Carrying a knife . . . .

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It does boggle the mind, but, as mentioned we're of a different mind set and a lot of the world can not fathom why someone would carry a knife, unless they intend to do harm...

When I traveled to England for work, to our Doncaster office, they received a package in the mail, heavy cardboard box with the rugged plastic strapping around it as well as tape. They were all looking for scissors to try and open the box, I took my David Boye cobalt folder out, smallish 3" blade fairly harmless in comparison to some 'tactical' folders out there, and easily cut the banding and the tape and the edges of the box.

They looked at me and said "who are you going to hurt with that!" I could hardly believe my ears, thought they were joking, I just pointed at the box and said, it's open and just folded up the knife and slipped it back into the pocket. Stunned at their faces and very surprised at how they considered my carrying a small folder was some devious scheme to harm someone...wow...

Boye_cobalt by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

G2
 
People don't carry flashlights either, yet most are scared of the dark. I use a flashlight exponentially more than I use a knife. I can find a ton of things at work and around the house to cut things. Only one way to produce light. You'll never catch me without a knife and a flashlight of some kind, ever.. Silly people.
 
it's funny... I also make an active effort to hike at night in the woods without using a flashlight, not because I don't carry a flashlight, but because I think of how useful it would be to be somewhat accustomed to the dark, and in a forest its amazing how dark it gets

I guarantee you you'd all get a real adrenaline rush doing it, even on a full moon when there is more light.
There is a very real hardwired fear factor doing such things alone at night. Fighting it, and learning to keep your head calm is worth gold in my book. Not to mention how acute hearing skills can become ; ) It's a win/win/win situation. (with the proper mindset)

I always have a good fixed blade on me, and flashlight of course and sometimes more gear if I'm doing a multi-hour night hike.
 
Gary W. Graley said:
It does boggle the mind, but, as mentioned we're of a different mind set and a lot of the world can not fathom why someone would carry a knife, unless they intend to do harm...

When I traveled to England for work...
Click to expand...

knifecrime.jpg

Sadly, fear propaganda can be very effective.
 
I have had to cut things for the people around me since I first carried a knife almost 50 years ago. I still like to stand and watch them muck about for a while with their teeth or keys before I offer to help. Even among four farmers, about 18 years ago, I was the only one with a pocketknife. Now that is odd, in my book.
 
dirc said:
it's funny... I also make an active effort to hike at night in the woods without using a flashlight, not because I don't carry a flashlight, but because I think of how useful it would be to be somewhat accustomed to the dark, and in a forest its amazing how dark it gets

I guarantee you you'd all get a real adrenaline rush doing it, even on a full moon when there is more light.
There is a very real hardwired fear factor doing such things alone at night. Fighting it, and learning to keep your head calm is worth gold in my book. Not to mention how acute hearing skills can become ; ) It's a win/win/win situation. (with the proper mindset)

I always have a good fixed blade on me, and flashlight of course and sometimes more gear if I'm doing a multi-hour night hike.
Click to expand...

Well I don't know about the adrenaline rush part. But then I have hiked in the dark more than once. Once my eyes adjust, and my night vision sets in, I can see quite well. Yet I can't see anything in the way we think about seeing, when there is light. I could tell you there is a root here, and a rock over there, a log here and a rut there. Yet I don't really see any of it. I just know it's there. It's a weird and really cool sensation. A second of light from a flashlight and the magic is gone.

O.B.
 
straitr said:
People don't carry flashlights either, yet most are scared of the dark. I use a flashlight exponentially more than I use a knife. I can find a ton of things at work and around the house to cut things. Only one way to produce light. You'll never catch me without a knife and a flashlight of some kind, ever.. Silly people.
Click to expand...

I always have a pocket knife and a small flashlight. Always. People just carry their phone and keys. Being prepared? Prepare for what? Thats their mind set. That nothing is going to happen.

Thats just dumb to me.
 
Roger Kipwell said:
Like most of you, I carry a knife on a daily basis and have done so for nearly as long as I can remember.

The other day, I stumbled across a Facebook posting of a video in which two guys came across a sea turtle stuck tangled in some trash on the beach. They tried to free the turtle and said numerous times "We need a knife!" The finally free the turtle but two men and no knife? Really.

My daughter gave her adult cousin a Kershaw folder for Christmas. He said that it was great because he was thinking of getting a knife to see if he was comfortable carrying one. WTF?

Years ago, I gave the above mentioned fellows father a nice pocket knife (he said that he wanted a pocket knife) but he never had it on him. Why? He only carried it if he thought that he might need it. Really?

I carry a knife all the time (except on airplanes) because I know that I'm going to need it, I just don't know why I'll need it.
Click to expand...

