BRAINSTORM: Knife ambassador to the public?

[RX-79G]

..... do you know that you're on a knife forum?

On gun forums there is general disapproval of people "exercising their rights" by walking into Shopko with an AR15 slung on their shoulder.

Enthusiasm for your rights isn't the same as being unable to understand and exercise normal social mores.

 

[stabman]

..... do you know that you're on a knife forum?

I know, right?
This place has gotten weird lately.

I have more need to cut things than hammer things, so I carry a knife.
When I do need to hammer things, they tend to be small jobs, so I use my brass kubotan for that. (one of my professors borrowed it to hammer his door hinge in...it was coming loose)

 

[Charlie Mike]

I know, right?
This place has gotten weird lately.

I have more need to cut things than hammer things, so I carry a knife.
When I do need to hammer things, they tend to be small jobs, so I use my brass kubotan for that. (one of my professors borrowed it to hammer his door hinge in...it was coming loose)

I use the butt of my knife.

 

[RX-79G]

And I just want to be clear about something, here: It isn't that knife or gun people should be worried about offending everyone. You should just be aware that if you walk around a mall with a dagger it demonstrates the same kind of social awareness as wearing a spacesuit, cape, crown, chaps, knee length boots, clown suit, face paint or feather boa.

You aren't normalizing the thing you're wearing as much as drawing attention to the fact that you think everyone else has the problem. And that doesn't get you (or whatever issue you're championing) very far in life.

I just have never understood why people think their fringe behavior is a way to indoctrinate society into looking at something differently. It usually goes the opposite way.

 

[stabman]

And I just want to be clear about something, here: It isn't that knife or gun people should be worried about offending everyone. You should just be aware that if you walk around a mall with a dagger it demonstrates the same kind of social awareness as wearing a spacesuit, cape, crown, chaps, knee length boots, clown suit, face paint or feather boa.

Hey, my cape matches my dagger really well, and accentuates my most sexy features. :thumbup:

 

[RX-79G]

Hey, my cape matches my dagger really well, and accentuates my most sexy features. :thumbup:

I would carry a knife more, but it doesn't go with my Spider-Man suit.

 

[Charlie Mike]

And I just want to be clear about something, here: It isn't that knife or gun people should be worried about offending everyone. You should just be aware that if you walk around a mall with a dagger it demonstrates the same kind of social awareness as wearing a spacesuit, cape, crown, chaps, knee length boots, clown suit, face paint or feather boa.

You aren't normalizing the thing you're wearing as much as drawing attention to the fact that you think everyone else has the problem. And that doesn't get you (or whatever issue you're championing) very far in life.

I just have never understood why people think their fringe behavior is a way to indoctrinate society into looking at something differently. It usually goes the opposite way.

Not in my state.

 

[stabman]

I would carry a knife more, but it doesn't go with my Spider-Man suit.

Masks and body armour are where it's at for looking normal...

Normal!!!

 

[B.F.U]

On gun forums there is general disapproval of people "exercising their rights" by walking into Shopko with an AR15 slung on their shoulder.

Enthusiasm for your rights isn't the same as being unable to understand and exercise normal social mores.

Carrying a knife isn't exercising a right. A knife is not inherently a weapon, it is a basic human tool of many uses. The reason it's not enumerated as a right is because when rights were being enumerated no one dreamed that there would be restrictions on knife carry.

If people have a moral or psychological problem that makes them irrationally afraid of knives, that's their problem. Knives aren't dangerous to other people, they're inanimate, people are dangerous. A dangerous person is dangerous with or without a knife, and someone intending to use a knife illegally as a weapon is not likely to be carrying a high quality folding knife or belt knife, but rather a cheap kitchen knife or such.

Using logic such as yours to "fit in" is part of the mentality that is eroding our society.

 

[stabman]

I just use a knife when I need to use a knife.
That seems to show people that knives are tools.
If I walked around town dressed like in the above picture while swinging that knife around, I doubt people would see the utility aspect so much.

 

[RX-79G]

Not in my state.

I don't think a lot of stuff from your state has caught on. I remember the outfits from 1977 SF gay pride parade from a home movie my uncle shot. 40 years later and you still don't see that kind of thing anywhere else.

The media is the message. If big knives make people look scary (or just ridiculous), that isn't bolstering the image of big knives. Especially in CA, where banning weapons is a legislative pastime.


Stabman, love your fashion sense.

 

[stabman]

Stabman, love your fashion sense.

Dress for the job you want.

 

[Charlie Mike]

I don't think a lot of stuff from your state has caught on. I remember the outfits from 1977 SF gay pride parade from a home movie my uncle shot. 40 years later and you still don't see that kind of thing anywhere else.

The media is the message. If big knives make people look scary (or just ridiculous), that isn't bolstering the image of big knives. Especially in CA, where banning weapons is a legislative pastime.


Stabman, love your fashion sense.

In your opinion, is this a big knife? It's what I carry. As per state law, fixed blades MUST be openly carried.

 

[killgar]

I've been openly carrying a fixed-blade throughout urban San Diego for over a decade. I've been carrying the knife pictured below for almost a decade.

