiress to the Winchester repeating arms corp fortune went bonkers and believed that the only way to appease the ghosts of the people killed was to keep continuously building a house. Batsh*t crazy.
Last edited:
That makes a sort of sense, and I can almost agree with it. It something I can definitely see out of my periphery.
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2012
- Messages
- 2,749
I have made knives that have taken lives. at the same time they saved a life. that's where my "slogan" on my birth cards came from "when face shooting fuckers isn't enough". either way im glad that my blades did what they were asked to do and the good people behind them are alive and well as we speak because of it. I treat a knife first and foremost as a tool but if need be it can be used as a weapon. I carry a gun 100% of the time im awake but just like anything mechanical they malfunction so I always carry a defensive fixed blade to augment the pistol. I would never rely on a knife alone in the world we live in today but I will say it is most certainly better than nothing.
casey
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2012
- Messages
- 2,749
I have made knives that have taken lives. at the same time they saved a life. that's where my "slogan" on my birth cards came from "when face shooting fuckers isn't enough". either way im glad that my blades did what they were asked to do and the good people behind them are alive and well as we speak because of it. I treat a knife first and foremost as a tool but if need be it can be used as a weapon. I carry a gun 100% of the time im awake but just like anything mechanical they malfunction so I always carry a defensive fixed blade to augment the pistol. I would never rely on a knife alone in the world we live in today but I will say it is most certainly better than nothing.
casey
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2013
- Messages
- 537
I appreciate that you don't see your tools having a mind of their own. THE problem with trying to place inanimate objects with a moral character of their own is that you take responsibility away from the individual. Plus you take rights away from the exact people who are responsible enough to appreciate those rights and do nothing to deter criminals, who by their very definition won't follow those laws anyway.
Thanks for your response. I wouldn't have expected anything less. But I'm surprised by something pretty much everyday......
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2012
- Messages
- 2,749
most cops I know tell me that 95% of stabbings they see are from screwdrivers and flea market steak knives shoved in someones sweatpants... 9-10 most people aren't going out to commit murder with a 600$ custom.
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2013
- Messages
- 4,162
Assuming there are more of us good guys than bad guys in the world, any particular kind of knife would be used for more good than bad.
Unless of course it's exclusively sold to members of a mafia or worse.
So the more of them you sell the more good you do. It would be almost a crime not to manufacture any knives. Normal knives probably sell better than rounded blades without tips. So the more good guys you want to use your work to better the world the more normal/ "dangerous" the blades have to be.
Unless of course it's exclusively sold to members of a mafia or worse.
So the more of them you sell the more good you do. It would be almost a crime not to manufacture any knives. Normal knives probably sell better than rounded blades without tips. So the more good guys you want to use your work to better the world the more normal/ "dangerous" the blades have to be.
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2014
- Messages
- 6,158
If only our news media and elected officials would understand this simple concept.
I think your post is the the best comment to date on the subject. Very well put BTW.
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2014
- Messages
- 6
My favorite reply yet. well said.
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2000
- Messages
- 28,365
My design philosophy is simple...
I make tools that are effective. If you want nasty... I'll give you nasty... I'll make something so nasty that (just for example) if your tooling up for an operation with a Hells Angel and an Israeli Mossad assassin... they would see you strap on the knife I made and they'd call you a sick son-of-a-bitch.
I make tools that are effective. If you want nasty... I'll give you nasty... I'll make something so nasty that (just for example) if your tooling up for an operation with a Hells Angel and an Israeli Mossad assassin... they would see you strap on the knife I made and they'd call you a sick son-of-a-bitch.
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2000
- Messages
- 28,365
Punch knives:
Waved double edge BM630:
Double edged bali:
8 oz pimp slapper:
Waved double edged Police3:
Waved double edge BM630:
Double edged bali:
8 oz pimp slapper:
Waved double edged Police3:
Punch knives:
Waved double edge BM630:
Double edged bali:
8 oz pimp slapper:
Waved double edged Police3:
I like the last one, killing them with kindness, huh?
You should make a calender.