What makes a knife special?

Runs With Scissors

Runs With Scissors

Joined
Dec 3, 2000
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I was thinking about knives earlier (as always) and found myself at a complete paradox in my thoughts.

First I was thinking about what few custom knives I have, and wondering what made them so special. I determined that there's a few things that make a knife something to be truly proud of.

One thing is a well made knife that YOU made with your own hands.

Another thing is the marks that a knife- any frequently used knife gets. The marks that make it YOURS and therefore unlike anyone elses, even if there's millions of other knives just like it. the razor edge you've kept on it, those scratches in the handle from dropping it, that little bit of rust from cleaning an animal, the scratches gathered while undertaking a weekend project, etc...all of those things combine to make your knife unique to you. Of all my knives the ones that are my pride and joy are my BK 5 and my Axis AFCK. they're both scratched to hell, beat up handles, finishes almost completely gone, spots from rust damage, etc. But all of that has happened through the experience of use- getting out and doing things with them, and every scratch has personalized the knives and brought them that much closer to me. Every scratch and ding has a story to tell, some of them boring and routine, others quite interesting. I like to look at them and think about that often times.

Another thing is modifications made to customize the knives to my uses a little more. For example on the Axis AFCK I have phillips head screws holding the pocket clip in rather than the standard torx ones. I spent alot of time shifting the pocket clip from left to right on it for awhile. It was a tiny, 30 second touch, that made the knife that much more special to me.

On my BK 5 I have the entire kydex sheath tightly wrapped with paracord with a fire starter and a sharpener wrapped up underneath the paracord- once again something on a plain old issued factory knife that made it MINE, and unlike anything else anyone has.

I guess what I'm getting at is that I'm really surprised I take that much pride in a couple of factory knock around users, yet when people ooh and ahh over my (VERY well made) Bud Nealy or my Simonich knives I just kinda shrug my shoulders in a "ah, they're awright I reckon..." kinda fashion. But I'll talk until I'm blue in the face about my ugly a$$ lookin' factory knives.

There was once a guy that posted a pic of a Nimravus Cub he'd carried for years- as a duty knife as I recall. the finish was positively awful on the darn thing. But...hell....I thought it was absolutely beautiful, and told him so. (thankfully he seemed to understand my perspective, and realize I was sincere, and not being a smarta$$)


So now if my posting wasn't erratic enough already...fast forward to all the custom knives going out to soldiers. I admit, I thought it was a bit silly at first. Hundreds of dollars for field knives that would be beaten, abused, and lost when a standard Becker, Kabar, or whatever was capable of the same basic tasks. yeah sure they COULD save a life, but so can a damn cell phone, and most of us don't go bonkers over those...

Then I got to thinkin' about what a knife truly is- the most highly personalized tool out there. A tool that most of us have hundreds of different perspectives on, but yet performs the same basic task. And I got to thinkin' about a Soldier living under crappy field conditions, pulling a lonely boring damn night watch with nothing to do but to think. Seems to me a well made personalized knife might bring a bit of extra comfort to the individual during such times, especially if it was earned, or given as a gift.

Also got to thinkin' about the times a knife would be used, and some of the harsh conditions they may see, especially the infantry types. And on this one, there's no doubt in my mind whatsoever a Strider, Busse, Chris Reeve, or other big name knife would be enormously more confidence inspiring than a plain old as issued bottom bidder contract knife provided by Uncle Sam. So, in short if an expensive knife can bring comfort, security and higher performance to the troops, I'm all for it.

I guess maybe the summary of my post is that even though I'm finding myself pretty well satisfied with factory fodder that gets used, I can certainly see the reason why our boys an' girls off on foreign shores would want something better, and I'm feelin' I should be more supportive of that. Hell, I don't expect they can see my bumper stickers and flag from Iraq anyways...:D

Sorry if I got ta' ramblin' a bit...
 
A knife is special when it makes a person happy to have it. Children will go absolutely nuts over their first knife even if most of the folks on this forum wouldn't lower themselves to carry it. An old museum knife made of materials no one would dare use nowadays but has historical value is quite special. A custom of the highest quality materials is special. A highly decorated "safe queen" knife is special.

Nothing really makes a knife, in and of itself, special. It's the fact that that knife can serve some purpose--be it a jeweled damascus blade sitting on a shelf in an office decoratively or a $5 flea market special used to cut string--is a special knife.
 
the edge and how you used it. that what makes my knives special.

tillering a bow, skinning a deer, knowing it is there when times are tough(relying on it)..etc.

I would imagine someone who has used a knife to save their life or someone elses...would find that particular knife special.
 
Knives and multi tools are some of the most used items in the military, of course, the majority who use these items are enlisted. Yes, I know , there are officers in the combat arms, spec-war, pilots, etc, but they usually have the spending power to purchase more expensive blades. Enlisted folks may not always be able to do that.
Although, I too, am enlisted, I consider myself very fortunate to be able to buy the knives that I have, which are nothing in cost when compared to some of the "true" expensive customs on the market.
So sending out a bunch of nicer than average PX bought blades or multi-tools to the troops is gr8. It's shows some support from people back home, a knifemaker or a company. It's something special for a troop whose in a hurry, or an aircrewman or mechanic working their a$$ off. Hopefully it helps them do their job, and to let them know they have our support.
Oh sorry, time is up, operation "ramble on" is over.
 
What makes a knife special to me is its accumulated history. I have two in mind - one I have and one I wish I had.

My dad passed away last year. About a month ago my mom handed me a little paper wrapped package and said, "I want to give this to you. It was your first knife." Inside was a cheap Japanese made fixed blade knife. The blade is about 3" in length and the handle about
2-1/2". Scales are plastic imitation stag, bolsters are a cheap metal braided on, and a guard consisting of a piece of metal with a slot cut in it, through which the blade was press fitted. There is a cheap compass in the handle. Very dull, but with a clip point sharp enough to pierce flesh. "Your dad gave it to you when you were three years old." I asked if he just let me hold it in his presence or if he turned me loose with it. "Oh, it was yours. You carried it everywhere." This was the same guy who let me roam the woods at will with an old Iver Johnson single-shot 12 gauge when I was ten years old. I was a very lucky kid. And I never cut or stabbed anyone or shot anything I wasn't supposed to either.

The one I wish I still had was my Boy Scout sheath knife with an upswept clip point and a leather washer handle. The blade was very thin but of good carbon steel. i broke the tip off throwing it, and dad took it to the cotton mill where he worked and reshaped the blade, improving it greatly. I had a semi-skinner long before I ever heard the term. I could put a razor edge on that knife, and with it's thin blade and edge it cut like a dream. I dressed out untold numbers of rabbit and squirrel with that thing, as well as my first deer. Somewhere when I was into college and co-eds, it disappeared. I wish I still had it.
 
History of a knife and if you made it yourself are the two things that make a knife special to me. Take that back, third would be knife given to me by someone and special feelings attached to that, but I guess that falls under history too.
 
...The way it "feels", and the way it feels in MY hand. To me, the Camillus CUDA CQB-1 is THE knife for me, as it feels perfect...The balance is perfect. I have smoothed the edges of the canvas micarta scales, and the scales-to-steel match-up is 100% perfect.
 
Uniqueness........
How it feels in your hand
how it visually appeals to you
what it means to you sentimentally
and how much scares sheeple :)
 
Lots of different things make a knife special to me. Some knives are special to me because of the experiences we've shared, or maybe just because they work so damned good! Some knives are special to me because of sentimental reasons. Some knives are special to me because they are VERY rare and I know that I have one of the very few of them out there in the world. I like it when I bond with a knife and I know it is a definite "keeper".
 
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