Walking Dead Knives

[dogbertius]

Hahahaha!!! Great theory! The zombie thing is wearing on me lately because it is something that could never, ever happen.... And yet, there are goofballs out there who prepare for it like it is imminent! Seriously, honestly believing dead bodies will get up and roam the earth in their never ending quest for braaaaaaaaains.... Nothing re-animates dead bodies. Nothing ever will. No preparation necessary for that at all. Now, bird flu - that could happen, and I think it actually IS imminent!

Well, I sincerely doubt that even a half percent of the over-the-top people, like me, who stockpile water and MREs (and cycle them for camping trips so they don't expire), are delusional enough to genuinely believe in a zombie apocalypse. Scary thing is, a surprising number of them, especially in the US, where iterally up to 40% of the population believes they'll live to see the rapture and jeebus levitating people into the upper atmosphere (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/01/christ-second-coming-survey_n_2993218.html), etc.

And then there are people like me who do consider there may be stints where food and water will be in short supply. Having had a three week boil requirement on our water supply (parasite contamination) and the occasional rolling brownouts due to crummy power infrastructure, some friends literally did not have the facilities to produce enough potable water for cooking, drinking, and cleaning their cookware. I was happy I was able to help out a few friends when the local market ran out of bottled water in a day, thanks to a pair of Honda generators and my own desalinator. I think some of the "survival nuts" like me enjoy zombie fiction so much because it's some bizarre scenario in which we'd be king in some strange sense. That reminds me of an interesting line from the WWZ book: "King. King of what? Gs, Quislings, crazy F-critters?"

If critical infrastructure went down and bare essentials became luxuries, I could imagine people becoming very tribalistic and viewing all outsiders (ie: non family members) as viable threats scouring around for food. One thing a lot of people seem to take for granted is that it's not just the advanced food production methods of the day that allow us to sustain such a large population, but the distribution methods as well. With both of those shot to hell, that means a lot of hungry people. If you have the time to spare, it might interest you to read on why so many modern thrillers films are about post-apocalyptic nightmares, whereas 25+ years ago it was more towards scientific progress and mishaps. http://www.cracked.com/blog/why-were-obsessed-with-apocalypse/

 

[AntDog]

I don't have a problem with "preppers". I do a little of that myself. I have a problem knowing there are folks dumb enough to believe zombies will actually roam the earth! And prepare for it like it will actually happen! That's why I mentioned bird flu. It WILL happen. It is only a matter of time. And when it hits, it will most likely bring about the nightmare scenarios you're describing. But, it won't be farking zombies, and never will be!

 

[RedLynx]

I don't have a problem with "preppers". I do a little of that myself. I have a problem knowing there are folks dumb enough to believe zombies will actually roam the earth! And prepare for it like it will actually happen! That's why I mentioned bird flu. It WILL happen. It is only a matter of time. And when it hits, it will most likely bring about the nightmare scenarios you're describing. But, it won't be farking zombies, and never will be!

Dang it, that's depressing dude. Any flu epidemic like that, I'll probably be one of the first to die. :/

 

[dogbertius]

I don't have a problem with "preppers". I do a little of that myself. I have a problem knowing there are folks dumb enough to believe zombies will actually roam the earth! And prepare for it like it will actually happen! That's why I mentioned bird flu. It WILL happen. It is only a matter of time. And when it hits, it will most likely bring about the nightmare scenarios you're describing. But, it won't be farking zombies, and never will be!

Don't forgot the potentially avoidable (well, at some point it was avoidable, I don't think so this far along) issue of antibiotic resistant bacteria, with a planet roughly 4x over its optimal "load limit". All manner of VD, infections, bronchial infections, etc, become a de facto sentence.

And yeah, if there actually are people worried about literal zombies, that's pretty freaky.

 

[AntDog]

Amen brother. I try to buy non-antibacterial soap on purpose!

 

[The cow]

Running out of ideas? Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the Walking Dead based on a book series that is already written or at least way ahead of where the show is?

The writing/directing staff is deathly afraid of their mainstream "family friendly" appeal and you see this fairly readily in their show's deviation from the source material. That baby should have died in the governor's assault, yet they kept it alive because basic cable isn't edgy enough to do it.

Game of Thrones is much more faithful to the source material. (How about that Damasc....Valyrian steel?!?)

I don't have a problem with "preppers". I do a little of that myself. I have a problem knowing there are folks dumb enough to believe zombies will actually roam the earth! And prepare for it like it will actually happen! That's why I mentioned bird flu. It WILL happen. It is only a matter of time. And when it hits, it will most likely bring about the nightmare scenarios you're describing. But, it won't be farking zombies, and never will be!

