The soul of a knife

C

crbauhs

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Dec 2, 2007
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Alot of times I hear people talk about the soul of a knife. The stories it could tell. Things of that nature. Most of the time when a person mentions this though they are referring to the blade/s of a knife. I was thinking about this yesterday while playing and sharpening with my knives and I have come to the conclusion that I disagree. The soul, for me atleast, comes not from the blades but from the handle. I'll take 2 knives of mine for example. A Case 6392 Stockman and a Case 3254 Trapper. Whenever I hold my stockman I feel relaxed. The handles are nice and work, the shield is starting to fade. No sharp corners on the knife. Then I hold my Trapper. It just feels cold in my hands. Yes it is new and it is to be expected. But it just feels so "produced." The handles are boxy and hard and sharp. I put it in my hand and it feels...incomplete. I don't know if I am even making sense right now so if I'm not then I'm sorry. But what do you guys think?
 
thawk said:
I think you are a lost cause to slippie fever. :D
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Hi,

+1! If that's what it takes to be lost, I don't ever want to find my way.:D:D

All though I would agree with you about the handles. Simply because that is the part we actually connect with when we use our knives. It's the feel of them that pull up the memories of times, places, people, and use.

Dale
 
I think it proves people enjoy knives in different ways. I see a lot of pictures posted in the traditional thread that show knives I would walk away from...rusted, broken blades, cracked handles, I don't even like patinas. When I see those kind of knives at a flea market or yard sale I never consider buying them. Some, however, get excited at that sort of find. To me it's ruined, to them it tells a "story". I'm not trying to say I'm right and they're wrong, I'm just illustrating a point how even though we all like knives we like them in very diverse ways.
 
dalee100 said:
All though I would agree with you about the handles. Simply because that is the part we actually connect with when we use our knives.
Dale
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Now I don't know about that. I've connected with the blades of more than one of my knives a time or two as evidenced by the below photo.

Case Mini-Trapper 1 - Thumb 0
cutthumbbycasemintrappe.jpg


Seriously though -- I do know what you're talking about. However, I think the character or soul of a knife has to encompass the whole knife not just a part of it.

Good thread.
 
This reminds me of the Samurai. They believed that their swords had souls; that it was an extention of their bodies. They also believed that the sword is what did the killing/injuring, and that they were just there to hold it. (dunno if those two together make any sense, but whatever)

Modoc ED said:
Seriously though -- I do know what you're talking about. However, I think the character or soul of a knife has to encompass the whole knife not just a part of it.

Good thread.
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I concur
 
To me, either I like a knife or I don't. I wouldn't use the word soul to describe an inanimate object.
 
stealthchaser13 said:
This reminds me of the Samurai. They believed that their swords had souls; that it was an extention of their bodies. They also believed that the sword is what did the killing/injuring, and that they were just there to hold it. (dunno if those two together make any sense, but whatever)



I concur
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they actually believed the sword was two things. And "extension" of THEIR sould and also an extension of the soul of the person who made the sword for them. They believed also that when given a sword it held part of the soul of the previous owner.

It was very uncool back in the day to even touch someone else's sword without explicit permission because of this. It is also why some sword makers were so sought after.
 
Stelth said:
To me, either I like a knife or I don't. I wouldn't use the word soul to describe an inanimate object.
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Think of it kinda like a ship. When I was in the Navy, the ships I sailed on had soul. Hence the use of the word "She" when describing them.

She rode proud when launched from the ways.
She responded to the rudder when heeled over to port.
She shuddered when hit by a torpedo.
She was lost with all hands on board.
She brought her crew home after a particularly hard cruise.

Things like that. Heck, you can even apply the same thing to a knife.

She sliced tiny slivers of an apple for the grandkids.
She sliced open those feed bags as if they were held together by butter.

Works for me anyway.
 
Seriously though -- I do know what you're talking about. However, I think the character or soul of a knife has to encompass the whole knife not just a part of it.

Good thread.[/QUOTE]

Yep that's me. The blade is just a blade without a handle and a handle is just a handle without a blade.
Maybe it's the flow of the knife, the knife as a whole.
Oh well what do I know:D
 
Not only is the feel of the knife in hand important,but,also how it feels in your pocket.Jim
 
Stelth said:
I always found calling a ship "she" to be strange. I would call a ship "it".
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Have you never spent time aboard a ship? Even I have felt the souls of ships, and I was a Marine. Ships are She's to most of us, and always will be.
 
I think it's the whole knife. Here's one.Has anyone bought an old knife that gave them the creeps? I have once.It was a nice knife too. I had to auction it off.It was like it did have a soul.
Now I do like ghost stories, and I don't really beleive in ghosts, but there was something there.A bad story.And no I'm not crazy....totally.:D
 
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Stelth said:
I think it proves people enjoy knives in different ways. I see a lot of pictures posted in the traditional thread that show knives I would walk away from...rusted, broken blades, cracked handles, I don't even like patinas. When I see those kind of knives at a flea market or yard sale I never consider buying them. Some, however, get excited at that sort of find. To me it's ruined, to them it tells a "story". I'm not trying to say I'm right and they're wrong, I'm just illustrating a point how even though we all like knives we like them in very diverse ways.
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I have a different view. A knife is even better with a little history.

When I was in my early 20's I gave my Grandfather a small Buck 501. Several years later when he passed I was given the knife. It was never used and in mint condition. Needless to say, the knife would be trasured if it were used by him, but really its no more special than any other new knife... it had no soul. I corrected that.

Paul
 
it's always been a bit strange to me, that some knives seem to have a soul, while others don't.

I feel it most often with knives that are really old school and of traditional materials that were once alive. Old carbon steel with bone, stag, or even wood, speak to me more than stainless steel or synthetic.

On the other hand, my old Buck 301 is stainless steel and black delrin, and I couldn't give it away to save my life. Maybe it's just traveled so far with me, that it developed a soul.

Sak's have never spoke to me at all, being just a handy tool with a red plastic handle. But my old Wenger SI is with me till the end. I've given away all my red plastic handle sak's exept for the classic on my keyring, and thats just a handy tool I use at least once a day. But it has no soul to me, and another classic would do just as well.

But I still miss the little Boker 240 with the rosewood handle I gave to someone. It had soul.

It seems to vary with the knife.
 
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