" Why so many knives " ?

[Etherealicer]

You guys should move here...

All I get is: "Oh look my Grandpa/Pa/Brother/Uncle/Great-Grand-Uncle has the same knife"
And from my wife: "why are all your knives black/silver/red... you should get more colored alox"

[Steinar]

I watched «It Happened One Night» the other, well, night. It is a movie from 1934. I silently enjoyed a scene where the leading male pulls out a pen knife, and his having a knife says absolutely nothing about him and the knife itself is in no way the focus of the scene. Everybody has a knife, right? I think most things have become better since the 1930s, but not everything.

[Steinar]

You guys should move here...

All I get is: "Oh look my Grandpa/Pa/Brother/Uncle/Great-Grand-Uncle has the same knife"
And from my wife: "why are all your knives black/silver/red... you should get more colored alox"

I'm jealous. (My wife is very accepting of my hobby, though. ) I have never gotten an overtly negative reaction to using a knife, on the other hand I am very discrete about carrying one and never lend one to other people. It's something about carrying a knife is seen as rather unusual combined with the simplistic view most people have of the (ridiculous) knife laws in Norway.

I guess that's something of what Grant touches upon, a knife seems to be something that stands out in many people's eyes.

[eamo]

it's got uncommon to carry a knife - i have pretty much all my life though. Growing up in a rural area, and I spent part of my youth on fishing boats, a knife was a necessity.
On a different note, I knew nothing about mora knives until my wife brought home a frost knife she acquired on a course - she has an interest in the outdoors/bushcraft as great as mine - then she went and got two more for our 2 lads she did ask why I was getting 2 companions, but like everything else she indulged me

edit - unlike a lot of you guys here, i'm most definitely NOT a collector.

[magentus]

it's got uncommon to carry a knife - i have pretty much all my life though. Growing up in a rural area, and I spent part of my youth on fishing boats, a knife was a necessity.
On a different note, I knew nothing about mora knives until my wife brought home a frost knife she acquired on a course - she has an interest in the outdoors/bushcraft as great as mine - then she went and got two more for our 2 lads she did ask why I was getting 2 companions, but like everything else she indulged me

edit - unlike a lot of you guys here, i'm most definitely NOT a collector.

Bless.

[eamo]

in a way this all ties in with Grathrs thread on what is tactical - no one (in their right mind) is going to be offended by a little vic classic SD, or LM Squirt or whatever, but a lot of even smaller knives are "aggressive" looking, for want of a better way of putting it. A lot of knives look more like weapons then tools and perhaps thats part of the problem ? In a lot of ways, perception is reality.

yeah, i'm getting very deep and philosophical for a monday.   

[eamo]

it's got uncommon to carry a knife - i have pretty much all my life though. Growing up in a rural area, and I spent part of my youth on fishing boats, a knife was a necessity.
On a different note, I knew nothing about mora knives until my wife brought home a frost knife she acquired on a course - she has an interest in the outdoors/bushcraft as great as mine - then she went and got two more for our 2 lads she did ask why I was getting 2 companions, but like everything else she indulged me

edit - unlike a lot of you guys here, i'm most definitely NOT a collector.

Bless.

ok, i've got one mora knife, one wave, one juice C2 forever sullied by Kirky, one squirt P4, one opinel #8, one swisschamp and a LM K502x - thats not a collection, it's a toolbox

I think most gals/guys here on a bad day would beat me bigtime.

[magentus]

it's got uncommon to carry a knife - i have pretty much all my life though. Growing up in a rural area, and I spent part of my youth on fishing boats, a knife was a necessity.
On a different note, I knew nothing about mora knives until my wife brought home a frost knife she acquired on a course - she has an interest in the outdoors/bushcraft as great as mine - then she went and got two more for our 2 lads she did ask why I was getting 2 companions, but like everything else she indulged me

edit - unlike a lot of you guys here, i'm most definitely NOT a collector.

Bless.

ok, i've got one mora knife, one wave, one juice C2 forever sullied by Kirky, one squirt P4, one opinel #8, one swisschamp and a LM K502x - thats not a collection, it's a toolbox

I think most gals/guys here on a bad day would beat me bigtime.

One of us, One of us, One of us, One of us 

[Aloha]

Having been a chef for most my younger years knives have always been tools to me.  I earned my living using them and took great pride in the ones I could afford to buy.  I still see them as tools in my everyday comings and goings. 

