How public are you with your knives?

[sabre cat]

I'm sorry but I have to disagree.

I live in an area that caters to senior citizens. Not assisted living or anything like that. Just an area for people 55 years of age and up. The population here is at-least sixty percent single women (maybe closer to 75%). That is single women with nothing to do except walk their micro dogs twice a day and get involved in other peoples lives because they don't have lives of their own.

I don't need some blue haired neighbor freaking out and calling 911 because she thinks my AO Benchmade Volli is a switchblade. Explaining to a LEO that my knife is CA legal would be the least of my problems. Gossip and trivia can travel through this neighborhood like wild fire. You should have seen the excitement when I changed the color of paint on my house!

Yes, I do worry a little about what other people think. It will not keep me from carrying a knife on my person but, I may think twice about which knife I pocket for the day's events. I don't need the headaches that come from others involvement in issues that are not really any of their concern. I am respectful, polite, and friendly with my neighbors but, their personal lives are not any of my concern. They should not be involved in mine unless invited.

 

[Herlock]

Hi. My experience, living in a quite regulated nation when it comes to guns and knives carry, is that the context and the attitude (in its meaning of the way one bears him/herself) is what matters most. Specially today, with this high alert level and a general feeling of insecurity, I think it’s very important that all we knives enthusiasts really behave even more responsibly. I am both casual and determined when using my knives in public, I don’t make a big thing of the fact I need to cut some stuff and don’t act furtive and circumspect in any way. I just show to focus on the thing I have to cut, draw the knife, open it gently, cut the stuff and place it back in the pocket or in the sheath. I always maintain a plain look and urban manners. Also I think there are proper tools for proper occasions. This is the reason why I avoid to brandish e.g. huge military/tactical looking blades in e.g. a supermarket, or avoid having a machete hanging from my belt on a Sunday morning at the church . Frankly speaking I have rarely issues about my knives carry, besides the usual comments “Oh, you have a knife!”; “Wow, now that’s a knife!”; “Do you always carry a knife?”; etc. I also try to avoid to be labelled as “the knife guy”; I always have my knives, first aid kit, flash-light, etc. and people close to me know about it (saved the day more than once ), but don’t put emphasis on this and never engage in casual discussions on the street with strangers about this. I also avoid to wear obvious clothing with reference to guns/knives/political affiliations, etc. When I really want to use a knife in public and avoid completely any type comment, I just carry a SAK. SAK it’s “magic” in this respect! Even the most grumpy, gossiping and fearful old lady of the block will be fine with it!

 

[garyc01]

Always have one or two that I have made on me. Use them when they need using and show them off when someone is interested in knives.

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[Dean51]

This question comes up a lot in one form or another & it would seem there are mostly two types of answers here.
Discretion, respect & awareness of possible public reactions & I don't give a rats patut how the public may react.

When I was 22 ( a really long time ago) I loaded up a Triumph 650 with tent & fly rod and headed off to a state trout stream to spend a couple days fishing. Three hours later I got there, only to be turned away. Motorcycles had been banned. This was a stock bike, stock mufflers and I was not dressed like a stereotype biker.

The nice old gentleman told me there had been just to many bikes with straight pipes, riding around unnecessarily and coming in after the regular campers and gone to sleep.
So all motorcycles had been banned. I was there just two months before and motorcycles were allowed.

The public reacted, it didn't matter that I didn't fit the image they were trying to keep out.

I have read several times when someone says they whip out or deploy there xxxx knife, just because they like the resounding clank when it locks up.
Would it really hurt anyone to just open a knife in a more deliberate fashion, to do what ever intended task was at hand. Or perhaps use a not so large knife, when you are around Jane & John Q public.

It's is for now a free country and you can do as you please.
But for all those who don't care about the public reaction, or who try to get a reaction from Jane & John Q public, beware what you ask for.

The public can react and we knife nuts are a minority.
Keep pushing for a reaction or not caring about the reaction and the reaction will lead to more restrictive knife laws.

If that happens don't come back post a complaint about the new restrictive laws, if you were the one who didn't give a rats patut about Jane & John Q public.

