Random encounters with fellow knife nuts

blades&wrenches

blades&wrenches

Joined
Jan 11, 2014
Messages
2,914
So I was standing in line at the grocery store earlier, and out of the corner of my eye I notice a knife clipped to the pocket of my checker. Upon closer inspection, I see the Spyderco stamp and the clear outline of a military, so I ask him "Is that a military?" Sort of surprised he says "Why yes it is" and he pulls out a CF M390 Military. NICE! He asks what I was carrying, so I show him my Manix 2 Cruwear. As you can imagine a brief conversation ensued about knives.
It was quite refreshing to meet and chat with someone at random who appreciates quality cutlery.
Share a story about a random encounter you've had with a fellow knife nut.
 
Awesome!
I've pulled that a few times in public, but have yet to see anything of quality. A cop had some cheesey S&W $9 knife from Big 5 and a guy at my local Walmart had one of those folding box cutter things. Those things seem to be very popular...
 
I went to a local O'Reilley store to look for some truck parts, Carrying my BM 551 as I usually did at the time, I was talking to the feller behind the counter and when he turned to get my receipt, I noticed a Benchmade clip poking out of his pocket, I can't remember the exact model, but I want to say it was a Stryker. Anyway, we had a conversation about EDC blades and our collections. It was a nice change of pace from the majority of people I meet who carry a $5 Frost or something like that.
 
I was arrested a while ago (for being so awesome) and while being searched I had a Manix DLC on me. The cop pulled it from my pocket and said "hey, I have a Spyderco too!" and showed me his Para. I jokingly said "can I check it out" while in handcuffs:D He laughed, and he promised to give me my knife back (he did).

Another time, this year I met a building inspector that was into flashlights. Eventually he asked if I was into knives, so I showed him my Sebenza 21. He showed me his Delica, followed by a long-winded lecture about how I should consider carrying cheaper knives incase I lost/misplaced my Sebenza...
 
Yes
My Dad pulled my Buck 124 out and said "are you going to kill someone with this thing?"
I said no.

true-story-foto.jpg
 
I have yet to run into any real knife nuts. I do run into people "into" knives.
Today I visited a racing buddy who works as an auto tech at a car dealership and found myself talking with him about the red Snap-On Kershaw he was using.
While I was paying for my oil change at a different shop later in the day I wound up talking with 3 guys that all had Kershaws as well. I showed off my ZT0562CF. But, the kinds of things guys who like knives ask about is very different from the things knife nuts talk about. Here's some of the questions I did my best to politely and informatively answer today...

"I've got a couple of Gerbers I really like, what do you think about Gerber knives?"
"Why does your knife open so easily without any assist?"
"Is the S30V you mentioned German?"
"Do you like partially serrated blades?"
"Do you use ceramic stones to get that edge so shiny?"

I tried to educate and treat them as guys that were just getting started in the world of knives. BUT...I do look forward to meeting a fellow knife nut like those of you I talk to here one of these days. When that happens I'm sure the conversation will be quite different from the one I had today.
 
I was helping out at a my kid's swim meet years ago. One of the guys had a William Henry pen knife clipped to his shirt, only the clip was showing. I quietly commented "Nice William Henry." He was surprised that I recognized the knife just by seeing the clip. We got to be good friends. He gave me a CRKT folder that he had that was missing some screws. I was able to get it back together and functional.

Ric
 
As some have already mentioned, I've yet to meet anyone who I feel like I can truly talk about knives with. I have some displayed on my desk at home, and when my wife and I have people over they tend to wander over, pick up one or two and say "nice knives" or something similar (or they pick up the samurai sword and promptly dot the entire blade with finger prints).

I think a big part of the reason that I (finally) joined this forum (yesterday!) is that I'm lacking anyone in my life that I can really get into it with. I had a conversation with a guy at my knife shop the other day, which was refreshing. I work in a school, though, so I definitely don't see any pocket clips poking out of pockets on a daily basis.

Good thing I have all of you now!
 
I thought I had a encounter with a knife guy till we started talking. We had a guy on rotation with us a year ago pull out a zero tolerance 0566, and immediately comment, "nice 566, how do you like it?" He replies, "ehh, I'm a smith a wesson man personally, my brother got this for me." I tried to tell him his brother has good taste and that he got you a good knife, but he didnt care. Now that I think about it, I should have offered to buy it from him. :l
 
Smooth_Operater said:
I thought I had a encounter with a knife guy till we started talking. We had a guy on rotation with us a year ago pull out a zero tolerance 0566, and immediately comment, "nice 566, how do you like it?" He replies, "ehh, I'm a smith a wesson man personally, my brother got this for me." I tried to tell him his brother has good taste and that he got you a good knife, but he didnt care. Now that I think about it, I should have offered to buy it from him. :l
Click to expand...

