I do not buy Spyderco knives. I look at their knives and I have a feeling of disdain. However, it is not a logical reason why I refuse to buy their knives or even handle them. Spyderco's are good looking, well-made, functional designs that are carried by pretty much everyone. However, one person made me hate them.
The year was 1999, and I had recently joined the ranks of the thousands carrying a tactical folder, that is a locking folding knife featuring one handed opening and a pocket clip. It was a huge heavy early S&W SWAT folder. It was one of the heaviest folding knives I ever owned, and I thought it was cool as heck and useful too. However, one of my aquantances at the dorm I lived saw my knife and decided to educate me on my mistake of owning it. This guy was a Spyderco fan. Supposedly a volunteer paramedic. He explained in a rather shit-eating fashion how his purely serrated knife would so easily cut through seat belts, how it opened better and how mine was too heavy, not sharp enough, and so on and so forth. Naturally, I very much resented his attitude. It was as if the meaning behind his words was that all the vaunted emergency services all over the country were laughing at me as they fingered their Spydercos.
Since then, I can't shake the bad feeling Spyderco's give me. I can at least admit that there's nothing wrong with them, but they're just not for me. All it takes is one 'lecture' about someone else's choices to ruin them for what you think is better. If you recommending knives, don't insult their blades. Rather, tell them the good things about your blade, and why they also need it in addition to their own. Never be rude or condescending. This mistake happens all too often. I find the semi-automatic verses revolver discussion is where this happens a lot too. I once had carrying a revolver compared to riding a skate board to work. Your argument is no longer valid if you have to make a comment like that. You've failed. Just walk away. We must remember. As long as a knife cuts and functions the way the user wants it to, its a successful knife.
2 comments:
You know RK, you make a very interesting point here. It's easy to say this or that about the particular knife a person is carrying. The important thing, in my opinion, is that they are carrying a knife in the first place. The world takes all kinds of people, and if they like sharp stuff then that's even better.
I will say thoug, Spyderco makes some sweet stuff... Sal Glesser himself could have told me my knife sucked and I would probably STILL buy some Spydercos. ;)
I find that on occasion I will go a step further, throw out the arguments entirely, and dislike something merely because for some reason I dislike the owner.
This is unfortunate for me because idiots often buy good products for idiot reasons and accidentally get the good stuff.
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