If you carry a knife then you are an ambassador of our hobby....

T

Tightwad

Joined
Jul 22, 2001
Messages
1,417
There have been several theads over time that have decried
the general publics lack of understanding and apprecation
of the knife hobby we all enjoy.

The posters complain that the sheeple just aren't with it when
it comes to knives at all. They are amazed at the reaction they
get when they "whipout" that new $100 + one hander with the
black blade and the pocket clip to display their dexterity at opening
a simple package with this overpriced wonder tool. The poster never
stops to consider that his behavior will largly determine the other
persons reaction. Sure not everyone is running around acting all
crazy with their knife ,but what in the world can you expect when
over 90% of the population still thinks of a pocket knife as a
simple slipjoint or SAK??

Sure I carry a onehander sometime (not often nowdays) but I also
carry a stockman for the light duty chores. When I do have to use
the one hander I'm always willing to explain and demostrate the
advantages of the design. Several folk's marvel at this new easy to
use knife and ask where to get one. I advise them of several places
and caution them to take a bit an learn how to use it.

This , to me , is the very best way to combat the current wave
of anti- knife sentiment sweeping our country. You have to remember
that once you loose a right you'll play hell getting it back. So for
myself I will join the AKTI and get involved to protect my right
to carry a simple pocket knife by being a good working ambassador
for the most basic tool humans have. And it's most important.

If you post here or read any knife forums then you have a stake
in this struggle for our carry rights. Just ask someone from a
country that has strict anti-kinfe laws.
 
Tightwad, I agree with you 100%. Flipping open a one hander in public for a mundane task has an affect similar to burning out or popping wheelies on a motorcycle on those who don't share our interest in knives. Although quick one hand opening is practical, it reinforces all the negative "Westside Story" type of images associated with "switchblades" when we make a public display of how quickly we can open our knives. We know our intentions are innocent but others do not. If we carry one handers, it won't kill us to open them slowly in public or even carry a smaller knife for mundane work while saving the more tactical style knife for heavy duty use.
 
How about instances where LEOs got backlash when they shows up with AR15s after the North Hollywood incident? They were just armed with the tools to protect the public, yet the public doesn't appreciate them.
Yet the public does not have the same reaction if one of them shows up with a more classic rifle.
The only reason LEOs can get away with the stigmatization of firearms because they see that it's necessary for LEOs to have them.
A rifle is a rifle, so a knife is a knife.
Opening one with one hand or two or a million shouldn't matter.
It's the matter of the principle here that many gets wrong. They truly think knives are evil out of the kitchen. It's not the tool that does the damage, it's the person who is misusing one that does the damage.
Incidentally I do know a guy who despise the fact that I even carry a multitool that has a blade in it. This just disproves the two handed more discrete opening/discrete style theory.
Sure at times we use them without discression, and that's our bad, but sometimes we're just doing much more normal stuff and people gives us the looks and those unrealistic comments.
I could open my M16 with two hands and then open a package and have a bunch of people staring at me. It's not the style or the looks or how the knife is opened that's stigmatized. It's the knife itself that's stigmatized. Sticking paring knives and kitchen knives in our pockets would get the same reaction, because they just think it's not necessary for us to carry any knife around.
Sure enough there are some who are more understanding though, but sometimes this just happens too often/too ridiculous to be ignored.
 
Tightwad and Anthony I agree with your thoughts to a degree.But I'm not so sure that hiding things is the way to go,I think exposing people to things is the way to do it."See this knife CAN be opened with one a hand and fast,something that is not only usefull but my save your life one day."Also if your a good guy and those around you know it then its even more important to use these knives around them,otherwise they'll only associate those big bad knives with big bad people.

When I read those threads about peoples co-workers freakingout 'cause they have a big knife I think that maybe their scared of them to begin with.I mean if they work with you they must KNOW you right?
Hell I've used a full size AFCK to carve pumpkins in my kids classroom,the teacher didn't freak,nor the room mom,or the other moms helping out:) Why? they know me,I'm the one dad who goes on the fieldtrips,the firefighter who comes in and teaches fire safety.Last month I used my 710 to cut a loose piece of rubber off a kids sneaker at basketball practice,a girls team in front of some parents,no one cared,I'm coach larry,good with the kids,nice guy.I could go on and on with other examples but I think you get my drift.

