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Origin of negativity?

kamagong

kamagong

Gold Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2001
Messages
10,945
Why do you think that non-knife people make negative comments when they see a knife? More specifically, what do you think is the origin of the those comments? Is it the knife itself? The demeanor of the person using the knife? Cultural acceptance of the knife's use as a tool? What about the environment in which the knife is being used? Perhaps none of the above or a combination of all of the above?

I'm asking because I find that I'm still a little shocked when I read about all the negative experiences that a lot of you guys here have with "sheeple." Like everyone here I carry a knife whenever I can. But when I look back at my dealings with others of the non-knife persuasion I don't think I've ever gotten a truly negative reaction. Sure most people don't carry a knife and are surprised to see me with one. But the comments I get are mostly among the lines of "Do you carry that every day?", or "Is that legal?" I've never had anyone accuse me of carrying a weapon or asking who I plan to kill.

This question genuinely perplexes me. I tend to have a stern appearance because I generally don't smile very much. I also EDC a "vicious" looking tactical knife, the Spyderco Military. Yet I don't seem to elicit the negativity that a lot of people do. Is it because I only take out my knives when there is a reason to? Just some food for thought. Hopefully by discussing the possibilities we can better understand non-knife people so that we don't scare them as much.
 
I dunno.. I'm a fish and tropical fruit farmer in a semi-rural area...albeit 18 miles from Miami.
I see " city folk" roll in in their Mercedes or Lexus or what not so Me with a pistol and knife or my Guatemaln/Mexican kids with a machete are simply " working"
No biggie.
On the other hand.. when I go " uptown" to the VA with a 8 -12 inch knife in a leather belt rig CAN get a few looks...occasionally
BUT.
We're talkning about a 6'3 gray headed, short haired/ bearded dude in hiking boots( or water shoes), with a limp.

It's kinda like the difference between Steve Irwin in town or some cRapper with an entourage, bone in nose, 700 tatto0s and pants that are 14 sizes too big.
This big ole boy never has a problem.
They see me as a big dumb farmer, which I am.
The Cubans at the airport kinda look at me when I pick up fish shipments at 3 AM with a badass belt knife, as opposed to a box cutter.. but when they see " live fish".. again.
" Ohhh a dumbass gringo fish farmer"
It's a GREAT cover... heheheh.
 
Probably many factors involved .... though most people, by the time they've reached early adulthood, seem to reject many things they don't understand. If you'd run into those same people earlier when they were teenagers or kids, they would probably have been fascinated and very interested to see your knife and learn more.

Plus knives have been demonized in recent years in our liberal society. A lot of those angry people out there, speeding 15 mph over on their way to work and flipping people off, are the ones who act horrified at others owning knives. They present themselves as enlightened and sensitive, tell you how concerned they are about AIDS in the third world, kids starving in Sudan, etc. but can't find $15/mo. to send to charity because of the mortgage on their $800,000 home and the cost of private school for their kids. And you and me, violent, ugly people who carry knives to cut open boxes and envelopes, they see as dangerous and unstable, the kind of people who the world just doesn't need.

Personally I could care less what they think ..... and I suspect they realize that because nobody has ever said a thing to me about it.
 
Mine comes from my work environment. I work as a nurse for a Adventist hospital in a Urgent Care Clinic. Lots of people not use to seeing people carrying a knife in a work environment here. The only saving grace is I work in a small rural county where there are a lot of Hunters, Farmers, & Factory Workers who carry knives. Granted my work EDC is a Spyderco Rescue 93mm with a Blue Handle so it is more "PC" looking for a nurse than say my Emerson CQC-7 or my Spyderco Kris.
 
I think that Dog of War has pretty much hit the nail on the head. Knives are both tools and weapons, just as firearms are. A large segment of our society believes that civilians should not own or carry weapons of any kind. So knives are "bad" in their view. The entire "first world" is headed in this direction. The U.N. has adopted this view as well and is pushing for international treaties to ban the sale of firearms to civilian populations in the name of security and prevention of genocide.
 
I EDC 2 knives and 2 multi-tools at work. It is well known that I have them and that they are all very sharp, matter of fact I have sharpened about a dozen co-workers knives. I carry a small sharpening kit in my locker for just such purposes. It is also well known that I throw knives and axes for fun and competition. I even trade off throwing lessons for martial arts instruction at a local martial arts school. Very rarely does anyone make comments, and they are usually in jest. I always reply "It's not a knife, it's a tool" which is what I truly believe. Even my supervisors will ask me if I have a knife to use. Only when I carry a large folder (vaquero, explorer, m16-14z) do they accuse me of having a "pocket machete" but I just tell them it's a bigger tool. Like getting a bigger hammer:D . I guess I am very fortunate at work as many of us carry knives and multi-tools daily. Perhaps much of the negativity is generated buy a lack of familiararity with knives. Most people are afraid of what they don't understand, especially the innately sheeple type.
 
I carry a large Sebenza, multi-tool and a Swiss Army knife as EDC. I keep two samurai swords in my office that I claim are "letter openers".

