Siu Blue Wind

Okay so I'm cruising around and I come across a military surplus store. Just for kicks and giggles I start to look at the cool knives that they have on display, some in a separate section of the case that says "No sales allowed to those without active military ID or law enforcement personnel" or something like that.

The guy comes and asks if I need help. He opens the case, I look at a few civilian knives and then I ask him which of these knives have the 154cm blade. He points to one, and it's the one I already have. So I ask him if that's the only one he has. "Yes it is, but there are a couple of places that might have them. Over at [such and such] place it's a knife specialty store and I'm sure they would have one."

I go to the first one. Nope. Nothing in 154. I consider driving further to the specialty store.

Okay. So off I go. I walk in there and there are knives galore. Folding knive, fixed blade knives, fancy schmancy handled knives, etched blade knives.....I'm oooing and ahhhing. Finally the guy comes up to me and asks me if he can help me. I ask him which folding knives have the 154cm blade. He says "154? Well have you seen this one?" He points to a knife WITHOUT 154cm. He tries to tell me about other blade materials, pointing out that 154cm is the best of the best, the hardest, blah blah blah. and that I really don't need something of that caliber.

I told him, I'd like something with 154, please.

"Now what would a lady want with a 154cm blade? What are you going to use it for?" He rolls his eyes.

I just stared at him in disbelief. Here I am, not exactly in a prissy fu-fu dress. Now at this point I think I'm doing a pretty good job at holding my attitude at bay.

Then he says to me. "Do you even know the calibre of a blade that strong?"

Finally, with a straight face, I said to him - "Okay, then YOU tell me. What is the best knife to go around stabbin' people?" Not that I plan to use it for that, geeze. I just want to have another nice knife since I'm starting my collection!!

He just looked at me. I shrugged, turned and left.

ModoVincere

154cm...that's 61 inch blade....you looking for a Hattori Hanzo ?

SonataInFSharp

I love doing that when I go to piano showrooms and I look/act like I have no idea what a piano even is. Then I play one and everyone's demeaner changes. I haven't done that in a few years. I might have to play the role again for old time's sake!

ehidle

You should see the reaction at a gun store when a girl walks in ...

Ka_Jun

I gotta ask. Did you make the "poking" gesture with your fist as you said it?

Tude 

Sheesh - well, you at least gave him something to shake his head at and talk about for a while. Gurly gurls just are not supposed to think about that kind of stuff. PS, I likes my pocket knife collection too, except I go for more of the older antique ones - especially ones that are from an event and have a date, etc on them. Just got one of my Dad's knives he carried for years, thing is a Sharp brand knife in a leather case - heavy and very very sharp. I love it.

Ka_Jun

Something similar, to say, a comic book store?

Siu Blue Wind

Smartass.

https://www.crucibleservice.com/esele...ss/154cms.html



Guys at the gun store treated me very nicely. Matter of fact, they were trying to show me the proper way to hold one. They didn't know I was there to pick up my 30/06.




So you understand!!!

mooxster

I think I love you Siu

I just bought a CRKT and love it

ModoVincere

you love it and you know it.

CliftonGK1

154CM/ATS-34 is a grade of steel, not a blade length.

ModoVincere

she did not inclue the /ATS-34 so I poked her a bit. I chose hatori hanzo due to her marshal arts experience

Darth_Firebolt

lol, exactly what i was thinking.

Hickeydog

Sui: you are the mother I should have had.

USAZorro

Understood, but that naming convention is remarkably poorly chosen.

Siu Blue Wind

My point is, because I'm a FEMALE, that means I don't know what I'm looking for? I mean, WTH??

Tude 

Siu ... like this ...

Michigander

That AF folder is probably one of the lowest price points for 154cm and ATS 34 with the older models. When you start looking for other stuff in that steel, it will tend to get expensive. It's much more common to the custom market and special order market than to the mainline production market.

Although, I believe your leatherman also has a 154cm blade.

mooxster

I'm not sure it is because your female. I mean that may be part of it but most salespeople like to think they know more about things than the people who they are selling to.

I went to a renasance fair years ago while i was heavily studying martial arts. There was a booth there where they sold "swords" and I use the term loosely. The guy was telling this couple how indefeatable this long samurai sword was and how it was impossible to defend against. I asked him to demonstrate and he did. he swung at me, I stepped out of the way to the side, also getting within striking range of him. I threw a punch at his head and asked what he would have done if I had my own weapon.

The moral of the story is, sometimes they just want to think they are better than you.

Plus you're a girl

HardyWeinberg

Yes but they usually try to oversell not undersell like this guy was apparently doing.

Siu Blue Wind

Yeah Tude. That's me but with a cooler car.

Michigander. Yes, my Leatherman has 154 on the one blade that needs it.

Mooxie. (Can I call you that?) I understand what you mean by that. Sometimes I let people get away with it only because I know later I can apply my knowledge and blow them away. But I bet he was stunned when you did that, right?

Hardy. I agree. And I was thinking that he just didn't carry the stuff that I liked and was trying to cover his butt for it by swaying me towards 440, which is not what I wanted. He was trying to tell me that it was good enough for a woman. Because I probably didn't know the difference.

USAZorro

That could be a kitchen.

Yellow pages are your friend.

Tude 

Blue star or not ----- <WHACK!> Don't you have something to go fix? garbage to take out? Move it man!

mooxster

You can call me anything you want.

I agree, he didn't have what you wanted and was trying to sell what he did. And it may work for a lot of people, but not when someone has the knowledge and knows what they want. And it's a lesson more people should heed. I don't walk into a store blind and expect the salesperson to have my best intrest in mind.

This place I bought my lat knife at had all kinds of fancy knives on display, and other people there were falling for it hook, bait and sinker...the knife I chose was one of the relatively cheeper ones and def one of the most plain. But it was the one I liked the feel of, liked the balence. Like in bikes, I think a good knife is all in how it feels in your hand. For the reasons I train and the reasons I carry, I don't want a knife to feel like anything but an extension of my hand.

mooxster

why dont you get yourself in the kitchen and cook me lunch!!