A more likely scenario "zombie" apocalypse would be more like 28 days later/rabies virus.
Besides, zombies was a tongue in cheek euphemism for sheeple before the zombie craze caught on

 

[Shooter1075]

View attachment 456072

 

[AntDog]

^^^ nope.

 

[Krissig12]

Walking Dead apparently takes a lot of liberties in the conversion to TV form so even comic fans don't really know what happens next. The writers are very much in control of the series and I think they're running out of ideas for new conflicts

 

[AntDog]

View attachment 456072

In most cases I've seen, it means you have a few guns, some ammo, and a lot of green colored glorified home demolition tools.

 

[Shooter1075]

Then in that case, you're not ready for the zombie apocalypse

 

[EChoil]

You must have missed all the Gerber ads hawking the same crap they used in the show? SMH.... I'd be willing to bet most of what they use in the show is used because somebody made a deal. There is nothing at all wrong with that in my eyes! There is nothing sinister or underhanded about wanting to have your product used on a very popular tv show.

Just don't let the wool get pulled over your eyes my friend... Those brands are on the show for a reason. Not just because some dude has a nice collection of knives.

I'd love to see what Jerry and Sal and whoever owns Gerber now have to say... Makes no difference to me if they either paid to have their knives used, or maybe they are being paid by the show to be able to show their knives on there?! In Gerber's case, I strongly think they paid to have their stuff used on the show. Anyhow, maybe they can't say. Maybe there is a non disclosure agreement on it and they can't say a word. Ahhh, the great mysteries of life!

Got news for you man--the general public can't tell a Gerber from a Benchmade if it's held on screen for ten minutes. Not exactly the environment for good dollars to be wasted on product placement.

Yeah, I guess I missed the Gerber ads. Were they print ads somewhere?

Guess I'll have to repost this:

Not saying there isn't some level of graft/corruption there but I don't see a lot of 'product placement' shots for the knives on Walking Dead...IMO.

I think you may be grossly overestimating what might really exist as far as placement agreements regarding the knives on the show. And I do know the property master of the show has an enormous collection of knives...he's been written up in articles.

Again, while there may be SOME kind of product placement agreement(s), I don't see knife product placement being a primary revenue producer on the show. The knife shots I see on the show are so brief there's no way they would be advertising shots. Perhaps I've missed a couple scenes where the actually held the knife plainly on screen for more than a second or two. In fact, to me it seems they try to AVOID showing more than a glimpse of knives.

The reason so many of their knives CAN'T be identified here on the forum is because the shots are so fleeting and/or in darkness.

If anything, and in light of Gerber ads you mentioned, what product placement there may be on the show is skewed more toward the knife maker advertising elsewhere that they are featured ON the show vs. shots showing an identifiable brand of knife the public at large would immediately snap to like a Coke or Pepsi can. Just doesn't apply to folding knives. And there would be no reason for a non-disclosure clause in any such agreement.

 

[AntDog]

It does not matter how long the knives are shown, or if they are plainly displayed on the show. It simply matters that they are on there at all. Do you really believe that those knives were not hand picked for some reason? You are fooling yourself if you think they were just what the prop guy had laying around. Everything, and I mean absolutely everything used on this show, and EVERY show is chosen for some reason. It doesn't matter if "the general public" thinks a spyderco is actually a toaster! The people who know knives (and even a lot who don't) see that big Gerber apocalypse kit and want to buy it.... And Gerber is directly marketing to that desire.

The bottom line is the knives that are used on the show were chosen for a reason, and I am almost positive deals were made. There is nothing wrong with that to me! Knife manufacturers want to sell knives. The fact that their brand is used on the show is a huge selling point, and they are definitely taking advantage of it! Look at the ads! It makes no difference if it's a coke or a Pepsi or a Gerber or a Spyderco or a Busse - what you are seeing, whether you want to believe it or not, is definitely product placement.

Also, there's a lot more cutlery on display than just folding knives. I've seen replicas of the katana used on there for sale, as seen on the walking dead. And my personal favorite the Busse TGLB that dispatches many a walker almost every episode. I think that one is the most easily identified knife on there, and it's not some little folding knife.

 

[EChoil]

It does not matter how long the knives are shown, or if they are plainly displayed on the show. It simply matters that they are on there at all. Do you really believe that those knives were not hand picked for some reason? You are fooling yourself if you think they were just what the prop guy had laying around. Everything, and I mean absolutely everything used on this show, and EVERY show is chosen for some reason. It doesn't matter if "the general public" thinks a spyderco is actually a toaster! The people who know knives (and even a lot who don't) see that big Gerber apocalypse kit and want to buy it.... And Gerber is directly marketing to that desire.

