FALSE BELIEFS

TEXT & PHOTOS BY JONATHAN KILBURN

There are times when a statement or an idea is repeated constantly, over a long period of time, and it becomes a true belief to most people. They tend not to question it, or test it, or do anything else except pass it down to the younger generation and thus, the cycle begins anew. This type of misconception also runs rampant in the knife world.

As a child, anything my grandfather told me about tools became the undeniable truth, even if it wasn’t the appropriate tool. As an adult, I have the option to explore the truth, or untruths, behind such age-old statements, that can only beneit me, and knife enthusiasts in general over the long term. The alternative options, as opposed to a lifetime of erroneous facts, may vastly improve our quality of work and can allow us to prevent certain painful behaviors that could, in truth, be avoided with some minor research.