Dress up knives? Why the need for a gentlemans folder?

J

jeffwithaj

Joined
Nov 27, 2012
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I don't get dressed up much at all and can't see the need for a knife at a wedding or funeral or even a business meeting. I have always been intrigued by the term "gentlemans folder" What exactly are you guys cutting?
 
What have you ever needed to cut in your life?

String? Tape? Cardboard? Envelopes? Food?

Anything you need to cut, you can cut with a very workman like folder. It can be ugly, and it can be bulky, or tactical and dark. It can look wicked and naughty.

If it look pretty, and dressy, and fancy........it will still cut stuff. It will simply look better with my suit!

I carry a knife in a suit. Church, and to work in a suit. Sure!
 
I have one mainly because I can't have a pocket clip on my slacks...and because I actually think about scaring people when I have to dress up, I usually carry a case cheetah for that, Or just a basic swiss army knife

but I want to get a benchmade axial 230 (discontinued, but one of my local dealers has one)
 
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I carry all of my standard EDC folders when wearing slacks, in fact I carried my Benchmade 581 Barrage clipped to my slacks yesterday.
 
Ya use a gentlemans knife for the same thing ya use yer EDC for, it's jewelry, like a watch kinda. It gives the cutlers a chance to show off their art and the person carryin' it to stand apart and show off a little themselves, kinda like wearin' a ROLEX, Imean it's still just a watch but people gotta have the nicest ones. Just my opinion...
 
bdmicarta said:
I carry all of my standard EDC folders when wearing slacks, in fact I carried my Benchmade 581 Barrage clipped to my slacks yesterday.
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I ruined the pocket on a pair of slacks before I learned not to use the pocket clip lol (ZT0350 will do that....havent tried the sebenza yet though)

Oh, I find that dressing up gives me an excuse to carry my slip joints
 
I tend to carry slip joints in my suits as well. Suits for fat guys are expensive!
 
T. Erdelyi said:
Ya use a gentlemans knife for the same thing ya use yer EDC for, it's jewelry, like a watch kinda. It gives the cutlers a chance to show off their art and the person carryin' it to stand apart and show off a little themselves, kinda like wearin' a ROLEX, Imean it's still just a watch but people gotta have the nicest ones. Just my opinion...
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This..... Some people just enjoy having the option of picking a knife for the suit they are wearing that day. Gents folders still function the same as any edc. So why not have a fancy gents folder to compliment the suit the shoes and the total package. Enjoy life a little
 
jeffwithaj said:
I don't get dressed up much at all and can't see the need for a knife at a wedding or funeral or even a business meeting. I have always been intrigued by the term "gentlemans folder" What exactly are you guys cutting?
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Just because a person is at a wedding, funeral, business meeting or church doesn't mean a situation might not come up that they need a knife.

A lot of the members here don't work in an inviornment that demands that they need a knife daily but they carry them just in case.

I don't dress up much nor do I need a knife very often but I carry one. If I do wear slacks I carry a knife that isn't bulky with out pocket clip. I prefer one handed knives with blades of around 2 1/2".

Why do you carry a knife?
 
If I am awake then I have a knife in my pocket. Weddings, funerals, christenings, bar mitzvahs, and all. I also like to carry a suitable knife to the environment I'm in. Personally, I don't want to pull out a 4" flipper at a wedding so I have smaller, more gentlemanly, knives that I like to carry during these types of occasions. The same goes for work. I'm not going to pull out a 3" mirrored or Damascus blade out at work. Work is better suited for that 4" stonewashed blade.
 
Small "_your_flavor_here_" Sebenza! Never over OR under knifed! Plus if someone asks about it you can start the conversation with "Well this is one of the finest knives ever made..." Ive never met someone who isn't interested in that.
10 years ago I worked for a big time General Council. The office was suits, suits and more suits. I was the receptionist at the time. I used a Sm plain Reg Seb all the time & showed it to anyone interested. A few joked "Arch has a switchblade!?" I carried a Strider SA (smaller fixed blade) off and on and the one time I thought I was gonna get some sh!t for it a woman saw it, did a double take sneerish look and said "looks like you're handy to have around." Then we banged in the supply closet. OK that last parts not true but it woulda rounded out the story nicely!

If a knife is sitting on a table and someone is alone, they are not afraid of that thing on the table. Just as when a person is holding that knife they are not afraid of the object. They may or may not be afraid of YOU though. What's Fonzie like? That's right. Cool.
 
maybe you can wear sneakers or workboots to a dressy occasion, but that doesn't mean you should. that said, as much as I like to carry my tank like folders, there are many instances where my attire just doesn't match those types of EDC knives. that's why I have smaller, more discreet knives like the GB Air, Fallkniven U2, mnandi, etc.
 
I don't get gentleman's folders either. If you wear a suit regularly I understand the need to invest in a smaller, lighter knife simply because suit material is usually much lighter weight, pockets aren't as structured, pocket clips might wrinkle pants, etc. When I dress up I use my old Vic Recruit (my first ever knife from 20 years ago) and simply drop it in my jacket pocket.
 
Like you I don't dress up much but when I do I always carry my William Henry. They don't seem to get much love on BladeForums but I think it's a beautiful, well built and very functional knife. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to beat on it like I would one of my Hinderers or Striders but its a great blade and it's never failed my needs when carried. As many mentioned above, it's definitely a "mancessory" and one one of the few pieces of jewelry (watch/pen) suitable for men to wear/carry.
 
There's an old idea I remember from when I was a kid in classic movies, books, plays, ect., that a gentleman carries a pocketknife as one of the tools of being a gentleman. A classy traditional slipjoint.

I can't get my head around the idea of a sebenza being a "gentlemans folder". Expensive and well made? yeah, but to me a one hand opening knife is just never going to be a gentlemans knife.
 
Aaah, the same reason I bathe, use deodorant, keep my hair cut, shine my shoes, knot my tie in a Windsor and wear matching socks..just part of my routine and it always includes a knife..and sometimes a concealed firearm.

Google "sgian-dubh" for grins. Scots know fashion..part of my heritage is Clan Duncan whose motto is "Disce Pati" - Learn to Suffer - probably while I lean toward the German side of the olde family.

Best.
 
It's an excuse to buy another blade. :-) Not a wedding but the last birthday party I went to my Delica was used to open boxes and cut ribbons.
 
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