The psychology of the blade shape.

rs422

rs422

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So I show my girl friend a BM 530 and she wonders why I am carrying such a knife and I explain it is light. So a few weeks later I show her my Sebenza and the reaction is "what a nice knife", she likes it. So I figure this, the BM 530 is a spear point, looks like a stabber, the Sebenza looks like a kitchen style drop point. I don't think I will show her my BM 630 or Aftermath, perhaps the Bump and BM 960 can fit in.
 
Interesting topic mate. I've noticed a few similar reactions to my Manix when compared to the Military. Most sheeple will hold the military like it's going to stab them, while the Manix, even though it's a beefier knife, barely raises an eyebrow.
 
I think its the weapon vs tool thing. My dad's a knife collector (hmm, so am I... funny...) but he's super non-violent. He likes the tool aspect... skinners, dive knives, trout and bird, he's got all sorts of great hand made knives...

But when I show him things like a Kasper Crawford or the Skirmish, he just thinks I'm crazy. In his mind, a weapon knife has absolutely no use.
 
:D rs, my wife has somewhat come full circle. when i first showed her my Kershaw Leek (fresh from the priority mail package), she backed away and told me not to open it near her. she thought it looked way too much like a weapon.

a month later, she asked me to buy her a Chive!

then, i got a CUDA Maxx. again, she "hated" it, and always told me to open it at a great distance from her (she didn't even like to hear the "clank" from the other room).. after a while i think it grew on her because i caught her gingerly opening it and admiring the blade.

two days ago, i got my BM 806d2 -- she said, "oh, that's cool! how do you open it?" i showed her. she said she liked it but would want something smaller for herself. i went into the bedroom and came back out with a BM 555s. we sat on the edge of the bed, and i showed her how to get the "flick" down. she nailed it in about 2 minutes, and proceeded to strut around the house, flipping the blade back and forth.

guess what? she's taken it for herself! she told me (her exact words)," this is mine now, okay?"

YES MA'AM!!!

moral of the story: let her play with your 530 for a while and i bet she'll be trying to take that Skirmish for herself in no time!
 
allyourblood said:
guess what? she's taken it for herself! she told me (her exact words)," this is mine now, okay?"

YES MA'AM!!!
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No no no....you can't just let her claim your knives. You have to bargain and trade like you would any other Knife Knut. Make her a deal she can have the 555 but now that you're short, you need at least two knives to make up the difference. Why two? Well, it's obvious that she's going to claim another of your blades, so you need to get a head start to make up for this setback. In fact, thinking it through like that, I think 3 new knives per everyone that she claims would be even better! :D

-Rob
 
I think the pointier it is the more people are scared of it. My two EDC choices (Griptilian and Ti-lite) are pretty much at opposite ends of that spectrum, and so are the reactions. Then there are the people who freak out at anything, and the people who go, "Dude, you must be a GANGSTER, can I hold the pointy one".
 
I have a Case cheetah that I carry on occasion. Even though the blade looks like a typical clip point blade on a stockman, I think something about the little hinged guards on it make people think "switch blade" if they see you open it. All sorts of sheeple associated concerns there.
We bought a twin-sized mattress a while back and I was going to have to move it across the entire length of Price Club (no carts) to the checkout. To make it easier, and so I wouldn't have to drag it, I decided to cut a slit in the plastic wrapper so I could use those little handles on the side. I was as discreet as I could be, but a few people noticed when I opened my knife. One gal actually let out a little yelp. :eek: Even after she saw what I was REALLY going to do with the knife, I still think she was afraid of me. :rolleyes:
Parry
 
Interesting points. I would definitely have to agree that having a knife that resembles kitchen gear scares people less. IMO, a good thing.
 
S2nd said:
Interesting points. I would definitely have to agree that having a knife that resembles kitchen gear scares people less. IMO, a good thing.
Click to expand...

That was one of the (minor) design points of the TTKK (got the idea from Steve Dick).

