The Bitter Irony of Knives...

[Thalestin]

Today I was over at the Busse page and was looking at the picture thread. There I was admiring all these beautiful knives and then it came to me the irony of the knives we love.

As knife knuts we are a fairly small population and most of us buy and collect high end knives. Some of these knives are used but for the most part they are used mildly if used at all. In the world many men and women use all sorts of knives but for the most part, the knives that are used are crap. Whenever I see people use knives they are almost always no name "Made in China" knives. Pretty ironic that there are all these great knives built for hard use and the only knives that see this use are poorly build pieces of junk. What do you guys think?

 

[Jeff H.]

yeah i know that if i had a really nice knife - even one that has been designed for hard use - i just couldn't bear to mar it and scratch it up. i agree with the irony you observe.

 

[jp101]

While i wouldn't go chopping down a tree wih a sebenza, many good knives get quality use each and every day.

Now i have yet to take the plunge past the $100 range, but i can say that while my Custom engraved leek is gathering dust, my griptilian is getting used every day. The grippy is far from the best knife out there, but it's high quality by my budget, i need a knife that won't dull and is backed up by a sttrong company.

 

[yoda4561]

I think I beat my busse's benchmades and spydercos harder than I've beaten any chinese POS. At least that's the case when I'm actually using them, not trying to break them for the hell of it, which is what I did to alot of my old cheap chinese/pakistan things a few years ago.

 

[Charlie Mike]

:thumbsup Good thread

 

[Thalestin]

I use my bm 710 well but I also have about 10 knives just for show. Im sure most of us have the same. Look around at work and what not, im sure we have all seen our fair share of garbage being used. I like seeing good quality knives being used in the real world but I see it very rarely

 

[THG]

Nope, I don't collect; I use.

But yeah, seeing people use "made in china" knives (that work just fine) makes me wonder why I pay big bucks for more expensive knives that do basically the same thing.

I guess that's why they call it a hobby.

 

[SDS]

We buy the higher end knives for the same reason we don't all drive KIA's. Pride of ownership and the better quality. Although I would agree that most of us fall more into the collectors category than users.

Interesting observation.

SDS

 

[Rat Finkenstein]

I use my quality knives far harder than I would use a chinese POS. Because I trust them not to fail. Every human on earth needs a knife from time to time, most people just use whatever is handy and cheap, usually dull too. Kind of like I am with pens- I need to scribble a note, any POS pen will do. A pen guy might whip out a Montblanc.

 

[jbombelli]

All of my knives are users. I won't own a knife I can't use. That said, some of them get used more than others.

 

[Bushman5]

All of my knives are users. I won't own a knife I can't use. That said, some of them get used more than others.

same here! :thumbup:

 

[THG]

Kind of like I am with pens- I need to scribble a note, any POS pen will do. A pen guy might whip out a Montblanc.

Or a BaliYo

Yeah, I'm kinda getting like that with pens, too. I'm tired of having to doodle to get the ink started or having the pen skip while I write.

 

[starboard]

Good knives are a luxury for anyone but the hard core adventurer and the professional man of action (and of course chefs but we're talking Busse's and Benchmades here), and a fair few in the world can partake or choose to partake of this particular luxury.

 

[Lenny_Goofoff]

the majority of my knives are users, i just cant use them all at a time. THATS sad ;-)

 

[Phil Elmore]

Almost all of my knives are users. I figure life is short; there's no point in owning "safe queens" of any kind. I consider my pile of knives an "accumulation," not a collection.

 

[DocArnie]

yeah i know that if i had a really nice knife - even one that has been designed for hard use - i just couldn't bear to mar it and scratch it up. i agree with the irony you observe.

Me, too. Doesn't mean that every owner babies his expensive knives, but many do. I don't blame them. Buying a knife just to look at it is neither a sin nor a crime.

I myself have one good knife left in pristine condition. I hope I can turn it into a user soon.

 

[antonio_luiz]

Some of these knives are used but for the most part they are used mildly if used at all. In the world many men and women use all sorts of knives but for the most part, the knives that are used are crap.

Maybe I'm the odd one out here but I have the knives that I collect (and can't bear to use) and then I have the "crap" knives that I use every day. If you knew how much we pay for knives here and the red tape we have to go thru to import them you might understand.

My current favourite is a Wiltshire all SS (hollow handle) parer that I picked up at Big W for <$7. All the other Wilt'es I've owned or handled have been disappointing but this one is a winner. Gave it a mild convex edge and it cuts and edge holds something unreal.

Sometimes I get lucky!

 

[paua]

I use all my above US$300 knifes regularly, although they do need to take turns to impress me.

 

[fujita yuji]

Some of my blades are Katanae built for killing humans.
Basically, it is a happy thing that they are not used.

 

[babakanoosh45]

The poster is correct in that my magnetic knife bar in the kitchen has a couple of "Ginsu" knives stuck to it. BUT... I do use most every knife in my collection. It may not always be practical but I will give every knife I own a shot at the cutting board in the kitchen. The cheap Ginsu's are for the cutting of frozen meats and stuff, and for the rest of the family who could give a crap who made the knife they just want somthing sharp for what ever then toss it in the dishwasher. But I have sliced vegies with BG-42 110's and Sebenzas and Busse's and even some nice autos... As for the field, I try and get everything that would be a benifeit to the task at hand some use in the field. Will I use my Busse FBM to dress a deer? No... But I don't use a Paragon XOLite to clear brush either. But both have been used in the correct realm of their design... When I buy a knife the fact that it is used only matters to me regarding the price. Some people make reference to the knifetest videos as to the use or abuse of a particular knife. There is at no time in my life will I ever find myself in a position to destroy a knife like those test do. I have been in the field hunting and camping for 40+ years and never damaged a knife aside from an occasional ding in a blade. If you were lost in the nastiest of outdoors with only one knife in your possesion, You would treat that knife with great care and respect so as to have it the next day to help keep you alive. So IMHO, there are those who collect knives as things of artisian beauty and treat them as such. Those who collect and wait for the values to rise then sell and acquire more. Then the folks like me who like knives, all kinds of knives and we are only sad because we will never live long enough to use em all as they were intended.... ~baba~