 

[Peter Hartwig]

^^^ There is certainly a good point there.
If it wasn't for Knife Rights work we would most likely already be feeling the loss of some rights

 

[QuarantinedDuck]

Well, where I live can be very confusing, since I live in New Hampshire, which is an extremely knife friendly state. You can literally carry anything you want. So in New Hampshire it's not a concern at all, and if it scares someone, then they just walk away. Only time I would use my knife in public is if I really need to, cause I don't want to potentially hurt someone having my knife out a lot. But I live very close to Massachusetts, which is not nearly as knife friendly, and recently it has become worse than California in terms of gun control. I won't get into detail of the ridiculousness that recently occurred there, I'll leave that up to you. But in Massachusetts, I discovered that the famed idea that your blade must not be bigger than the width of your palm is a complete myth. The blades can't be either over 2 inches or 2 1/2 inches (I've gotten both reports from multiple vendors selling knives in Mass, so idk which one is true) and any and all spring assisted/automatic knives are also banned, I'm pretty sure. So when I travel through Massachusetts, I usually carry my small Gerber pocket knife (forget the model name, but it is made in the US and is only about $25 at walmart) or I carry an SAK. Otherwise, I carry my Benchmade 550 around with me everywhere in NH. But in terms of scaring people here in NH, it's not at all a problem, unless they're not from the area. But in Massachusetts, I've never tested that theory because the people in Massachusetts can get very over exaggerated about topics like knives and guns and all that. That being said, I don't try to hide my knife at all, I just have it clipped to my right pocket, and if it shows then it shows, no one really cares here in NH. But in Massachusetts it's it's a completely different story that I still don't entirely know all of the details to, since it is quite hard to get a complete understanding of the (in my opinion) ridiculous regulations against knives and guns there.

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[ralph.t.robertson]

Im that way about guns, but knives no. I keep them out and in the open.

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[CapitalizedLiving]

Many people know I have some type of small sharp thing on hand. No one other than family knows what I have at home. I never list my knives or post collection pics, not here or anywhere on social media.

 

[peterbright]

If I spy someone carrying a knife I usually ask them about it and show them one of the knives I'm carrying. Most utilitarian tasks of cutting occur when only family/employees are nearby. I use extreme care before handing an ultra sharp knife to anyone to look at more closely. Friends and family get to see all my new knives.

 

[stabman]

This question comes up a lot in one form or another & it would seem there are mostly two types of answers here.
Discretion, respect & awareness of possible public reactions & I don't give a rats patut how the public may react.

Or option 3: I just use a knife when I need to use a knife.
The few time that anyone asked "Why do you carry a knife?", I was able to say "To open this box", or "To cut this food", or a similar type of thing.
Since I was using a knife for a task that knives were invented for, the response was pretty much always "Oh yeah, that makes sense."

Most times no one bothers to notice what I'm doing, because they are wrapped in their own lives.
The rest of the time, they tend to look over and not care at all, because I'm using a knife for a knife task.

I've also taken pictures of knives in public places like coffee shops, and no one cared about that either, because everyone understands the phenomenon of taking pictures of all your stuff.

Just don't be the dick standing on the street flicking his knife open and closed. We ran into a dick like that in Ottawa during a homeless outreach thing, and he was flicking his assisted opener open and closed, open and closed while talking to the girl in our group.
I positioned myself and shifted weight so I could club him with my walking stick if he made any more aggressive moves, because normal people don't flick knives open and closed while talking to girls.

By the way, although I did not have to bash him to the ground, he also did not impress the girl at all, who thought we should report him to the cops for a prohibited weapon.
I explained that his cheap, crappy assisted opener was actually legal, and that he was just a stupid dick.
She agreed that he was a total dork.

 

[Living The Dream]

I will cut something in public if needed, but that is not very often. I keep mine concealed most of the time, if I have to use a knife in a defensive manner I don't want it seen until I deploy and use it. in other words I don't want the aggressor to see it until it is too late.

 

[ThePeacent]

I prefer using scissors for cutting in public as they seem cute and childish to all people

if a blade is needed and there are folks around, I use the one in the SAK or MT I always have on me

or a slipjoint of some kind, if available, as they tend to be more traditional looking and less scary

However, I always have a modern folder on me, and use it when it's faster or more convenient, if no one's around or the cutting task just requires a bigger blade

Slipjoints are cool but slow and I hate nailnicks!

