It’s hard to define what actually makes a knife “cool,” in a movie or otherwise. Everyone has their own definition. But everyone can agree certain knives stick in the memory more than others. They include these even famous, cool knives featured in movies through the years.
And by the way, we don’t mean the ones that were most useful or handled properly. And we’re not talking about real knives that found their way into a film (although in some examples, that is the case). We’re talking about ones where all you have to do is read about it and you can picture it in your mind.
Rambo’s Knife
In a very famous scene from “Rambo: First Blood II.” star Sylvester Stallone cleans his knife, which is a black-painted Bowie knife with saw teeth. The blade, which Rambo used with great efficiency in his mission to free American prisoners of war in Vietnam, was designed by Jimmy Lile. It’s the second knife in his Mission knife series. Rambo gets arrested with it in the first movie, too.
Winter Soldier’s Knife
If you’ve seen “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” then you no doubt remember the scene in which the Winter Soldier attacks Cap. After some gunplay and shield-slinging, he produces a knife and does some nice flips, tosses and other knife work with it. The knife is a Gerber Mark II. For Marvel movie fans, the knife flip is iconic, and there are videos on YouTube trying to teach people how to do it. Needless to say, most people can’t.
Norman Bates’ Knife
Of course, we don’t advocate attacking people in the shower with a knife. We don’t advocate attacking people anywhere. Especially when you’re dressed up in your mother’s clothes and wig. But this is one of the most famous scenes in movie history, directed by the master himself, Alfred Hitchcock. And the star is a very large knife.
The “shower scene” completely spins the movie into a new, terrifying direction. Ever wonder what the knife was? Well, it’s actually two knives. Prop maker John Zemansky built one knife for the initial moment when the killer pulls the shower curtain aside and we see the knife for the first time. It’s a moment of shock and surprise, and a big knife is part of getting that reaction.
Hitchcock used a second blade, somewhat shorter with a rounded-off end, for the rest of the scene.
Interestingly, there’s not actually “stabbing” onscreen. It’s all done with suggestive fast cuts and sound.
Michael Myers’ Knife
Speaking of slasher movie icons, knives feature prominently in the “Halloween” movies. They are often featured on the movie poster itself. While the original knife in John Carpenter’s 1978 is a Lamson chef knife, future directors used different knives for the sequels. Guess Michael Myers is a bit of a collector, too.
Hit-Girl’s Knife
The movie “Kick-Ass” might not be to everyone’s tastes, but no self-respecting knife fan couldn’t love how Hit-Girl, famously played by Chloë Grace Moretz, enjoys her birthday present from her Dad. It’s a butterfly knife that she immediately flips and twirls like a pro. It becomes one of many colorful weapons she uses in this strangest of superhero flicks.
Tool’s Knife
In “The Expendables,” Tool (Mickey O’Rourke) gets into a knife-throwing contest with Lee Christmas (Jason Statham). Tool eventually wins the contest with Cold Steel Large Espada that he keeps in his boot. It’s a badass moment that knife fans have long appreciated.
V’s Knives
For just sheer cool knife throwing action, it’s hard to beat “V for Vendetta,” especially the epic fight scene at the climax of the movie. As far as famous last words go, this bit of dialogue deserves to rank pretty high: ““You’ve got nothing but your knives and fancy karate gimmicks. We’ve got guns.” The person who speaks these words soon finds out that knives and karate beat bullets – well, at least when you’re a chemically altered superpowered guy fighting an Orwellian government. The throwing knives are props made for the movie, but the scene is cool because it shows the direction, rotation and speed of the knives using motion lines.
These are just some of the many cool knives in movies. But they’re all worth checking out for knife fans who like to see not only cool knives on screen with designs that are sometimes unlike anything you have seen anywhere else.
If I remember correctly Keith Kilby from GA made a movie knife. Can anyone tell me truth or false and what movie it was?