What is your point? You don't have to edc to be a man, and most men I know don't carry a knife and they seem to be just fine. Who cares?
 
At one time, even as late as the late 1970's and early 1980's, it was common when applying for a job for the interviewer to ask to see your pocket knife.

No pocket knife?
You were unreliable, unprepaired, untrustworthy, and did not get the job.

Broken blade?
You were careless, used the wrong tool(s) for the task(s) at hand, and didn't get the job.

Knife rusty (a patina was acceptable), blades dull, broken/chipped covers ...
You were lazy and did not take care of your tools. You did not get the job.

Knife in good condition, sharp blades, with or without a patina on the carbon steel blades?
If you were qualified for the position, you got the job.

When I was a young'un, from the first or second grade onward, it was assumed every boy in the school had a pocket knife in their front pocket. (And that the girls probably had one in their pocket or purse.)
It was not considered unusual for the teacher to borrow a knife from a student ... other than it was unusual the teacher didn't have their knife with them that day ... The teacher always returned the knife to the student after cutting the whatever or sharpening the pencils.

Back then, the "normal" and/or "average" man would no sooner leave home without his pocket knife as he would forget to put on his pants that morning.

I've had at least one slipjoint in my pants pocket every day since 1960 (I was 5) plus a Buck 110 or Old Timer 7OT on my belt since 1968 or 1969.

Full Disclosure:
I got a Buck 112 roughly 5 or 6 months ago, and have carried it some instead of, or with the 110.
 
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I am aware of the negatives of carrying a knife. It gets even more precarious when considering using a knife for self defense.

I did not mention it earlier in the conversation, and I should have. For my Christmas present, I joined USCCA for the self defense insurance they have for knives. I wanted to join in all of 2018, but I hemmed and hawed over the cost, $30+ per month. After thinking abt this for a solid year I decided I would be nuts to even consider using a knife for self defense without a lawyer on retainer. Now I have one, in fact, I'm in Illinois and I have dozens of USCCA lawyers on retainer now.

Legal Protection for Platinum Membership ($30/month)
- $1,000,000 in Self-Defense SHIELD Protection For Civil Defense & Damages
- $150,000 in Self-Defense SHIELD Protection For Criminal Defense, Bail Bond Funding & Attorney Retainer
- 24/7/365 Critical Response Team
- Your Choice of Attorney or Access to USCCA Attorney Network
- Up-Front Protection for All Legal Weapons of Opportunity

It's just an idea, but if you ever think of using a knife for self defense, you have to think of the costs involved.
 
Gary W. Graley said:
It does boggle the mind, but, as mentioned we're of a different mind set and a lot of the world can not fathom why someone would carry a knife, unless they intend to do harm...

When I traveled to England for work, to our Doncaster office, they received a package in the mail, heavy cardboard box with the rugged plastic strapping around it as well as tape. They were all looking for scissors to try and open the box, I took my David Boye cobalt folder out, smallish 3" blade fairly harmless in comparison to some 'tactical' folders out there, and easily cut the banding and the tape and the edges of the box.

They looked at me and said "who are you going to hurt with that!" I could hardly believe my ears, thought they were joking, I just pointed at the box and said, it's open and just folded up the knife and slipped it back into the pocket. Stunned at their faces and very surprised at how they considered my carrying a small folder was some devious scheme to harm someone...wow...

Boye_cobalt by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

G2
Click to expand...

That is an amazing knife. I have always wanted one.
 
Yes, I have read about them, but have not bought one yet. It's amazing to think they use NO iron. Boye uses Cobalt 6 which is:
62 Co
29 Cr
4.5 W (tungsten)
1.2 C

Some day we'll get @Larrin to do a write up about it : )
 
BitingSarcasm said:
. . .and those who need to use my jumper cables because they won't change their battery.....
Click to expand...

Jumper cables are another issue. I bought my first set of jumper cables when I bought my first car in college, forty years ago. As incredible as it may seem, I still have those cables. I am amazed at how few people actually carry jumper cables.
 
Gary W. Graley said:
....When I traveled to England for work,.... I took my David Boye cobalt folder out, smallish 3" blade...
Click to expand...

UK + locking blade = Illegal weapon (unless there is a blade length limit I am not taking into consideration).

So all in all, you were likely getting yourself in trouble just for carrying that. I read a horror story about someone getting in trouble for carrying one of the big Victorinox SAK's with a locking blade...

BTW, is the UK pen knife still legal in the UK or things have changed so much (for the worse) that this particular knife has become illegal as well?

Mikel
 
I have a knife more often than I need a knife. Most people I know don't carry one however and it always amazes me as they are so handy to have and are incredibly easy to always have in a pocket or pack.
 
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