 

[braillediver]

If a person is self-conscious of their knife use and everything about it is legal and proper and the issue is worrying about what people might think, my opinion is the person has some issues aside from the knife that they need to address.

You need to get out more and met offended people.

I offended and scared people at work because I looked at knife images on my PC.

 

[K.O.D.]

The only time I'm ever discrete about carrying a knife is on the very infrequent occasion I wear a suit, which means I carry a small folder inside the jacket's breast pocket.

As I am now on injured reserve indefinitely, wearing a suit ain't happening. Except in the shower.

I have owned all shapes and sizes of folders and carried them almost everywhere. A ZT 0560 with workout shorts was pushing it.

I've carried fixed blades on my belt while hiking at forest preserves, no one bothered me ever.

Only once have I had an unexpected "issue" arise. That was at a bar/restaurant I'd never been to, and they make the guys empty their pockets then do a pat down. Bouncer tried to confiscate (permanently) my TSF Beast. Tried to really force the issue, not let me go put it in my car and come back. So I confiscated his nose and walked out.

As long as you aren't stupid about it, people generally don't care I've found. In this modern world, people are too busy with their phones texting, looking for pokemons, etc, to notice me cutting a box open or that something is clipped to my pocket.





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[T.K.C.]

I use my knife when I need to.

 

[Mitchell Knives]

I live in an area populated by left wing lunatics. who hate knives, guns, logic and personal responsibility.

That said, I carry and use my knives as I please.

I'm well beyond caring what random people think.

 

[b yond]

I think people who fear knives do so because they don't see them being used properly often enough. I don't hesitate to use my tools appropriately just because some overly-sensitive person may be watching.

That said, as I age I've been carrying more traditional and foreign/ethnic knives, which are often less "scary" to the uninformed. Not for them, but for me. My interests are evolving.

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[honorearth]

I carry a fixed blade of at least 5" everyday and anywhere I please. Luckily here in California you can carry a knife of any size as long as it is worn openly on your belt. Here is the knife combo I have on me daily

My scrapyard scrapper5 fell in a fire so the handle got a awesome custom treatment. The small knife is a tops Knox knife and the sheath was my first kydex project it has had a couple in the field repairs.

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[Rey HRH]

You need to get out more and met offended people.

I offended and scared people at work because I looked at knife images on my PC.

Coming up to but not crossing the line is a native talent I have; maybe I brush heavily against it at times so it's not about getting out more. Nor is it about not coming across easily offended people. I'm in the Bay Area, CA which is fairly replete with easily offended people and delicate sensibilities. And it's not like I'm reserved or very deliberate; to illustrate: a new boss and I met, she tells me about herself, I tell her about myself. Then she asked (what seemed to me an off-the-wall question at the time), "So tell me what keeps Rey up at night?" After a few short seconds, I answered "My full sized picture of you that's taped to my bedroom ceiling?" I think I broke her offended meter then and thereafter, I could do anything or say anything and it wouldn't surprise her. Later, she asked if I had something to help her open a package and I took out a knife from my pocket. She was surprised but then again, she wasn't surprised. I have also cultivated a perception that anything anyone may need, I have it handy as I showed her my emergency car bag in case I got stranded (which gave her an idea to do the same) and my emergency food stash in the office in case the building came down in an earthquake trapping me (at least that's what I tell people).

But I don't know why people aren't offended around me and they are at you for simply looking at knife images on my PC. Maybe you should loosen up more and inoculate people ahead of time like I did with my boss? Then they'll be glad you're only looking at knife images on your PC instead of actually sharpening a scythe at work.

 

[!Michael!]

Wow, this one brought some of you up on your stump. Oh the hypocrisy of it all. Truth is perception nothing more nothing less. Worrying over whether or not you're going to offend someone by using your knife in public is waste of energy here in Ga. If you're not overly aggressive and foaming at the mouth no one will give you a second look. I do not choose to open carry anything but I also subscribe to the use it or lose it philosophy. If the man wants to carry a hatchet and it's legal he doesn't need to justify it to me. The less visible our knives and guns are, the less acceptable they will become IMO. Everything we do today offends someone and I for one am Sick of it. I will not intentionally "offend" anyone but I will not change who I am to be touchy feely because someone is thin skinned. My stump speech is over.


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