Not for one second do I believe that the sight of my knife will cause people to lose their fear of knives, or become more comfortable/accepting of knives. And that's not my goal, either in carrying a knife, or in life. I learned long ago that I can't control what other people think of me, no matter what I do. All I can do is be myself and live my life as a responsible law abiding citizen.

However, when I use my knife to help others (cutting stuff), I do believe that it's at least possible that they might gain a different perspective and perhaps give people carrying a knife the benefit of the doubt. One can hope anyways. I've helped several total strangers over the years and they were all grateful.

I don't carry knives, or anything else to make a statement or change society. Everything I carry has a specific purpose- either as a tool, or for self-defense, or both.

I don't automatically think "weapon" when I see someone carrying a knife. If I saw someone carrying a Mark2 dagger, then yeah, I would think "weapon", but I wouldn't automatically think "dangerous" or "criminal". Quite the opposite actually, I would assume that he is someone who knows the law, and obeys it.

I occasionally see people openly carrying fixed-blades, including the last guy, a customer in a Walmart grocery store who was openly carrying some kind of skinning knife. I didn't look upon it as a weapon, nor did I regard him as a threat. Instead, I thought to myself "Cool, another knife enthusiast exercising his legal rights".

Likewise, if I saw someone walking down the street carrying a baseball bat, I wouldn't assume they were on their way to clobber someone, I would assume they were on their way to or from a ball game. Whether or not I regard someone as a threat depends on several factors, not just what I see them carrying. I can just as easily regard someone as a threat, even an IMMINENT threat, when I can clearly see that both their hands are empty, and with no sort of weapon visible.

I am of the mind that I regard the weapons I can't see as a much greater threat than the ones I can see.

I don't mind if people look upon my knife as a weapon. I do carry it in part for self-defense. And because I recognize that people might look upon it as a weapon, there are some places I won't carry it (bank, movie theater), but that isn't because I care what people think, it's because I don't want to be asked to leave.

Like I said, I've been carrying this knife in this manner for almost a decade. And not a single person has ever said a negative word to me about it. And not a single cop, out of the dozen or so that have seen me carrying it have ever said a word about it, or stopped me, or asked for my ID.

I'll be going out shortly, and I'll look just like I do in this pic, but with the addition of a 13" crescent wrench sticking out of my front right pants pocket. No cop has ever said a word about that either.

 

[RX-79G]

Carrying a knife isn't exercising a right. A knife is not inherently a weapon, it is a basic human tool of many uses. The reason it's not enumerated as a right is because when rights were being enumerated no one dreamed that there would be restrictions on knife carry.

If people have a moral or psychological problem that makes them irrationally afraid of knives, that's their problem. Knives aren't dangerous to other people, they're inanimate, people are dangerous. A dangerous person is dangerous with or without a knife, and someone intending to use a knife illegally as a weapon is not likely to be carrying a high quality folding knife or belt knife, but rather a cheap kitchen knife or such.

Using logic such as yours to "fit in" is part of the mentality that is eroding our society.

I'm not talking about "knife rights". The comparison to trying to normalize the appearance of guns in society is appropriate to this discussion.

Nor am I saying how anyone "should" feel about anything. If YOU want to wear a katana to go bowling, I'm cool with that. Just don't expect to see your katana wearing style as the beginning of a sea-change in how people view carrying knives. It will only have the opposite effect. That's not right or wrong, just the truth.

You can complain about "society" all you want, but it existed before you came along and will after. The ability of small groups to affect normative change through non-normative behavior is extremely limited. If you look like you don't care what people think, they'll return the favor.


And that is ALL I am saying. Do whatever you want, just don't expect to change minds as you draw attention to yourself.




In terms of popularizing knives, find stories of people saving lives/doing good by using their knife for something other than as a weapon. Aron Ralston or someone like that can certainly speak to the importance of having a useful tool around for the unexpected.

 

[RX-79G]

In your opinion, is this a big knife? It's what I carry. As per state law, fixed blades MUST be openly carried.

I honestly couldn't say. I think the question would most easily be answered by watching where people are looking when you walk into Whataburger at lunchtime.


If you can get away with carrying openly and still be discreet - that's great. If you're carrying to be seen carrying, that's great for you, just not so much the rest of us.

 

[stabman]

[video=youtube;5yQivUhsBZA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yQivUhsBZA[/video]

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1284447-Spyderco-Lil-Matriarch-saves-life!

Surprised this thread and video didn't get more play...

 

[Charlie Mike]

I honestly couldn't say. I think the question would most easily be answered by watching where people are looking when you walk into Whataburger at lunchtime.


If you can get away with carrying openly and still be discreet - that's great. If you're carrying to be seen carrying, that's great for you, just not so much the rest of us.

Nobody really notices. Everyone has their nose in their phones.

 

[RX-79G]

Nobody really notices. Everyone has their nose in their phones.

There's your answer.

 

[stabman]

Nobody really notices.

Sounds about right.

Most people are caught-up in their own lives, and so absorbed with smartphones they'll walk into poles (I saw someone do it before, it was hilarious ).
You'd have to run around screaming "Lookit me, I have a kniiiiife!!!" to get noticed by most folks.