Wow. You might have gotten it for cheap too.
 
There seems to be a fixation with "semi knife guys" on "German steel". So many dudes that are selling knives or some what into knives have lauded this and that for being made from "German steel". I usually just smile and nod.

When I first started my job I was cutting some bailing on a box of paper with scissors because it was a new job and I wasn't comfortable whipping out my blade yet, and this dude come from behind and says "here I got it" and pops the strap with a kershaw knockout. I spent the next few mins profusely explaining that I was a knife guy and usually have my knife on me. Of course the one time I run into a knife guy at work it's when I'm unsuccessfully trying to saw through something with a pair of scissors :o
 
I actually work with a couple of knife nuts. The maintenance assistant carried a KaBar TDI fixed blade when he first started. I asked him if he liked knives and he pulled a Benchmade AFCK and mini Rukus out if his pockets. He also had a Benchmade Glory Knife in his truck.
The dude I work with every day carries an Al Mar Sere 2K. Looks just like mine only not near as beautiful! (His looks almost new after 8 years of EDC)
 
kniferbro said:
There seems to be a fixation with "semi knife guys" on "German steel". So many dudes that are selling knives or some what into knives have lauded this and that for being made from "German steel". I usually just smile and nod.
Click to expand...

I think the 'German steel' thing comes from Solingen kitchen cutlery; my first notion of 'good knives' were Wusthof, and before that a set from the JA Henckels Twin series, which was gifted (for once, German craftsmanship is really over-rated, but at the time, I bought the promises completely). I liked them, and decided to investigate further... which of course sealed my fate.

I haven't met anyone even remotely close to being a member of the 'knife community'. I usually torment friends and family with 'knife stuff' until their eyes glaze over and they're on the brink of an irreversible coma... usually about two minutes.
 
I was getting stitches and noticed a familiar spyderco endura clip. I had to ask twice, but he confirmed, and then I pulled out my Camillus dominator and explained it was Camillus.

The good doctor then schools me on how when Camillus went out of business, he bought every single model he could at the fire sale prices; has near everything from the Camillus beckers on (and yes, he mentioned the camillus/kabar production change for becker, so he knows his stuff!) and also mentioned an extensive collection of cold steel.

I left impressed.

I've also encountered sebenzas in the wild. Former coworker has a kanetsune as a pig sticker and just asked me last night for brush chopper suggestions.

Zero
 
I have come across Benchmade, Spyderco, ZT, and even one guy carrying a Tops BOB on his belt. The best one was the guy at my work. I pulled out my Emerson CQC-10 to open a box and he got that look in his eyes like he was a fellow knife nut. He walks over and asks what I carry so I told him. He got a smug look on his face and told me he carries a tac-force dragon strike. I just told him cool and he goes in to a long winded discussion about how awesome it is with the assisted opening and all. I felt kind of bad so I showed him how the wave works and the guy actually got pissed off explaining how his knife was better. It was kind of embarrassing to be honest I've never had that kind of reaction before.
 
"A cop had some cheesey S&W $9 knife from Big 5"...

I have a cop son-in-law. I supply him with knives for some of his fellow officers who cannot afford something decent...like P-SARK, Millie, or Spydie Rescue. Don't spend too much, though, as no cop will bring home an expensive folder with "crap" all over it.
Deployed military, firemen and EMT's are also very worthy folks to try to gift with multi-tools, rescue-type blades, PM2's or Millies.
It's rewarding. Just try not to get scammed...takes the fun out of it.
 
I have a couple friends in town that are somewhat interested one especially loves to come by the house or office and check out the collection and talk knives for a while. We often share likes and dislikes. Outside of that only one time did I meet a guy carrying a sage who it turned out had a modest spyderco collection. I have to say that this is especially coincidental as I live in Canada where carrying a knife is not as much a part of the culture.
 
The knife nuts I've run into only know that the steel has some fancy name, cost too much and always looks brand new. The other knife nuts I run into (literally) are the ones at gun shows buying at the table selling the fake spyderco knives at 1/3 the retail price and thinking they are getting a sweet deal on a real knife.

My brother is the first example and my dad is the second.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top