Look, please, at your wall. What's there? We often hang things on our walls, you know. You may have a peg board for storing and organizing tools. You may have a cork board for posting reminders and keeping important papers. You may have a mirror to help you shave or check for bits of lunch caught in your teeth. You may have a chalk board or white board for jotting quick reminders or for working out problems.
You may have signs up that either in words or in symbols give information and direction. They say things like "Exit" or "Restrooms are around this corner." There's one here in my study that says, "In case of fire, throw water... not scotch." That's important advice, especially since I'm more likely to have the later at hand.
Sometimes, we put maps or other charts or graphs or other important information we want to refer to.
Sometimes, we hang up pictures of loved ones or awards or degrees we've received or other reminders of people we've know, things we've done, etc.
You might even hang a dart board up and throw darts at it for fun.
And sometimes, just sometimes, we go out and spend a lot of money for some painting or other work to hang on our wall that has no practical purpose, that doesn't communicate any important message, that doesn't announce anything, that doesn't have any vital reference information on it either. We buy it and put it up because it looks nice and we like it.
Some knives we buy for their utility. Some, we buy for their artistic value. You could throw darts at a beautiful painting if you wanted to, but you wouldn't because that's not what it's for. Just as you wouldn't throw darts at that painting, there are some knifes that you just don't use.
I'm a bit unique in that I collect butterfly knives. Cutting isn't the only thing you can do with a butterfly. To tell you the truth, I rarely cut anything with a butterfly. Sometimes, I open the mail with one, but my AFCK is more likely to get that assignment. But, I enjoy manipulating my knives very much. The goal here, of course, is not to cut anything (especially yourself).
Some time ago, I bought an expecially artful custom butterfly. As I examined the maker's work, I noticed how absolutely sharp the edge was. But, the maker knew when he made that knive that it would never be used to cut anything. He still put that edge on there, though, because that's an essential part of the knife as artistic forum.
Chuck
Someti