[winstonsmith]

So it was my birthday last weekend. Yay, I'm 15! Anyway, I bought myself two knives at a chinatown shop (Only place that will sell to minors) I made sure of the quality first, of course.

I bought myself a tanto and a folder. The tanto blade is about 7", has 1.5" of serrations near the bottom. It's basically a long thin peice of steel with a shoelace for the handle.

The folder has a 3" blade, made out of Aus8 steel. I don't know how do describe the blade shape, it's like a mixture between a drop point and a tanto.

The tanto is named Vlad, and the folder is named Geneiveive. Here's my question. Is it normal to name knives? Is it crazy? Should I care if it is?

Pics are incoming.

Next knife: Kershaw Blackout

[cordex]

Some people name all of their tools. Some don't name any of them.
I happen to fall into the latter category.

[El Tejon]

Happy Birthday, young man.

Normal for THR? Yes. Normal for society as a whole? No.

Have you talked to your parents about knife training? Being where you are you have a couple of outstanding instructors near you. Start now!!! :)

[winstonsmith]

My parental units have that fallacy of logic that it would be more dangerous for me to posess this tool, than for me to go defenseless.
:rolleyes:

Thus, I go to a shop that will sell to minors.
:uhoh:

Basically, it is an ongoing argument between my father and my mother. My mother wants to hold on to the wispy notion that I am still her baby, and my dad sees things how they are. My dad wants me to have a knife, my mom doesn't. My dad won't buy me a knife w/o my mom's approval. Which is only right.

So as an sentient being, I decided to equip myself with tools, and let that drama play out as it will.

[El Tejon]

"Ahhh, but just think how much safer I would be, Mom, if you drove me to class where I learned to handle the knife in a safe and responsible manner! You wouldn't want me to cut myself would you?"

While you are stuck in SF, winston, start training now. You'll thank me later. :)

[hso]

No:scrutiny:
Maybe:uhoh:
No:neener:

Happy birthday.

[Soap]

Happy birthday! I just got a Sykes-Fairbairn today...man its fun to play with new tools!

[5ptdeerhunter]

Happy birthday. I don't think there is anything wrong with it. I call my Spyderco Navigator....dern sharp.... I know its not a name but thats the first thing that comes to my mind when I think about it.

[Sir Galahad]

Of course it's normal to name knives and firearms! No, I mean REALLY normal. Not "normal" as defined by a society that thought the "normal" or "sensible" thing to do after terrorists took over planes because the passengers were unarmed was to disarm them further. Or that the "normal" thing to do was not to resist the hijackers. I mean "normal" as defined by people who actually speak with a clear voice and don't bleat like lambs.

[winstonsmith]

Of course it's normal to name knives and firearms! No, I mean REALLY normal. Not "normal" as defined by a society that thought the "normal" or "sensible" thing to do after terrorists took over planes because the passengers were unarmed was to disarm them further. Or that the "normal" thing to do was not to resist the hijackers. I mean "normal" as defined by people who actually speak with a clear voice and don't bleat like lambs.

Naw, come on, Gallant Sir Galahad, tell us how you really feel. You're among friends. Don't hold back.

[M67]

shoelace for the handle Shoelace? SHOELACE???

Dangit. You need to talk to the Skunk about a course in tacticality. Don't you know that when you tie a shoelace to the handle of a knife, it magically stops being a shoelace and becomes a "length of paracord"? :D

Congratulations on the birthday and the new knives.

[bad_dad_brad]

If a knife, gun, automobile, boat, etc. has some special meaning or affection, then by all means, name it. If you believe the movie "Full Metal Jacket"s lore Marines were required by their DI to name their rifle. In memory of Leonard, I named my AR-15 Bushy shorty "Charlene". I have yet to name any of my knives though.

My new black Audi A4 is named "Natasha" after a beautiful young Russian/Lithuanian stripper that I fell for a few months back. When she finally agreed to go out with me, I was ready to lease a new car. VW Passat or Audi A4? - hmmm, what would Natasha rather be picked up in? Hence my A4 is named after her inspiration.

Vikings, and many other warlike cultures named their swords, so name away.

P.S. I never did get to take Natasha out - that's another story - but I still love my car.

[Sir Galahad]

We want to hear more about the stripper. What happened? I never even entertained the notion of buying a new car to take a lady out in, so that's a new one on me. I just figured, hey, hop in the truck and let's go find a place off Mulholland Drive or Topanga Canyon Road to park for a while. It was a scream to drive up to a swanky joint with valet parking in that truck. "Hey, be careful this time! All those dents happened last time I was here. And, whatever you do, do NOT look behind the seat for any reason. I'll know if you do and you not getting a tip will be the least of it. And leave the skulls alone; they're not toys for you to play with."

[Joe Demko]

Name your refrigerator, microwave,vcr, pliers, nailclippers, 3-ring binder, and other tools while you are at it.:scrutiny:

Historically, at least in Wesern history, swords were occasionally named...when the sword itself was extraordinary (e.g. "magic") or belonged to a great hero. Your knives are tools, son. They have no personality or abilities of their own. Go out and be a great hero like Arthur or Roland or Sigurd, and leave it to others to name your weapons when they recite your epic.

[bad_dad_brad]

Sir Galahad,

I was a no show during her semester break, and she has been ever since. We never quite seemed to connect, but I suspect she agreed to go out with me to collect one more c-note for the night. It was on my 50th birthday, and she new a winged pidgeon when she saw one. Natasha is a very sharp cookie, a legit college student majoring in International Business (I checked up on her) and I do know from inquiries that she is quite busy.

P.S. I wanted the Audi A4 for myself anyway, but if I ever connect with her, I will pay her to hear my story!! Still - dang, she would have looked great in the passenger seat.

Brad.

[Byron Quick]

I knew a few young women working their way through nursing school once...angels of mercy they were.

[russlate]

Depends:

I had one knife come to me already named. The smith in the shop had forged patterns into it while still ductile - patterns like stars, moon, sun, then ground the blade to mirror polish on top leaving the incut patterns black. The other smiths named it surya, chandra, tara. In english, "Sun, Moon, and Stars".

Another this time smaller knife seemed to want to draw blood, and when I handed it to another person I'd see a change come over them and they'd step back and as if in a trance, do a dance or kata. I named it Audrey after the plant in "Little Shop of Horrors", as it seemed to always be saying "feed me".

Yet another 12" oal with 8" blade and half inch thick spine somehow became my "Pocket Battleship".

With hand forged knives I believe the smith puts his sweat and blood and a little part of his soul into making a knife. Find the right maker and the right knife will find you.

For the record, I firmly believe that the laws of reality as understood in the western world hold true - in the western world. In the eastern world a different set of laws seem to apply.