Office People EDC

In a new office I would keep it as classy and small looking as possible.
The small CRKT Heiho looks gentleman like (CRKT's online pictures doent do it any justice) and is probably more than sufficient for everything I need and doesnt look threatening which is good if you are actually planning on using it when civilians are around. In a fight I wouldnt feel comfy with it but when do they ever happen?
Once I know the office people longer I can decide if its a good idea to move up in blade size and tacticoolness :)
Currently I am EDCing Spyderco Native 5 ('13 forum) and Native 3 as well as an Endura (super blue) So yes, nothing scary, at least to us knife guys here :p
 
Right now, I have an Opie #8, well worn and patina'd in the drawer for food. A little #5 is in there two, for packages and such.

On me, I've got a large Case Copperlock, my BM H/D 'stockman', my Vic, and a Vulcan in 3" (just cause!) :D
 
Vic Classic in the front pants pocket and a small traditional lockback (Camillus #2, Schrade 5OT, etc.) in the watch pocket. Sometines the other way around.

The main points I find in using knives in an office setting are:

• Traditional designs are universally more acceptable than modern designs, which always scream "weapon!" to people.
• Small is good, meaning a blade under 3 inches. Bigger = "weapon!"
• How you deploy it for use matters a lot. Two-handed slow and easy is best, because flashy displays (one-hand opening, etc.) say, loud and clear, "Look how intimidating I'm trying to be with this weapon!" This earns you (justified) dirty looks or outright confiscation, and it simply encourages the management to crack down on rules, thereby making it harder for everybody to carry these small useful tools.

If someone is still having adolescent rebellion issues and needs to flash a weapon around in the workplace, all I can say is grow up.
 
Yes, I work in an office. I also work in IT, and the "real" world scares most of these people.

I carry...

Traditionals - most of them are around 3.5" closed, people are less frightened if a knife is covered in wood, stag, or bone for some reason.
SAK's - Cadet, Classic, Pioneer, etc... Everyone loves SAK's
Moderns - Spyderco Techno, BM Sequel, CRKT Eros, Spyderco Dragonfly 2, Cold Steel Hold Out, Kershaw Skyline or Leek, SOG Twitch, BM Shoki.....

I do try and stay away from assisted openers, if I do carry one (Leek, Twitch) I will stop the blade before it makes the "thwack".

So far I have had no one take notice or complain.
 
PM2, Sage 1 and BM 943 are my rotation. PM2 is the upper limits of what I think I could practically get away with without someone having a problem with it. That being said, I try and be discrete around the office and if I feel the need to flick my knife open and closed a few times, I'll go to the bathroom for a quick click-clack session.
 
I work in a lab/office environment and today I'm carrying a Benchmade Contego. I usually carry a Benchmade Mini Griptilian (556 model). I think it's just about perfect but I just got the Contego so I wanted to carry it some.
 
I work in a massage center as opposed to an office. But at present, I'm the only knife person there. My typical EDC:

Spyderco Tasman Salt SE and Pacific Salt SE (carried unclipped down in R and L pockets).

Victorinox Spirit S on belt.

Victorinox Executive in RF pocket.

Case Peanut in left cargo pocket (not because I "need" it but because I want to). :)

At the place I work, I'm known as the knife guy, and nobody blinks when I use one of the Salts, mostly for cutting the plastic strapping around fresh massage sheets, breaking down some boxes, etc. In fact, they like and almost expect the straps to be cut, and if they aren't, I'm often asked if I can use my knife to cut them. The Spirit S sees some use at work to tighten loose screws on massage tables, some light prying, occasionally snipping wire, etc. As a massage therapist, the Executive helps me keep my nails short and neat, and it also sees many uses throughout the day.

Jim
 
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bdmicarta said:
I work in an office. Today I was carrying a 4" SOG automatic. Tomorrow I'm carrying a Spyderco Military.
Click to expand...

Nice! :thumbup: Bigger is better LOL!

Today's is a Cold steel Gunsite I; a five inch blade of VG10 awesomeness. I carry whatever I want at work. :thumbup: There's an Opinel #12 that lives in my desk for food duties - it's not a small knife either.

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Older pic of when I modded the Opi:

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Most offices have their own policy's and you should judge the mentality of your coworkers before taking out any knife. My office is rather lax and no one cares what I do which is great. If I didn't have that type of environment I would probably stick with a swiss army cadet or a case folder. Something that your grandfather would have used that's not intimidating in the least.Also Multi-tools people also don't seem to mind much. If you had your heart set on a locking blade with a clip I would get something small like a SOG flash 1 or Spyderco Dragonfly2. Most people will perceive the Dragonfly a tad more aggressive than the sog but I would take the Dragonfly.
 
In my opinion: it is OK for me to carry whatever I like as long as I do not use it in front of other people in the office. When I need to open an envelope in the sight of my colleagues I always use scissors provided by the employer: have never had a problem with it! I always carry a knife: this week it's Buck Sirus, it was Spyderco Endura last week...
I guess they know pretty well that I carry a knife, but as I never flash it in their faces they do not have an opportunity to talk to me about it: which is what I want.
 
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Cute lil thing ;)
Blade length is a little above 2 1/2 inches... total length about 5.7 inches...
 
Always these two in my briefcase.
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Plus these two today..
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I carry a SAK (wenger) and a custom made carbon fiber kiridashi
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It's difficult to carry anything too heavy wearing slacks. A heavier knife kind of makes your pocket swing all over the place. I recently picked up a Strider PT cc and it's just about perfect for an office environment. Traditionals are also a good option. I've got a Northfield 22 with stag handles that is very nice, but it's a little heavy too.
 
Most non-knife people see any knife over 2" as a huge, death-weapon. Shape and style of knife have a lot to do with it. For instance, I had a Spyderco Dragonfly once which got all kinds of "weapon" comments (less than a 2" blade). My Victorinox Soldier with 2.5"+ blade get a pass for everything. Most SAKs get a pass everywhere. I love my Soldier for this reason. The CEO borrowed it once at an awards ceremony for the DON and department heads in front of everyone, and said "that's a nice knife (on the mic)", I said "thanks, but don't tell anyone, because it's against the no-weapons policy that you approved (it was still in his hand). Might wanna revise that policy a tad".
 
I work Front Desk at a hotel and my Leatherman Wave is always on me. I can't tell you how many times I've gone to a room for a complaint and had to use it. Nine times out of ten it's the screwdriver, but I often use the knife to open the office door, as my keys don't work. I also carry a Buck Vantage at all times.
 
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