Women and knives

[Kohai999]

Hey Guys,

"Kelly's" post below got me to thinking about an idea I have had for a long time, but have only ruminated about hanging out at knife shows after 4:20.

If this subject has come up before, and recently, let me know, and disregard.

WARNING, GROSS GENERALIZATION AHEAD: Most women don't like knives.
I think I know why, stay with me here. I think it's that most people have gotten at least one bad cut in their lives, and with women, it stays in their subconscious longer, and in a different way than men. I get cut, bad, 5 minutes later(if I can still walk) I'm back playing with a knife. Then, there is the obvious "penis" thing, which I do not need to elaborate on. You get it.

I mean there are champion female shooters, and some are not bad looking. There are magazines for women with guns(that own them, not those cheesy, but classic "Chicks in bikinis with Automatic Weapons" videos).

But very, very few women in the business. Making, selling, buying, using. I mean personally, when I am at a knife show, unless the women are very knowledgeable, and they usually aren't, I'm not real interested in having them around.

I tried to cultivate an interest in every girlfriend that I have ever had, including my wife, and although she enjoys the occasional small, pearl handled folder, she has never shown any real interest in getting into it beyond the basic surface. I do personally know a disproportionally high number of "butch" lesbians that DO like knives, however.

I would be really interested in those of you who are over 18, have actually gotten laid at least once without paying for it, and have wives/girlfriends/ex-wives/ex-girlfriends to chime in on this most, for me, tantalizing subject.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson

 

[Cougar Allen]

In my experience women who like knives are shy about talking about it until you make it clear to them that you're not going to think they're weird. A number of the women I know actually have pretty extensive knife collections, and they show them to me -- but they don't show them to most of their friends.

 

[Patapsco Mike]

I think it's more an issue of practicality. Most women use knives every day- when they cook for their families. They don't hate/dislike their kitchen knives. They need them, they use them, and they probably don't give them much thought. Then they see their husband with his fancy pants folding knife, the cost of which is damn near a car payment, and it just goes to reinforce what they already know- that most of us guys will never quite grow up, that we don't have our priorities straight, and that we should go pick up our clothes off the floor and take the #(%* trash out...

They don't dislike knives per se- they dislike what they represent. I almost never get the from women when they see my fancy knives. Usually it's more like or So I compromise, and order custom kitchen knives. Hearing this, I get and a rolleyes not fit for this family website...

 

[djolney]

IMO, most women view knives as tools, rather than as objects to be collected. They appreciate a good knife, but only if they have a use for it.

I base these observations/generalisations on what I've noticed being around female farmers, chefs, and soldiers.

Men, on the other hand, like shiny things that we can show off. He who dies with the most toys wins.

David

 

[MikeH]

Eleven years ago when I got my first Busse, a Steel Heart II, I would come home after being out of town and find my Busse lying on the floor by my wife's side of the bed. Although I had a house full of guns, she wouldn't consider them for self defense. She said that she was not going to accidently discharge a knife and hurt one of the kids.Then she appropriated my Busse full time for her car. I finally had to buy her a fighting knife to get my Busse back. Since then I have really gotten into collecting Busses and others in a big way, and to this day she has never complained about the cost of a knife. Of all my knives, she likes the black coated large Busses best.
It chills the blood to think about a momma bear protecting her cubs armed with 8" of razor sharp INFI!

Last year I took her to Blade for the first time. She has already made the decision that we are going again this year. She is my "enabler". As I stood at Bobby Branton's table last year admiring the Brend 5, she said, 'if you don't buy it now, you'll regret it later". She was right. I didn't and I do.

 

[SharpByCoop]

Invariably the eyes roll and the whole 'knife' thing smacks of a weapon. A NASTY one. "You collect KNIVES??"

I find I have to pitch it tactfully in order to at least make an impression favorably on why I collect and why there are folks who spend, not hundreds, but thousands of dollars on fine cutlery.

The 'weapon' aspect is inescapable, even though women probably handle a knife as much as me in the kitchen. I dunno.