Joe
 
yes, this is certainly an interesting aspect of knives. my family is pretty much used to me carrying anything from a Leatherman to a big Spyderco, but some blades just get "that look", you know. like "yikes, get it away from me!".

i've noticed that knives with short/average bladelengths, stubby tips, leaf-shaped blades and utility-blades are 'accepted' the most. most of my pointy Spyderco's, like the Police and Military are knives that get the "evil bad guy" comments. the 'worst' of them all has to be the hawkbill blade. i showed my spyderco karambit to everyone and ALL of them were terrified by it, even my knife/sword-guy brother passed on it, when i asked if he wanted to handle it.
 
Facinating subject.


I have done some training in Systema amongst other martial arts.
Both Vladimir and Mikhail (The two top instructors) have commented that a knife a person uses tells you a lot about the mind of that person.
Basically the more twisted and evil looking the knife. The more screwed up and twisted the person!

(I am not quite sure I fully agree. But then I love my Vaquero :D )

I am a Psychologist (when I am not having fun in the Military) and I would comment that blades often mimick the shapes found in nature.

For example a leaf shaped blade (take the Bob Lum chinese folder) looks symetrical and harmonious and doesnt usually intimidate.

However blades which look like beaks, claws, spines, thorns, stings, Jagged serrated things (Things which are dangerous in nature) seem to act as a type of archetype which triggers the fight or flight response in the observer.

There was once a great post here about the most intimidating knife design.

I remember the Spyderco Civillian, The Vaquero Grande and a number of Jerry Hossom's pieces all scored highly!

A 17" Ang Khola is quite a smooth recurve and would scare the hell out of most people (recurve blades are a bit sting / snake like. Or maybe its just the size!)

This is an interesting topic for martial artists because the design of your blade may

A) scare the hell out of someone so they start running.....
B) Make them so afraid they then fight like a cornered tiger on a surge of adrenaline.

There have been a lot of posts on how the appearence / name of a knife can effect how the Police / court views a knife. This also effects how the sheeple view them. As we all know a scary looking blade isn't really any more dangerous than a plain looking blade.......

All is perception.....

;)
 
Kiri said:
I have done some training in Systema amongst other martial arts.
Both Vladimir and Mikhail (The two top instructors) have commented that a knife a person uses tells you a lot about the mind of that person.
Basically the more twisted and evil looking the knife. The more screwed up and twisted the person!
Click to expand...
Those Systema guys are full of it. Great post overall though - generally, slim blades seem more intimidating, i.e. a Greco Whisper looks scarier that a Busse Basic.
 
Kiri said:
Facinating subject.


I have done some training in Systema amongst other martial arts.
Both Vladimir and Mikhail (The two top instructors) have commented that a knife a person uses tells you a lot about the mind of that person.
Basically the more twisted and evil looking the knife. The more screwed up and twisted the person!

(I am not quite sure I fully agree. But then I love my Vaquero :D )

I am a Psychologist (when I am not having fun in the Military) and I would comment that blades often mimick the shapes found in nature.

For example a leaf shaped blade (take the Bob Lum chinese folder) looks symetrical and harmonious and doesnt usually intimidate.

However blades which look like beaks, claws, spines, thorns, stings, Jagged serrated things (Things which are dangerous in nature) seem to act as a type of archetype which triggers the fight or flight response in the observer.

There was once a great post here about the most intimidating knife design.

I remember the Spyderco Civillian, The Vaquero Grande and a number of Jerry Hossom's pieces all scored highly!

A 17" Ang Khola is quite a smooth recurve and would scare the hell out of most people (recurve blades are a bit sting / snake like. Or maybe its just the size!)

This is an interesting topic for martial artists because the design of your blade may

A) scare the hell out of someone so they start running.....
B) Make them so afraid they then fight like a cornered tiger on a surge of adrenaline.

