# They're not serious, right? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 27, 2005, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-not-serious-right/305827 "2005-05-27T23:25:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-not-serious-right/305827/21 "2005-05-28T10:54:42Z")
I thought the Doctors were asking for kitchen knives to have blunt points, as there is no actual reason to use a pointed knife in the kitchen, and it was the points doing the real damage. No? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-not-serious-right/305827/22 "2005-05-28T10:57:28Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Rather face a thug with a knife, I can outrun a knife. Not if it’s thrown properly. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Kenneth\_Noisewater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@Dr.Kenneth\_Noisewater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Kenneth_Noisewater)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-not-serious-right/305827/23 "2005-05-28T11:15:27Z")
Oh come on, how many folks are skilled in knife combat? Have you ever played Doom? Have you more knives to throw after that one? How many bullets fit into a gun again? Just enough to kill you 7 or 8 times? Questions? Question marks? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-not-serious-right/305827/24 "2005-05-28T11:20:51Z")
A lot of people can’t hit the broad side of a barn with a hand gun. Some people shoot themselves fiddling with it. So what? ---
**Author:** ![Xploder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/a183cd/32.png) [@Xploder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xploder)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-not-serious-right/305827/25 "2005-05-28T12:23:53Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > I’ll try to pretend I’m serious for a bit. I don’t think this proposed ban will get of the ground. Knives are necessary in the kitchen. They are necessary in the local butcher shop. They serve a definite and well documented noncriminal purpose. I’d like to see someone carve a roast or a turkey with some little 3 inch knife. The point on the knife serves a purpose also. That’s why there are so many different types - drop point, pointy, etc. All for valid uses. Again, I don’t think this proposed ban has a chance. But, we could point to it as the dreaded slippery slope. England has very few guns compared to the U.S. and has stiff gun laws. So, bad people switch to knives. Now some people want to ban the knives. Looks like a slippery slope to me, but what do I know. Well from my vast assortment of knives, I found the following different point types: 1. Straight point 2. Drop point 3. Raised point 4. That’s it So there really aren’t that many different types now are there? okay /sarcasm ---
**Author:** ![Xploder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/a183cd/32.png) [@Xploder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xploder)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-not-serious-right/305827/26 "2005-05-28T12:25:45Z")
> [@Avenger](#): > > There was never any culture of gun ownership in the UK. And that’s why we wone the Revolution! Okay, this is a silly thread. I’ll stop now. ---
**Author:** ![robertliguori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@robertliguori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robertliguori)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-not-serious-right/305827/27 "2005-05-28T12:40:54Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > A lot of people can’t hit the broad side of a barn with a hand gun. Some people shoot themselves fiddling with it. So what? I myself can put a properly balanced knife into a dartboard at twenty paces, but that’s because I have a father with creative opinions about father/son bonding experiences, and a great deal of practice. I’ve not used a gun, so I cannot compare directly, but there is a sort of point-and-click simplicity to a firearm that there isn’t to a thrown knife. If properly trained, an opponent can kill you with a rolled-up newspaper. Luckily, few criminals have this training. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-not-serious-right/305827/28 "2005-05-28T12:47:07Z")
> [@irishgirl](#): > > I thought the Doctors were asking for kitchen knives to have blunt points, as there is no actual reason to use a pointed knife in the kitchen, and it was the points doing the real damage. > > No? You are correct on their reasoning. Their reasoning is nonsense, of course, there are many reasons to have points on kitchen knives. This MPSIMS [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=318497) has some interesting commentary. ---
**Author:** ![hlanelee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3bc359/32.png) [@hlanelee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hlanelee)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-not-serious-right/305827/29 "2005-05-28T12:50:24Z")
If I were going to brutally murder someone, I would go to the local hardware store and pick up bush axe (no waiting period). Imgine the shock and awe when I stepp from behind their car or handy tree. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-not-serious-right/305827/30 "2005-05-28T12:58:09Z")
In my kitchen I have an assortment of knives that I use in the preperation of food. Two of my knives have long blades that end in points. One is my chef’s knife used for vegetables and the other is the one I use to carve meat with. Sometimes I use the points of these blades to begin to cut whatever it is I need to slice up. I use the points often enough that I would miss having them. This is rather silly don’t you think? Is there a certain mentality that anything that might be remotely dangerous in the wrong hands should be banned? Marc ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-not-serious-right/305827/31 "2005-05-28T13:16:49Z")