The interesting thing is who's carrying the knife in my opinion makes the knife scary.  Crappy to say I know but I think an average looking joe/jane taking out a knife to cut food related item would not scare most in the US.  A "rough" looking guy will on the other hand get a stare.  A teen will likely get a stare as well, being seen as immature to have a knife.  These are just my opinions and may not reflect the average US citizen.     
 
   

[Don Pablo]

it's got uncommon to carry a knife - i have pretty much all my life though. Growing up in a rural area, and I spent part of my youth on fishing boats, a knife was a necessity.
On a different note, I knew nothing about mora knives until my wife brought home a frost knife she acquired on a course - she has an interest in the outdoors/bushcraft as great as mine - then she went and got two more for our 2 lads she did ask why I was getting 2 companions, but like everything else she indulged me

edit - unlike a lot of you guys here, i'm most definitely NOT a collector.

Bless.

ok, i've got one mora knife, one wave, one juice C2 forever sullied by Kirky, one squirt P4, one opinel #8, one swisschamp and a LM K502x - thats not a collection, it's a toolbox

I think most gals/guys here on a bad day would beat me bigtime.

One of us, One of us, One of us, One of us 

At least I'M not a collector. ONLY one 111mm Fireman(Olive scales), Advertisement Climber(1998-2005 and white scales), 2015 Hiker and a Swisscard lite(Blue jelly and old red light).
4 pieces is not a collection.   

Right? 

[firiki]

it's got uncommon to carry a knife - i have pretty much all my life though. Growing up in a rural area, and I spent part of my youth on fishing boats, a knife was a necessity.
On a different note, I knew nothing about mora knives until my wife brought home a frost knife she acquired on a course - she has an interest in the outdoors/bushcraft as great as mine - then she went and got two more for our 2 lads she did ask why I was getting 2 companions, but like everything else she indulged me

edit - unlike a lot of you guys here, i'm most definitely NOT a collector.

Bless.

ok, i've got one mora knife, one wave, one juice C2 forever sullied by Kirky, one squirt P4, one opinel #8, one swisschamp and a LM K502x - thats not a collection, it's a toolbox

I think most gals/guys here on a bad day would beat me bigtime.

One of us, One of us, One of us, One of us 

At least I'M not a collector. ONLY one 111mm Fireman(Olive scales), Advertisement Climber(1998-2005 and white scales), 2015 Hiker and a Swisscard lite(Blue jelly and old red light).
4 pieces is not a collection.   

Right? 

Depends... They can be a collection once we're talking 93mm alox... IMO everything else pales in comparison.       

Edit: Well, except the SwissTool Spirit, maybe.

[Don Pablo]

Nuh no!
Don't tempt me...
...must stick...with celidor...

[jekostas]

Functional accessorizing for men.  That's how my ex described knives.

[Marcellus]

Next time, put a crazed look on your face and reply " oh those are just a small part of my knife  hoard"
Then laugh like a maniac.

[sixracer]

Funny, for years I carried a SAK until my high school requested I stop.
Have had 5 or so SAKs floating around ever since. Half the time I never knew where they all were, but used them all regularly.

Maybe a year ago I got the knife bug again picked up another 5 or so new and on eBay; been EDCing a folder and/or a SAK. Have been keeping all the knives more together in a collection or close together for easy EDC choice but now I don't use them as much.

I guess what I am learning is spreading them around in various drawers, cars, tool boxes, etc. they will be much more useful and the wife won't be able to see the depth of the collection 

[ironraven]

My personal favorite answer is "I want to be sure I can get my point across" with a grin, then "I collect knives, multitools and pocket gadgets". Which I do. But also, everyone who is likely to be invited to my place knows about me and knives and the rest of my EDC. When I get together with friends, if there is drinking, there is inevitably a basket for keys, firearms, knives, and the occasional tomahawk. We don't use a whimpy basket.

[Sparky415]

My personal favorite answer is "I want to be sure I can get my point across" with a grin, then "I collect knives, multitools and pocket gadgets". Which I do. But also, everyone who is likely to be invited to my place knows about me and knives and the rest of my EDC. When I get together with friends, if there is drinking, there is inevitably a basket for keys, firearms, knives, and the occasional tomahawk. We don't use a whimpy basket.

