I know this has been asked before (I asked it lol) but I really think a page that is dedicated to budget knives would be fun and in line with this general forum. Also, as far as I know, there isn’t a budget knife forum anywhere so this could be a really big draw in that regard.
There’s the “what knoife did you edc today?” thread…
Vaguely recall 1-2 others, but lost all my old “bookmarks”.
Naw
A knife subforum would be fine with me.
I don’t think sb is interested in one, though.
I would also like to be able to have a signature shown at the bottom of every post (like on most other forums on the web), but sb isn’t interested in that either. 
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Agreed. There’s just not enough traffic on the subject and a dedicated thread works well. A whole extra section is unnecessary waste of space, like having signatures (which inevitably get abused by people–on some forums, they stretch on for many inches).
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Oh man… everyone’s signature is going to be a list of flashlights they own. That must’ve been something that was tried here at some point right? That’d be chaos
And ya, I think the dedicated thread is good. Don’t need this turning into an EDC forum. I’m totally fine with threads, start whatever thread you want about anything you want. I just don’t love the idea of a section for it
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I don’t know if it’s possible with Discourse, but some forums limit a signature to a certain size, like 800 x 200 pixels.
That is what I would be in favor of.
And I think that listing all of your flashlights should not be allowed because it would cause havoc with the search function.
A simple link to your list of flashlights would work, though.
Of course, some BLF members will want a signature, and some won’t want signatures at all, but the point is that sb isn’t interested, so it’s not going to happen. 
Has there never been signatures on blf?
Signatures were allowed from 2010 until early 2023.
Then, with the new BLF forum software, no more signatures. 
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I see online that there are many websites that combine knives and flashlights. However, I never understood this. I am interested in flashlight technologies and products, but I see no relation whatsoever to knives. I dislike knives. They are kind of aggressive products, by their nature. Knives are not my thing - not in any way.
Interesting take. I though the nature of a knife is that of simply being a cutting tool. The weapon part is a small subset of that. I carry a knife with me pretty much all of the time. I consider it a tool. Not aggressive in any way in and of itself. I have never used a knife with any level of aggression. I just cut things with my knives… but always inanimate objects. Paper, string/rope, cardboard. None of which seem to be very aggressive to me. Oh well.
I think the connection is that flashlights and knives are both tools that are commonly carried. Often together. In my experience, people interested in one are likely to be interested (to some level) in both.
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No
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Well appreciated. However, if I look at some typical “knives” websites, not much I see there is like describing a simple cutting tool. There seems to be a (kind of) culture, don’t know how to correctly describe this, which - to me - is not in any way understandable.
And, actually, I have been wondering about this aspect for ages. Just the fact that this subject was formulated here got me to express my thoughts. No understanding on my side. The “culture of knives” is not for me.
It’s part of the whole American “EDC” thing
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That may be true. I am from Europe. Germany, actually. I think I shall not further express my thoughts here. I clearly steer away from any things and activities which have a theoretical potential element of conflict / aggression / defence / what ever. And knives, in the way they are adored on knife websites, have an element of this. We have had enough of that stuff, for a couple of hundred years.
After getting a paper cut you may reconsider that 
Nah, jokes aside, I see it the same way. Some people may get knives for self defense or, in depraved cases, for offense, but for me they’ve never been more than tools. I don’t think I could wield a knife in any beneficial way in hand to hand combat anyway. No idea if that is true, have never been in a fight in my life, and don’t intend to ever be.
@Tulpenzeit:
I think the knife + flashlight combo is so common due to a few reasons.
- flashlights are very popular with weapon apasionados - gun lights, tactical lights etc. And so are, for obvious reasons, knives.
- flashlights are necessary for camping, survival and other outdoor activities that reach beyond your backyard. Knives are useful or necessary for that as well, depending on how far/long you wanna be outside.
- some people just like fancy stuff for EDC. “I may need it someday” - and they usually carry flashlights, tools and knives.
I’m European too and feel the way you do about guns - I am interested in them from a technical point of view as a physicist/engineer, but have zero interest in owning or using one. They are made for violence, and the less we have the better. I know some users see this in a different way, and I respect their opinion - just stating my own here and not trying to start a pro/contra gun discussion.
But knives for me are a tool. I’m often in a situation where I have to cut something. Be it meat for bbq, an apple as a snack (long story, am not allowed to take bites off an apple for medical reasons), a cardboard box, a rope… And who knows, maybe I’ll need to cut the belt to drag someone out of a burning car some day. It’s just nice to carry one.
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Unno, sometimes overcooked meat thinks it’s so tough and needs to be taught an aggressive lesson or two.
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Naw, it’s part of a common-sense EDC thing.
In my bag is (and don’t expect me to even remember everything) a light (in addition to what I might carry on my person), my keys, a lighter (I don’t even smoke), usb cables, scissors (before my cats stole 'em), my phones, and some other stuff.
I haven’t had to take out my lighter, knife, keys, cables, etc., more’n a single-handful of times since I started carrying 'em. But I’d me pist if I needed any and they weren’t available.
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I agree wholeheartedly with your sentiment.
For me both are tools. My Victorinox has tool features that see daily use in the office and the field alike, the best screwdriver, wire stripper/ cutter, box opener etc. is the one that’s in my pocket right now. Same with light.
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In addition to a couple of USB adapters and a cable, earplugs, a silicone diffuser and a pendrive with loadsa music and an encrypted bootable Linux partition, electrical tape, a marker and a pen, those are the things I have in a neat pouch that goes on and off me along with my trousers. My actual bag has a bit shy of 14kg of goodies that are a whole other can of worms entirely 