Coop

 

[migo]

Well, my ex-girlfriend didn't really have a problem with me liking knives, she even bought me my Kershaw Blackout ST but she wasn't into them either. She wasn't too happy when I started buying her younger brother some knives though. I've got a couple (girl) friends who like knives, and when I show them pictures or knives I have their reaction is usually something along the lines of "oooh, pretty" or "that's a beauty". Some others are like my ex and are OK with knives but don't like them. Some say stuff like "my dad would like that, he's a knife junkie". Then there are the girls who freak out that I even have a knife and freak out even more when I take them out. I don't usually take a knife out when I'm around people I don't know, so usually they just ask why I have a knife (one thought my Blackout was a butterfly knife ), I tell them and they go "ok..." or "but knives are DANGEROUSSS!"

Interestingly, my Mom's always been cool about knives. Some things she was really irational about, but she bought me a SAK and a Muela Mini-Bowie when I was 7. She also always carries her SAK with her, both as a tool and because it somehow makes her feel safer (I've pointed out that a SAK is useless for SD, she's aknowledged it but carries it anyway. My Ex also carried an exacto knife for SD, I pointed out the same thing to her, she also carried it anyway).

 

[migo]

Oh, and the most knowledgable shop attendant at House of Knives I've come across so far was a woman.

 

[Blue Jays]

Hi All-

If the woman doesn't think you're going to skin her like a deer and wear her face like a mask as you do your little kooky dance, you should be fine.

~ Blue Jays ~

 

[allyourblood]

If the woman doesn't think you're going to skin her like a deer and wear her face like a mask as you do your little kooky dance, you should be fine...

fine with what?

abe

 

[kelly420]

"Chicks in bikinis with Automatic Weapons"

i see you've seen jackie brown

 

[Blue Jays]

Hi All-

fine with what?

Women are intelligent enough to recognize that some men collect knives like women collect shoes. If the man is stable and courteous, she probably won't care whether he is "into" knives, firearms, cars, or whatever. She especially won't care if he remembers her birthday, asks about her day at work, and occasionally buys her nice gifts.

~ Blue Jays ~

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Hi All-

If the woman doesn't think you're going to skin her like a deer and wear her face like a mask as you do your little kooky dance, you should be fine.

~ Blue Jays ~

Daggummit!!! now you got that song stuck in my head doing auto scan trying to remember the rest of the lyrics!

My wife's quite a knife enthusiast. I think she owns more guns than I do, and she's catching up with knives. Hell, she's all around terrific. I never thought I'd marry my best friend, or that my best friend would be so easy on the eyes.

I'll see if she can spare a few minutes to come in here and give her own unedited perspective...

 

[El Rata Serpiente]

After reading Kelly420's previous threads, and the responses to her threads, I have come to these conclusions:
1. Kelly you are looking for attention in the wrong place.
2. Half of the members of this site are sexually starved rednecks, who are in need of any form of female attention.
3. The other half realise the reality of this tragic comedy.

And Kelly, if you really wanted a knife for defensive purposes, I doubt it was a good idea to have bought a balisong. If someone is trying to hurt you, you don't want to waste time trying to be a ninja and flip out your butterfly knife, looking very cool and dangerous in the process. Stick to a kcik in the balls, or maybe something you will actually be able to use when your system is pumped with adrenaline and fear.

 

[Stockman]

After reading Kelly420's previous threads, and the responses to her threads, I have come to these conclusions:
1. Kelly you are looking for attention in the wrong place.
2. Half of the members of this site are sexually starved rednecks, who are in need of any form of female attention.
3. The other half realise the reality of this tragic comedy.

And Kelly, if you really wanted a knife for defensive purposes, I doubt it was a good idea to have bought a balisong. If someone is trying to hurt you, you don't want to waste time trying to be a ninja and flip out your butterfly knife, looking very cool and dangerous in the process. Stick to a kcik in the balls, or maybe something you will actually be able to use when your system is pumped with adrenaline and fear.

I would be in the half, who are prepared to give everyone a fair go - innocent until proven guilty, is the law I know - and for the record, I am not sexualy starved, nor a redneck, nor in need of any form of female attention.
I think your "conclusions" need a little more thought.

I take it from your balisong/self defence comment that you are an expert in this field??.

