Why are more people not "knife knuts"

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Why do you all think more people in the world are not "knife knuts" like we are on this forum and others are on other knife based forums? What are some of the main and alternate reasons as to why most people I have met and you have met in life, most likely, don't get into blade steel and handle materials, edge geometries, and all the really cool different designs and patterns and things of knives?

I once knew someone who at first was put off by my interest in knives, because their attitude was "A knife is just a piece of metal to cut something". But, over time they started to look into the world of knives, both factory and custom/hand made, and finally concluded that knives are more than pieces of sharp metal and are a very legitimate field of interest, collectability, and endeavors.

In general what I notice is that there are those who are actually afraid of knives and then there are those who don't see any difference in knives and then there are those who are really into them like you and I on this forum are.

I guess someone could ask me the same question: Why aren't you a stamp nut? I have never been interested in postage stamps. I can see how people can get into the interesting and rare patterns and series of them for collecting; to me a stamp is simply something that pays for the cost of postage. I like that people are interested in various collectible items.

But you would also think interest in the knife should triumph over most other interests because knives are practical as well as collectible and are man's core original tool.

What are your thoughts on this?

[demoncase]

Counter point: The more knife knuts there are then the more competition there is for those sexy sprints and limited runs......and that's already bad enough :)

[The Deacon]

But you would also think interest in the knife should triumph over most other interests because knives are practical as well as collectible and are man's core original tool.

What are your thoughts on this?

Some might dispute that. Which came first, the hammer or the knife? Or, to put it more generally, striking tools or cutting tools? I'm inclined to think the former. But, as with most things in life, YMMV.

As for practical as well as collectible, the same can be said for watches, guns, shot glasses, books, cuff links, beer steins, writing instruments, and a host of other things. It's also the reason that even the most rabidly anti knife bleating heart liberals own at least several kitchen knives and probably at least one box cutter, utility knife, X-acto.

[Bloke]

Maybe other people have better things to do with their lives?

At the end of the day SEF we're all members of a cult and the general populace looks at us sideways. They don't understand or care about the new you beauty steel that can cut eight thousand meters of cardboard and still shave, or edge geometry, thickness behind the edge, Rockwell hardness, edge stability, carbides formed, torn out or otherwise.

How many people do you know that care to or want to sharpen a knife to whittle hair? How many people do you know that rattle off twenty different types of blade alloys they like or dislike?

Most people buy knives because they have to and buy the cheapest and nastiest from the supermarket for $1.80 and they're happy because it pushes through the carrots they needed cut and it doesn't rust when they chuck it in the sink with everything else. They'll happily pull it though a $2.00 carbide knife sharpener or rub it on the concrete step and warn other family members to be careful using it cause it's razor sharp.

My mates reckon I need psychiatric assessment because I carry a $AU300+ Military in my back pocket and they wouldn't spend that in two lifetimes on knives.

So who knows?

I'm happy doing what I do and they're probably happy doing what they do.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Great points on this, thank you!

DC I have actually often considered the point you brought up: On one hand I want to see as many people be into knives as we on this forum are, on the other hand, that would mean more competition for special knives and sprint runs, LOL! You're right!

Its basic numbers: If a billion people love Spyderco, on one hand, that is great, because it would guarantee more business for them which I want to see, but, on the other hand, it will also mean that many more people who are out and about looking for our favorite knives :)

[RLDubbya]

I'd be willing to bet that the majority of sprint runs, etc., these days are not bought by knife nuts. The problem first surfaced, I think, with GEC knives, and is showing up with Spyderco. Most GEC knives are bought by "flippers." People not into knives at all, but who purchase all pieces in a sprint run to artificially inflate market prices, and then resell the knives at a nice profit. If you watch places like BF closely, you'll see the same guy selling sprint run models which were limited to 2/customer to 6,8, and 10 different people.

Back more directly on OP: I think that there are a number of factors. The "tacticool" and "tactifool" knives blur the lines between parody and serious tactical-style knife, and novices don't see this; I had a customer who asked me for a specific recommendation, and I suggested the Matriarch II, blacked, waved, serrated - I explained to her that since she would be jogging in a bad neighborhood early morning, took some self-defense classes, and refused to carry a gun that this would be a substitute. She showed a week later with a monstrosity of an "Alien Zombie Killer" which had something like 6 blades, took two hands...you get the picture.

Here we have a novice trying to do the right thing to learn knives, and she is so overwhelmed she can't manage it. Imagine what the "tactifool," "tactitool," and "tactical" blades look like to a person not really interested at all in knives. Probably (a) looks pretty intimidating and (b) probably makes them feel pretty stupid. Then there's the "scare" factor: my wife has even told me that she thinks the tactical knife trend is scary, and it looks like the knives have one purpose: to kill other people.

I was sharpening a GEC two-blader the other day, and showed it to her. Her comment was "Well, that's what I would call a normal knife, not a weapon designed to gut somebody." It didn't help my cause that later in the evening we were watching a rerun of Chicago PD, and the main character pulls out an Endura - to which my excitedly says "Oh look honey, that's your knife" clearly happy that I'm all Hollywood and stuff; then the main character starts to cut off the right ear of a prisoner. To which I get the infamous "I told you so, you d(*)(DF barbarian."

My wife - for the record - is not squeamish. She shoots a 1911, a PPK, trains hard, does a few marathons a year, lifts free weights, and she works as a veterinary technician. She is the only person at their clinic who is not afraid of the big malamutes who come in for treatment, and she won't muzzle them, even though she's a size 2 and weighs about 104lbs - in other words, many of the mals are bigger than her.

Yet this woman who lives with me at the edge of the wilderness believes that nearly all knives made today look like weapons, and that's her biggest reason for not being involved in the knife world.

Her sisters? The good little suburban-torture mothers? They not only dislike knives, but feel that all knives should be taken away from people - especially me.

[demoncase]

Maybe other people have better things to do with their lives?

How many people do you know that care to or want to sharpen a knife to whittle hair?

I'm happy doing what I do and they're probably happy doing what they do.

How many people do you know who can sharpen a knife at all?....And I'm not talking about those magic scrape-o-matics they sell on late night Tv either

You are spot on here, mate- It'd be a bloody funny old world if we were all the same :)

[StuntZombie]

Because most people just see a knife as a tool, and only buy them when the one they have gets lost or broken.

[Evil D]

Because we live in a "Ziploc society" where knives just aren't as necessary as we AFI's believe them to be. I've even seen a drastic reduction in how often I really need a knife in just the last few years. Most people don't have the need for one, and then combine that with how some folks of power want everyone to believe you're a maniac if you carry a pocket knife and you get a generation of people who just don't care. But that's also a generation of people who aren't even competent enough to change a flat tire themselves or use basic hand tools so what do you expect?

[bearfacedkiller]

Just because there is a knife in every home doesn't mean that people are going to be passionate about them. Most people are happy if the matter they need separating gets separated. Most people open packages with scissors, keys, fingernails or even their teeth. Outside of the kitchen many people don't think they need a knife.

Just because something is a neccesity of life does not mean that people need to be geeks about it. In America a large part of our population sees a vehicle as a necessity but only a small percentage of car owners are car knuts.

Everybody needs a toothbrush and while I do like my Sonicare I do not have a drawer full of toothbrushes nor do I participate in online discussions about what toothbrush bristle material is best.

What we do here is beyond pragmatism and is a hobby.

[SharpieB]

Everybody needs a toothbrush and while I do like my Sonicare I do not have a drawer full of toothbrushes nor do I participate in online discussions about what toothbrush bristle material is best.

Best thing I have read this year. :D