Where's the fun...?

J

justjed

Joined
Oct 23, 2010
Messages
1,836
Lately, I have noticed what I take to be a trend, and it kind of bothers me, for some reason. It doesn't matter what we're discussing, everyone wants the BEST knife/axe/'hawk/whatever, and they all come on these forums asking for advice. I guess my question is, WHY? When I started collecting edged tools and weapons, almost 40 years ago, there were no forums. I read Soldier of Fortune, Blade, and anything else I could get my hands on, to find out what was out there. When I had an idea of what I liked, I went looking for THOSE things. Things I liked.

In 1986, the Knifemakers Guild Show was held in my town. I met Blackie Collins, Bob Dozier, Shiva Ki, Tom Maringer(who, btw, was walking the show in hand-made stainless steel chain mail, with long hair, a beard, and the most beautiful sword I had ever seen at that time), Jerry Fisk, Jim Crowell, and a bunch of other makers whose work I have never been able to afford. All, or at least most, of the big names in American knife-making were there. It was a remarkable experience.

Over time, I have managed to find a few of my 'grail' pieces, tho there are many that I still have never seen in person. But, it's the journey that has been most memorable. It seems everyone these days wants to skip the journey. Kind of a "Why take a shuttle-craft to the surface, when you can just use the transporter to get there right now" kind of thing. Beam me up, Scotty!

Who cares what I like? Get the things that YOU like. And if this one doesn't do it for you, try something else, until you know what works for YOU.

Maybe it's just me......
 
You answered your own question, I think. You said when you were looking into knives, you read various print sources to get an idea of what you liked. That's what people on the forums are doing, asking around to get an idea of what they like. Asking for the recommendations of others is a good idea because it can bring up some knives that people have personally tested, so they have more accounts of whether or not the knife will be any good.

Also, people don't want to spend a lot of money constantly trying knives, gets expensive as hell. (You can start cheap, then get a spyderco or benchmade, next thing you know you're browsing a custom knife shop looking to buy a WH for $2k.
 
Exactly. You weren't any better than these young guys -- cruising the forums, trading from each other, going to knife shows in record numbers, having fun pursuing their knife fantasies -- you just think you were better.

:rolleyes:
 
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There's nothing wrong with seeking info here on the BF's but don't ask me what you should buy or what's supposedly the best, ask what some options are that you should look into.
If you already have preconceived notions about what you like or want then don't ask what to buy, just seek insights and opinions about the one you're interested in.
 
I was rather ignorant before I joined. I was looking at replacing a knife I lost which I owned for 17 years and had recently lost. The company had changed some things on the model, including the steel. I was researching the steel when I stumbled upon bladeforums. Hard to believe how much I've changed since coming here. Have bought and sold a lot of knives, figured out my preferences, and met some great people along the way.

Far different from the days spent looking at the smokey mountain knife works catalog when I was in high school.
 
I know what I like, but sometimes I just want to know what other people like . It's a good way to learn a few things and be introduced to different makers etc.
 
There is fun, but there is also much money involved these days.
Sources of information have changed, needs have changed and above all the pace has changed.
That goes both ways.
To participate you have to be much faster today.
Even electronic media changes, look where the youngsters gather - a bulletin board looks old these days -
but then knives themselves are somewhat old-fashioned.
Sharing knowledge here sounds like fun to me.
red mag
 
I agree with red mag...things have changed and for the better...

I have become interested in acquiring knives only within the past year and, at 76, rather late in life...if all I had was trade magazines and knife shows to rely on then I would probably not be involved...I have not asked many questions and have made a few mistakes...for example, my first two purchases (not on this forum) were Pakistani knockoffs...then I bought a few cheaper custom fixed blades...I then started getting into some more expensive knives until now where I have graduated up to a couple of Alan Davis folders...all within a period of about 9 months...this would not have been possible 40 years ago without the internet and this forum...and fun?...you bet I am having fun...as others have noted, every time an order arrives in the mail, it's like Xmas when I was 10 years old...that's fun!!!...

Enuff rambling...

Cheers/bg
 
Sounds like a severe case of good ol' days syndrome. Wasting time reading magazine articles that are basically advertisements doesn't sound like fun. Randomly spending money on knives and hoping they are what I'm looking for doesn't sound like fun. Being able to come to a forum and ask specific questions about a particular knife and get responses from actual users of the knife sounds like fun to me. Having a collection of knives that I actually like instead of a bunch of knives that make me say, "Why did I buy this stupid thing?" is fun.
 
Hi! I see no problem in people asking for advices about the tools which are within the scope of a dedicated forum to discuss. I’m one of them :oops:. The issue I see (a minor one anyway) is about the “asking for the best of” part. Best for what? And surely, best for who? :) Because here I am with you, what works for me maybe very well not work at all for you and what is best for my environment/tasks maybe very well poorly perform in yours. Reading and sharing, but also asking specific questions, can help in clarifying these things and narrowing down the “candidates” list. In my opinion this isn’t taking away the fun to get what one likes but can help in putting it into the right context :thumbsup:. This has happened to me a lot since I joined here and still happens :).
 
