A few years ago, I was given the opportunity to help a knife producer redesign one of their more popular combat blades. It was a project I took in a heartbeat. Knives have always appealed to me as they are probably the most significant single tool in the history of man. For the 6 months, the project engulfed me. I hand formed prototypes, bought books on blade shapes and materials, I even went so far as to have special titanium bolts made to hold the handles together (though they were never used in production).
After nearly a dozen design permutations, the knife was released and became an instant success. Hundreds of cops, fire fighters, EMTs, where house clerks, soldiers and sailors; individuals who's jobs and (in some cases) lives depend on their equipment, selected a tool that I helped design. I can not think of a better compliment an industrial designer could achieve for their work.
About a month ago, I called up my friends at the company to hear how things were going and learned that a few of our knives had been returned from service in Afganastan. Initially, I was concerned that these guys had found a way to use this knife in such a way as to break it... something I worked very hard to insure wouldn't happen. It turned out that they had all been returned for cleanup - Special Forces guys use their equipment hard and they simply wanted their knives sharpened, refinished and generally checked up on.
My friend also told me about 3 knives that had been returned because the blades were all sticky. These units were disassembled and they found massive quantities of blood inside the nooks and crannies of the actions. Not just 'Oops, I cut my finger' amounts of blood; more like 'This was stuck in a human' amounts of blood.
I had a nightmare not long after; I was standing in a black, light less box and 5 Arab men appeared, all with single, life ending lacerations on their bodies. 3 with slit throats, 2 with 'Kidney C' cuts. They just stared right at me and bled all over their dusty clothes.
The first thing I wondered when I woke up was how Eugene Stoner or Mikhail Kalashnikov dealt with their designs. These are the men who created the M-16 and AK-47 respectively; the premier small arms of Western and ex Soviet Block nations for the last 4 decades. In my little SG picture, I am holding my AR-15, the civilian version of Stoner's M-16. Between them, Stoner and Kalashnikov have produced objects that have killed millions upon millions of people. How do they justify that? Did they dream of the faces of the people they helped kill? Did they ever even think about it?
The funny thing is, this knife was never designed to be used that way, it's an automatic ('switchblade') folder intended to be used like a utility knife, not as a combat accessory except for in the most dire of circumstances. I keep telling myself that there are a million ways a knife could get covered in blood on a battlefield.
I should have become a graphic designer. They never have to put up with this shit. When has a poster ever killed anyone?
After nearly a dozen design permutations, the knife was released and became an instant success. Hundreds of cops, fire fighters, EMTs, where house clerks, soldiers and sailors; individuals who's jobs and (in some cases) lives depend on their equipment, selected a tool that I helped design. I can not think of a better compliment an industrial designer could achieve for their work.
About a month ago, I called up my friends at the company to hear how things were going and learned that a few of our knives had been returned from service in Afganastan. Initially, I was concerned that these guys had found a way to use this knife in such a way as to break it... something I worked very hard to insure wouldn't happen. It turned out that they had all been returned for cleanup - Special Forces guys use their equipment hard and they simply wanted their knives sharpened, refinished and generally checked up on.
My friend also told me about 3 knives that had been returned because the blades were all sticky. These units were disassembled and they found massive quantities of blood inside the nooks and crannies of the actions. Not just 'Oops, I cut my finger' amounts of blood; more like 'This was stuck in a human' amounts of blood.
I had a nightmare not long after; I was standing in a black, light less box and 5 Arab men appeared, all with single, life ending lacerations on their bodies. 3 with slit throats, 2 with 'Kidney C' cuts. They just stared right at me and bled all over their dusty clothes.
The first thing I wondered when I woke up was how Eugene Stoner or Mikhail Kalashnikov dealt with their designs. These are the men who created the M-16 and AK-47 respectively; the premier small arms of Western and ex Soviet Block nations for the last 4 decades. In my little SG picture, I am holding my AR-15, the civilian version of Stoner's M-16. Between them, Stoner and Kalashnikov have produced objects that have killed millions upon millions of people. How do they justify that? Did they dream of the faces of the people they helped kill? Did they ever even think about it?
The funny thing is, this knife was never designed to be used that way, it's an automatic ('switchblade') folder intended to be used like a utility knife, not as a combat accessory except for in the most dire of circumstances. I keep telling myself that there are a million ways a knife could get covered in blood on a battlefield.
I should have become a graphic designer. They never have to put up with this shit. When has a poster ever killed anyone?
VIEW 6 of 6 COMMENTS
it was after that, that i read your journal entry.
i like you even more now.
sorry about your nightmares man, but you can't compare yourself to Stoner or Kalashnikov, they knew very well what they were doing.
you made a tool.
a very good tool.
not up to you how people use it.
i pray you can rest easy soon.
peace.
From your writing style, I sense a kindred introspection. I hope to hear more from your head.
(edited 'cuz my mind dropped off the radar in the writing of this)
[Edited on Mar 18, 2003]