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Nice, Not Scarey Small Knife for Office carry
- Thread starter twhman
- Start date
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- Joined
- Jul 30, 2006
- Messages
- 44,266
Okay, I am looking for an afforable (around $50 but less is good) nice looking non-threating small (okay let me clarify this for some of you (I have been reading this site too long)- what I am thinking is about 3" or so closed) single blade locking knife for carrying in my pocket to the office. I figure wood scales are not to practical since they probably will not wear to well. So plastic, micarta, bone, something durable. Here are some I was thinking of:
I think there are two types of lockbacks you can use in an office environment. One type is a small two-inch bladed knife like a Spyderco Ladybug. The stainless handled model looks nice and the thing is so small it is quite non-threatening.
The other type is a 2"-3" bladed lockback that takes two hands to open. The blade challenged seem to react more strongly to one-handed open than to two-handed open. A Fallkniven U2 would work quite nicely and it can be had for a bit over $50, but there are others that fit that description also.
I worked in the epitome of politically correct offices for 5 years in the U.S.A.F., and carried a Spyderco Delica for use anytime there was a chance I'd be seen cutting anything. It fit perfectly in my shirt pocket, and the only comments I ever heard about it all had to do with "wow, that's quite a handy little knife you have there."
Some knives are more sheeple friendly than others. 
There seems to be a difference in how people view knives. If you are using the knife they see it differently than if they need to use your knife. I once handed the little SAK in the pic below to a woman who was wrapping a box for shipping. She looked at me like I was nuts for handing her such a small knife. Fortunately SAKs come in larger sizes.
29 Knives kris balisong
Fallkniven U2
SAK (Companion?)
There seems to be a difference in how people view knives. If you are using the knife they see it differently than if they need to use your knife. I once handed the little SAK in the pic below to a woman who was wrapping a box for shipping. She looked at me like I was nuts for handing her such a small knife. Fortunately SAKs come in larger sizes.
29 Knives kris balisong
Fallkniven U2
SAK (Companion?)
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2005
- Messages
- 1,730
Spyderco FRN Dragonfly or Cricket, Byrd Robin/Flatbyrd, Boker Subcomfolder/ Wharcom, Bladetech Mouse (Lite)...
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2003
- Messages
- 2,315
I know you asked about a folding knife, but all the women in the office that I've shown my Bark River Mikro Canadian II to have thought it was "cute".
(Image linked from BRKT)
(Image linked from BRKT)
+1 for Byrd Robin
This is a great little knife that fits that perfect size of big enough to be useful, small enough to be non-threatening. Get it in G10 for barely over $20, and it's also a steal of a value.
Another choice that's a touch bigger, but has worked well for me, is the Spyderco Salt 1. Particularly if I open it with two hands. The more rounded tip tends to be less scary to people than a sharp point, and if I hold it up and make a comment about how the blade shape always reminds me of a pelican's beak, people feel even more at ease.
Another tip, put a lanyard on the knife with something colorful (avoid black and olive drap para cord). Using just about anything else, especially if it's colorful, gives people another distraction from the scariness of the knife, and makes it seem less weapon-like (who can put a multi-color monkey fist on their knife and not have it be "cute"?). This is more important for black handled knives, and slightly less important for more colorful handled knives. Still always helps, IMO, though.