Why

[I.N.F.K]

Nobody buys a $200 impact wrench to look at and use a $50 one for work. So why do people buy sebenzas and then go buy a cheap knife as beater knife. I thought the whole point of paying more is it would handle MORE abuse not so you would be afraid to use it in dirty situations.

I think that is what they call collecting, but unsure. I work with as fella that bpight this rainbow pattern (like Kershaw) snap on wrench for over $200. He has never used it. Those kind of people are out their.

 

[ebidis]

I beat the hell out of mine today

Me too!

 

[6850]

I don't want to disrespect you sir...
But since I am hardly pristine from getting full use out of my body when able, why the hell would I need something pristine like a watch for formal events?
Ahhh (("I think it is kinda cool to have something pristine to show off")) ((if you have something perfect it will reflect other endeavours??))
Here we differ...I couldn't give a damn who looks down their nose at my worn anything...knife, gun, truck, whatever...
I know I'm cool, and I don't show off... Well, unless there is some kind of showing off needed at the time...
I wouldn't intentionally damage or destroy or mar something to make it look cool either. I don't buy worn out Jeans, I buy them and wear them out...
But then again I live alone on an acreage, and went to town today for the first time in almost two months...

 

[Charlie Mike]

I guess I should recap... I intentionally marred my watch to show that I don't care if it gets scratched, that trying to preserve the pristine state is futile and borders on idolatry (in my opinion).

 

[sjhong]

I beat the hell out of mine today

I bet it cut like butter.

 

[Kwon Kwang]

I guess I should recap... I intentionally marred my watch to show that I don't care if it gets scratched, that trying to preserve the pristine state is futile and borders on idolatry (in my opinion).

I agree, and it's why I don't care if the things I own get scratched. The carbon fiber handle on my new EK&T Companion is already showing some wear, and that's perfectly fine with me. It'll give the knife character, and I realize that, as I intend to carry this knife for years and years, it's going to get dinged up. It's inevitable. I think the same of all my other "fancier" knives with shiny mirror finished and anodized blades and pieces. It's just going to happen, because that's life, and to worry about it is silly in my opinion.

 

[sjhong]

I agree, and it's why I don't care if the things I own get scratched. The carbon fiber handle on my new EK&T Companion is already showing some wear, and that's perfectly fine with me. It'll give the knife character, and I realize that, as I intend to carry this knife for years and years, it's going to get dinged up. It's inevitable. I think the same of all my other "fancier" knives with shiny mirror finished and anodized blades and pieces. It's just going to happen, because that's life, and to worry about it is silly in my opinion.

I can understand the principle, but I wouldn't intentionaly scratch my 12K watch (or my $500 watch for that matter).

On the subject of knives, I fall in the category of the people who use but don't abuse them. I cut stuff with them. I don't pry with them, I don't hammer with them, and I don't use them as screw drivers.

They are to me what expensive bags are for my wife. I take pleasure in owning expensive knives, and the fact that they are expensive are also part of that pleasure.

 

[Dddrees]

I guess I should recap... I intentionally marred my watch to show that I don't care if it gets scratched, that trying to preserve the pristine state is futile and borders on idolatry (in my opinion).

That's just simply ridiculous, although you may think your sending some larger message your not. All your doing is damaging something be it high dollar or low dollar, and your just damaging it intentionally and that's all you are doing.

 

[Kwon Kwang]

I can understand the principle, but I wouldn't intentionaly scratch my 12K watch (or my $500 watch for that matter).

On the subject of knives, I fall in the category of the people who use but don't abuse them. I cut stuff with them. I don't pry with them, I don't hammer with them, and I don't use them as screw drivers.

They are to me what expensive bags are for my wife. I take pleasure in owning expensive knives, and the fact that they are expensive are also part of that pleasure.

I also don't abuse my knives. Just general use. I don't care how much the blade costs or how exclusive/special it is, I'm using it. Actually, the more expensive a knife is, the more I want to use it! I want to see those dollars reflect on a knife's performance, and there's no way I'm spending hundreds on a knife so it can sit on a shelf.

 

[P Thomas]

CharlieMike did make me wince a little marring up a Rolex...but it's his and now the scratches make it his forever!

