Knives, Sheeple and Trouble

In 1972 as a solider stationed near the DMZ in South Korea we we not allowed to even have the mess kit knife that is part of a set. I had a wrist rocket confiscated and was lucky not to receive punishment. Fear motivates them .
Now I always carry what is legal but gets the job done. Here in rural WV a neck knife out side the shirt is not questioned ( yet).
 
antonio_luiz said:
It's all about perception. Yesterday the mother of one of my son's friends came to pick him up. She saw me re-arranging some of my Mora's and asked to see my collection - no probs. She then told me she liked the smaller knives but was apprehensive of the large ones. I told her my collection is always kept locked, unlike my 12" chef and butcher knives and heavy cleaver on the kitchen wall behind her - and she hadn't even noticed them till I pointed them out. So a 12" butcher's knife is OK but a 5" F1 is intimidating?????
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I never quite understand it myself. Everybody has at least one kitchen knife that can easily by a 10 or 12 incher, yet some people freak out when they see a 3" folder. If I were to go into a fight and given the choice between a decent 12" chef knife and a tactical 3" folder, I'll go with the kitchen knife any day. A 3" folder sure can make nasty cuts, but it pales in comparison to a meat cleaver that can lop an entire limb off! All these freaked out women must have never cooked in their entire lives, so they're never exposed to kitchen knives.

Perhaps I've been carrying the wrong knife all along. I should just carry a good 8" kitchen knife in a sheath; it's better for self defense and it's practically invisible (people just don't notice kitchen knives).
 
TheGame said:
A couple days ago my parents took my little brother to eat (They went to the brew house, oddly enough) and my brother pulled out a Leek to cut his steak and the employees freaked out I guess. My dad tried explaining it is a tool, but they didn't seem to take that very well. I only wish I was there to see it. That would have been funny.
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I always carry my Kershaw 1993-2 when going out to eat.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=6509691&postcount=236

Never had a problem, but it's not an AO, either. Even then, I don't open it over the table, and I discretely place it next to my plate. Still, I've had waitresses come up and ask if my steak was properly cooked -- before I've even sliced into it. Can't tell unless I cut it, so I used my 1993-2 and they never batted an eye, even though it was obviously not the steak-house's knife (of course, most steak houses don't offer steak knives to their customers...they're more like cheap little steak saws, and not particularly good saws at that :rolleyes: ).
 
That Kershaw Gentleman's Folder sure is pretty (and freakout proof). I'm putting it on my wish list along with the Fallkniven U2.
 
There have been so many drive by knifings in Chicago that everyone is worried.

I usually have something small in the pocket at work - like a Fallkniven U2.
 
I have sheeple relatives. I always tell them I carry a "pen" knife or "pocket" knife, even when carrying something that they could see as scary, like my 710 or T2 Harsey.
 
This isn't directly on topic but nonetheless...

Right after 9/11 I was on a flight and they were restricting EVERYTHING carry on, the whole 'finger nail clippers' thing. Got settled in my seat, and I look over and they let this teenage girl on with some kind of crochet needle or something, the damn things were about 12 inches long and stout enough to go right through you. Logic just doesn't seem to apply.
 
Sep said:
...Everybody has at least one kitchen knife that can easily by a 10 or 12 incher, yet some people freak out when they see a 3" folder. If I were to go into a fight and given the choice between a decent 12" chef knife and a tactical 3" folder, I'll go with the kitchen knife any day. A 3" folder sure can make nasty cuts, but it pales in comparison to a meat cleaver that can lop an entire limb off!...
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Not to mention almost all stabbings I've ever read about in the paper or seen on the news were committed with a kitchen knife. Virtually all of those happen in the home against a relative or someone close to the perp. I can't recall ever hearing about a stabbing where the perp used a folder outside of the very rare bar fight. And I've definitely never heard of anyone stabbing someone in an office (or any workplace) with any sort of knife. I think people just love to be afraid.
 
This got me thinking. If a knife is properly shaped and presented as food utensil, it's no longer threatening. Since restaurant steak knives are rarely decent, maybe there's a purpose-built personal (folding) steak knife out there.

Edit:
I just found one! It's a Shun (Kershaw's sister brand) made of VG-10. I'm definitely adding this to the wish list.
 
I work in a office with about 50 people (in one building) in town and 30 (in 3 different buildings) in the outer counties. I have never had a problem with anyone worried about me carrying knives. Everyone knows I carry them and asks me to help with opening/cutting stuff....

And I carry my big ones like the Spyderco Military and Police3 at work all the time. Sometimes I'll carry a small fixed blade but no one seems to care about the Izula or the BK-11 either.
 
Depends on whether the boss is republican or democrat, male or female, conservative or liberal, etc. I've never had any issue with my knives at work. Most of the knives I EDC are folders w/ ~3" blades. I've also EDC'ed a Kershaw Lahar and Spyderco Endura 4 (3.5" and 3.875" blades resp.) w/o issues... yet. Just don't go flashing it around I guess.
 