People look at me a little funny when I pull my Sebbie but I've learned to live with it. I usually tell them that the knife is one of the basic tools of mankind.

It really chaps my cookies that I can't carry a knife into a "public building" or even onto an aircraft.

Back before 9/11 I used to put my usual gear in my carry-on bag through security and then put it back where it belongs as soon as I was in the terminal.

Now I have to leave it at home or take the chance that some Federal security idiot won't cut my bag open and take a nice knife home.

So, I blame 9/11 for a lot of the problems. That's when the real changes happened.
 
i think it's a "civilized" thing,not to say we as knife nuts are'nt civilized.lemme esplain - see many years ago,not all that long ago, a knife of some sort was an essential tool and everybody carried 1 or 2,a lot like the credit card.anyone get any funny looks for using the card?no?thought so.so as mankind progressed the knife was relegated to secondary use on a daily basis until it's use was not commonplace.i'm sure in many s american countries people stil walk around with their knife of choice - the machette.our sheeple will be horrified to see that.in s africa in the rural areas knives are still widely carried and used daily for all sorts of chores.anyway i think when gangs of miscreants started carrying knives for nefarious purposes is when soceity shunned or looked down on the carrying of such tools.at least that's what i think
 
harm said:
i think it's a "civilized" thing,not to say we as knife nuts are'nt civilized.lemme esplain - see many years ago,not all that long ago, a knife of some sort was an essential tool and everybody carried 1 or 2,a lot like the credit card.anyone get any funny looks for using the card?no?thought so.so as mankind progressed the knife was relegated to secondary use on a daily basis until it's use was not commonplace.i'm sure in many s american countries people stil walk around with their knife of choice - the machette.our sheeple will be horrified to see that.in s africa in the rural areas knives are still widely carried and used daily for all sorts of chores.anyway i think when gangs of miscreants started carrying knives for nefarious purposes is when soceity shunned or looked down on the carrying of such tools.at least that's what i think
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That's seems pretty close to it for me. Knives really have fallen out for many, many people as to how vital they are for their lives. I think about myself, yes...a knife is useful to have on me and I prefer it that way. But trying to think of the last day where I was in a situation where I really needed to have a knife on me...it's hard to think of one.

Lifestyles have a lot to do with it though. If you hunt everyday, a good fixed blade for skinning is probably a lot more important for you to carry than some average guy working in the city at a desk job. The latter likely isn't going to encounter as many needs for a knife, and when he does they won't be as vital as a hunter, fisherman etc. Which is one of the reasons why area has a lot to do with it I suppose.

Also, society is good at trying to place blame where it is not due. Columbine happened because of the videogame Doom, not because of peers bullying / teasing the students, bad parenting etc. Kids shoot each other up because rap music tells them to, not because those who raise them prove to be incapable of teaching them proper values. My dad beats his wife because he's drunk, not because he has unresolved anger issues that he uses alcohol to deal with. I drop out of highschool because I smoke weed, not because I'm a lethargic teenager who doesn't give a damn about life.

Peopl ejust seem too ready to blame the wrong things. Kind of goes back to the saying, guns don't kill people, people kill people. Guns can be incredibly useful for situations where your life is in danger and you need to defend yourself, or you're hunting game. Guns can also be used to murder elementary school children. Just because something is possible does not mean it will be done. Millions of people have owned a gun the majority of their lives without ever murdering someone, and a select few having different mentalities which lead them to commit such nefarious acts does not change the morals or ideals of the first group of people. This is where laws are failing. They take a select act by an extreme individual and use that to pass blanket laws affecting anyone who uses what the killer used.
 
People freak out when they see your knife because it scares them.
Why do they get scared?
Because they don't have a knife, therefore you have the upper hand or power.
They feel powerless...and scared because of it.
 
Ignorance is part of it. People tend to fear what they are unfamiliar with and don't understand. This is especially true when it comes to things like knives, other than kitchen knives, because they are mostly depicted negatively.

It's a similar situation with guns. Ask an anti-gun person if they've had basic gun safety and marksmanship training. The answer is probably going to be no.

A lot of us like to make smart comments to them but I think that it's better to try and educate them if possible.
 
Seems to be the same kind of person that's always got their nose over their neighbor's fence - the kind who's always worried about what OTHER people are doing. I other words, people who can't mind their own business.

.
 
With such an education system, with such attitudes by the people in charge of the system, can anyone think we are anything but doomed? Makes you just want to strangle these people. Then you realize just how much of the country "these people" are and it makes you very sad and very angry.

I had given my wife a little keychain tool kind of like a SAK Classic. She like it, wanted to carry it, and certainly appreciated its utility. She also sadly set it down and told me she probably couldn't carry in on her key ring at school as they had zero tolerance policy and even this would most likely be enough to get her fired.

