BRAINSTORM: Knife ambassador to the public?

[Comeuppance]

Knives scare people.

They shouldn't, though. Most people don't look at a block of kitchen knives and wince, but they might recoil were they to see someone with a Bark River on their waist. Yet, guess what kind of knife is the most often used in deadly attacks?

There's a lot of misunderstanding about knives at a fundamental level that is not helped by how their use and ownership is typically portrayed. Granted, cutting open boxes doesn't make for good TV.

If shoehorning it into entertainment is less likely (with the gracious exception of NCIS or CSI or ICP or whichever episodic crime drama has a character with a ZT 030X), then the next best option is some kind of public figure - someone with a recognizable name and a reasonably respectable image.

Stone Cold is out, The Nuge is out, Segal is out, and I honestly can only think of Angelina Jolie and Sylvester Stallone as potential candidates off the top of my head and they're almost irrelevant to current entertainment.

I am absolutely sure I'm overlooking someone as I haven't even done a cursory Google search. With Ritter making legal waves (very successfully, I might add!) and the almost universal backlash against NYC's knife laws after it made the news, we may have the "in" to help bolster the image of knives as something to not be terrified of.

We may want to find someone who will make a statement here or there. I hate myself for saying it, but social media could really be the key. Twitter and Facebook are the perfect settings to make brief opinionated statements that would otherwise seem difficult to bring up in a relevant manner, and some variety of mild celebrity could affect real change just by making a positive statement or two and causing people to question their perspective.

I'm relatively serious about this - image and public perception changes a lot of things, and just being a responsible knife owner isn't enough. People who are terrified of knives won't see you as an ambassador of goodwill, they'll just keep worrying until you're not in eyesight. Fear for one's continued physical integrity rarely leaves a lot of mental energy left to focus on reconsidering perspectives.

Let's get to thinking about this. An ambassador might work, and that also means we should try to find one. Other ideas are welcome as well, and please remember to not shoot down something that has been suggested! Let's keep the discourse civil and open. If you think an idea is stupid, ignore it! If it gains traction, please voice your concern / insight even-handedly. We will get nowhere if we start squabbling and lose sight of the goal in the process.

 

[22-rimfire]

I think many people would be uncomfortable if you had a typical kitchen knife on your belt in an urban environment. It is mostly situational ... location location location. I think if you edc an fixed blade, you need to be discrete with its carry. Out in the woods, few would give you a second look.

As far as the ambassador thing, my first thought is that it is un-necessary. What are you trying to accomplish? Make people comfortable about others carrying a knife? I see no real problem overall as it stands right now.

 

[Jens Schuetz]

Maybe Kitchen knives are only in so many deadly attacks because there are so many kitchen knives out there and much less Bark River and Co.
Without the real percentage of attacks with a knife vs numbers of this knife in circulation there's not much we can tell.

Also on the street a guy with a knife on his hip makes me much more cautious than another guy with a kitchen knife in his house even though that might be used in one of his domestic conflicts.

I can certainly see the logic of non knife people and don't know how one would argue against that.

 

[22-rimfire]

The Knife Rights/Ritter thing is mostly about eliminating governmental rules (laws) on the type of knife versus trying to make fixed blades common place in public places. In my state, there was a maximum blade length as well as not allowing switch blades/autos and bali's. Now there are no restrictions which I prefer, but it really doesn't change anything for me as far as what I choose to carry.

 

[coinbuysell]

I think many people would be uncomfortable if you had a typical kitchen knife on your belt in an urban environment. It is mostly situational ... location location location. I think if you edc an fixed blade, you need to be discrete with its carry. Out in the woods, few would give you a second look.

As far as the ambassador thing, my first thought is that it is un-necessary. What are you trying to accomplish? Make people comfortable about others carrying a knife? I see no real problem overall as it stands right now.

In this environment, a "name brand" could help immensely in getting this passed in every jurisdiction. Lot's of people are uncomfortable with today's standards

 

[Charlie Mike]

I open carry a fixed blade for many reasons. One is that I hope my carry can help acclimatize people to seeing that it's still ok to do.

 

[BlueSpartan007]

Funny you mention NCIS, just saw Gibbs peeling potatoes with what looks like a tiger stripe 0350 or 0303 on tonight's episode. In a kitchen with knives/peelers made for just that. Interesting.

 

[Mister X]

Angelina Jolie Pitt would be my "ambassador". She's well known, attractive, human rights active and can work a balisong better than most.

