Ran across a book recently where the writer chose the EASIEST way to ruin a “mystery/thriller” featuring loads of pseudo-forensics. Let me give you the three words that killed any suspension of disbelief:
Serrated hunting knife.
No, really. A murder weapon was determined to be a knife with a blade about six inches long with a serrated edge, THEREFORE it was a “hunting knife.” The serrated edge was the dead giveaway that the six inch blade HAD to be a “hunting knife.”
Quick, do an image search for “hunting knife.” Out of the first 50,000 images or so, how many had serrated blades? If you said more than five, then you found those few “hunting knives” made for people who have no idea how one is used and just think a serrated blade looks cool or “scary” or whatever.
Serrated hunting knife: #gagamaggot
Oh, there were other things that were evidence the writer didn’t have a clue about whatever subject was mentioned–“handwavium” determined how one character became wealthy, LOTS of wildly inappropriate “smirks” (*gag-spew*), off-scene “ghost characters” with no character or reason for existence, etc., but “serrated hunting knife” presented as being a hunting knife because it is serrated (“Ooo! I have a BREAD KNIFE that qualifies as a ‘hunting knife’ under this writer’s criteria!”) just takes the cake.
“Have you confirmed what kind of knife was used to cut her throat?”
“Yes. Six-inch serrated blade.”
“A hunting knife.”
Thereafter, “serrated hunting knife” is repeated ad nauseum.
Oh, BTW, I like knives a lot. I have several “hunting knives.” None of them are serrated. I have never actually seen (apart from the three pictures out of the first five or six pages I viewed in a casual search) a “serrated hunting knife,” and definitely not ITRW. I know they exist, because some folks are just stupid that way, but even those that do won’t have a six-inch edge that is serrated, only a small bit near the handle.
My “hunting knife” and EDC is a Gerber Silver Knight with its all of 3″ blade.
Well, it used to be a 3″ blade, but over the years it has been sharpened down to about 2&3/4″.
It has field dressed over 30 whitetails.
Nice, “old-style” lockback, Jon.And–of course– NOT a serrated blade. *heh* The “dressed over 30 whitetails” kinda makes me wish I had my grandfather’s Model 1894 Winchester back from. . . Ah, but need to let that one go. I have several that are similar to your Gerber, though other makes. I usually carry my Kabar in the field (7” blade), but have an older 4”-bladed Schrade skinning knife (usually in a boot), and a couple others that are EDCs–a lil 2”-bladed Spyderco Squeak Sprint, and 3-3/4” bladed Kershaw “Speedsafe” (different tasks, though the wee lil Spyderco is probably ALWAYS sharper and LOTS more controllable for fine work, and would probably do OK for most skinning jobs).
I like knives, and always want to have the right one for the job, right at hand. (Yeh, I also carry a Swiss Army knide every day, everywhere. *shrugs* 3 or 4 EDC knivess is not too many, is it? Keeps my feet on the ground, at least. 😉 )
Still, I have not yet found a reason to carry my 1930s-vintage German fireman’s dagger, but since the blade’s only 11”, long, I guess I really don’t miss it much, as long as I have a machete and at least one hand ax attached to my car bag. . .