[Wowfunhappy]

Playing devil's advocate: if I did in fact grab one of my kitchen knives to defend myself against a violent intruder into my kitchen, I wouldn't expect to be banned from buying kitchen knives.

I'm not sure this is still a useful analogy, though...

[dwattttt]

And if you grabbed the knife and went on a violent spree, I'd absolutely expect the knife manufacturer to refuse to sell to you anymore.

The knife manufacturer isn't obligated to sell to you in either case, I'd expect them not to cut ties with you in the self defence scenario. But it is their choice.

[zephen]

The knife manufacturer would be more than happy to continue to sell to you, except for that minor little detail that you're in jail.

[gpm]

Any knife vendor who

1. Found out you used their knives to go murdering

2. Sells knives in a fashion where it's possible for them to prevent you from buying their knives (i.e. direct to consumer sales)

Would almost certainly not "be more than happy to continue to sell to you". Even if we ignore the fact that most people are simply against assisting in murders (which by itself is a sufficient justification in most companies), the bad PR (see the "found out" and "direct to consumer" part) would make you a hugely unprofitable customer.

[zephen]

Meh. Not sure why knife dealers would be assumed to be more moral than firearms dealers. See, e.g. Delana v. CED Sales (Missouri)

> the bad PR (see the "found out" and "direct to consumer" part) would make you a hugely unprofitable customer.

That... Doesn't happen.

Boycotts by people who weren't going to buy your product anyway are immaterial to business. The inevitable lawsuits are costly, but are generally thought of as good publicity, because they keep the business name in the news.

[gpm]

People who buy luxury kitchen knives are exactly the type of people who would choose not to buy a product because it is associated with crime.

People who buy (and make) firearms are... pretty close to the exact opposite.

[zephen]

So now it's "luxury" kitchen knives?

Goalposts moved.

[dwattttt]

sotto voce the knives are a metaphor

[zephen]

Doesn't matter.

There will always be some company willing to sell to even the worst person, in any product category.

The response that companies have to boycotts, and the results of the boycotts themselves, are fractally chaotic at best.

But even most nominally socially-aware companies are reactive, rather than proactive.

[Loughla]

If I shoot someone, something that is explicitly warned against in firearm safety materials that come with every purchase of a new firearm, I am no longer allowed to purchase any more firearms.

[SauntSolaire]

There are many situations in which you can shoot someone and still be allowed to buy a gun.

Also, in the cases you can't, it's generally the government stopping you, not the gun companies.

[Wowfunhappy]

That's for a different reason though--you broke the law.

[moron4hire]

The specific shape of a kitchen knife would make it a particularly poor fighting knife, and knives in general are bad for self defense, due to the potential for it to be turned against the user. So, there is a good argument that such a suggestion is really in the user's best interest rather than a cynical play for the manufacturer to limit liability.