Knives at your workplace.

Being self-employed now, I carry whatever I want while staying within Texas' laws governing "legal vs illegal" for public carry. 99% of the time I'm carrying dual Kabar 125Xs fixed blades, dual Buck folders and a BK11 fixed blade.

Before becoming self-employed, I worked for a major computer maker in central Texas. They had a "no guns or weapons" policy with no definition of "weapon". I generally carried a pair of folders and my EMS gear belt (I was also on the corporate first response team in addition to being a volunteer fireman/EMT out in the county). On the gear belt, I had paired trauma shears, paired seat belt cutters and paired fixed blades, in addition to my radio, pocket mask, glucose testing kit, and glove carrier. Occasionally, someone would make a comment about all the "weapons" on my gear belt. My response depended on the person asking, but usually my reply was "Yep, I combat death with them every day."

I also kept on my desk a dozen rectangular pieces of 3/16" A36 steel 15 inches long and 2 inches wide, very similar in size to my throwing knives. I painted them various colors and labeled them "Paperweight #1", Paperweight #2", etc. I figured if some cube rat "went postal", I could always throw my paperweights at them. :D
 
CraigMang said:
I hear this a lot, and I think that's a cop out. A weapon is something designed solely to hurt other people: guns, explosives, pepper spray.
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Guns are not solely designed to hurt other people. Shooting is a sport.
Guns are a hobby.
Javelins are an Olympic sport. You could chuck one of those puppies 30 yards through someone's head.
Does that mean its a weapon?
Machine guns? Mortars? Howitzers? Yeah those are weapons.
But my shotguns and rifles have never hurt anybody. I use them for sport and hunting, and don't view them as weapons.
They CAN be, but then again a SAK CAN be a weapon too.
Bows are so advanced now that the arrows are getting really close to flying at the same speed as a .22 bullet. And yet those are also an Olympic sport. Does that mean bows are a weapon too?
It's all subjective.
I don't see my ZT0200 as a weapon, but to the wrong person, it's "scary looking".

Im not stirring a pot, I'm not trying to start a debate.
I also understand that some people here on this forum might not like guns. Thats OK. I was born and raised in the countryside, surrounded by hunters and gun collectors my entire life. I just wanted to share my opinion.
And you know what they say about opinions. :D
 
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bladeboss said:
Guns are not solely designed to hurt other people. Shooting is a sport.
Guns are a hobby.
Javelins are an Olympic sport. You could chuck one of those puppies 30 yards through someone's head.
Does that mean its a weapon?
Machine guns? Mortars? Howitzers? Yeah those are weapons.
But my shotguns and rifles have never hurt anybody. I use them for sport and hunting, and don't view them as weapons.
They CAN be, but then again a SAK CAN be a weapon too.

Im not stirring a pot, I'm not trying to start a debate.
I also understand that some people here on this forum might not like guns. Thats OK. I was born and raised in the countryside, surrounded by hunters and gun collectors my entire life. I just wanted to share my opinion.
And you know what they say about opinions. :D
Click to expand...

I agree completely. Pepper spray is not a weapon, it is a deterrent, originally designed (as mace) for mail carriers to have a non-lethal dog deterrent.

I target shoot, I don't hunt, I don't kill people. It is a tool. Someday I'd like to take part in shooting tournaments.

If anything, people are the weapons. I can bludgeon you to death with my fists, a baseball bat, stab you, shoot you, whatever, but with the exception of my fists, those are just tools used to expedite my intent.
 
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rat 1 at work :thumbup:
 
Comeuppance said:
My workplace has a strict "no weapons" policy... Without defining what a "weapon" is. I love my job too much to jeapordize it in any fashion, so I carry less stabby knives (I leave my autos and Espada at home) than I'm accustomed to and tend to open them slowly if others are around.

For the time being, my 4KXL is kinda pushing it, but I haven't heard a complaint yet. The second I do, I'll probably start carrying a much smaller knife. I don't look forward to that day, but I've done some preparatory work in that I made a thread asking for suggestions and now have a lot to consider. Hopefully, nobody will throw a fit before I've come to a decision on which will be my new "work" knife.
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Try out a FILMAM small Iberica, the 2010B.

2-3/4" blade and solid wooden handle, good-looking traditional appearance, and low cost make it perfect for the workplace.

Cheap enough not to care if you lose it or a coworker dings it up, small enough and pleasant enough to make it past a hystrionic coworker's complaint, and nice enough to gift a few if coworkers notice them!
 
I work at a local school District in the maintenance department. Been there for nearly 5 years now. I need to EDC a knife to do my job effectively. If it comes down to it I will stand up and loose my job before I give up my right to carry my knife. F*ck the sheeple.
 
K.O.D. said:
I agree completely. Pepper spray is not a weapon, it is a deterrent, originally designed (as mace) for mail carriers to have a non-lethal dog deterrent.

I target shoot, I don't hunt, I don't kill people. It is a tool. Someday I'd like to take part in shooting tournaments.

