Best Carry Excuses

[Ironwood666]

I'm seventeen, but carry a knife everywhere (private school, so was able to work out a deal with the faculty chair). My standard response when asked why I carry a knife is, "It's not a knife, it's a food preparation tool." Usually people let it drop after the joke. If not, I just mention something about my outdoor skills teaching work.

 

[Remzy]

I used to work at a high security place (Defence scientific stuff) here in Canada and for years ive had it cliped Inside my left Pocket with only the stainless steel clip showing, went by security guards and security checks for years no problems.

One day at diner time a woman (whom i tend to think was a stuckup and security freak, the kind taht think children Under 5 should wear helmets all the time) asked me if this was a pencil clipped Inside my Pocket and I told her "no, thats my Pocket knife that i use to open stuff with", she then asked me if she could see it, with a look of "im gonna tell" on her face, I told her no without hesitating, because "i have no reason to get it out of my Pocket".

She never asked me about it again, show confidence and a strict sense of responsability, most people (even the most stuckup ones) will get that you are not a fool out to hurt people.

 

[-auspx-]

A knife is always a tool.
Never say that you carry a knife for self-defense even if it's true. You can't talk your way out of jail but you can certainly talk your way into one.

 

[fishiker]

A knife is always a tool.
Never say that you carry a knife for self-defense even if it's true. You can't talk your way out of jail but you can certainly talk your way into one.

Well said, I never refer to a knife as a weapon!

 

[Blades&Bullets]

Some good answers so far. As others mentioned, I would be inclined to politely inquire if/why they didn't carry a knife. Except for some international students, I don't think I've ever had anyone ask me WHY I carry a knife. That may be because of where I grew up though. To me, asking someone why they carry a knife is like asking why they carry an ink pen or cellphone with them.

Both views are of course stupid, but you can't change that, not in a single conversation anyway. It is especially advisable, as others have said, to never bring it up if the asker is a cop. Not only is it often get into tricky bits with intent and the law, but the cop's appraisal of you will usually sour. Cops are socially and psychologically conditioned by their jobs to resent civilians being able to defend themselves, because they unconsciously see it as robbing them of their purpose and identity (Protect and Serve). It also tends to make the more suspicious because a cop's daily life is filled with real criminals who are frequently armed and blurt out that it's for "protection," so they lump you and them together.

A lot of what you said made since until this. Some cops may be anti ccw or allow themselves to be conditioned in the way you have described, but that is certainly not the rule. I'm sure it worse in some regions though. The cops I have known and interacted with had no problem with civilians being armed. Some officers are strongly for having more armed civilians. The police department where I grew up certainly wasn't against people carrying.
http://www.timesdaily.com/news/local/police-providing-gun-safety-training-class/article_44b1c54e-b582-11e4-ad89-c79d3fb40e54.html

 

[Kamoe]

I'll just tell them to take a stab in the dark.

Jokes aside, my knives generally don't attract that much attention as I'm typically discreet about using them, for instance I'll keep most of the blade concealed behind my hand while I'm opening packages at work when the store is open and there are customers in my general area, I won't flick the blade open, or sometimes I'll even wait for them to be looking in the other direction before cutting what needs to be cut. I got one negative comment from a customer in 2 years working my current job, asking me why I had a 'weapon', I just politely replied that my knife was a tool in my hands, like a screwdriver could be a weapon in the wrong hands. The lady gave me a shrug and walked away from me, that was the end of that. Typically I will get compliments from the few customers who notice I have a knife, some of my coworkers are collectors too. I rarely have to explain myself.

 

[glistam]

A lot of what you said made since until this. Some cops may be anti ccw or allow themselves to be conditioned in the way you have described, but that is certainly not the rule. I'm sure it worse in some regions though. The cops I have known and interacted with had no problem with civilians being armed. Some officers are strongly for having more armed civilians. The police department where I grew up certainly wasn't against people carrying.
http://www.timesdaily.com/news/local/police-providing-gun-safety-training-class/article_44b1c54e-b582-11e4-ad89-c79d3fb40e54.html

Certainly some police are pro-armed-citizen, and right now there is no way to realistically measure what proportion of the general cop population they make up. In areas with more anti-carry laws, they most certainly are rare. And in the interest of keeping oneself out of jail, it is best to assume the officer falls into the anti-knife category until you know them well enough to discern otherwise.

 

[B34NS]

I guess this kind of pertains to knife laws but wasn't sure where else to put this thread. Anyways, I need a better excuse to carry a knife. I'm 16 and carry a knife when in a legal area (not at school) but I get asked a lot why I carry. I know why I carry: a knife is a good tool as well as a good self defense item. That is all I can think to tell them, but I guess that doesn't do it for them. They don't seem to think that is a valid reason. Anybody got any responses that are a little more convincing? Or do I just tell them to get over it cause I'm gonna carry anyways?

I've never needed an excuse to carry a knife. I carry one cause I want to. Keeping a knife on you for self defense is good way to to get hurt severly or killed. They are tools, nothing more.

 

[shawn242010]

When someone ask me "Why?" I tell them "Why not? It's a tool.". If they see me with a different knife I tell them "you can't just have one flavor of ice cream for the rest of your life". I prefer not to say "I'm a collector", sounds too sinister IMHO.

I agree when I say I'm a collector in just feel they are thinking whoa he collects knives what a werido.I work at a warehouse and open 100 boxes a day so that works for me

 

[Indiana Joe]

I almost never get asked this question, but I usually say: "Yeah, I've carried one since I was in the Cub Scouts." That usually gets an, "Oh." And that's the end of that.

That's a nice, conciliatory answer.

I shouldn't have to explain or justify myself to somebody, especially since s/he is the oddball for attempting to put me on the defensive. But, alas, at times I must justify my knife-carrying because of how modern society views knives. Since I was in Cub Scouts, ChrisB's response will work for me. Especially since I'm in Illinois.

 

[Spiggles]

I carry a knife, 'cos its sharper than my teeth.