"Tacticool" vs "Pocket Man Jewelry"

J

jceckrosh

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Mar 2, 2016
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Both of those terms are used tongue in cheek, but I wonder why there is a sort of dismissive attitude towards "tactical" knives but you don't see the same thing in regards to "full dress"?

(First off, let's all agree that people practicing for the Zombie Apocalypse in their parent's basement or stabbing steel barrels or ballistic gel models are not who we are talking about. Just normal people with no illusions as to their personal tactical-ness, who happen to like a certain type of knife).

Based on my collection, I clearly favor the tactical (I know, like a lot of you I hate that term) side of things - I think I own 2 non black handled knives, one in bone and another uncolored Ti. I have one knife with color/anodized liners, the bone handled knife I just mentioned. I don't have any black bladed knives, not my thing (and I don't need to be invisible in the dark, so why would I need a black blade). My collection reflects this with some of quality makers you would expect on this end of the spectrum. But, I just don't get the wildly colorful insect type full dress knives. A lot of them are quite beautiful. I'd just be terrified to carry any of those elaborate damascus, MokuTi, ZircuTi, full anodized, dragonscale finished handled things for fear of scratching them. You've seen them on IG - guys with a ridiculously expensive collection of skittle colored beetle knives simultaneously draped over an expensive bottle of booze, a Cuban, a custom pistol, and Hublot, all shot inside a 100K car.

Anyway, my intention is all in good fun. We all like what we like, I am just amused that lots of people get a good laugh at the "tactical" end of things, but you don't see a lot of confusion or head shaking over the "pocket jewelry."

Is it just certain individuals that give "tactical" knives a bad rap? Do they just make the most noise and make the knives seem silly? Would people be less amused by that end of things if that guy in the basement with the "No Ragrets" tattoo and the ICP shirt would quit YT'ing his elite tomahawk and knife skills? But what about the over the top "full dress" guys on IG? Doesn't that seem ridiculous too? I guess I ask since I am not a young guy, and I do favor the "tactical" side, just wish there was something else to call it.

And if I am confessing my knife sins, I should probably add that I still don't really get the Shiro thing or the CRK thing. I know. Seriously hopeless.
 
I think it has more to do with the stigma that these companies' advertisements create in the minds of the non-knife knut population.
Namely that people who like knives are all potentially violent nutjobs or else mall ninja types. And they certainly do come across as having a "mall ninja" demographic in mind with that kind of advertising!
Not even getting started on all the wannabes showing off their "skills" on YouTube!:p:rolleyes:
 
I dont have any pocket knives in the 'pocket jewelry' class, so those who have, will have to chime in.

My pocket knives are more utilitarian.

As for 'tacticlol' or rather 'tactical' - the latter in regards to knives is a made up class.

Knives cant be 'tactical.'

A silly way of labelling knives but it sells, so there.

Gear labelled 'tactical' sells.

Some of the contempt stems from the basement ninja attracting marketing of the 'tactical' knives.
 
If it's any consolation I laugh at everybody but at least the finely staged, edited, pretentious, shots of self adoration are more pleasant to look at than some kine stuck in wood or a piece of meat.
 
Both ends of the spectrum play into stereotypes that I used to find amusing and now induce tedium. The older I grow the better I get at figuring out what is going to make me happy and carrying quality knives is part of that. There is no value added in my eyes for making an item tacticool, with blackened blades and strange protrusions. Going the Way of the IG Dandy also doesn't appeal to me, both because I cannot afford it and I really only want something to cut food and whittle--according to Darwin ostentation is useless if you aren't the biggest peacock in the yard. I get that CRK knives exhibit Quality in addition to having cachet, and I can respect that. Mostly I don't respect the people who treat knives as magic talismans that will induce a certain state of mind or being, or provide access to a higher level of internet cred. It's just a knife.

In full disclosure, I still want a Brous Blades Enforcer if a winning lottery ticket blows into my hands.
 
