I don't understand Blue, Green, or any brightly colored handles

[Pinetreebbs]

Suum cuique pulchrum est

[greenewk]

Ah, not to sound antisocial -- but I couldn't care less about the opinion of someone silly enough to be offended by the idea of carrying a knife.

That said, I'll agree with many others that most people who WILL be offended, will be LESS offended by pretty much anything that isn't black and tacti-evil(be it handle, blade, gun...).

[bdblue]

Color is a personal thing. And not everybody lives in a place where they are worried about people noticing their knives.

I have the blue PM2 and I don't think it is all that bright, at least in my EDC situation. I don't think it attracts attention in my pocket, but I do think the orange is significantly brighter and I might not carry one of those.

[DedRok]

I prefer dull colors, black, brown, grey, folige green, carbon fiber, ect. :)

But that doesn't stop me from getting colors like blue, orange or green. They all have their purpose and I have so many knives they are like t-shirts to me. I change my "EDC" every morning when I put my clothes on... sometimes its nice to have color just because you feel like it.

My personal fravorite color is Foliage Green G10 on my UKPK. (not my photo however)

[Lo/Rez]

Color is a personal thing. And not everybody lives in a place where they are worried about people noticing their knives.

I have the blue PM2 and I don't think it is all that bright, at least in my EDC situation. I don't think it attracts attention in my pocket, but I do think the orange is significantly brighter and I might not carry one of those.

I'm not much into the different colors but I certainly do like that blue one.

[The Deacon]

I'd also suggest that, since folks have discovered RIT works on FRN and G-10, it's pretty darn easy to dye a handle that's too light/bright to a darker/duller hue if you wish. Some can even be dyed black, if that's your favorite color. Not to mention that, with the "high interest" Sprints and Exclusives, something that makes a few people decide to pass isn't really a bad thing.

[TUF]

Like has been posted I agree that black actually stands out as appears to be more sinister than any of the more colorful colors. The blue Para 2 used for example matches a lot of outdoor wear both winter and summer. Black always appears to be militant looking.

I like so many others have grown tired of all the black folders. I have several blue Spydies now not just the Para 2. I also like many of the other colors. When working/spending time with others it also helps identify whose knife belongs to whom.

But if you see the world thru black/white eyes that is your prerogative. You can be one of the ones that always has a black knife. It takes all kinds to make the world go round. That's a good thing.

[Ferris Wheels]

I prefer my knives to attract attention because it provides an opportunity to educate. I work in a downtown office in Denver with 25 other people who would be considered city folk. I have had a Spyderco in my pocket everyday and at first it was met with skepticism but after a few months it became accepted. There have even been a couple converts who are now carrying dragonfly's.

When someone needs to open a package, cut some straps or a cable, they come find me and borrow my knife. This puts a smile back on my face as I feel I am working towards educating a new generation where it is no longer the norm for someone to carry a pocket knife.

[Bladekeeper]

I don't like some of the bright colour models but then a picture of a mod comes up like the toxic pingo and it looks great I agree some shades can strike as garish .
However spyderco for me is usually spot on in its choice of colour even if it isn't my taste I have all but 1 of the tenacious models the blue.
I will get this if I can hard to find as they never made it to the uk but the green did and that shade makes the knife a beauty .
It works so much better than the black IMO I have some elm scales that were destined for a woodcraft mule blank but wernt stabilised properly.
I may get a tenacious and fit this wood to them and finish it with Danish oil but overall rather than it being a matter of understanding the concept its taste , apart from the rescues which are coloured for ease of finding .
As others have stated I have seen somebody chuck a brown G10 handled knife on the floor in the forest and spend 30 mins looking for it.

Edit: an aside a member of bb Gorilla makes some gitd saks using banksia nut wood and fills the voids with gitd powder they look awesome
The shades showing in the light and at dark they beam really well.

[BAL]

You need to remember that people that buy these knives live all over the world. And people carry/use knives for different reasons. Someone who lives in a city and works in an office type setting is not going to use their knife the same way as someone who lives in the country and that works on a farm. Maybe someone is going to use that colorful knife only inside their house. Maybe people buy the colored spydies just to add to their collection. Whatever the case may be, there is a market for these knives and people will continue to buy them and i think its great that they offer all kinds of options.

Great comments.

[phillipsted]

On site I carry an Atlantic Salt mostly or a Tasman Salt. Everyone sees the yellow as safety knife.

Bright colours are seen as less threatening, most think in the lines of Red = Swiss Army knife. That has been my experience.

I agree, Zenith. I carry a Salt frequently when on travel because I can always justify it as "just my fishing knife" or "it's a safety knife". Less threatening this way. Orange elicits the same basic reaction - but not if it is on a larger knife (e.g., Endura, Millie)...

TedP

[markg]

It may have already been said, but I guess these might be the popular reasons people would like colored knives...

1.) Collectors. Different colors will appeal to collectors as variants.

2.) Colored knives sometimes give the knife a kinder gentler appearance. Hard to call your pink Delica a fighting knife. It is easier to pass off an orange Military as a "rescue" knife.