 

[Kohai999]

A kick to the balls is very effective in many cases, but a elbow/fist to the Adam's apple, or a chop to an ear or side of the neck is more effective, with a higher percentage of "activity cessastion".

That being said, one of my female sempai put a convicted rapist/murderer in the hospital, and subsequently prison, by kicking him in the balls. One nut was destroyed, the other one, unfortunately was not.

"Sisters are doin' it for themselves".

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson

 

[El Rata Serpiente]

Stockman: no I am not an "expert" in this field. And I'm sure many self proclaimed "experts" are really only masters of the theoretical. It doesn't take a neuro-surgeon to see that simplicity and practicality are much more important than screwing around when your life is in danger.

Kohia: I hope you congratulated your pupil on a job well done. It seems she has dealt a blow to exact kind of sexually deprived redneck that I speak of. And a painful one at that.( shuddering at the thought)

 

[Knifeclerk]

I guess I'm pretty lucky. All of the women in my life are more than comfortable with knives. I'm not saying they're enthusiasts, but they own/carry. One of them I am teaching knifethrowing whenever she is up from college (I've also got her started with balisongs.) The first woman I ever loved actually was a better bali-flipper than I was. Furthermore, her mother had taught her practical knifefighting. All the other ladies carry knives every day (usually knives that I have given them as presents.)
Now the only awkward women I have to deal with are the ones that come into my store.
-KC

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Hello folks,
RWS’ wife, Karie, here:

Mike told me I just had to come downstairs, see this thread and post something to prove there are women out in this world that no only use knives other than in the kitchen, but there are those of us that actually collect them and enjoy them as well.
Do you guys really realize how sexist the “women use knives in the kitchen” kind of thought process is? –Yes, that is rather offensive and I don’t mean to step on anyone’s toes but it’s EXACTLY that kind of mentality that makes your wives and girlfriends, your mothers and sisters THINK they can’t step outside the remnants of the norms this old patriarchal society has instilled in our generations. Yeah, you know the one that says the man is the one who goes out and hunts, brings home the meat, and the woman cleans and cooks it. Don’t forget the part where a woman is not allowed to touch the man’s weapons and knives; she has to use her special “woman’s knife”. It takes more than a few progenies for a mind-set to progress. Given current trends, I would surmise that your daughters and granddaughters will see a rise in the knife interest of their peers. I am not a sociologist though and can only offer an uneducated theory.

Mike said I sound like an ultra-feminist, and I digress here but I wanted to get my point across to you gentlemen. BTW, I’ve never been a man-hater and I hold much respect for a fine, upstanding man who contributes to his family and society. Ok, enough political correct back talk here.

Personally, I was the last of five daughters and grew up as an only child as my siblings were much older than I. My father believed that all of us girls needed to know how to defend ourselves and how to do some of the little things that most girls didn’t. You never know when those little bits of information and skills might come in handy.
I was given my first pocketknife somewhere around the age of 4. I remember it was a pretty little lock-back with a bone handle and the 1 ½” blade had an eagle on it with writing I can’t remember. An old wooden handled, 5” skinning knife was passed along sometime around the age of 7. I used that little skinning knife all the time; had it every time I went on a horseback ride by myself, or when I went wondering in the woods.
As I got older, my dad gave me a few other knives and I bought a few for myself. (BTW, my mom had some that were her own also.) In high school when I got wild a crazy my dad let me have a hunting blade he had made years before and another smaller 3” blade with a bone handle. He never knew but whenever I went to a party I had that little 3” steel with me and the hunting blade in my car. Yes, it did serve to deter a few guys with a “bad idea”.
Looking back, those probably were not the best self defense models I could have carried, but they are what I was comfortable with. The point here is that it’s not always the item but the sense of security the item gives to the holder, which leads to how a person carries themselves in public. (Point made by Migo regarding the SAK and the Exacto knife.)

Mike H: your wife sounds like a good lady. Perhaps you could interest her in a self-defense class that will teach her how to use the knives. As for the guns in the home, maybe if she went shooting and learned how to use them she may feel more comfortable. Let her use a shotgun (no magnum loads to rip up her shoulders) and see how she likes the pattern and the idea birdshot is less likely to penetrate the sheetrock into the kid’s room. (Though the birdshot will do less damage to a perpetrator.) Besides that I have never met a woman that didn’t get a spark of glee in her eyes when blasting inanimate objects away with the shotgun!