I used to read the hype about certain knives in magazines and couldn't help noticing, the same knives advertised in the same magazines. After buying a few and trying them out, I figured out that was just what the articles were, is paid hype. I'd much rather listen to real users that bought their knives with, their own hard earned money, than some magazine writer, that paid nothing for the test knife and has a monetary interest in giving it a glowing review.
 
Of course newbies come on and ask for the best. Who wouldn't want the best they can get for their money? And loads of people simply don't use knives much at all in their daily lives, so they don't realize that best will vary wildly based on the task at hand, style of knife and personal preference. But they're going to get a far more complete picture of what's available, what they might like and why they might like it with the vast quantity of information available here than they are leafing through magazines and reading paid advertisements.
 
i kinda know what the OP is saying. I see it on forums everywhere. people show up, want to know the perfect answer right away, and sometimes they dissappear soon after.

knives, like guns, fishing lures, or motorcycle parts - have no end all be all, "best", until you get down to a very specific level.

i think its the age of the internet and instant gratifications - it is where we are now though, and us old(er) guys will either have to learn to deal with it, or retire to the front porch and grumble about it together
 
Not everyone comes to Bladeforums for the same reasons. Some guys don't collect knives, but they still want to buy an outstanding knife instead of the crap available in big box stores, gas stations and flea markets. They come to the forum and ask about the best knife for their needs. They make the purchase, then put the knife in their pocket and never return to Bladeforums. What's wrong with that? If they buy a POS, overpriced fantasy knife off the TV, knife nuts ridicule them at work when they show it off. If they come here and ask questions and buy "the best knife" then disappear, they get crap from us too on threads like this.

Instant gratification was going to the brick and mortar knife shop back in the 60's & 70's (and before) and buying whatever they had in stock because I wanted a knife. Now you can research for as long as you like online and make an informed decision or an impulse buy just like always. Different venue, different year, same old crap. Every generation feels like we're the only ones that did it the right way.

The internet and Bladeforums is today's front porch!
 
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I just love trying out different things. I've realised a long time ago that finding "the best" is pretty much impossible.

You can find great stuff though. I don't collect very hard. But the pieces I get I usually enjoy for a while...and then let go to try out something new.

That's fun to me anyway.
 
Hickory n steel said:
There's nothing wrong with seeking info here on the BF's but don't ask me what you should buy or what's supposedly the best, ask what some options are that you should look into.
If you already have preconceived notions about what you like or want then don't ask what to buy, just seek insights and opinions about the one you're interested in.
Click to expand...

Even if they aren't phrasing it that way that is basically what they are asking in those, "what knife is best" threads.

You ask that question and you'll get a number of different answers. Hell, half the time you'll get random answers that don't even apply. I can't count how many times I've seen someone ask something like "what's the best flipper" and someone will tell them to get a pm2.

But by asking the question they get a number of choices, so the result is the same.
 
It's just you ;) . Been there and done that with the magazines and the trade shows. The journey is no less informative nor less rich these days. In fact, I would argue the exact opposite.
 
justjed said:
Lately, I have noticed what I take to be a trend, and it kind of bothers me, for some reason. It doesn't matter what we're discussing, everyone wants the BEST knife/axe/'hawk/whatever, and they all come on these forums asking for advice. ...

Get the things that YOU like. And if this one doesn't do it for you, try something else, until you know what works for YOU.

Maybe it's just me......
Click to expand...

So, you are thrown by people coming here asking for advice, but then you come here to give advice. Odd.

People here like to learn about and talk about knives. It's the whole point. If you long for the days of waiting to get advertorial-filled magazines once a month, that's cool. If you prefer meeting big name makers in person one time to chatting with them here every day, that's fine. And if you think shaking a stick at those no good internet punk whippersnappers is fun, more power to you.

I happen to be having a blast.
 
I'm not really 'old' (in the grand scheme of things) but I'm no spring chicken, either. I've bought and carried pocketknives since I was a teen in the 1970s. I see no problem with using the Internet and asking questions and opinions about knives. There are a LOT of choices nowadays to sift through, and maybe they realize there is more out there than just the Gerbers they see at the sporting goods section at Wal-Mart or Target.

I personally do not travel to or attend knife shows. Look, I love knives, but not enough to travel hundreds of miles and pay for lodging to see a knife show. Why would it bother me that others do or don't? Also, everyone that asks a question here is not necessarily a 'knife knut', but joins because they want to ask and make a more informed decision. After that, many won't stay around to 'shoot the breeze' discussing this knife and that knife. Many people don't have the time or dedication to spend years coming to a conclusion about their knife preferences, and that's great, too. Many people, including myself, pursue multiple interests besides knives.

Jim
 
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