3.) Bright colors are often better suited to knives used in the woods. Drop a black handled knife in the brush and it is harder to find than an orange one.

4.) Colored knives just are more interesting. Folks may like a particular color, or it is the color of a favorite sports team, etc.

5.) When throwing knives into attacking zombies, it is easier to identify your knife when you retrieve it from their dead undead body.

[Bill1170]

Finding a dropped or set down knife is a good reason for bright color. I have struggled to find my black knife after setting it down. The blue is easier to find. Orange would be easier still, but too loud when clipped to my pocket.

I also agree that only black knives would be boring. Color is fun!

[Invective]

I like knives in colours other than black because I got bored of black, especially black G-10 quite soon after my addiction blossomed. Of my 12 Spyders so far, only four of them have black G-10, with the rest being coloured G-10 or FRN. I also have two in carbon fibre, which I don't mind as it looks much more fancy than G-10. For me it's just personal preference. Given the choice, I would rather have something other than black G-10 as a handle material as I find it quite boring.

[rodloos]

If you don't care for Spyderco's knife handles in bright colors, just be glad they aren't making the *blades* in bright colors like the recent trend in kitchen knives :)

[FCM415]

^^^
Yeah I wouldn't go that far. It would make for a "loud" kitchen.

[FroOchie]

^^^
Yeah I wouldn't go that far. It would make for a "loud" kitchen.

As an Italian-American, I already have a loud kitchen.

[Bladekeeper]

If you don't care for Spyderco's knife handles in bright colors, just be glad they aren't making the *blades* in bright colors like the recent trend in kitchen knives :)

+ 1 the toxic puke green and orange rc5 by Esse is offensive its a quality blade but why you'd get it in that colour is beyond me spydercos offerings are subtle.
On that note I'd like to see a green or tan DLC on the military or para 2 camo.

[nozh2002]

Can someone tell me what the attraction is to brightly colored handles? I love carrying my knives, and because I want to continue carrying my knives, the less attention I get the better. For example, people on the forums and bidders on ebay are clamoring for the Bright Blue Para 2 M390 which makes no sense to me if they plan to carry it. Do people mainly collect these or are they carrying these to tell the world "HEY, I AM CARRYING A KNIFE! NOTICE ME!" I kind of reminds me of the pink "Hello Kitty" AK-47: a novelty that's fun to look at, but you would never be caught dead owning or carrying one.

Maybe because I work in an office and don't want to offend or scare people that I can't understand it. I typically like deep pocket clips and try to match the clip with my pants color so it blends in. I hate when I see a great new design or new steel and it comes in bright green, blue, or red since I know I won't be getting one unless I want it for display.

Are the people buying these knives trying to get noticed? Are they just in a knife friendly atmosphere? Or do people just want that model/steel so bad they are willing to buy the knife despite the handle color? I can understand the bright orange if you are a hunter or working outdoors where the knife could get lost easily, but I just don't see the appeal of these bright handle colors.

There is common mis-concept about knives being of some kind of weapon for "selfdefense". Teenagers (of all ages) have this fears to be "attacked" and not being able to defend them selfs. So knife seems to be perfect substitution answers for this imaginary threads - you just pay some money and you are fixed, no need for exercise, building your body and mindset... At least this is how knife industry position so called tactical knives. I even heart about training on how to defend yourself with delica... So part of this tactical preseption is black color or camo - like real specnaz shadow warriors can not bee seen by others.

Some just afraid that if they knife color is not black enough other will think that he is not real male or something.

This "tactical" mind set is as well alarming - I would not like to have around someone who think that he are armed with weapon - even imaginary, but he has at least somewhere inside his had idea to stub someone or open throat. Even I have always knife with me - I would pay some attention to person with such ideas.

Honestly - what would you think of someone who carry axe or hummer or scissors for self defense? I see no difference if it is knife.

I already know that knife will not by itself defend you, actually knife (especially Delica or Endura or any Syderco folders really) is more thread to someone who count on them then to attacker (in Russia among country side boys if you draw knife in fair fight - you end up with it sticking from you butt), this is more about mindset even more then size and strength. Big well fed Nazy Arian bulls always run away from small Russian peasants when fight turns into hand to hand, face to face combat during WWII, same for Afgan sarazin freedom fighters (well supported by US) at 80th.

As well as I really doubt that someone mistake me with little girl even if I have my knife red, orange or green.

For me knife is just a tool like screwdriver and I prefer it to be highly visible rather then like table ninja which hard to see and find. Less time I spend on searching for it on the desk or in the room working on my project - better. So Orange, Yellow, Green - bright visible color is my choice if I have an options - this is also manifest from me as well as to me if I see other person knife that owner does not have tactical mind set without this crazy ideas, but just rather craftsman or collector and do not have this teenager's paranoia.

[lbwheat]

I like them all. I have favorites like the earth color on my new Southard folder but, if it's a Spydie I like it.However now that I think about it I will pass on the pink ones.