The bottom line is the knives that are used on the show were chosen for a reason, and I am almost positive deals were made. There is nothing wrong with that to me! Knife manufacturers want to sell knives...look at the ads! It makes no difference if it's a coke or a Pepsi or a Gerber or a Spyderco or a Busse - what you are seeing, whether you want to believe it or not, is definitely product placement.

No, it DOES matter how long the knives are shown and how displayed when a product placement agreement is in effect.

No, the general public does not instantly recognize a brand and/or style of folding knife from a couple of seconds glance on a TV show. Far from it. And the logos and printing on blades are far too small to be seen on a shot. This renders a 'placement' buy ineffective for the most part--a waste of ad dollars that could be placed elsewhere.

No, I don't believe every single knife on the show is placed there to maximize revenue through multiple product placement contracts. Sure the items may be chosen for a reason....just not product placement in most cases. I think you may be over-analyzing or over-estimating.

Folding knives are not good candidates for the instant recognition factor of 'product placement.' The knife makers know this and likely spend the bulk of their ad dollars on other media. It would be far more productive to just take a :30 or :60 spot in the normal advertising rotation of the show; even a brand mention by one of the characters would be far more productive for advertising a folding knife to the public than the knife scenes on Walking Dead, which are fleeting.

One more time:

Yes, there may be a few product placement agreements in effect with the show...but I don't think it's nearly to the extent you believe.
There just arent' that many, if any, product placement shots of knives in the show.
​

While knife aficionados may be able to identify a blade in a two second film shot, the public doesn't have a clue. Even if a knife shot were held on screen long enough to really look at, Fred and Martha sitting on their couch have no clue they are looking at anything other that a 'knife.' Such a situation is not ripe for the spending of product placement advertising dollars. And the occasional viewer who may inquire, "Wow, what was that knife Rick was holding...?" would make cost-per-impression prohibitive advertising-wise in such a specific venture.​

Have you ever seen a knife manufacturer even buy a standard ad for the show? Do you see knife makers advertising anywhere on TV these days other than hunting/fishing shows? My bet is they spend the bulk in print and web, where it should be for a knife. I'd say product placement in TV/movies is a relatively small percentage of the knife maker ad budget.

The fact that their brand is used on the show is a huge selling point, and they are definitely taking advantage of it!

Are you saying the viewing public knows a specific brand is being used on a show just by looking at it? Have you heard someone on the show MENTION a brand or what?? I haven't.

Too bad someone with some first-hand knowledge of the situation isn't around....I'd like to know the real story too.

 

[RemyKaze]

The Last of Us is a better zombie apocalypse show than The Walking Dead, and it isn't even a show. It's a game. TWD is a soap opera with zombies.

 

[Galant]

I can solve part of this small argument pretty quick lol I watched walking dead, liked Darryl's knife, Googled "what knife Darryl has", found this forum and I know own a CRK Green Beret which I like a lot.

 

[mainaman]

I can solve part of this small argument pretty quick lol I watched walking dead, liked Darryl's knife, Googled "what knife Darryl has", found this forum and I know own a CRK Green Beret which I like a lot.

Wait no TGLB?

 

[EChoil]

I can solve part of this small argument pretty quick lol I watched walking dead, liked Darryl's knife, Googled "what knife Darryl has", found this forum and I know own a CRK Green Beret which I like a lot.

That's the way I do it too. They never keep a shot on long enough to ID most of the knives. So much for product placement.

 

[Galant]

No TGLB. At the time I was new to knives and I didn't want to wait "4-14 weeks" for a knife. I found something else I liked and bought it.

 

[AntDog]

That's the way I do it too. They never keep a shot on long enough to ID most of the knives. So much for product placement.

One mo time - whether you want to believe it or not, it IS product placement. It does not matter how long the product is shown for it to be "as seen on the walking dead". Get it? There are advertisers marketing their products "as seen on the walking dead". Still with me? What about that is not product placement and marketing? I'm just saying it most definitely goes on. I have eyes. I see it.

You keep mentioning "folding knives". What is your hangup there bro? The two stars of the show as far as knives go are the sword and the TGLB. Don't look much like folders to me.... And yes, it does so happen that TONS of people wind up on this very site, and others, trying to identify, and purchase the stuff they see used on the show. You can try to rebut this all you want, but facts are facts. If something is being marketed "as seen on....." It was on there for a reason, and that's a fact.

We may have to agree to disagree.