 

[gadgetgeek]

I think you can already look to the hipster movement for that ambassador. As annoying as they can be, there is a big move among people my age (30) and younger than me (I'm a borderline millennial) to go back to things that work. Analog audio, flannel shirts, boots. I think the more important thing to do is recognize and encourage those younger people to act as grand-dad did (or at least their ideal of who a grad-dad should have been) It goes along with the maker movement and the right-to-repair folks. I think the day of the tactical folder will draw to a close, but high end "gentleman's folder" be it slip-joint or locking, beer-scout, trapper, radio-technician (gotta fix that bike somehow) I think we will see more and more of that.

Here in australia knives are still kinda touchy, and there are some no-go zones. but those places don't have a knife problem, they have a violence problem. And by and large I think the public is realizing, slowly though it may be, that fists are as dangerous as blades. We currently have a campaign with the slogan "one punch can kill" but I don't think the rates have dropped much. There was a thing I learned about after moving here which was called the King Hit, now in the public its slowly being referred to as a Coward Punch, think a sucker punch but typically from ambush and unprovoked, or at least not physically provoked. But as that name changes, maybe people will calm down, the thing is, its common in the most popular pub and club streets, yet people still go there ( again I have this theory that austrailans no longer have any sense of danger)

How does it matter? the image of the 50s greaser or 70s punk are fading away, and despite what news would tell us, the world is getting far safer. A few more SAK packing heros save the day, and the image will swing, its just that it hasn't happened quite yet. As the old scared white guys who made these rules die off, their grandkids and great grand kids will have learned that the world isn't so scary anymore, and a sharp blade is pretty handy to have around.

 

[Kwon Kwang]

I'm actually making a presentation about knives for a college class of mine. Should be interesting. I will likely be presenting a less threatening folder like a Delica, Sage 1 or Opinel.

 

[jackknife]

Funny you mention NCIS, just saw Gibbs peeling potatoes with what looks like a tiger stripe 0350 or 0303 on tonight's episode. In a kitchen with knives/peelers made for just that. Interesting.

I can only imagine that they are paying a high dollar for what is called 'product placement' as it is recognized that image sells stuff. There's lots of very guidable people out there with money burning a hole in their pockets.

 

[cbach8tw]

A spokesperson or many spokespersons would be a good idea, to generally show the usefulness and proper use of knives, especially by persons who use knives daily. Not to take away from the good ones who use YOUTube to spread info and reviews of knives, but unfortunately it can be overtaken by those who just wanted to beat and use knives in a dangerous manner to gain their 10 minutes of fame, which adds to the negative hysteria about knives. I think the major knife manufacturers could place a few short spots to show the correct way to care for and use their knives, even the NRA could be used, or many outdoor publications can run ads to help educate. Just a few thoughts. The best spokesperson though are us, how we use our knives.

 

[shinyedges]

Oh come on a cold steel rajah 2 or 3 would suffice

Just wave those boogers out double fist style while yelling HI YUH!!

I'm actually making a presentation about knives for a college class of mine. Should be interesting. I will likely be presenting a less threatening folder like a Delica, Sage 1 or Opinel.

 

[TimmyJ]

Each and everyone of us, who carry and use knives in a responsible, useful way are "ambassadors to the public." All we can do is lead by example and not make waves.

 

[Wardo46]

Gibbs' rules are a big part of his character and Rule #9 is "Never go anywhere without a knife" so the kitchen scene was reinforcing that. All his team members carry a knife.

I recall that after the episode in which Gibbs and DiNozzo both had ZT03** knives, the knife forum chatter about the ZTs went way up as did sales of those knives from internet knife dealers so product placement works. Gibbs also wears a lot of Carhartt clothing prominently displaying the labels.

I wonder how many people who purchased a ZT03** after seeing Gibbs carry one actually liked them when they discovered they weigh a half pound.

All-in-all, I'd say NCIS has been a good knife ambassador and has had a positive effect on the perception of the public about carrying knives and using them as tools. :thumbup:

 

[Quiet]

Frankly, I don't think any sort of "ambassador" is going to accomplish any change.

