How useful is a knife?

I work in a kitchen and I'm surrounded by knives of all shapes and sizes, however I still carry a knife in my pocket. When I need to open a box, cut some wrapping, slice some food, I just pull it out make the cut, and put it away, easy as that. Besides my chef's knife, it's the knife that I use the most throughout the day. People often ask me why I don't just grab a paring knife for such chores. Well 1)Kitchen knives are primarily for food-I'm not about to trash a $50 paring knife by cutting up a box, plastic straps, etc... 2)depending on what I'm doing, my kitchen knives are not always within reach (while my pocket knife is always on me) and 3)besides cutting up "stuff", my pocket knife can cut food too! (well, after I give it a quick wipe first of course)
Besides work, I use my knife/knives in almost every other part of my life. One of my most memorable situations was when I was on a long road trip with some friends and I needed to answer nature's call....like FAST. So walked (NEVER run cuz it only makes things worse) as quickly as possible to the washroom but when I get there, I discovered that my draw strings somehow got tied into a dead knot and I just couldn't get the damn thing untied even if my life depended on it (and believe me, it seemed like it at the time). So I pulled out my knife and cut the damn thing off and went on with my business.
Pair of track pants....$50
A replacement drawstring....less than $1
Not having to ride home wearing soiled pants with friends for 2 hours....PRICELESS!


Jason
 
Gary,

Scarring fellow office dwellers is probably not a good idea. The media has created a generation of hyper-sensitive people and wierd looking knives (as much as I like my civilian) may stampede them.

Stay cool, keep it friendly, and win over friends. Reinforce positive images, and try to avoid the Rambo stuff (it only serves to reinforce the media's negative message).

Remember, these folks get to vote on whether we get to keep our toys.

I am sorry if I am lecturing. I didn't want the younger guys to get the wrong impression.

[This message has been edited by not2sharp (edited 06-07-2000).]
 
Not2Sharp, To be sure, when showing this knife off I certainly choose only those I know well and do not Flash it around, because as you pointed out, that is HIGHLY frowned upon at just about any location. So no, it was cool but shocking to them at the same time. When I displayed the Sebenza I just got, wood inlay and pin stripe damascus they really oohhhh and aaahhhhed over that, and they are interested in what I'll bring in next!

But good point and I agree that rashly displaying knives without being aware of those around you can lead to serious problems!

G2

[This message has been edited by Gary W. Graley (edited 06-11-2000).]
 
Like many of the others here, I use my knives for a hundred purposes. Knives are tools, useful tools. I am never without one, even if it is a small one, unless I have to be without one.

Cutting string, opening packages and mail, peeling fruits and vegetables, removing ticks, scraping, tightening small screws, etc. I even carry a knife on my daily run.

The Boy Scout Motto of "Be Prepared" is applicable here. "Your survival knife is the knife you have with you when a survival situation arises." is another.

I liked the analogy of leaving your watch at home and discover how it affects you. Same for a knife - never leave home without it.
 
Self defense aside, the human species has been depending on knives, in various forms to fashion human culture, so extensively, and for so long that they are literally part of what it is to be human. Those in our society who are most closely in touch with their essential human nature sense this as a strong natural affinity for knives. These sorts of people just tend to be outdoorspersons, law enforcement professionals, martial artists, and individualists, though in our diverse modern society, it might also be a computer nerd, a doctor, a rabbi, or a teacher.

So it really doesn't matter if we find knives tremendously useful to our current lifestyle, they are an innate part of us, and it is natural to be drawn to them for no other reason than that.
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[This message has been edited by Steve Harvey (edited 06-08-2000).]
 
Ahh, lets not forget that we use knives for cooking at home, scizzors are specialized knives as are shears, etc. Also, the fabric on our clothes were cut out into shapes by knives. I work at a pig plant (until University starts again) and you wouldn't believe how many knives touch your meat before it gets to the supermarket!!! People with other hobbies such as fishing, wood carving, hunting, model building, etc. all use knives, some of them everyday.