If anything, people are the weapons. I can bludgeon you to death with my fists, a baseball bat, stab you, shoot you, whatever, but with the exception of my fists, those are just tools used to expedite my intent.
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Exactly. Guns aren't weapons. It's just the easiest tool to use and most long range. That's why people use it.
Glad I wasnt argueing alone. :)
 
My EDC is not impacted by my work/ job. My manager and supervisor are both gents who grew up out side of bigger cities and recognise the value of tools. Both of them have come to ask to borrow one of my knives a time or two. Some of my co-workers make the simpleton comments because they don't understand or appreciate a good knife, but they sure know who to ask when they need something cut. I also regularly sharpen knives for a few of them.

I EDC'd my BK2 on my hip for 6 months at work. Out of respect, I wouldn't think of going any bigger. :D
 
bladeboss said:
Guns are not solely designed to hurt other people. Shooting is a sport.
Guns are a hobby.
Javelins are an Olympic sport. You could chuck one of those puppies 30 yards through someone's head.
Does that mean its a weapon?
Machine guns? Mortars? Howitzers? Yeah those are weapons.
But my shotguns and rifles have never hurt anybody. I use them for sport and hunting, and don't view them as weapons.
They CAN be, but then again a SAK CAN be a weapon too.
Bows are so advanced now that the arrows are getting really close to flying at the same speed as a .22 bullet. And yet those are also an Olympic sport. Does that mean bows are a weapon too?
It's all subjective.
I don't see my ZT0200 as a weapon, but to the wrong person, it's "scary looking".

Im not stirring a pot, I'm not trying to start a debate.
I also understand that some people here on this forum might not like guns. Thats OK. I was born and raised in the countryside, surrounded by hunters and gun collectors my entire life. I just wanted to share my opinion.
And you know what they say about opinions. :D
Click to expand...

I'll concede your point that ANYthing can be a weapon, which is why I feel comfortable carrying utilitarian knives on the job in the absence of a strict definition. And listen, I own an FNX FN-9 that I use at the range happily, so I'm certainly not anti-gun. So I'll respectfully turn the question back to you: how should society define what IS a weapon?
 
Why does society need to define what is a weapon? When virtually any object can be a weapon, common sense dictates when that object becomes such and when it is not.
 
I moved from industrial maintenance, where a lot of the guys I worked with liked seeing what new blade the knife fairy dropped off, to more of an office setting where ultraliberal college students think that it should be instabanned because their girlfriend thinks that's the way it should be. In the office setting I find it's more about how use carry and use the knife. I use dark colored, deep carry pocket clips, so the majority of the time they don't know if I'm carrying my 940 or my 0562. If I do need to use it around people, I open them slowly and quietly so I don't appear too aggressive with them and to avoid the whole "OMGZ IZ THATS A SWITCHBLADE!" explanation. (Although, I do like taking my Ultratech to work sometimes... For the hell of it)

Anyway, non-rambling version. If people are edgy around them, be respectful and smart about it and they'll warm to it.
 
I work on a boat, although not mandatory to have a knife but highly recommended. You'd be surprised about how many times I watch a deckhand/tankerman walk off the barges and back to the boat to get a knife because they need to "cut" something.
I bought the crew cs voyagers for Xmas last year and found the knives laying around various places on the boat (used to open paint cans and then left on top of the paintlocker).
We get on the vessel and don't get off for 30 days... They may not have a good knife or knife at all but you can bet their phone and charger is in get working order.
Despite my ranting I try to remember when I was in my early 20s
Take care and good day
 
I sell knives at a large sporting goods store so I think I'm good. I do have customers coming in all the time with these very concerns, and I try my best to fit their needs.
 
I work as a physiotherapist. I dont use clipped knives at work just because they could scrap my pt and get in the way with my work. I use a traditional slip joint and it works great. I don't need to use it much but it comes in handy now and then for cutting tubing, elastic thera band etc. I work with all kinds of people and a lot of them are knife guys. A lot of my pt. load is injured workers and most those guys come from the harder lines of work.
 
I work night shift at a hotel. Managers don't care about folders, I can carry any folder I want as long as it's state legal(in fact, most of the guys that work there carry one, one of em totes a ZT which definitely surprised me). Policy doesn't specifically prohibit fixed blade carry, but fixed blades are generally frowned upon if they're worn openly. Something low profile(like a neck knife) is fine, but they don't want us walking around with say, an Ontario Pilot Survival Knife or a Cold Steel Steel Tiger karambit on our hip, either, despite being state legal.
 
CraigMang said:
I'll concede your point that ANYthing can be a weapon, which is why I feel comfortable carrying utilitarian knives on the job in the absence of a strict definition. And listen, I own an FNX FN-9 that I use at the range happily, so I'm certainly not anti-gun. So I'll respectfully turn the question back to you: how should society define what IS a weapon?
Click to expand...
There shouldn't be a concrete definition. A weapon is whatever is used at the time.
So if someone is stabbed with a pencil, that pencil is a weapon.
But not EVERY pencil would become a weapon.
A purse with a brick in it? That's a weapon.
A sock full of batteries? Weapon.
 
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