Along the lines of teaching kids that honesty will get you screwed, I'm reminded of a situation with my son several years ago when he was in high school. Certainly not to the degree of this by any means, but the lesson I learned that day still bothers me. I was taking my son to school and through my own fault, none of his own, I caused him to be late. I went into the office with him and explained that he was late on my account and not his own and it should not be held against him. The gal there said that didn't matter it was an unexcused absence. I was shocked and commented that if I had given a good lie then it would have been excused, but he was being penalized for my being honest with them. The look I got was pretty much that yeah, that's right. She certainly didn't disagree with me.

The message is pretty clear. Lie, cheat, steal, and NEVER, EVER be honest or do the right thing. Values are for those who are to be used for the advancement of people without honest values.

I guess I'm just a dinosaur, but it doesn't seem like it was all that long ago when you were thought a little odd because you didn't carry some kind of pocket knife.

It shouldn't surprise me. Years back I recall a time or two when the same people who would look down on me and give me antigun crap about being into guns and having a pro gun attitude would then have the nerve to call me when they thought someone was in their house. Suddenly they wanted me and my gun there.

"./~sometimes I feel like a snowball headed for hell..../~"
 
Rat Finkenstein said:
bottom line, many people are stupid. They don't want to learn, they want to remain ignorant.
Click to expand...

Ignorance can be taught.
Stupid is forever.
;)
 
I think many people like to make life difficult for others (even if it's small petty things) to help them feel important. So, in other words, malice plays a bigger role than fear or misunderstanding.
 
Perhaps much of the negativity is generated by a lack of familiarity with knives. Most people are afraid of what they don't understand, especially the innately sheeple type.
Click to expand...
I think that this is 50% of the equation. As a general culture, we no longer do physical or agrarian-based work. Pushing letters on a keyboard all day, 40 hours a week, doesn't require a knife. Working with livestock and agriculture, however, does require a knife. Since our westernized society lives a "civilized" lifestyle, we don't have the same NEED for knives, save in the kitchen. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, but this is the general trend. This lack of need causes unfamiliarity with tools, which is half of the problem and allows room for the other half: indoctrination.
The remaining 50% of society's fear of knives and guns comes through indoctrination from certain segments of society, such as governmental powers and Hollywood. The only experience that so many people have with knives and guns comes through movies and tv. Sit back next time you see one of these objects in a movie and analyze what message is being sent when the object is used. I always do so and, so often, the underlying feeling is one of negativity and fear. Add to this an attitude of fear and opposition from the government/authority institutes such as schools, via demonization of persons who carry knives or firearms, and the populace at large is overwhelmingly bombarded with irrational and out-and-out wrong attitudes. Since there's very little or no real-life experience with these objects, the delusional ideas are all that society has to go by.
 
There have been a lot of good comments in this thread. I agree that in general the negative perception of knives can be attributed to prevailing societal values. But what about specific instances and people? Why do some people seem to get negative comments/questions while others merely get curious inquiries? Do you think it's a reflection of the knife, the demeanor of the person holding the knife, or the person making the comment?
 
Many people use knives as weapons.

Much of the "civilized" world has little exposure to knives being used as tools outside of their kitchen (which they seem to forget).

When they see a knife, they go to what they know. And they know knives as weapons.

With education, anyone can understand the usefulness of knives as tools, even in daily life. But until they get experience with it, they will see knives as they are most often portrayed in movies and on the news: as a way to kill people.

Before I started working in a newspaper warehouse, I didn't carry knives. If I saw someone with a knife on the street, I might be a little weary. But after getting my current job and seeing how useful knives can be (at least at work), I now see them as a means to being prepared for a task, not a means to kill someone. My canned responce to someone that has some sort of
"who are you going to kill with that thing?" comment is "I have used about 95 different knives to cut tape, boxes, bundle straps, and cloth almost daily, but I have never stabbed anyone."

Knives are the most common EDC tool because they are useful more often in daily life than a hammer or screwdriver. However, they are still useful rarely enough that most people don't say "man, I wish I carried a knife on me all of the time" much in their life... if ever.

All that said, I haven't gotten any crap for carrying a knife. Some of my co-workers bust my balls sometimes about how large my knives are, but they are playing around (see above). I think it may because I live in North County San Diego near Camp Pendleton, so there are a lot of military families here. This seems to be a pretty knife-friendly area. Having a knife store in the local mall seems to make the "sheeple" more accepting as well. Just about everyone has window-shopped the "pretty knives" in the store. I get a lot of "I have seen some of the expensive knives in the mall" comments when non-knife-people see my knife.

Knives have a history as a tool, and as a weapon. So does the hammer. Yet it seems that carrying a knife makes you seen more of a murderer than having a hammer on your belt. I think this goes back to movies and the fact that many knife crimes are commited with knives because they are easy to find since every home has several in the kitchen while a hammer is usually stowed away in a tool box. This is because kitchens need knives daily but needing a hammer is more rare. Sad is the fact that a knife is so useful that every home need several of them in easy reach is what makes them a more common weapon. Also, folding knives are more concealable and a folding hammer doesn't make much sense.

So for crimes of passion, due to the extreme usefulness of knives, one is always within reach. And for wannabe punks, a folding knife is concealable and easier to buy than a gun.

As always, bad apples ruin it for everyone.
 
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