What is the slippery slope though? Ban guns, means ban knives, means ban what? Ban peanutbutter at school means ban jam/jelly, means ban bread? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-not-serious-right/305827/32 "2005-05-28T13:19:55Z")
> [@calm kiwi](#): > > Ban peanutbutter at school means ban jam/jelly, means ban bread? Have you any idea how truly dangerous a weapon can be be made by sharpening a stale loaf of French bread? Won’t somebody think of the children? ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-not-serious-right/305827/33 "2005-05-28T13:29:17Z")
> [@calm kiwi](#): > > I can’t imagine this proposal going to law but just what slippery slope are you afraid of? The slippery slope to rocks being banned? Shrug. Ban guns, knives are used. Ban knives, something gets used. Screwdrivers, hammers, ball bats, tire irons, chains, anything can be a weapon. You can’t ban everything. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-not-serious-right/305827/34 "2005-05-28T13:33:38Z")
> [@Xploder](#): > > Well from my vast assortment of knives, I found the following different point types: > > 1. Straight point > > 2. Drop point > > 3. Raised point > > 4. That’s it > > So there really aren’t that many different types now are there? > > okay /sarcasm Long thin fillet knives, heavy bladed knifes for chopping, carving knives, bread knives, short utility knives, butter knives, yada yada yada. Blah. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-not-serious-right/305827/35 "2005-05-28T13:37:33Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > Have you any idea how truly dangerous a weapon can be be made by sharpening a stale loaf of French bread? Won’t somebody think of the children? Why even sharpen it? It’s a pretty good bludgeon after sitting a day or two. Ban the bread! I’m glad I’m not the only one having “a problem” staying serious. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-not-serious-right/305827/36 "2005-05-28T13:50:37Z")
> [@MGibson](#): > > In my kitchen I have an assortment of knives that I use in the preperation of food. Two of my knives have long blades that end in points. One is my chef’s knife used for vegetables and the other is the one I use to carve meat with. Sometimes I use the points of these blades to begin to cut whatever it is I need to slice up. I use the points often enough that I would miss having them. Not to mention that the the doctor in question wants any blades over **2"/5 cm** banned (mentioned in a NPR interview, referenced in the linked MPSIMS thread), which not only bans long pointed knives, but all paring knives that I’ve ever seen, which you definitely need a point on, all steak knives, basically anything sharp that doesn’t have a blunt tip. And frankly, there’s no way in hell I’d want to repurchase all those knives just because the government thinks that instead of a decent home chef that I or someone I know is bound to snap and murder someone with one. Not to mention that it’s just a pain to have to switch knives while deboning, etc. I’m thinking the interviewed “top chefs” might sing a different tune if their kitchens had to actually operate under these new regulations. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-not-serious-right/305827/37 "2005-05-28T13:59:26Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > Have you any idea how truly dangerous a weapon can be be made by sharpening a stale loaf of French bread? Won’t somebody think of the children? Let’s just ban children. Guns are easier to look after. I was just trying to point out that Americans laughing at Poms (Brits) fear of guns/knives/pointy sticks could be compared to some Americans (and other countries) banning peanut butter in schools. Banning anything can be seen as silly or as sensible, depending on the circumstances and those concerned. Personally I would rather make peanut butter compulsory and pointy things illegal…at least that way we can predict who will be hurt. ---
**Author:** ![mks57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@mks57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mks57)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-not-serious-right/305827/38 "2005-05-28T14:05:56Z")
> [@Avenger](#): > > There was never any culture of gun ownership in the UK. You might find this interesting: [Fear and Loathing in Whitehall: Bolshevism and the Firearms Act of 1920](http://www.claytoncramer.com/firear~1.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Xploder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/a183cd/32.png) [@Xploder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xploder)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-not-serious-right/305827/39 "2005-05-28T14:08:26Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > Long thin fillet knives, heavy bladed knifes for chopping, carving knives, bread knives, short utility knives, butter knives, yada yada yada. Blah. Oh I know there are a lot of different types of **knives** , but what I was responding to was a statement about how many different types of **points** there are. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-not-serious-right/305827/40 "2005-05-28T14:19:02Z")
> [@mks57](#): > > You might find this interesting: > > [Fear and Loathing in Whitehall: > Bolshevism and the Firearms Act of 1920](http://www.claytoncramer.com/firear~1.htm) Hmmmm. That puts to rest the idea Britain never had any use for guns (not a gun culture) and also the idea that some people are simply better than we colonial barbarians are. I’m going to file it for future reference. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-not-serious-right/305827.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-not-serious-right/305827.md?page=3)