Knife names.

Roger Blake · Jul 5, 1999

Whats in a name? Why are so many knives called Military, Police, SOCOM, Police etc? Probably because it sells knives. The reality though is that these knives are a class of utility knives. How many times have you seen soldiers or police going for their folders when going gets rough.

Many, myself included, carry their knives in part for defense. Now suppose you did use your knife in self-defense. You are going to have to explain to the authorities why you carry a knife that suggests a Military or Police usage.

I pass on getting a knife with a name suggesting its use martial in nature. Its too bad too, I like some these knives. The Military, AFCK, SOCOM are nice knives but the names are laden with too much baggage.

I wonder if there would be a market for a really scary looking knife called the Zealot, the Pariah or the Sociopath. Would it sell? It might just be a niche market.

Kysa · Jul 5, 1999

I think a good source for knife names can be found in Science Fiction literature.

How about the HAL-9000 tactical knife??

Roger Blake · Jul 5, 1999

HAL sounds like something a hacker might have.

Dirk · Jul 5, 1999

I think we should stay with common names, Steve, Lisa, Bob.

Not exciting, but you would no doubt avoid the potential problem of having a knife with "fighter" attatched to the name. The problem is, if a prosecutor or a lawyer in a civil suit wants to stick you, it is very easy to find an expert witness that can testify as to the design of the blade/ knife in question. A fighting knife is still a fighting knife, no matter what you name it. Unfortunately, in matters like this, it is the age we live in. The good guy is made out to be evil because of how he defends himself. The bad guy is the victim because of the gun/knife he used to attack the good guy.

Nakano 2 · Jul 6, 1999

Greetings Beam. FYI, if you were contemplating the AFCK, the current 99 catalog reads: Advanced Folding CAMP Knife! It would seem that some companies are gearing towards to being somewhat politically correct...

L8r,
Nakano

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"To earn a million is easy, a real friend is not."

amacks · Jul 6, 1999

I don't remember who, but there is a custom maker making a 'Y2K' knife, with handles made of old circuit-boards. That's a truely scary name to some

Aaron

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aaronm@cs.brandeis.edu
I like my women like I like my knives: strong, sharp, well-formed and pattern-welded!

FullerH · Jul 6, 1999

When I won the Carnivore at the end of April, I was somewhat bemused and amused by being, probably, the only Quaker posting to BladeForums and I win something called a "Carnivore". Oh, well, what I got was a "some fine" utility knife that even my non-knife person wife likes. It really is a very fine tool, as my various posts have said.

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Walk in the Light of God,
Hugh

Outlaw_Dogboy · Jul 6, 1999

Ooooh, I don't think I like "Bob" as a knife name.

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Work hard, play hard, live long.
Outlaw_Dogboy

Bruce E · Jul 6, 1999

What??? No-one has yet mentioned the legandary Double-Barbed Rambotronic Ninja Deathmonger??/

Roger Blake · Jul 6, 1999

Dirk,

These knives are not fighters. They are primarily utility knives. The only folder that I can think of as fighter is CS Vaquero. There are probably more I just can't think of them at the moment. In a fight any knife could be used.

I'm kind of amused that we like to suggest a combat role to a class of knives even though that somewhat limits their value if put to that use. Maybe we think that having such an object makes us more dangerous.

Ok, how is this. An eight inch blade Vaquero like knife called the "Desparado".

Corduroy · Jul 6, 1999

CS already makes the Deperado, it's a 5" bulb-handled Vaquero-style fixed-blade.

Just to make trouble, I don't think any folder can be a fighter. Fighters have guards that protect against other knives (unlike all other guards, which protect against the knife that bears them). Most folders don't have guards at all.

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-Corduroy
(Why else would a bear want a pocket?)

Roger Blake · Jul 9, 1999

Dirk,

I tried to email you in answer to your post to me but the message keeps getting returned as undeliverable.

Dirk · Jul 10, 1999

Beam,

Isn't technology great? I can do everything else on this computer except get e-mail delivered. Did the address come through as .com or .net? If it was .com try changing it to .net. Obviously I can post now.

I don't have a copy of the e-mail I sent, but I believe the gist of it was that I was referring to knives in general as to fighter being part of the name and to the design of the knives. I know I rambled on about different makers and their knives. If you are unable to send a repsonse via e-mail, you may post your response here. If I am off base in any respects, I don't mind the post here. unless of course your revealing a lie I may have tried to tell.

[This message has been edited by Dirk (edited 10 July 1999).]

Roger Blake · Jul 10, 1999

Ok Dirk here was my reply copied from the sent post.

I guess I see point. Particularly with Emerson knives. The chisel grind
renders them unsuitable for much else. Also, tanto blades are sort of less
useful as utility knives. I stay away from these as I might one day need to
use my knife in a fight and carry them as a utility knife might be hard to
explain. The Military is a knife I might get except for the name. Its
really a utility knife and would be used as such by the military. Military
people and the police don't carry their folders for use as weapons. I
suppose if they lost all other weapons and only had their folder maybe then.
So why name the knife Military or Police? Any way I am repeating myself.
Yes the Police would be a good stabber but if it had another name I think
any argument that its intended use is martial could be refuted.