 

[Gerhard Gerber]

My personal favorite answer is "I want to be sure I can get my point across" with a grin, then "I collect knives, multitools and pocket gadgets". Which I do. But also, everyone who is likely to be invited to my place knows about me and knives and the rest of my EDC. When I get together with friends, if there is drinking, there is inevitably a basket for keys, firearms, knives, and the occasional tomahawk. We don't use a whimpy basket.

Q: What's that spear doing next to you bed?
A: It doesn't fit anywhere else...
Q: ..........and the spear hanging from the headboard?
A: ..........so you don't think it looks cool?
 

[ToolJoe]

Last night was cleaning night in casa de TJ and I started cleaning the bathroom/bedroom/start the laundry. Mrs. TJ was watching tv and asked me what I was doing. I told her I started cleaning. She asked me 'what did you buy? a watch? a knife' 

[Aloha]

HAHAHA 

soooooooooo  what did you buy 

[strmliner]

Last night was cleaning night in casa de TJ and I started cleaning the bathroom/bedroom/start the laundry. Mrs. TJ was watching tv and asked me what I was doing. I told her I started cleaning. She asked me 'what did you buy? a watch? a knife' 

So that's your cover?? 

[eamo]

Last night was cleaning night in casa de TJ and I started cleaning the bathroom/bedroom/start the laundry. Mrs. TJ was watching tv and asked me what I was doing. I told her I started cleaning. She asked me 'what did you buy? a watch? a knife' 

So that's your cover??

So . . . . . Just curious . . . . What did you get ?

 

[thatotherguy]

As explanation I like to tell a variation (only because I heard it long enough ago that I don't remember all of the details) of a true story I heard several years back in which a good Samaritan saved an unconscious mother and her child from a bad car wreck with his Buck 301. Had he not had a knife the mother and child would have both died before help could get to them. That knife in his pocket allowed him to break out the window, cut them out of the seatbelts, and get them to safety, and they're alive today because some strange man passing by happened to have a knife and a will to help.

I then sometimes, depending on whether or not I've made my point, ask what the person that was ridiculing me and my knives would do if they saw someone dying and could help if only they had a knife, or if they were dying and nobody had a way to help them because nobody had a knife.

Thankfully such conversations rarely happen around here. Just about every grown man (and a lot of women) has a knife of some sort. I've actually caught more crap over having a Zippo, which I was using to light candles for a church service (the dude commented that he was shocked that I had a lighter and that it was a good thing that I hadn't burned anything down yet... as he was holding out his candle for me to light)

[Tomcat_81]

"Wait, I've got an app for that on my phone" ...

[ToolJoe]

Last night was cleaning night in casa de TJ and I started cleaning the bathroom/bedroom/start the laundry. Mrs. TJ was watching tv and asked me what I was doing. I told her I started cleaning. She asked me 'what did you buy? a watch? a knife' 

So that's your cover??

So . . . . . Just curious . . . . What did you get ?

 

I ended up getting a Leatherman Crunch..

[HarleyXJGuy]

"Bacause I ran out of money before I could buy more."

[LoopCutter]

Easy answer, "Because they keep getting dull, duh!"

Usually, they stop, then nod approval.

[hugh_h]

My answer is something like: "Sometimes I carry a pocketknife when there's no reason to think I'll need a knife or other tool, but I'm prepared to cut open a package and not have to tear it, or tighten a screw, or open a bottle. Other days I have a reasonable expectation of needing some certain subset of tools, so I match what I carry to the expectations of the day. A few of the knives are just gifts, and I enjoy collecting them without any concrete 'need' for them the same as some people collect figurines or plates, although my collection *could* be useful if things really came down to it."

I have a Balisong bottle opener, and opening it when someone needs to open a bottle is sort of entertaining. But, I don't include that in my answer.

I find it weird that someone would question your collection, but probably wouldn't think twice about a person's Lladro collection or a collection of those stupid porcelain children kissing or whatever with lame captions. But, it's impolite to point that out, so I revert to the response above.

[kmanct3]

Come to think of it , I'm surprised they didn't ask me why I had so many motorcycles also !

[Steinar]

“Why are you different from me? There has to be something wrong with you.” I have seen that response over as trivial stuff as font size on a co-worker's monitor. So, a collection of knives must be pretty off scale for some people.