There have been a lot of posts on how the appearence / name of a knife can effect how the Police / court views a knife. This also effects how the sheeple view them. As we all know a scary looking blade isn't really any more dangerous than a plain looking blade.......

All is perception.....

;)
Click to expand...


true true true, i think you might even be right on to something there with the link to forms and manifestations in nature, such as claws, teeth, snakes.......

i've never quite gotten it with the Civilian though. i don't think it looks menacing/scary at all, but that's just me i guess. :confused:

here's some more i thought of:

'positive': colory blades/handles, fancy patterns, decorations, personal embellishments and engravings, non-locking folders, two-handed knives, saks, multi's.........

'negative': serrations, camo colours, black blades/handles, automatics/assisted's, balisongs, engravings or slogans visible like 'military/battle/combat' or 'kill all and let the almighty sort em out'.......

it's also very true how a certain knife-design will get you trialed differently in court if you have to use it in SD. also, another thing martial artists must be aware of, especially if they practice weapons-sports along with bare hands sports, is that their skills in the particular activity will count in court against them

it's nothing we didn't know already, yet still the subject stays interesting somehow
 
My wife caught me totally off guard when she not only didn't back away when I showed her my SOG Pentagon, she asked to see it--and actually held it for a while. She's typically terrified of anything bigger than a little pocket knife -- but she actually liked it. Of all knives I thought I'd win her over on, that really wasn't the one.

I think her comfort with it may be because she'd seen it before, many times, in a video game (where I first saw it, as well) -- but I'd think its application in the game would have been more a deterrent than reassurance.

I'm clueless--but apparently making some progress with her.
 
Blade color can make a difference too- a rainbow Leek isn't half as scary to people as the black version. Half the reason I carry a rainbow Leek is because it is sooooo pretty and colorful that no one is ever scared of it.

Pink anodize that Spyderco Civilian and everyone will think its absolutely precious.... :barf:
 
Yes I couldn't agree more on the colour aspect.

If you look at the SOG flash II in the plain silver blade it looks a real "utility" knife. If you see it in the tiger stripe finish it makes it look much more "combat" tactical orientated.

A lot of stripy things in nature are pretty dangerous. Wasps, Tigers etc...

Its interesting how if you mimick that effect it makes an item more scary

Over here in UK we have this kind of "wussy" fly called a hover fly. They can't bite or sting, but because they are striped and look like a wasp no other insect screws with them. A lot of birds won't eat them either!

I like the idea of using the reverse of that effect to make real nasty knives look harmless.

I wonder if Jerry Hossom would do a "Revenge" with an eggshell blue blade and pink fluffy handle!

Mmmmmm Maybe not! ;)
 
Danzz said:
I think the pointier it is the more people are scared of it.
Click to expand...

I do computer illustrations for K-12 standardized testing. The majority of these are simple black and white line drawings. We have had requests that illustrations of pencils, arrows, stars and even a bird's beak be made less pointy. I had to redraw an illustration of a broken bottle so it was 'less dangerous looking'. The excuse (yes, excuse) was "It frightens children whose parents told them to stay away from sharp objects and it may affect their ability to answer the question correctly."
"Mommy mommy I failed my test cuz they made me look at a drawing of a sharp thing! I was so scared I wee-weed!" :(
 
Aside from color, the "decoration level" of a knife seems to have a significant affect on reactions to it. Bolsters, inlays, etching, carving, file work, and anything else that lends a look of intentional ornamentation makes a knife look safer, for some reason. Multiple colors, materials, or textures helps. Even minimally "shaped" handles like those on the Benchmade 940 seem less threatening than slab-sided handles.

I guess people feel that an object of art is less likely to hurt them, even if it is still a fully-functional tool/weapon.

--Bob Q
 
When I am around sheeple I never pop my blade. I open it with two hands like I am unfamiliar with it. This seems to have a calming effect on them. If I whip it out and open it quickly and competently it scares them.
 
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