Awkward knife carrying moments...

I sincerely appreciate all the responses. There have been a lot of insightful observations posted here. To summarize a bit of what I'm taking with me so far:

1. Only carry what's legal. (Good advice for more than just knives):thumbup:
2. Whatever you carry, use it discreetly if you want to avoid attention.
3. Many people with little to no knife experience view any fixed blade as a weapon (and therefore scarier than folders).
4. At least some of these knife-ignorant people would probably enjoy learning about them and how to use them if they were given the chance to.
5. Be prepared to respond when someone asks or reacts in a negative way. It seems likely to happen sooner or later.
6. Try to find some common ground with whoever's asking, i.e. "I collect knives, what do you collect?"
7. Educate them that knives are legal tools with lots of handy uses
8. When that doesn't work, there are some effectively pointed responses (listed earlier ;) )
9. Never fib to a cop about what you're carrying- a legal, handy tool.
10. Let un-civilized people open their own cheese- with their teeth. :D My favorite.
 
oli said:
15 years ago I was on a service call in an elderly ladies home and I was sitting on a pail in the kitchen using a small knife. From some distance away and mostly behind me, she asked if it was a pocket knife. I replied that "Yes, it is a pocket knife". She then stated, "All real men carry a pocket knife". She then approached me from behind and asked me if she could hug me. Without moving I said "yes". She gave me a bear hug that lasted an awkwardly long moment and said "thank you". A few days later I started carrying TWO pocket knives.
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why can't young women think like that now, i guess i need to find a girl that grew up in the country or just had a dad that is sane

did you ask if she had a granddaughter/ daughter that was near your age and single?

-matt
 
I haven't read the entire thread, so apologies if this is repetitive, but this is one of the great things about a Swiss Army Knife. Most people wouldn't blink if they saw one used in almost any setting. I try to be discrete when using in public and using a SAK when possible/convenient can help with that. Otherwise, I just try to use my knife quickly and out of direct view as much as possible. It is often a matter of safety that one would turn away and/or step away from people before cutting, and this also keeps the knife out of view. It is a shame that it has come to this.

Also, if asked, I wouldn't say that my knife is MORE a tool than a weapon, but rather that it is a tool without making any mention of weapon at all. And don't over-explain. If you react defensively, then you create the impression that you have something to defend. Just a casual "It's handy for opening boxes and stuff." is all that is really necessary and then move on to other topics.
 
pinetree said:
One of the perks of carrying a traditional slip-joint is that people are comfortable around them.
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Exactly why I carry a Case Barlow along with my Kershaw Tyrade, and also why I use that Barlow for 99% of my daily cutting chores!
 
Living here in the Western headquarters of sheepledom, also known as Western Washington (thank goodness for the Eastern half), I am often left dumbfounded by how people respond to a sharpened edge. Thanks for the pocketfull of witty repsonses especially "Why aren't you carrying a knife?"

Here's my experience to share and it actually left me feeling uplifted: I was the only male attending a night-class at a local community college with a female instructor and she needed a knife to open a package of text books. She looked at me and asked, "Can I use your knife?" Assuming I would be carrying because I was a man was so refreshing!!! The few sheep in the group were a little surprised at my Kershaw but the keepers were all smiles knowing those shrink-wrapped books could do no more damage.

And when the sheeple are busy using their teeth and insisting they don't need a knife, ask them how much they like their dentists' new BMW?
 
Well I do have to say thankfully I live in the south. Here in alabama its not a big deal for anyone to carry a knife. Never uncommon to see one clipped to someones pocket. Lots of hunting and fishing here in this state. So you dont run into many people that have a problem with them. Their are still some that have a problem with them. I've never run into any yet thankfully. I did have a manager one time at a previous office job I had ask me if he could see my knife. I had gerber at the time with a 2.5-3 inch blade, I was sure he was going to tell me to not bring it anymore that it was against company policy or something, but he just said nice knife and handed it back to me. I was shocked he turned out to be a pretty cool manager though after I got to know him.
 
I am too young to know or remember, but I do know that there was a time in american history that was not that long ago, where it was common for a child to bring a pen knife to school and no one had a problem with it..Adn in recent years I have read of a story where a kindergarten kid, thats right kindergarten was escorted out of class for having a butter knife in his backpack, somethgin his sister who was the same ag was playign with that mornign at breakfast, she must have put it in his bag while playing a game of some kind...But they needed a police officer to escort this child out of the school...And he was even suspended...KINDERGARTEN??????? What is happening to our society, soon we will need cops to help us all cut our steaks at dinner, lol...
 
