I was embarrassed to use my knife

I live in Texas, so i've never experienced this one... I carry my knife everywhere, and as far as I know, every other man in the state is doing likewise.

I've been pulled over before and when the officer asked me if i was carrying any weapons, my answer (as would any texan answer) was "no sir, just my pocket knife" to which there wasn't even a blink

I love my state.
 
My best advice is to carry a SAK or Leatherman so that the blade is packed into a mobile version of its natural habitat: A toolbox.

When poeple ask about my fascination with knives I usually go off on heat treating and alloy behaviour until they get so bored they wish they hadn't asked in the first place.
 
Joshua J. said:
My best advice is to carry a SAK or Leatherman so that the blade is packed into a mobile version of its natural habitat: A toolbox.

When poeple ask about my fascination with knives I usually go off on heat treating and alloy behaviour until they get so bored they wish they hadn't asked in the first place.
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HAHA I'm glad I'm not the only person who bores people with knife stuff.
My answers to the 'why do you carry a knife' question differ depending on who I'm taking to.
My favorites are;
'Ask another stupid question and find out'
'You never know when a cardboard box needs to be taught a lesson'
'Your not too smart are you'

I find the comical response followed by a chat on a later day works quite well in converting people
 
I was told I couldn't have a knife at work when I pulled out a SAK Huntsman to cut some material in an emergency time-constraint sort of situation. Afterwards I was thanked, told I didn't need a knife at work, and couldn't carry one. I explained that company policy stated that no weapons were to be carried on the premises, and that South Carolina passed a law in 2008 detailing that things like knives, rifles, shotguns, even swords could be carried so long as there was no intent to harm or kill another. In short, that knives=tools. I just don't understand some people. I left the big ones at home...


Also, my stepdad has been a construction worker, painter, and has put up sheetrock his whole life. He carries those one-handed opening box cutters, and though he's a good ol' boy, won't carry the Cases and such that I buy specifically for him to use. Says he doesn't need a knife.:rolleyes: How this makes sense, I cannot imagine.
 
Sunog said:
Yes, and they can be very "judgy."

[joke retracted]
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I heard that said more than a few times by plenty of Women over the years.

It's sad really.

But then I stopped trying to figure them out a very long time ago and the headaches stopped. :D
 
Sunog said:
...So, my friends and I were decorating our friend's house for a party/gathering. A couple off us were busy in one room.
A friend (let's call him Billy) asked me if I had a knife so that he could cut some tape.
Automatically, my hand went to my pocket (to get my knife so that I could had it to him) when another friend (let's call her Emily) across the room spoke up.

(That day was the first time I had seen Emily in years. I have changed quite a bit since then. Naming one change, I never carried a knife back when we were seeing each other more frequently.)

Well, Emily had overheared what Billy had said about a knife. That had bewildered her as she is the quintessential city, party girl.
She asked, "What?! Why would you have a knife?" in a tone that said having a knife was the most riduluous thing and only "dangerous" people, convicts, or crazy people had/carried knives.

Slowly (and in the most casual manner), I dropped my hand/arm away from my pocket and said, "Oh, I don't have one," even though I had used it to cut some plastic some 15 minutes ago in the kitchen...


That was such a random "moment of weakness." I like to be truthful and I am usually never afraid of judgement from others, but hey~ there are always times when we diverge from normalcy.


Whew. So many words for just two sentences spoken... :o




This probably never happened to you guys, right?
I'm guessing you are all tough guys who never ever care about other peoples' thoughts :D
I had a chance to help educated others about knives, but I just let it be :(


Well, I hope you all had a nice weekend. :)
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I suspect you handled the situation in the best possible manner. While a discussion on the merits of carrying one of mankind’s most useful tools might have taken place; things could’ve gotten heated rather quickly too.

It’s difficult for me to put myself in your shoes though. Some of that could be attributed to gender differences, but mostly it is a matter of substantial age differences and my being raised in a knife-necessary environment.

All of my friends carry knives (usually a pocket knife) frequently (and use them frequently) – such has been the case my entire life. We’ve never thought of our knives as being anything other than a very useful tool.

Quite frankly, I’d consider it very rude if someone (even someone I know well) dared to act in a manner such as you’ve described. Knives are tools. It really is that simple (to me anyway) and one tool isn’t necessarily more evil than any other tool. I’d no sooner question the need for carrying a knife than I would question the need for using a spoon when eating soup or a vehicle for traveling longer distances. They’re all tools and they’re all designed to make our lives easier in one way or another.

As for the “weapon” aspect – I can’t think of a single tool that couldn’t be used for harm (if the user so desires).

To me, such arguments (knives are weapons and therefore bad) are little more than poorly constructed straw-men – a false premise built largely upon disinformation and emotionally driven hysteria – and should be treated as such. But I’m from a different era and I’m not prone to change much at this stage of my life.