I have a number of knives, as my husband pointed out, and each one of them has a special use or purpose for me. I do have a few that are just for show but isn’t that in it’s self a purpose? I won’t go into detail about which ones I use for what and why I like them because that would take too much time and probably bore the poor readers (most men don’t have a very long attention span)
Cougar Allen, I think you hit the nail on the head with your statements. Women that do enjoy knives and collecting them are reluctant to show them off. My guess is they are uncomfortable and unsure of the reception they receive from others. I have shown mine off a time or two and I get mixed responses. The guys I work with think it’s pretty cool and aren’t too surprised because they all know my dad. The girls think it’s kinda strange, and I catch some teasing but they can’t hide the fact they are curious and admire some of the blades I bring in to show around. Most women I show a single knife to will admire it, test the blade a bit, and ask a few questions. Yeah, they are much more interested in a “pretty” knife than an EDC user. There is a big difference between the CRKT I use for home improvement projects, the various Spydercos (tools), and my Benchmades, and customs that are much easier on the eyes. Perhaps the women are more interested because I am a woman and I am showing them that it’s ok to have and do something that may not be considered feminine.

In light of that, Djolney, I do not agree with your assessment women view knives merely as a tool and like them only if we find them useful. What person, regardless of gender, will say a knife is not ultimately a useful tool? The way you make your statement, women have no regard for the value and aesthetically pleasing qualities. I read it to mean that a Wal-Mart off the shelf brand paring knife is the same as a Spyderco paring knife to a chef? The plastic handled wanna-be combat knife sold at the county fair is the same as a Strider to the soldier? These women that you are basing your opinion from, have you observes this behavior? Are you certain a woman couldn’t pick out quality, even if she has very little prior knowledge of knives? On the other hand, you’re saying men are comparable to the raccoon in their choice… I do know one guy like that.

SharpByCoop & Blue Jays, of course you will get a bad reaction if you are whipping out an MOD from each pocket, flipping them simultaneously in one-handed openings, all the while with a maniacal grin while growling out “Lookit my shiny knives, purty lady!”
Presentation is the key in most cases (key word: “most”).

It seems to me like most of you gentlemen have the “right idea” when it comes to women and knives, albeit a few oddities here and there. My advice, if you are trying to cultivate your woman’s interest in knives, show her a few things. Don’t hide them in the back of the closet for her to find and sell at a garage sale for $4.50 when you’re out of town or long-gone. Get her involved the best you can without being too pushy. Find some she likes and get them for her. Those of you with daughters, start teaching them a thing or two when they are young. (At least that way when she is older she’s less likely to waste her hard-earned baby-sitting money on junk.)
Just a few thoughts and suggestions from the female perspective, thanks for letting me post!

~KarieAnn

 

[Trout Tamer]

Ok, this is an interesting thread and I reckon i'll put in my $.02 or $.03 here
First off, thanks for posting, Karie (RWS' wife), it was nice to hear an actual woman's perspective, instead of just all of us guys' opinions on the female perspective

Of the women in my life (I don't currently have a girlfriend or wife, but I do have girl friends and female relatives), most actually seem to have a good view on knives. No, I don't know any who are avid enthusiasts or aspiring makers as I am, but they do generally see a valid need for a knife. My mom is a good example. She is seeing the art involved in knife design and has gotten to thinking about the aesthetics she prefers (she likes knives with narrow blades and handles, ala a paring knife). With that in mind, I am making her a fixed blade purse knife for an EDC. It's gonna be cool and she helped in the design. I have a girl friend who helped me design some kitchen knives and she is going to get one or two as a thank you for her input.

In short, the women I know see the use for knives as tools in daily life and some see them as more than that. For the women who are less knife-friendly, I think that presentation is key. If you are trying to impress the woman (and anyone else) with your knife-wielding skills, she probably won't be However, if you approach the topic with a true desire to educate the hesitant woman on the actual merits of knives, I think that she will respond in a much more favorable manner. Respect and maturity go a long way to opening up people's eyes, regardless of gender.