I won't use certain knives because they look too pretty... and why I will buy some knives used just to not feel bad about messing them up.

Kind of reminds me when I bought my only new car... I freaked out every time anything happened to it or if it got dirty.
My current ride had some beauty marks when bought and I enjoy it a lot more.

So as long as the person who buys said item, enjoys it.. who cares right?

 

[Cutlover]

I don't want to disrespect you sir...
But since I am hardly pristine from getting full use out of my body when able, why the hell would I need something pristine like a watch for formal events?
Ahhh (("I think it is kinda cool to have something pristine to show off")) ((if you have something perfect it will reflect other endeavours??))
Here we differ...I couldn't give a damn who looks down their nose at my worn anything...knife, gun, truck, whatever...
I know I'm cool, and I don't show off... Well, unless there is some kind of showing off needed at the time...
I wouldn't intentionally damage or destroy or mar something to make it look cool either. I don't buy worn out Jeans, I buy them and wear them out...
But then again I live alone on an acreage, and went to town today for the first time in almost two months...

I can see your point, understandable Perhaps I care too much what other people think....I like how people like you and Charlie don't care what other people think, awesome trait to have. Maybe it is because I live near city? Different mindset based on location perhaps?

Oh, and for future fererence, you can hit the "reply with quote" button under posts to quote, and bold the sentences that you want emphasized :thumbup:

 

[robgmn]

I just went and broke the tip off my blade to show how little I care.
(No, not really. I DO care, dammit!)

Destruction for the sake of destruction seems silly.
Buying something but never using it for its main purpose seems silly.
Spending large sums of money to do so seems wasteful.

But we all do what is right for us, and we all do think of what others do as probably wrong, regardless of the psychobabble we may lay on it.
We will often question it publicly, and much more often internally.

Wanna deny it? Tell me you've never ONCE thought the person driving faster than you was an idiot, and the person driving slower was a moron.
Because what YOU were doing was the RIGHT thing.
Right?

 

[James Y]

I buy and carry a knife because I like it, not because I want to fit in with the crowd or show it off. For example, I bought my Insingo because I liked the design and the maker. I first read about it years ago in a magazine and, already owning a regular Seb, I liked this variation a lot. Then I asked others on the forum whether they prefer the large or small, the advantages or disadvantages of each. It took me 5 years to eventually pull the trigger, and I ended up getting both sizes. I carry the large one every day.

I didn't buy them because I wanted others to think how cool I am. I don't care what others think (well, I do occasionally check to make sure there isn't a booger hanging from my nose). My normal daily dress is cargo pants, Skechers walking shoes and a T shirt, including at my workplace. Sure I can clean up nicely and look better in dress clothes or office casual, but I have no need to do so where I work, nor in my life. Probably one of many reasons I went Valantine-less again this year.

As others have mentioned, life is too short to waste it constantly worrying about what everyone else thinks (or might think). Frankly, nobody cares about my knife/knives but me anyway. It may sound selfish, but my knives are all about me and my likes. I'm not going around stealing other people's property or information, nor doing anything else criminal. My personal responsibilities right now include the well-being of an aging parent and my own life, and so long as I'm taking care of business first and foremost, what I do with my own leftover disposable income is not to please anybody else.

Jim

 

[Charlie Mike]

I can see your point, understandable Perhaps I care too much what other people think....I like how people like you and Charlie don't care what other people think, awesome trait to have. Maybe it is because I live near city? Different mindset based on location perhaps?

Oh, and for future fererence, you can hit the "reply with quote" button under posts to quote, and bold the sentences that you want emphasized :thumbup:

 

[Tombo 65]

Late to the party, and seldom post, so forgive me if my comments are out of place or unwelcome.

I find value in a knife, or a tool, or any other inanimate object, based first on function, then on aesthetics. I'd be lying if I said that appearances were irrelevant. They used to be higher on the priority scale, but at some point the scale flipped and I know only own things I really need or use. That's just me, and it's partially based on frugality and income. I don't think it's a virtue, or a better perspective than others. Just is.