To answer your question – I’m not sure how I’d react in such a situation. I’d like to think I’d be capable of some witty remark that magically promotes full understanding and acceptance, but reality says I’d be far more likely to make a sarcastic comment designed to deflate the offender’s bloated sense of importance. Either way I’d almost certainly fail; hence the reason I stated my belief that you’ve handled the situation in the best possible manner.

As for caring what the rude person thought… No, I wouldn’t care one bit. But that’s how heated arguments start and you (wisely) avoided that mistake.

BTW – I’m quite pleased to learn that a young lady (that would be you) is in the habit of carrying a knife on her person. That (IMO) speaks well of your independence and your character. It also reminds me of my own youth and the farmer’s daughters I grew up with (they carried knives too).


I hope your weekend was nice as well.
 
Sunog said:
and is currently studying to become a lawyer).
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Well there's your problem.




Can't say that I've ever been in that situation before... All my friends know me as the crazy knife collector, and I'm okay with that :D
 
FACT: men will do out of charter things around women. Don't beat yourself up too hard.
 
For a long time, I have hated the way knife users have used the perjorative term "sheeple" to describe those who feel threatened by someone carrying a pocketknife while at the same time letting their own actions be dictacted to by the possible reactions of the sheeple.

In my mind any knife user who hides the fact that he has a knife for fear of judgement is the worse kind of sheep person and a total hypocrite as well.
 
I once had a friend that told me "normal modern people don't need knives. You're not out skinning antelope on the Serengeti." A couple weeks passed, and he got a package from the post office that was sealed a little too well for him to open with his car keys. He looked at me knowing I always had a knife and said "ok, ok, can you just let me use it?". After a while I converted him and even gifted him a Spyderco Stretch FRN.
 
Ridge Walker said:
For a long time, I have hated the way knife users have used the perjorative term "sheeple" to describe those who feel threatened by someone carrying a pocketknife while at the same time letting their own actions be dictacted to by the possible reactions of the sheeple.

In my mind any knife user who hides the fact that he has a knife for fear of judgement is the worse kind of sheep person and a total hypocrite as well.
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One thing to keep in mind is who might be around, Society has changed from the way it used to be so we have to take that into count.
 
People like you are the reason the soceity has changed, you are the problem, not the fools that are afraid of pocket knives but the people who should know better like you that cater to their irrationality for fear of being judged by them. God forbid they don't accept you, so what!?. You give up your rights to gain social acceptance instead of providing leadership by example.
 
I am a girl.
In this kind of situation I just say because they are useful and I like them.
My girl that's a friend doesn't understand.
It's not that she hates knives she just hates what they are sometime used for.
She is beginning to accept.. and even love my hobby.
She is starting to get it.
Maybe Emily just needs to be around you more.
 
allyourblood said:
Wow, knives are serious business apparently.


Let's not have a cow here, people.
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And then there is this, as exemplified by the above quote, the other reason for why society has become what it is, the inability of most Americans to formulate a coherent thought or understandable argument, the utter stupidifaction of the American population. In order for Americans to retain rights at the very least they must retain the ability to reason.
 
Ridge Walker said:
And then there is this, as exemplified by the above quote, the other reason for why society has become what it is, the inability of most Americans to formulate a coherent thought or understandable argument
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The thought was coherent and there was no argument. This is an internet forum and for the most part, you don't know anyone on it. People type a few words and you make absurd, sweeping judgments based on a few lighthearted posts?

You seriously need some time off.
 
Ridge Walker said:
And then there is this, as exemplified by the above quote, the other reason for why society has become what it is, the inability of most Americans to formulate a coherent thought or understandable argument, the utter stupidifaction of the American population. In order for Americans to retain rights at the very least they must retain the ability to reason.
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I have formulated a coherent thought. Your post is borderline insulting and not relevant to this thread. Pump the brakes before it's too late.
 
I'd get mad.
"Hell yeah I carry a knife!! Why don't you? Its a tool. You mean to tell me that you couldnt kill me with those scissors over there? Or a fork?"
 
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allyourblood said:
The thought was coherent and there was no argument. This is an internet forum and for the most part, you don't know anyone on it. People type a few words and you make absurd, sweeping judgments based on a few lighthearted posts?

You seriously need some time off.
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What does knowing the people on the website have to do with being able to identify the relevant issues? There is no connection and is it your premise that there is no place for serious discussion of ideas on an internet website?, the thought would be in keeping with the trend toward the stupidification that seems so rampant in every new generation in the USA.

This issue in this thread is that when people who enjoy exercising their rights as free Americans by carrying and using knives or guns, pretend not to, for the sake of social acceptance or for fear of censure, they are responible for the errosion of their rights they enjoy.

And I would say you need time off from being stupid.
 
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