We faced this same type of thing with deerhunting,don't put your deer on top of your car put it in your trunk,don't hang it in the front yard hang it out back.BS.Let people know your a hunter,strap that deer on top then,be a nice driver,let others in line ahead of you,smile wave show them your a hunter and a good guy.Hang it out front,"Hey that guy up the street is a hunter,and he's seems like a nice guy".

When we all hide what we do or carry people assume that nobody does,uses or needs those things,except the few oddballs,nuts and weird "o"s.Show them thats not true.
 
I don't advocate hiding knives. They are tools and they should be used as such. I just think that for most work, we knifenuts could use smaller knives (2-3" range), and we don't have to flip them out like their life is in danger. For those of us who like larger knives, it is even more important to handle them intelligently and not give the impression of just carelessly flipping around what less informed peopl view as weapons.
 
I agree with Lone Hunter. You put it quite eloquently. Now, I don't need to inertia open my tac knife when I am using it to snip a thread. That would draw undue attention and reinforce stereotypes. However, opening a blade in a safe manner one handed is not unacceptable at all. Most will fail to notice whether the action is performed with one hand or two. Those that do will often ask some sort of question. This is a perfect opportunity to show someone the positive aspects of modern knives. Over Christmas I was helping a shoe store move from one store in the mall to another from 9pm-9am. We had a ton of boxes to break down. I had my 910HS with me. One other worker had a POS lockback. His was very dull and did little but mutilate the boxes. I pulled my knife and offered to use it. My friend says, that thing has to be close to the legal limit, implying it is overkill. I responded that if it intimidated him we could use the $5 POS and scissors to break down boxes. Of course that would mean staying for a few more hours after being on our feet all knight moving inventory. Suddenly he saw the benefit of a good, sharp knife, no matter what size or how it opened. It might be scary, but not as scary as working for a couple more hours when you want to go home and go to bed.
 
I'd agree with you guys completely.
I dunno... I just didn't like people to stereotype knives and guns as evil, and anyone having anything to do with it is evil.
Perhaps my previous statement was overkill, but it gets to me because I'm normally nice and all, except when I lack sleep or having a headache, then I would get grumpy. It's not like I'd pull a knife on someone, but some people just freaks whether you're pulling out a F4 discretely or flicking open your favourite folder.
On a nice note, I did somewhat resolve the stereotype of the guy who went nuts when he found out I carried folding knives. By no means he'll become a knife nut but I think he'll be a bit more understanding.
 
This is a tough one because everyone's going to have a somewhat different opinion of them. My opinion (disclaimer) is that the more that people are exposed to knives (in a good way), the more comfortable they will become around them. It doesn't matter how you take the knife out if you use it in a good way. And I refuse to use a smaller, less-comfortable knife just so other people won't be afraid.

Last year, I was best man at my friend's wedding and we were in an extreme hurry (we were running a little late for the reception), and upon exiting the limo we needed to remove the cans that were tied to the rear of the limo. I was able to (quickly) cut the cans free with the Benchmade Spike that was clipped to the inside pocket of my tuxedo. It would have taken quite some time to hunt down a pair of scissors and remove the cans when it took me only a few seconds. 4 inch blade or not--it was there when I needed it and it did the job. And to think that people asked me why I would carry a knife to a wedding...
 
as a matter of fact i am an advocate of carrying two knives instead of one. (by the way, carrying a knife in italy is not precisely legal, so keeping a low profile here is a must).Whenever i need to open a box or cut a loose thread in front of unknown people i use the tiny minichamp that i keep on my car key. If i am doing the same in front of my friends or colleagues i can flip open my main knife without worrying.I think that a part of our role as ambassadors of knifenutting is to help people understand the usefulness of a knife,even a small one.When i use the minichamp most people ask to see it instead of run away. My usual comment is "buy one.It's cheap,very useful and when you start to carry it around you will ask yourself how you have lived without" Whithin a couple of months they come back looking for an advice about wich bigger knife to buy.
 