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"Come What May..."
 
The only tool I use more is my mouth! My knife's a lot more useful though
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Ouch! Dang, that's sharp!

David
 
Pair of track pants....$50
A replacement drawstring....less than $1
Not having to ride home wearing soiled pants with friends for 2 hours....PRICELESS!

-JasonW

Ack! Don't finish that commercial. For everything else there is Master Knives? Forget it! I'll never resort to using those cheap knock offs! Never!
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-Chang the Asian Janitorial Apparatus
 
Scarring fellow office dwellers is probably not a good idea. The media has created a generation of hyper-sensitive people and wierd looking knives (as much as I like my civilian) may stampede them.

Stay cool, keep it friendly, and win over friends. Reinforce positive images, and try to avoid the Rambo stuff (it only serves to reinforce the media's negative message).

Remember, these folks get to vote on whether we get to keep our toys.

I am sorry if I am lecturing. I didn't want the younger guys to get the wrong impression.

I think the opposite is true. If a voter doesn't know anybody who carries a knife (as far as he knows) and a politician proposes banning the carrying of knives ... Duh ... fine with me ... I've never seen anybody carrying a knife except criminals on the media ... so that won't affect anybody I know ... it'll only affect the criminals ... go right ahead, ban 'em!

If he knows people who carry a knife, even a "weird-looking" knife, and they're not criminals, they're people he knows -- you -- then his reaction is ... What, are you crazy??? My co-worker carries a knife just like that to open packages with; he whips it out like lightning and has the box open while I'm still fishing in my pocket for my keys -- you want to put my buddy in jail for that??? You're not getting my vote, bozo -- you're going back on welfare!

-Cougar :{)
 
Next to Fire, the most important Tool of mankind is the Knife. It's uses are almost too numerous to mention. I tend to carry tools around daily. There are certian ones that are mandatory. Minimag light. SAK.Leatherman of one sort ar another. Plus for me a pocketclip type knife, ie BM 710 or the like. There are other more specialized items i carry, but I am sure you get my point. When I think tool, Knife is the first thought. You can do much more With a knife than Without one!! My .02 cents worth........
 
I carry at least one if not two knives everyday and in Southern California safety is on my mind, I don't trust anyone that I don't know. But, if you come upon an auto accident and the occupants are restrained by their seat belts you will need your knife to free them. Just a thought.
 
I think that knives are the most useful tools that man kind has ever come up with. I cannot imagine going a day with out having a knife of some kind to perform 500 different chores. My knives get used EVERY day.

Kris

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kwheeler3644@cs.com
 
I never leave home without one, problem is deciding which one to carry, and if the decision gets to hard, I'll carry two. I can't remember a day that I haven't used one of my knives for some sort of task whether at work or home. I'ld feel naked with out one handy, as I sit here pecking away at this post, I have three in sight and two more within arms reach. If I was only looking at the Self-Defense side of this post, I could deploy my SIG 40cal as fast as my BM 9100.
 
I use my SAK (Wenger Trout) almost everyday. And so do 1/2 of my co-workers. I work at a hospital and with scissors and scalpels around, they still like to borrow my knife. Of course, I always see what they need it for before I lend it to them.
 
Hi!

I am weird about Commando knives (A-F type).
I carry daily two double-edged daggers. I do it without reason. Of course occasionally
i use my knives to cut rope, open letters, peeling fruits and even to prepare meal at house!
Bye.

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Dont get mad,
get EVEN
 
Heck, I don't know how anybody, even city boys, can get through the day without having to cut something. My dad taught me that any man worth a **** always carries a pocketknife.
 
No I most certainly do not agree. I find that I use my knife for a dozen little jobs every day, from opening boxes to cutting food to trimming plastic. Hell even cleaning my finger nails.
Self defence is reason enough to carry a knife, but they have many other uses.
 
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