People Explain Why They Are Afraid of Pocket Knives

Cutting something is usually not the primary function for which I carry a knife. The reason I use the 7 is because the blade is an excellent scraper, chisel, and pry-bar. Easy to resharpen on the fly, and expendable. I started carrying it when I did electrical contracting for these reasons and the wave allowed me to draw and open easily while up on a ladder or scaffold. Cutting something is a bonus.

It's hard not to use the wave to open it, it's just so handy. But agreed that a 'dramatic' opening does have its time and place. Certainly not at a public park with families around. That's just asking for trouble. A family event is go time.

Much like not using a .45 to kill a spider as someone mentioned... but I suppose that depends on the spider.
 
marcinek said:
"So, at the family picnic, I deployed my XXXL Stabinator 2000 to open a bag of chips. My grandma rolled her eyes at me. I hate sheeple who are afraid of knives."

pssst. She's not afraid son. Grandpa fought in the war, had 5 kids with her, they were happily married for 60 years, and all he needed to carry was a pen knife.
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This is golden!!!!
 
danbot said:
You liked the wannabe operat0r part? ;) I've seen them in action before. Usually they are quite young guys. When they're older, its as sad as it is funny! But one of my points was, that we need to be responsible in the way that we use our knives in public. A family party is a different situation almost entirely. Most of the family knows that I'm a knife nut, and it can be easily explained to non-familiar guests. But if I'm cutting a kids burger in half at a public park with complete strangers around, I'm not gonna do the quick draw "THWAAK" in front of them. I'll just open the knife like its no big deal, use it and continue to pretend that I'm "normal".:)
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Usually I am surprised by how “the sheeple” seem to not mind my knife all. It really doesn’t happen all that often that someone calls me out for using a knife in public. As mentioned by others the way we use and open the knife seems to have a huge effect on other people’s perceptions.rrsssee

For example yesterday I stopped in the middld of the sidewalk. I noticed a loose thread on my jacket. So i take out my Spydie Southard, open the blade not even half way, cut the thread and away she goes. Didn’t even have to lock the knife open, no one batted an eyelash.
 
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mt666tm said:
.... It's hard not to use the wave to open it, it's just so handy. But agreed that a 'dramatic' opening does have its time and place. Certainly not at a public park with families around. That's just asking for trouble. A family event is go time.
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And sometimes you don't need to even take the knife out of it's sheath or the pocket.... I was accused of "terroristic threatening" in a national park by a volunteer and the only thing that I could figure out was she didn't like my Dozier fixed blade on my belt (5.5"). I didn't say anything to that woman that would even approach a threat. We chatted about the freaking bears. It got worked out, but I will forever dislike that woman and hope she finds a nice comfortable spot in CA with the Sierra Club or Greens Peace. I looked that one up afterwards before I spoke to an attorney. Added: It wasn't very long after that that the Park decided they didn't need their volunteering.
 
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22-rimfire said:
And sometimes you don't need to even take the knife out of it's sheath or the pocket.... I was accused of "terrorisict threatening" in a national park by a volunteer and the only thing that I could figure out was she didn't like my Dozier fixed blade on my belt (5.5"). I didn't say anything to that woman that would even approach a threat. We chatted about the freaking bears. It got worked out, but I will forever dislike that woman and hope she finds a nice comfortable spot in CA with the Sierra Club or Greens Peace. I looked that one up afterwards before I spoke to an attorney.
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That brings up a good point too. We need to be careful about our behavior when we open carry knives. I'm not saying that your behavior had anything whatsoever to do with this ladies issues, so don't get me wrong!!

Legally, (at least where I live) You can actually be charged with robbery by intimidation if you ask someone for money (or anything else) while openly carrying a knife. If that person feels they should just give you what you want because they see your knife and think you may use it against them if they anger you....then you could be in a heap of trouble without even realizing it! (Now I don't have any need to ask strangers for money as I'm sure most here don't either, but it's just one example of the principle.)

Same goes for being angry and telling someone off, or arguing angrily with someone. You can get into a situation where you are seen as menacing or intimidating etc. just by having a knife in plain view. I'm sure it rarely happens, but it is something to keep in the back of your mind when openly carrying a knife in public.

ETA: So carrying a knife habitually should actually make us more courteous people! :):thumbsup:
 
mt666tm said:
I still stand by using our knives in public, within reason of course, and I will continue to do so. If I'm at another BBQ you bet I'll use my knife to open a beer bottle, or a bag of chips, or cut a burger in half for my kids. It's a tool, and I'll use it as such
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I do not disagree with you at all ... and I completely respect what you said ... and at a private bbq I wear my Becker BK15 often for use of cutting ribs briskets etc ... and I do not have anything to add to what you said it's well within your rights and you'd fit in at our family get togethers or even neighbors getting together.

It's the in public at a resteraunt or in a store where these people may not only not be familiar or comfortable around knives ... but some have been robbed or threatened with knives ... or have been trained by the stores to be compliant and it causes fear ... it's those situations I try to take their views and feelings into account and I carry a SAK or similiar sized slip joint or a Spyderco Native and take it out slowly open it slowly and even at times tell the person what I'm doing to try to show them not everyone carrying a knife has bad intentions and can be friendly and the knives very useful.