BitingSarcasm said:
Both ends of the spectrum play into stereotypes that I used to find amusing and now induce tedium. The older I grow the better I get at figuring out what is going to make me happy and carrying quality knives is part of that. There is no value added in my eyes for making an item tacticool, with blackened blades and strange protrusions. Going the Way of the IG Dandy also doesn't appeal to me, both because I cannot afford it and I really only want something to cut food and whittle--according to Darwin ostentation is useless if you aren't the biggest peacock in the yard. I get that CRK knives exhibit Quality in addition to having cachet, and I can respect that. Mostly I don't respect the people who treat knives as magic talismans that will induce a certain state of mind or being, or provide access to a higher level of internet cred. It's just a knife.
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You had a good thing going.

Quite a few points in the above, that I can agree with.

Buying knives a objet d'art and not users seems outlandish to me, but people can of course spend their dough, as they see fit.

But then you went and said this - why did you have to go and do that!:D

BitingSarcasm said:
In full disclosure, I still want a Brous Blades Enforcer if a winning lottery ticket blows into my hands.
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Kidding - your money, your knives:D
 
There is just much more stigma toward the idea of tactical. I mean look at the word itself. It implies Military action, battle, and prowess. It implies killing with absolute efficiency. And when a person says they need this in a suburban setting, we laugh. We associate this with Mall Ninja sensibilities. But it does sell. So companies use it to market knives and slapping the word on all sorts of junk to the point that it has become a meaningless word. And that is where the difference is. What you call man jewelry, first of all, refers to all the materials used on knives that cost a lot of money and there it maintains its prestige. Secondly, Man Jewelry isn't a term that is slapped on the descriptions of products by marketers. They don't say "Large Sebenza 21 folding man jewelry"
 
Tactical was something I grew out of. Man jewellery, I've proven I can't own because I will use it and destroy much of what makes it man jewellery.

I'm drawn towards knives that look just as good scuffed as they do new.
 
DrRollinstein said:
Im all fine with pocket jewelry, until we get to jim skelton level stuff. Most of what he reviews just seems incredibly impractical, with the entire purpose being to show off.
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He reviews tacticool pocket jewlery that ones I have seen at least and where he swoons over the knife are giant lumps of anodized titanium with aggressive tacticool lines adorned with pretty colors and exotic materials.
 
There's a stigma out there from the ICP mall ninjas ( horrifically my mom was married to one for 2 years when I was kid ), and the Jim Skeltons.
The overweight security guards who think they may need to John McClain it up one day, and those who want everyone to know / think they're rich.
There's also the knives themselves, those man Jewlery knives are mostly made for looks while the tacticool knives are a little less so but may not be the best cutters available.

I honestly wish every knife could be simple and utilitarian first and foremost, with a little class sprinkled on top when necessary, and neither the tacticool or man jewlery do this.
I'd definitely rather have something tacticool vs a Jim Skelton showcase any day.
Both have a stigma to them, but I think the tacticool knife probably cuts better.
 
jceckrosh said:
That's true - but I wouldn't consider a Sebenza of whatever build to be folding man jewelry.
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Exactly. That really is my point. It might be man jewelry in the respect that it uses expensive materials and processes and has a price to match, but those are also what makes it a well made knife.
 
Dfunk1210 said:
It might be man jewelry in the respect that it uses expensive materials and processes and has a price to match, but those are also what makes it a well made knife.
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I don't think restrained use of high end materials constitutes folding pocket jewelry, and I did not mean to convey that in my initial post. I'm talking the fully loaded knife material fest - unicorn horn, meteorite, timascus, damascus, mokuti, zirkuti, a backspacer made of black rhino bone - all on one knife. Although I'm sure the use of any "exotic" materials could for some mean you have entered folding man jewelry territory. I have a Halo V with three little bits of bamboo as inlays on it, I don't think it's folding pocket jewelry (nevermind that it does not fold). I do think you and I are saying relatively the same thing though.
 
Why are we calling it Folding Jewelery, Folding Pocket Jewlery, Pocket Man Jewlery, Folding Pocket Man Jewlery? I think just simply Pocket Jewlery is a sufficient and simple term.

I consider many knives pocket jewlery even if it is still a user I don't see them as exclusive terms nor to I tie pocket jewlery to a price. I have a Queen Abalone Tiny Toothpick that I paid ~$90 for and I would call it pocket jewlery but I also carry and use it.
 
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