We knife-folks seem to forget the political and situational climate in which we live. Mass shootings and bombings are happening on a regular basis, perpetrated by strangers who you could have been standing next to on the subway earlier that day and you'd never have known. Strangers. Strangers with weapons. A stranger with a weapon. That's what a guy wearing a big sheathe knife in a populated public place is. No ambassador is going to make that seem normal or ok if the area you live in isn't historically rural or smalltown. I know, I've heard all the arguments. "Knives aren't weapons!" Listen, I'm no different. If I see a guy in a mall wearing a big sheathe knife, I am immediately on my guard. I don't know that guy, and sorry, but my first thought isn't "Sweet, a fellow knife knut! We could be bros!". My thought would be, why is that guy wearing that in a mall? Keep in mind that I have lived in areas most of my life where the wearing of a sheathe knife is prohibited in public. I am super pro-self defense, and I think folks should carry whatever they want. However, I am still uneasy around people I don't know with weapons, because there are a LOT of crazy people. I've actually stopped going to the range so much because of it. A few years ago, there were a couple of murder suicides at a shooting range near me. Regular folks who seemed ok by all outward appearances. One of 'em, this guy goes into the range with his mother, and while he's shooting at the bench, she steps back, puts two in his head at point blank range, then herself.

Anyway, I've gotten off tangent. The point is, no amount of social media or celebrities endorsing people walking around with knives on their hip are going to change peoples' minds. They're scared, and at one point, it was frustrating, but in today's climate, I understand their fear. It is what it is. In the meantime, you should carry what and however your local laws allow, and if people don't like it? Well, then you'll just have to accept that. All you can do.

 

[arskrg]

Everybody loved Paul Hogan walking around with a huge Bowie knife, I vote for him.

 

[gazz98]

At the rate TV is going, someone will relaunch a new McGyver and someone can introduce a variety of Swiss Army Knives to folks. SAKs are probably the best sheeple friendly knives imo.

Options
Matt Damon = respectable actor with many action films to his credit. He seems to be universally liked by most.
Leonardo DiCaprio = same but with less action flicks.
Daniel Craig = Bond. James Bond.

 

[shinyedges]

I disagree, allowing fear to rule and dictate our lives will only accomplish more reductions in freedom.

The guy openly carrying a fixed blade isn't the one you should worry about, if he is carrying openly that means he is probably a law abiding citizen. Worry about the guy who hides his intent and no amount of regulation or laws will deter him from whatever evil deed he has planned.

Personally i dont understand the "I'm scared so take my rights" ideology because it doesnt make ANYONE safer.

Criminals do not obey laws...

Frankly, I don't think any sort of "ambassador" is going to accomplish any change.

We knife-folks seem to forget the political and situational climate in which we live. Mass shootings and bombings are happening on a regular basis, perpetrated by strangers who you could have been standing next to on the subway earlier that day and you'd never have known. Strangers. Strangers with weapons. A stranger with a weapon. That's what a guy wearing a big sheathe knife in a populated public place is. No ambassador is going to make that seem normal or ok if the area you live in isn't historically rural or smalltown. I know, I've heard all the arguments. "Knives aren't weapons!" Listen, I'm no different. If I see a guy in a mall wearing a big sheathe knife, I am immediately on my guard. I don't know that guy, and sorry, but my first thought isn't "Sweet, a fellow knife knut! We could be bros!". My thought would be, why is that guy wearing that in a mall? Keep in mind that I have lived in areas most of my life where the wearing of a sheathe knife is prohibited in public. I am super pro-self defense, and I think folks should carry whatever they want. However, I am still uneasy around people I don't know with weapons, because there are a LOT of crazy people. I've actually stopped going to the range so much because of it. A few years ago, there were a couple of murder suicides at a shooting range near me. Regular folks who seemed ok by all outward appearances. One of 'em, this guy goes into the range with his mother, and while he's shooting at the bench, she steps back, puts two in his head at point blank range, then herself.

Anyway, I've gotten off tangent. The point is, no amount of social media or celebrities endorsing people walking around with knives on their hip are going to change peoples' minds. They're scared, and at one point, it was frustrating, but in today's climate, I understand their fear. It is what it is. In the meantime, you should carry what and however your local laws allow, and if people don't like it? Well, then you'll just have to accept that. All you can do.

 

[RX-79G]

I think a paid spokesperson for any type of weapon just ends up smelling like desperation. Most people in the US have no idea that anyone cares that much about knives either way. The enormous inroads that concealed carry of firearms has made almost everywhere makes the idea that knives are some sort of threat absurd to most people.

But, as previously pointed out, if you walk into 7-11 with a Kabar or a rifle, it doesn't look like you are out of milk. Weapons have traditionally been considered "impolite", and most people would rather have you carrying concealed rather than out in the open. Openly carried weapons are just another type of brandishing - an announcement that you are capable of violence that is louder than any other non-verbal signal you might think you're putting out.


Hipsters are probably the best thing going for knives. The girl who cuts my hair has a pocket clip sticking out of her skinny jeans. No one is going to care about my pocket clipped knife if it is the same accessory a young woman might sport.


Other countries, other situations. In the US we are a lot less sensitive about weapons and violence in general.