I'm very lucky that where I live I can deer hunt and go to town for lunch and walk in a resteraunt and no one bats an eye at a fixed blade on my belt along with my hunting buddies and some even comment on how nice it looks and ask about them. And I can use any type knife I want without people fearing it ... but in many places that's not the case and I usually carry a SAK or slipjoint to use in unknown company and I'm respectful of other people just in case.

Now I want to make it clear this is still America and we enjoy freedoms most don't and I'm proud of that and I am in no way trying to say you shouldn't exercise your rights within the law ... in fact I encourage it ... but I am suggesting that sometimes meeting the fearful side of the population ... taking the chance to show them just because you carry a knife doesn't make you a bad person or evil nor is the knife evil in of itself ... but a small friendly gesture with a chance to open one person to the idea knives are not evil nor are everyone carrying them.

As I take every chance I get to take a youth hunting or fishing ir camping and we run outdoor outings for boys and girls to teach them outdoor skills involving everything from tents fires knives and guns in some cases.

So I applaud you for standing up for your rights ... I just hope to show sometimes not setting your feet so steadfast and taking the bit of extra thought or time to try to educate those that maybe never have had anyone show them different can be a good thing and help us all preserve our rights as we currently enjoy them.

And I encourage everyone to get involved in the NRA or in Knife Rights Legislation and help us all keep our rights what they are.

And if you ever came for a bbq I'd welcome you to bring whatever you wanted and I would love to see it and share what I had with you gladly.
 
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And I think you are lucky to live in the culture you do it's similiar to mine and I agree I love you sharing the pictures of young men looking at your knives and to see them carrying a knife.

And I appreciate people such as you that take the time to share your craft with our youth ... it's good to see more of these places where good common sense values still are alive and strong. :thumbsup:

Horsewright said:
I read these threads and I often think of this pic:

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Two young men, brothers, in our booth looking at my knives, Brannaman Pro Am, Oct 2016, Santa Ynez, Ca. Notice both are already wearing belt knives. Hope for the world yet is what I think of.

Big brother bought one of mine too. And when a young person comes into my booth with money they've earned they don't pay full retail, its a karma thing.

vAhpuxw.jpg


Little brother rocked that pink kids rope we sold em too:

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Yep hope for the world...sigh... nuther sip of coffee.
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JJ_Colt45 said:
And as someone stated ... those with the most skill of us all go about things in a quite unimpossing manner ... and it's usually those with the least training skills and common sense that draw attention and play with their knives thus making more non knife people uncomfortable.
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The branches that bear the most fruit hang the lowest
 
danbot said:
That brings up a good point too. We need to be careful about our behavior when we open carry knives. I'm not saying that your behavior had anything whatsoever to do with this ladies issues, so don't get me wrong!!
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Lawyer wanted to sue the National Park big time over this, but to me they (the rangers vs the volunteer who has no legal authority) were just were doing their job. However, they are still responsible for the behavior of their volunteer staff whether they like to admit it or not. So you know, terroristic threatening is a felony. It would have been most likely tossed out of court if the arrest was made, especially if the park employees were honest. That's the key.... honesty.... How many these days are honest when money is concerned?
 
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mt666tm said:
Cutting something is usually not the primary function for which I carry a knife. The reason I use the 7 is because the blade is an excellent scraper, chisel, and pry-bar. Easy to resharpen on the fly, and expendable. I started carrying it when I did electrical contracting for these reasons and the wave allowed me to draw and open easily while up on a ladder or scaffold. Cutting something is a bonus.

It's hard not to use the wave to open it, it's just so handy. But agreed that a 'dramatic' opening does have its time and place. Certainly not at a public park with families around. That's just asking for trouble. A family event is go time.

Much like not using a .45 to kill a spider as someone mentioned... but I suppose that depends on the spider.
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Gotta love those Sevens! I love it for much the same reasons as you. It is a great knife you can even do some prying with and the tip will just laugh at you.

That said the loud *CRACK* produced by waving a knife can be very intimidating for the uninitiated. I always considered the thwack noise to be akin to cocking a revolver.
 
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22-rimfire said:
Lawyer wanted to sue the National Park big time over this, but to me they just were doing their job. However, they are still responsible for the behavior of their volunteer staff whether they like to admit it or not. So you know, terroristic threatening is a felony. It would have been most likely tossed out of court if the arrest was made, especially if the park employees were honest. That's the key.... honesty.... How many these days are honest when money is concerned?
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Well, it certainly is a good thing that they need a little thing called evidence to back up an accusation! But still, to go through the BS of a false accusation is costly and stressful. I'm glad for you that it didn't come to that!
 
The evidence would have been their word versus mine. Ruined my summer there. Didn't go back. Normally I visit every couple of weeks. There were lots of black bear sightings this year, but whitetail deer were few and far between even during the rut. I go for the deer mostly but have some nice black bear pictures. Had a few deer and bear pictures published this year and that's good!
 
I think this thread put it's a finger on the pulse of human society. It is human nature to assume things or develop fears based on underdeveloped thoughts. You see something and automatically assume the worst.
Somebody sees someone with a fixed blade on their hip and assume their dangerous.
Or they see somebody open carrying a pistol and assume they will shoot up the place.
The car in front of you slows way down suddenly, and you shout "What the hell, idiot!? Hit the gas!" When they were just slowing down because a dog ran out in front of them.
What can't this be applied to?
Fear is just absence of knowledge. You fear what you don't understand or can't predict.
 
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