gemini://kazam.p7.de/knives.gmi

What is it about men and knives? Looking at it, there is a huge scene, at least in Germany, of YT channels and websites solely focussing on knives. I fell into this rabbit hole last week when I was ill and my brain only worked in slow motion. I spent hours on the internet and now I know about D2 steel and Sandvik, countless neat tricks for survival with only a blade and have watched men comparing and reviewing hundreds of knives. Fascinating!

Looked at from the outside, this is obsessing over details. A knife needs a blade and a handle, it's sole purpose is cutting things. It should be sharp. That's it. But there is more to it, otherwise it wouldn't draw so much interest.

Maybe it's the historic role knives have played. Not too long ago a knife and a spoon were the most important tools for people. A spoon, because when you came to people you might me invited to dinner, which was mostly soup; having a spoon with you made sure you could join. This is why in German there's a saying that when you die, you lay down your spoon ("den Löffel abgeben"). A knife was the rest of the cutlery, substituting a fork and an overall tool for chopping, cutting and spearing.

Have I learned this from books and films about knights, medieval travellers or fantasy quests? Or is it deeply engraved into my DNA through generations of ancestors who relied on a blade? And if so, why is it mostly men obsessing over knives when it was as important for women back then?

Being an ex boyscout I love bushcraft and simple survival skills. Getting along in nature without the modern conveniences is a skill set that I'll probably never really need, but as a hobby camping with my family its great fun! And no, I don't want to use a John Rambo-like survival blade of 30cm with useless but impressive saw teeth on the back!

One big factor in the attraction knives have for me is the appreciation of craftsmanship. A beautifully crafted knife is a piece of art, forging and assembling a tight knife a craft I can admire. A well made pocket knife is a hand cuddler or the fidget spinner for grown-ups. I like the way a well made knife feels in my hand. I almost hold it more often than I use it.

Still, why does this appeal mostly to men? I fear it has something to do with male dreams of power. A knife can be a weapon like the sword of old. Do I long to be a knight in shiny armour for a damsel in distress? While protecting my loved ones is certainly a need, I'd never ever use a knife in a fight! The risk that my opponent snatches it from me to use it against me is far too great. Also, I'd never intend to inflict dangerous wounds to anyone. So, is a blade part on an old role model: yes. Is it a weapon for me: definitely no!

One thing that's true for me is that I always want to be productive, optimising my game whenever I can to improve efficiency. That's something I see in a lot of men. A nice pocket knife is at once something that appeals to me and makes me think I can be better in situations where a knife is needed. But why spend a lot of money on a tool I'll hardly ever use in modern society? How often do I need a blade today? For opening parcels, yes. Hardly ever in my daily job or family life. As a musician? Again, hardly ever. A powerbank or USB adapter is more useful, but where's the fun in that?

I realise I'm asking more questions here than providing answers. I'm just not sure why there's such a great attraction to knives. If you have any thoughts, shoot me an e-mail or contact me via XMPP.

On men and knives