Social media policies unfairly discriminate against artisanal bladesmiths. Our content is routinely suppressed, removed and/or not shown to non-followers. This hurts our businesses, which in turn hurts the global economy. In 2024, social media accounted for 19.4% of all online sales, generating nearly 700 billion dollars in revenue.

For reasons that are neither just nor sound, we are excluded from participating in that economy.  

What’s wrong with the current policy

Under current social media policy, any knife that is not explicitly a kitchen knife is considered a weapon. This definition is overly broad and fallacious: a knife is not a priori violent. If you are tied up by someone, for example, the appearance of a knife is not only non-violent but essential to your freedom. It provides a useful service.

Why knives aren’t always ‘weapons’

The list of non-violent uses of non-kitchen knives is hardly limited to rare or extreme circumstances like the example above. On the contrary, in daily life knives are often employed in situations similar to that of scissors, for example, to cut open a box. They are taken camping, where they can be used to open a can of food, forage for edibles, make kindling, clear paths, and much more.

The list goes on and on, but the point is this: knives are not violent by definition. A knife can save a life as much as it can end it.

Therefore, the social media community guidelines position that all non-kitchen knives are weapons inciting violence is flawed.

Social responsibility

As knifemakers, we recognize the responsibility we have in society. The tools that we forge and craft are powerful. We acknowledge that knives are dangerous in the hands of the wrong person (as are, we might add, cars, whose makers’ social media accounts are left untroubled).

For that reason, we agree that our accounts should not be shown to people under the age of 18; we changed that setting on our account a long time ago.

What needs to change

The definition of “arms” used by social media community guidelines is overly broad and needs to be redefined. Non-kitchen knives, particularly custom and handcrafted knives, have an equal right to be shown to non-followers over the age of 18 as content made by other businesses whose products could be potentially abused.

Preventing bladesmiths’ content from reaching people hurts the lives of craftsmen and women as well as the families supported by their small businesses. We urgently ask you to revise your community guidelines to address the rights and practices of knifemakers, particularly handcraft and custom knifemakers.

We ask that you stop disadvantaging thousands of small businesses around the world, including our own. Your policy is misguided and should be changed.

We look forward to seeing you take action on this matter.

Thank you,

Oskar and Kristin, Forged in Patagonia

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