Buying first knife for a non-knife guy...suggestions?

mnblade said:
Really? A 4+ inch knife for someone who works in an office every day?
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+1

I carry a trapper everyday and I work in an office, but mine is not the typical situation. I work in a research lab and have an office. Its almost a requirement to have a knife in my group. In fact, my boss just gave all the people who did not own knives vic classics.

That aside, a full size trapper is simply too large for most people in an office setting.
 
I've been following this thread, and I keep hearing all the worry over how the new knife would be recieved in an office setting. If the guy who's carrying the knife has always been liked and seen as "normal" by his peers then I suggest that he carry a medium sized Stockman. Something non-tactical, but with some meat on its bones. Originally I suggested a Peanut, but I was in a different mood then I guess. If we expect to keep our "knife rights" then I suggest folks need to see them being used in everyday situations by good, law abiding folks that they know and trust.
 
pick-up a laguiole, you can grab one pretty cheap off ebay. Very gentleman 'like.

Got one for my dad for his 62th bday, he forgot how pleasant they were to have around, the knives that is.
 
52100 said:
I've been following this thread, and I keep hearing all the worry over how the new knife would be recieved in an office setting. If the guy who's carrying the knife has always been liked and seen as "normal" by his peers then I suggest that he carry a medium sized Stockman. ... If we expect to keep our "knife rights" then I suggest folks need to see them being used in everyday situations by good, law abiding folks that they know and trust.
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I hear you ...... but I think the OP's point had nothing to do with knife rights, and everything to do with selecting a knife that a non-knife guy would actually come to consider a required EDC item like we do.

Frankly, I'd much rather see a non-knife guy carry a SAK Classic on his keychain the rest of his life, than carry something larger for a month but eventually decide it's too bulky to tote around in his suit pants at the office and relegate it forever to the tool box or sock drawer.
 
I see your points, and agree with them. I was just reacting to all of the previous comments about the public perception of pocket knives, which appeared to be the new focus in selecting a knife.
 
bgremill said:
Now, this guy is forty, played football for Georgia while in college and is very active in church and raising 3 kids. He's not the scary type or the weenie type that is opposed to knives. I guess his dad just didn't have much use for knives or impose upon him that gentlemen carry knives.
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This statement about says it all. Particulary the last sentence.

This is not a guy who has given a single thought to carrying a knife for most of his life. I know that most of us can't imagine it, but there are millions of people out there who don't carry a knife for many reasons. Maybe they don't have any experiance with it, they grew up in a city with 60's and 70's yuppy parents and they work in an office. I don't know. Maybe they have a phobia against things that may be a weapon. Maybe they just had the kind of life where they never had a father or grandfather or uncle who was an outdorsmen and carried a knfe as part of his pants pocket stuff.

But by the time a man reaches the age of fourty and does not edc even a small penknife, you have an uphill battle on your hands to get him to change his set adult ways, and carry any kind of knife at all. The very last thing he's going to do is to carry a knife that we would like. I believe this is the non-knife guy we talked about on an other thread. This is the guy, who if he can be convinced to carry any knife at all, it's going to be a sliver of a sharpened piece of steel. The proverbial pen knife of very small size. Dimutive. Tiny. Maybe even something like A.G. Russell's ultimated pen knife.

I know people like this. They don't like stuff in thier pockets. They may carry car keys because they have to, but not much else. A cell phone. Maybe a pen clipped in the shirt pocket.

I think any knife this guy would carry has to be tiny enough to be a keychain type of pen knife. Like a classic or the Russell ultimate. I don't know why I didn't think about that before. Russell's Ultimate pen knife. Its tiny, very very lightweight, titanium scales so it can take being bumped around and jangled on a keyring, comes in a couple different sizes and has a choice of lock or no lock on the blade.

Maybe he'd carry a Russells utlimate penknife if not the classic. The Russells has a very thin blade that gets razor sharp. It will cut open boxes with ease.

You're going to be very limited as to what this guy will consider carrying. This is the kind of guy that tuxedo's and Eisenhour penknives were made for.
 
jackknife said:
Maybe he'd carry a Russells utlimate penknife if not the classic. The Russells has a very thin blade that gets razor sharp. It will cut open boxes with ease.
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+1 Excellent suggestion. I have one and it's a nice little knife. Weighs nothing.
 
Whatever you give him, be prepared to be disappointed (or worse).
I gave a non-knife person a small Barlow last Christmas.
He didn't have it for more than 5 minutes before he was unscrewing a Philips head screw with the tip.
I bit my tongue, but didn't say a word.
After all, it was his knife. :(
Good luck
Doc
 
Jackknife,

The first paragraph in your last post is a perfect description of this gentleman. I'll check the Russell pen and classic. It will come down to that, a peanut, or a SAK if believe. I'll pull the trigger on Monday probably so I'll let ya'll know what I choose and how it goes when I give it to him.

Brent
Who Dat!!
 
This is definitely an interesting thread. It is taking a chance whenever you give someone a knife that normally doesn't carry one. But there are those that will embrace the change and surprise you in their dedication to changing their old habits. I gave my Dad; who never even owned a knife, much less carried one, a Sway Back 3 years ago and it has been in his possession ever since. That knife is perfect in the pocket and my Dad says the blade doesn't look so scary.
 
Have you looked at the Case Eisenhower. Some of them even have Ike's signature on the blade. I can't imagine even a non knife person not falling in love with a nice MOP handled Eisenhower.
 
Doc4570 said:
Whatever you give him, be prepared to be disappointed (or worse).
I gave a non-knife person a small Barlow last Christmas.
He didn't have it for more than 5 minutes before he was unscrewing a Philips head screw with the tip.
I bit my tongue, but didn't say a word.
After all, it was his knife. :(
Good luck
Doc
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Yes, I've had that expriance. As painful as it is, you just have to shut up and try not to react. It's a painful leasson in how the non-knife knut see's knives; not as a thing to be carefully taken care of to become an old friend, but sort of like a disposable screw driver, pry tool, paint scaper, and other things that give us cold sweat nightmares. If it breaks, they just toss it in the trash can with little thought.

Who do you think buys all those gas station serated edge knives for 2.99?

Oh, the horror, the horror!

:D
 
UPDATE!

I decided to give him the peanut. I ordered the yellow scaled peanut with the christian fish on the shield and hoped for the best. He was actually very excited about it. He held it in his hand as if he were guessing the weight, looked it over completely, opened each of the blades and examined the blade shape and sharpness of each blade. I was thinking to myself, "Does this guy really know something about knives and I don't know it?" Then, he motioned as if to put the knife back in the box. I said, "No man, it goes in your pocket! Hopefully, the next time you need a good blade for something all you'll have to do is reach in your pocket and take that one out." He said, "man that's really thoughtful of you, thanks a bunch!"
We'll see. It's his now to do as he pleases; but, man...now I GOTTA have a peanut!!
Thanks to all of you for your suggestions, recommendations, and advice.
 
bgremill said:
UPDATE!

I decided to give him the peanut. I ordered the yellow scaled peanut with the christian fish on the shield and hoped for the best. ...
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I think you made an excellent choice. :thumbup:

While a Vic would certainly not "frighten" anyone it just (to me) lacks that "special" quality that makes something like what you got him a better gift.
 
I have a Case Gentleman's knife(I think that is what it is called), a small (2.5") all stainless with a pen blade and a file. It is slim and just slides in any pocket. That or a SAK classic.
 
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