All that being said, the aesthetics of an object and whether I find it appealing to the eye are now more based on how useful and functional that object is. Really useful is really attractive and really useless is really unattractive. I can appreciate the "lines" of some knives for a short time, while feeling that they are useless and having no real desire to own or handle them. Usually, I quickly end up feeling like the object is shallow, pointless and vain. Sort of like modern art. Sometimes one of those amorphous blobs of concrete or steel will really catch my attention and hold it for a few minutes, but in the end the overarching question for me is "what's the point?", and I walk away. That sort of scenario has occurred for me with regards to tactical knives. I love to carve, cut up food for cooking, do basic bush-craft tasks, and use a knife for the dozens of tasks I encounter each day that are suited to using a knife for. For me, none of those tasks involve a tactical scenario. Never have, and I hope they never will. As a result, I feel zero draw to tactical knives. If I were in the military I would probably value these knives' functional beauty, but I have no real use for them. I've given all of my tactical stuff away and just have a few puukkos, general utility knives, and choppers for heavier chores. None of these knives are real "lookers" but I could not appreciate the beauty of their form more if they were damascus steel, engraved and embellished museum pieces. Their beauty, in my eyes, is how well their form is suited to their function, and that they are devoid of embellishments that would not benefit their function.

I don't think that there needs to be a "point" to a knife, or watch, or whatever, to justify someone valuing it. That's not my business, and I am glad for those who have the income to indulge a desire to collect or who place a higher value on price, pure aesthetics, or engineering. Each person has their own perspective as well as their own list of required "functions", and if the main function is to look and feel nice - with no other use, that's fine. Just not my flavor.

If you like it, and can afford it, what other justification do you really need. Buying anything to impress others is a form of slavery.

 

[Spyder59]

That's just simply ridiculous, although you may think your sending some larger message your not. All your doing is damaging something be it high dollar or low dollar, and your just damaging it intentionally and that's all you are doing.

CM is an artist. Artists do stuff to speak to people in different ways. He sure spoke to you. In fact it was such a strong message, you were compelled to respond. Consequently, mission accomplished. "So to speak."

 

[marcinek]

CM is an artist. Artists do stuff to speak to people in different ways. He sure spoke to you. In fact it was such a strong message, you were compelled to respond. Consequently, mission accomplished. "So to speak."

And...its his watch. He can spray paint it purple and put a Hello Kitty band on it if he wants.

 

[cotcrab]

I use my hinderer, sebenza, Medford etc etc etc. That's the fun of having them. Why have a safe queen? Use them while your alive!

 

[killgar]

That's just simply ridiculous, although you may think your sending some larger message your not. All your doing is damaging something be it high dollar or low dollar, and your just damaging it intentionally and that's all you are doing.

No, what's ridiculous is for you to presume that your personal interpretation of his actions does in fact define his actions.

A mans motives are his own, your opinion of his actions don't change his motives. Just because you don't agree with his motivation, that doesn't mean his motivations weren't exactly what he says they were.

If Charlie Mike smashes his watch with a sledge hammer, and says he's doing it to protest the killing of baby seals, then that is exactly what he is doing, whether you agree with it or not.

I admire Matt (Charlie Mike) for a few reasons displayed in this thread- He's a perfect example of "If it's yours, then you can do whatever you want with it". And I admire the fact that he does what he wants with HIS property and doesn't give a rats ass if anyone doesn't like what he does with HIS property. And then there's the fact that he doesn't get the least bit defensive or offended when people criticize him and give him crap about what he does with HIS property. Always a cool head (like someone who doesn't give a rats ass).

I also admire him for other reasons, but those are the ones displayed in this thread.

What is it about some people that they feel the need to try and impose their "values" on others, and criticize them for having different values? Sure, everyone is entitled to their opinion, and to post their opinion on this forum, but why does anyone really care what someone else chooses to do with THEIR property, or what their motives are? Unless you're one of those people who likes to believe that you are always right, that your way is THE ONE TRUE RIGHT WAY, and that anyone who thinks or does differently is wrong.

I don't intentionally mar or damage my property, but I say "more power to those who want to", whatever their reasons might be.

 

[Dddrees]

CM is an artist. Artists do stuff to speak to people in different ways. He sure spoke to you. In fact it was such a strong message, you were compelled to respond. Consequently, mission accomplished. "So to speak."

Oh my god, I think you actually believe this.