After my Dad retired from the Army we moved into a farming community where I spent my high school years. Guns & knives were merely seen as useful tools. Shotguns or rifles were commonly seen in vehicle carry racks, especially during hunting season. Just about every guy carried at least a pocket knife. - - But the society is more urban and more feminized now - - & this attitude has even spread a little to rural communities (if even just a little). They get bombarded by the media just like everyone else.
We can't carry fixed blades in my state unless engaged in outdoor sporting activities. I use them when hunting or fishing. I usually EDC a couple of knives - a larger one for tougher jobs and a smaller for the common little jobs and when I want to be discrete or as 'sheeple friendly' as possible. The small knife is often a small single blade lockback or a nice looking bone handled stockman slippie, - - stockman knives come with a sheepsfoot blade (hmmm - now thats an appropriate name for a sheeple friendly blade) - that is small, blunt ended and not 'pointy looking' so are generally very sheeple friendly. Even the sheepsfoot blade in a pretty large stockman looks more like a tool than a weapon. Of course, some people are offended no matter what. As long as I'm legal - - they can kiss my behind. - - And that guy who challenged you on your fixed blade at the wedding might have had a hidden agenda. Maybe he thought you were getting too much attention from some of the female guests and just wanted to make himself look 'better'. Who knows ? Screw him. - - Regards, - -
 
cutlerylover said:
I am too young to know or remember, but I do know that there was a time in american history that was not that long ago, where it was common for a child to bring a pen knife to school and no one had a problem with it... ...
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I went to grade school in New York City in the early 1950s and pretty much every one of us carried a pocket knife, including some of the girls.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
I went to grade school in New York City in the early 1950s and pretty much every one of us carried a pocket knife, including some of the girls.
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Now thats what I am talking about...I always thoguht I grew up in the wrogn era...again I don't know from expereicne but from what I have been told by older people is it was just a simplier time...thgins were easier, in that people had morals, the work was just as hard if not harder, but most families stayed together, kids behaved alot more, not as much pverty, and the list goes on and on...
 
It seemed like all the Italian girls I knew growing up carried knives....boy, did they carry knives...
 
cutlerylover said:
Now thats what I am talking about...I always thoguht I grew up in the wrogn era...again I don't know from expereicne but from what I have been told by older people is it was just a simplier time...thgins were easier, in that people had morals, the work was just as hard if not harder, but most families stayed together, kids behaved alot more, not as much pverty, and the list goes on and on...
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I started to stray from discussing knives, so I started a new thread;
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5420029#post5420029
 
headroom said:
It seemed like all the Italian girls I knew growing up carried knives....boy, did they carry knives...
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If you stop to think about it, it is probably even more important for a female to carry a knife than it is for a male.
 
After carefully reconsidering the situation in the original post, I have come to the conclusion that the non-knife-people will never come around to our way of thinking unless we take advantage of these "teachable moments" to show them what the knife culture is all about. I think the best response would be to say something like, "Yeah, this blade is awesome for decapitating zombies! You wanna see my latest ninja moves?!" then start dancing around the table wildly slashing and jabbing at imaginary enemies mumbling "take that, and that!" Of course, it is always good to finish with a flourish such as accidentally stabbing yourself in the leg badly enough to require a trip to the hospital.
 
Lurker, are you serious?? I think that kinda response would probably prompt the sheeples to be even more afraid of us knife people, since that will be demonstrating the knife to be exactly what they are most afraid of: being used as a weapon...
but of course, your post could have "sarcasm" posted on top of it in neon signs, but I somehow missed it this early in the morning and reading it with a hangover... :p
 
Most awkward knife carrying moments? When girls are putting their hands all over my pants... and realize it's not JUST that I'm happy to see them :D Seriously, nearly every girl I'm with for a length of time ends up seeing them, so I gotta try to explain that I'm not Ted Bundy:o It works out though. And usually I try to carry at least a rainbow chive or something so they go ooh! Pretty! But seriously, I had an older male friend (~50s) who saw me open it slowly and said it was a perfect knife for stabbing. Depends on how you look at the world, I'm afraid. Cities will do that, but generally, people who aren't prepared aren't prepared. My current area everyone has a knife. But... when I walk around at night and pull a flashlight "Wow! You carry a flashlight? Why?" Of course I tell them "It gets dark sometimes, and I've hit my head enough..." Shuts 'em up quick. Knife? Well, I've got a penchant for spyderco waves now, because I can explain I cut myself trying fancy bottle opening tricks with lighters etc., so I just carry a bottle opener that happens to be on a pocket knife. People think it's awesome. But again, it's about preparation. I took my keychain off the other day, and it's a cheap compass/thermometer thing. Anyway, one of them says "Wow, so is this if you get shipped off to Jordan by the CIA?" :rolleyes: Seriously, if any of you guys carry a flashlight/ANYTHING that isn't urban chic in a city, just pull it out and watch the reactions. Hell, occasionally I get "You carry a handkerchief?" People just aren't used to people being prepared. End of story.
Zero
 
Zero_Time said:
Most awkward knife carrying moments? When girls are putting their hands all over my pants... and realize it's not JUST that I'm happy to see them :D
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Oh man, that reminds me of the time about 25 years ago I was slow dancing with a girl I had just met at a party and she found an IWB in the small of my back and she was like "what's that?" I had some quick talking to do. I can still remember that like it was yesterday. My explanation must have been ok because it didn't scare her off.
 
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