What makes a knife cool?

[danbot]

Just like high school.

Too cool for school!

 

[Mecha]

Too cool for school!

Way too cool. Tune in, turn on, and drop out!

Ok don't drop out, but you know what I mean.

 

[red mag]

A knife is "cool" if it exceeds in one or more aspects.
For me it is more the aspects you can't buy.
i.e.: expensive materials do not make it cool for me.
Impressive cutting performance or some kind of rarity makes it cool.
It's mostly in my mind.
A pocket light saber would be "uber-cool"

 

[Mecha]

Yellow alert: 'Neat shape / design" has surpassed "who cares what people think." Coolness in a knife does mean something!

 

[DocJD]

Yellow alert: 'Neat shape / design" has surpassed "who cares what people think." Coolness in a knife does mean something!

But "who cares what people vote . " ? Nah , I just would think performance more important .

 

[Mecha]

But "who cares what people vote . " ? Nah , I just would think performance more important .

As you can see in the poll, performance is generally much less important to a knife being cool than the way it looks or is designed.

*ahem* thick bladed knives with lots of exaggerated facets and angles *ahem*

 

[Jason9477]

As you can see in the poll, performance is generally much less important to a knife being cool than the way it looks or is designed.

*ahem* thick bladed knives with lots of exaggerated facets and angles *ahem*

I'd go with neat shape and design for us normal collectors and knife lovers.
But the actual 'USERS' who use their knives day in and day out as professional tools or hobbies, at farms, gardens, carpenters shops, iron/black smith, even surgeons and engineers might not be impressed with neat design/shape, for them performance will come first...
Ask any surgeon whether the choice of his/her scalpel is by design or performance?
And I rest my case, thanks

 

[cbach8tw]

Have to go with cutting performance and design that is just so handy, and available. Swiss Army especially and Opinel to a lesser degree. Secondly, Buck because I like a traditional pattern like a trapper or stockman. They just work.

And look good too.

 

[22-rimfire]

As you can see in the poll, performance is generally much less important to a knife being cool than the way it looks or is designed.

That's my take too and where I fall in the cool department discussion.

 

[Arian29]

Yellow alert: 'Neat shape / design" has surpassed "who cares what people think." Coolness in a knife does mean something!

Neat Shape/Design =76
‘Who Cares............=76
LOL

 

[T. Erdelyi]

I don't know what makes a knife cool, it's like asking what make my hammer cool or why I think this screwdriver is cool? I know what I like in a knife and I know I don't care what popular opinion is or what anyone thinks about my knife choices.

So bearing that in mind the only answer I could give if I were to give one would be the last one.

 

[Mikel_24]

I voted neat shape and who cares. First of all, because if the knife it is not useful, I don't consider it cool. I only have users. And the last one because personal preference is big in this knife hobbie. Chances are that if you get two knife afficionados together, they will not concurr in many of the choices and opinions, and that doesn't mean any of them are wrong.

Mikel

 

[Mecha]

I voted neat shape and who cares. First of all, because if the knife it is not useful, I don't consider it cool. I only have users. And the last one because personal preference is big in this knife hobbie. Chances are that if you get two knife afficionados together, they will not concurr in many of the choices and opinions, and that doesn't mean any of them are wrong.

Mikel

That's the point of coolness: if a big group of aficionados all think a certain knife is cool, then that knife is most likely cool (but sometimes not). Others may think it is not cool, and they are free to think so, but the knife is still defacto considered cool.

Also, some people may think a knife is cool, like say a zombie killer machete that is a gigantic useless piece of green paint-splattered shite, and they can think it's cool all they want, but it is still not cool.

Ultimately, the question becomes, "Is coolness totally subjective, or are there solid standards?"

It's an art form after all. I do believe that there are standards for good art. Some art is valueless, even hideous, and even if one sees prints or copies of it all over the place, it still doesn't make it "good." I'm sure everyone knows knives that fit into that category.

 

[danbot]

That's the point of coolness: if a big group of aficionados all think a certain knife is cool, then that knife is most likely cool (but sometimes not). Others may think it is not cool, and they are free to think so, but the knife is still defacto considered cool.

Also, some people may think a knife is cool, like say a zombie killer machete that is a gigantic useless piece of green paint-splattered shite, and they can think it's cool all they want, but it is still not cool.

Ultimately, the question becomes, "Is coolness totally subjective, or are there solid standards?"

It's an art form after all. I do believe that there are standards for good art. Some art is valueless, even hideous, and even if one sees prints or copies of it all over the place, it still doesn't make it "good." I'm sure everyone knows knives that fit into that category.

Sometimes you might just say a knife is "cool", because you don't want to hurt someone's feelings.

 

[Arian29]

That's the point of coolness: if a big group of aficionados all think a certain knife is cool, then that knife is most likely cool (but sometimes not). Others may think it is not cool, and they are free to think so, but the knife is still defacto considered cool.

Also, some people may think a knife is cool, like say a zombie killer machete that is a gigantic useless piece of green paint-splattered shite, and they can think it's cool all they want, but it is still not cool.

Ultimately, the question becomes, "Is coolness totally subjective, or are there solid standards?"

It's an art form after all. I do believe that there are standards for good art. Some art is valueless, even hideous, and even if one sees prints or copies of it all over the place, it still doesn't make it "good." I'm sure everyone knows knives that fit into that category.

I agree with existence of
‘Solid Standards’

I think of few examples:
(1)Spyderco PM2,

(2)Buck 110,

(3)Spyderco GB1

(4)Buck 124

Im sure there are hundreds, if not thousands of other knives’ models considered as cool ones!

Pls post pics of knives, that u imagine as ‘COOL KNIVES’.

Thanks

 

[SV-97]

Historical interests sure make a knive cool in some cases too

 

[danbot]

The CS Ti-lite with blued titanium handle is cool!

 

[PirateSeulb]

Where is the choice for # of skulls?

 

[Yonose]

Doesn’t matter if a knife is cool as long as it doesn’t break, cuts like it’s supposed to, and doesn’t scare people(unless they are opponents.) So to an extent, if your homies like it the knife probably isn’t cool. A lot of times I don’t think a knife is cool until I’ve owned and used it for a while. In this case I must have relied on the judgment of someone else(maybe a written or video review), or else price was the deciding factor(rare materials and aloof maker). I didn’t really like the spyderco pm2 until I used it, and then realized I wanted something a little bigger.
One of the coolest imo knives I carry wasn’t sold for very long and I probably paid a third of street price was the Ontario Apache tac-1 folder. I can’t explain why I think it’s cool, and I carry it less than weekly. Another cool imo knife is the Buck s30v open season folder. I doubt if very many people consider these knives cool.

 

[Arian29]

Seeing the responses from members here,
‘THIS THREAD IS COOL’