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Sep said:
This got me thinking. If a knife is properly shaped and presented as food utensil, it's no longer threatening. Since restaurant steak knives are rarely decent, maybe there's a purpose-built personal (folding) steak knife out there.

Edit:
I just found one! It's a Shun (Kershaw's sister brand) made of VG-10. I'm definitely adding this to the wish list.
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Not to change the subject, but take a look at the long discontinued Kershaw Hawk. It's the perfect folding steak knife and at least the G-10/ATS-34 version is still relatively easy to find (I'm still looking to get my hands on the USA made titanium version).

And it's a completely non-threatening package, although I'd never use it in public just because I think it's in bad taste to whip out a pocket knife at a restaurant (at least a nice restaurant).
 
Gerberblades said:
Usually women are the ones who have the problem with the knives, men just see it as a tool whereas some woman see it as... well I am guessing a murder weapon... :confused:
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This is the real problem, well said. Women are the #1 abusers of knives - at home, in a domestic disturbance. They bring that attitude with them to work.

The way to counter it with logic is to have copies of the DOJ stats showing that 60% of violent knife encounters are committed by women. And, good luck.

A way to pre - inform you workplace is to put said documents on the bulletin board, near the coffee maker, etc. A discreet introduction of the topic in the workplace may help.

Otherwise, I follow Rule #1 of the PC workplace - don't ask, don't tell. If someone needs a cutting tool, let them get along on their own, never display or loan yours, and don't tolerate any attempts to get yours.

If you can smirk while they tear open packages with their teeth, so much the better. If they ask why, a reference to adults having the knowledge to use the right tool is an excellent opportunity to introduce ridicule.
 
I remember having to walk about a mile back to my truck because the State Fair (VA) wouldn't let me enter with my leatherman wave. Well, inside the fair, they had kitchen knives, tactical knives and even SWORDS & DAGGERS for sale!
 
I used to work at a place that had a "no knives" policy. I used a small stockman to cut the banding on a box of printer paper and a woman got slightly upset. I took her to the kitchen, opened the entire DRAWER of kitchen knives, laid several out on the table, and put my stockman next to them. Not to mention, the day before, a senior manager had used one of those knives to cut a birthday cake. She pretty much felt like a fool. I told her when the kitchens were all cleaned out, I'd quit bringing mine. Plus, you could go up and down the offices/cubicles, and see steak knives on top of desks everywhere.

Then I go home to family reunions in rural South Dakota, and helping set up tables, chairs, balloons, etc., invariably, one of my older aunts will come up to me and say, "Let me borrow your knife". They do NOT know that I am a knut, they simply assume that every man carries a knife.
 
Psychopomp said:
Not to change the subject, but take a look at the long discontinued Kershaw Hawk. It's the perfect folding steak knife and at least the G-10/ATS-34 version is still relatively easy to find (I'm still looking to get my hands on the USA made titanium version).

And it's a completely non-threatening package, although I'd never use it in public just because I think it's in bad taste to whip out a pocket knife at a restaurant (at least a nice restaurant).
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It's nice, but in the meantime I found the Mcusta gentleman's folder series. Man, talking about pretty. Now I gotta have it, I'm screwed.

umberto00 said:
I remember having to walk about a mile back to my truck because the State Fair (VA) wouldn't let me enter with my leatherman wave. Well, inside the fair, they had kitchen knives, tactical knives and even SWORDS & DAGGERS for sale!
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It's because they want you to shop! Just like cinemas prohibit outside food so you have to pay for their overpriced popcorn.:D
 
Psychopomp said:
[...] in bad taste to whip out a pocket knife at a restaurant (at least a nice restaurant).
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Not at all. People do it all the time. They sell purpose-built folding steak knives, and people use them in much the same way as people who bring their own personal chop-sticks.

http://www.kershawknives.com/productdetails.php?id=305&brand=shun

http://www.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/kershaw/images/5900.jpg

My 1993-2 is just slightly shorter and a little less "delicate"-looking.

:thumbup: :thumbup:
 
I get this kind of thing all the time. Most coworkers give me crap about carrying a knife in the office. As you can imagine that does not stop them from asking for help when they need something opened or a plotter print trimmed. I get a lot of looks over the Seb (even more if they ask "How much does that cost?"). However, I just tell them "It's legal, and company policy does not say anything on the subject." That usually will get them to move on.

I just do not let them touch the "my knife". If you are not smart enough to bring your own you are not smart enough to use my Sebenza. If I have to lend out a knife they get the Vic Pioneer Pruner from my bag.

STICF
 
Bushman5 said:
grabbing you = ASSAULT. I would have charged him with assault. Then i would have put a commercial lien on his belongings to recover compensation for damages.
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Oh I know bushman, but I think the humiliation he received from the other people at his table for being shown how stupid he was was enough. :foot: Some people....
 
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