How often do you see 'higher end' knives out in public (other than in your own pocket)?

Pretty much never. I've seen the occasional Kershaw or sheathed Buck, but that's about it. Working construction here on the Cape, lots of guys have knives clipped in their pockets. I always used to ask "Watcha carrying?" but gave up after observing the endless stream of one Jarbenza after another.

We've got a local sporting goods--hunting, fishing, boating--store in town that has a large glass display counter with many Benchmades (offered at just about list), so maybe someone around here buys 'em. Up north we have a large local feed and grain store that's evolved into a clothing, shoe, hunting, fishing, camping, hiking outfitter that has decent prices on good brands and is patronized by locals and tourists alike. A couple guys who work there carry BMKs, Bucks, and HK autos they buy out their knife case . They usually ask to see what I'm carrying and admire a CRK, RHK, or another knife they've never seen or heard of.

I bought a Buck Duke to have a smaller, similar knife to my 110, but didn't care for the spearpoint, so I bought a Ranger. My Vermont neighbor Sid has done us many a favor so I gave him the Duke. He thought it beautiful and that it would make a good hunter. I asked him some time later how it was holding up, thinking I could put an edge on it for him. He said he saw one like it in Walmart and "I'm not gonna carry around a knife that expensive, Mistah!" I think I paid around 45 bucks for it. I never tell anyone what the knife in my pocket costs. Maybe I just roll my eyes and say "A lot." :rolleyes:
 
Who says I have a higher end knife in my pocket xD? I'd never carry anything over $100.

That being said, I've never seen anyone carry something decent. Not even police or firemen. Most people have those cheap chinese knives they find at 7 -11, smoke shops or whatever.
 
Never :(

If I ever see a Timascus pocket clip, a clip I recognize like CRK, or the tail end of a CQC-6 sticking out of someones pocket I'll be right up in his face with a "whatcha got there" o_O
 
Forget the "high end" I have never seen a knife on another person ever, -admittedly I live in NYC so even I do no clip. Colleagues know me as a knife nut and ask my advise for kitchen cutlery...sigh...
But hey that is why this forum is so great so we can all share the madness (which is fine as long as we keep things in perceptive - knife nuts are very rare bread in the wild)
 
Oh, I almost forgot, there is that hipster girl who hangs out at myboy’s house who carries a Leek and wears an Opinel 3 on a cord around her neck. Her boyfriend has some kind of Spyderco, and a few Marttiinis (‘cause he’s A Finlander from da UP), and spends a lot of time modifying folding box cutters for OHO. If I see him with what looks like it might be something I recognize, it will be a $15 clone.
 
The knives I like I can't legally carry in public. People are skittish about carrying knives here. My stepdad carries a Buck 110 in a belt pouch next to his zippo pouch daily though.
 
When I saw a pocket clip on a stranger I was talking to I used to try to find a way to inquire about the knife, but I came to found out that if I didn't recognize the clip, it was because the knife was a cheapo POS.

I've seen someone carrying a Benchmade a few times, and a Spyderco twice.
 
only ever once seen a pocket clip on a person once, which was my dad who i saw for the first time in 7 years.
what are the chances right?

anyway almost no one carries pocket knives where i live so pretty much never.
 
BBW said:
never unfortunately. One time I went to the local knife store (really big store) and one of the employees which happened to be the manager asked me "is that a shirogorov?" and it lit my face!!! I was smiling ear to ear and proceeded to show it to him
Click to expand...
My local knife joint doesn't know shiro..

Or Hinderer for that matter. The dude behind the counter seemed to be into CRKT.
 
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everyday! but I also work with a forum member who has a YouTube channel so I am probably in the minority.
My wife did see a spiderco on a patient and she commented on it and he was very impressed that she new what it was.
 
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Around here , when I carry my two big Cold Steel folders into the Walmart - that's as swanky elite as it gets ! :rolleyes:
 
I have a neighbor who carries a Gerber; his brother a Benchmade. Another neighbor (who is a firefighter) a Spyderco. Other than that, I've seen a ZT and a Spyderco... and an Izula... on some guys (dads) while camping with the Cub Scouts or YMCA.
 
Once at a Jersey Mike’s sub shop. While we were eating, a guy came in with a Hinderer XM-18 clipped to his pocket. I pulled out mine and introduced myself. He pulled out his and did the same. My wife was dumbfounded at the spectacle. Lol. Good day!
 
3 guys were at my house to replace a couple of windows last week, two had clips showing. I was going to ask, but I needed to leave for work. I didn't recognize either one.


I'm suprised I don't run into more knife guys being in the trades. I'm always at plumbing/heating/electrical wholesalers as well, and I never see any exciting knives in the wild.

Side story..

One job I was on, a guy had what looked to be a Chris Reeve logo sharpied on his work gloves. I asked him if it was and he said "no, those are my initials". I pulled out my LG insingo and showed him the logo. The resembelance was very close. He said he always put his initials like that to identify his stuff.

Sorry my story wasn't better.
 
I see more SAKs and jarbenzas than anything else. The people who collect and use in my local area tend to carry locally made blades like Case, Queen and Cheaper Kershaws.

Now I tend to hang with the custom folks and the William Henrys and Sebenza crowd so when they pull out a knife it tends to be in the $400-$800 range.

I hear the familiar argument all the time, “It’s only a knife, all it has to do is cut, a box cutter works just fine. “

This is true. You also have the added advantage of replacing the blade when it gets dull versus having to sharpen it.

So the short answer to the question is no, I don’t see people in public carry higher end knives like mentioned. Also I see a lot of multi tool clones in belt sheaths.

Keep this in mind, back in the mid 20th century a pocket knife was a major expenditure and people back then tended to only have 1 knife and it was usually a well made USA, German or English made blade and since the term EDC was non existent they carried 1 blade till it broke, rare considering knives were meant to slice and cut, not baton through a 4” sapling.

Being it’s the 21st century and knife people tend to carry more than 1 knife like me. It’s not unusual for me to be walking around $1000-$2000 worth of knives on me between customs and high end production knives.

A typical day's carry...

kILUtiC.jpg
 
Dknight16 said:
Once at a Jersey Mike’s sub shop. While we were eating, a guy came in with a Hinderer XM-18 clipped to his pocket. I pulled out mine and introduced myself. He pulled out his and did the same. My wife was dumbfounded at the spectacle. Lol. Good day!
Click to expand...
You should have told her "Hey at least we didn't touch tips!" Or yelled "Wondertwins power activate!" :D
 
Never. 'Knife Guys' I vendor to buy things like Gerber LMF II, and drool over my limited CS offerings proclaiming them as the best of the best.
 
I've seen a 3 inch Hinderer Xm18, a small Sebbie, more that a couple Microtech OTFs, dozens of Benchamades, a couple Emersons, some PM2s....

There was also the guy with the mokume hate pig necklace and the John Graham custom.

Edit: I forgot about the ZT 0456 and the 0566cf
 
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