Anthony,I agree with your last post,up to the point about using just 2-3 inch knives.Once we show people thats all we need,that will be all we have.

Eloquently? WOW thats a first,I'll have to drink a few Sam Adams everyime I post;) .
 
I've got nothing against larger knives. I just think that in urban, office settings 2-3" knives (3.25" if you must) are less likely to draw excessive attention. Those who use larger knives will have to trust their judgement and know their situation. I know that I am a professor at a suburban university and a large tactical or traditional knife would get me lots of unwanted attention. Furthermore, given the vague nature of Illinois knife law, it could be seen as a weapon by campus LEOs. Those who have more options than me can go for it.
 
I carry 2 REKAT folders as my "EDC's"...A Sifu and a Carnivour Cub. I use my "little" 'Cub when I don't want to "freak-out" any nearby sheeple, and I use my monster Sifu when I do want to "make an impression". (The "impression" being that a BIG, DANGEROUS knife CAN be used for something other that cutting someone in-half with.:).).
 
Fella's what I'm trying so hard to point out has nothing at
all with a particular type of knife , one hander or not, it is
a whole hearted attempt to point out that it is our job as knife
users and knife knuts to educate and share with the general
public in a positive way in our day to day activities.

Since knives are now banned in shcools the basics of knife ownership
that many of the older members take for granted will never be learned
or understood by the future generations of our youth. They will woefully
ignorant of the value of a basic needs / uses of a simple pocketknife.

That means when they encounter a knife outside of the kitchen they
more than likely will be alarmed. That is our opportunity to share with
them why we carry and use knives at all.

The general population is just now being introduced to the one handers
as they are starting to appear in the Wall world and such, but most still
are familiar enoughwith the simple slipjoint they are not alarmed when
it is used. This thread isn't about hiding knives or catering to public taste.
It is about educating those we come in contatct with sharing factual information
about the value of a simple pocket knife. Since we are small, and maybe, shrinking
group we need to fight the anti-knife sentiment at every oppotunity.
 
I liked the analogy to the burnouts and wheelies.

My daily driver is a 'slightly modified' 450rwhp performance vehicle. Do I race every car I see, do burnouts, rev the motor hard? - not on public roads I don't. I take it to the track.

I think we should be able to carry around whatever knife we want, within the guidelines of local law of course, but waving open my Emerson Commander in public to cut a thread off my clothes is going to draw undue attention. Would I cut the thread with that big knife? Absolutely, but the presentation won't be dramatic. I find the more "nonchalantly" I present a knife, of whatever size, sends the message that I'm using it as a tool, not a playtoy or weapon.

Would I wave it open in a life-threatening emergency? D@mn right I would.
 
Tightwad: sometimes these people are ignorant enough so that it takes months to break them in.
That friend of mine who freaks when I had a blade in the multitool (or my other folders for that matter) took at least a month before he would scream aloud about me opening a knife, discrete or not.
It's true that we should educate them about knives, but recent events certainly would make our job tougher.
 
Make our job tougher, Most certianly will. These
events also make even more important to do discuss and
to share ..........with everyone who carries a pocketknife
of any knife.

In a very real way the right to keep/ carry pocketknives
is under attack in the same way as guns are under attack.
It is my firm belief that our 2nd amendment rights have
gone a long way to keeping the USA a free country.

Sure, I'll admit to being on soap box preachin' to all the readers.
It's just that if we let "Joe do it" to protect the right to carry it may
not get done. Then in the end we , and all of the tomorrows, will
lose the right to carry a very important tool.

When each of my 4 sons reached his 10th birthday I gave them
each a military Camillus camp knife to learn what a knife was for.
If things continue they way they are I won't be able to do the same
for my grandson. This rite of passage can be a very important one
for all young men.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top