Public perception of people carrying knives

[PatMourin45]

2 incidents.. One Thanksgiving I was at friends house and we had about 20 people around the table and I was asked to cut the turkey.. their knives didn't work.. So I finally pulled out my lazer sharp Para 2 and started cutting into that bird perfectly (I was pretty clueless while doing it because people thought of how clean that knife was).. it made some peoples stomachs turn about me using a pocket knife on the turkey everyone else would eat..Some kndly suggested I go back to the dull kitchen knives "meant for carving the turkey. ha ha!

The other happened just last week when a security guard escorted me to my car while I was in the hospital childrens cancer ward with a pocket knife (an Emerson horseman to be specific) ..They asked me to return the knife to my car and they followed me all the way to the car to make sure I left it in there before I retruned...even though I was in the hospital for the last 14 days/24hrs per day straight (My daughter has cancer and it is a "weapons free" zone). When I came back to my daughters room I saw that my mom left a steak knife for cutting bread that was twice as long as the Emerson. O MY GOSH NO!!!!!! I felt like calling security just to make them feel like jerks and then call security on all the other parents I saw in the unit with pocket knives, steak knives they brought from home. But of course I didn't. In a cancer ward you needs things to make your own food, your childs food (no child can stand eating hospital food while sick). One also has to wash clothes including doing your laundry while there and many other things ect.. parents don't leave their kids there alone while undergoing chemo..so it is like a sort of camping out. Hospital does not supply thigs for parents. Plus I am a single dad so the only one staying and taking care of my daughter while in there. So it feels weird having to rip through plastic with finger nails and do the hundreds of things I need a knife for while living there. I will nobody here understands this situation unless you went through this with a child yourself..One just does not leave the hospital and leave teir child there.. sometimes there are complications that cause longer stays. I was there for 3 weeks once and never left the hospital except to get food from the grocery store 1x.

You are an amazing father, Colubrid! I hope to one day be at least half the incredible father that you are! I hope your daughter gets better soon! My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

 

[Krissig12]

I suppose it has to do with appearance and size. I've never had anyone bat an eye when I bring a Case Doctor's knife to my favorite sushi bar or steak and ale joint. Whipping out my SAK Pioneer at a neighborhood gathering to pop open a bottle of beer usually illicits a, oh look, that knife is cool/cute/what is it? Now, there was one occasion where a neighborhood BBQ for one of our returning from the Sandbox neighbors drew some bizarre responses, when our soldier whipped out his Spyderco Military to cut his steak, and one of the neighbors asked if that knife was used to dispatch a few Taliban, and if the Army allowed him to keep this "issue" knife; it's all about the size and overall appearance.

Had I been there, I would have been in physical pain over these kinds of comments:barf:

 

[Jens Schuetz]

I would love to carry a small EDC fixed blade, and even though it is legal for me to do so, I don't need the grief or pain that comes with it.

Public perception in my area of the the world is that knives are weapons and are somehow evil. People see a knife and assume that the only reason you would have one on your person is to harm another. You do not have a knife, you have a weapon so there is no question of what you intent is. Remember, knives are evil! If you have a knife, you are evil!

I can hurt or kill someone with my car or motorcycle with less effort than I ever could with a knife.

From your description I thought you are talking about my home country.
Turns out you are from California and not disarmed Germany where all kinds of "weapons" are looked down upon and even the normal bad guys cant buy firearms and thus the cops don't have to shoot anybody.

California, with its liberal knife law, come on it's great here. Never had any issues in the bay area of all places and now here near Folsom it's even better. At least I see pocket clips everywhere.

California isn't bad at all and compared to other places it's actually pretty awesome. I just had to buy me some non locking (!) UK pen knife since I'll be going to Europe this summer. At least it opens with one hand. ☺

 

[sabre cat]

From your description I thought you are talking about my home country.
Turns out you are from California and not disarmed Germany where all kinds of "weapons" are looked down upon and even the normal bad guys cant buy firearms and thus the cops don't have to shoot anybody.

California, with its liberal knife law, come on it's great here. Never had any issues in the bay area of all places and now here near Folsom it's even better. At least I see pocket clips everywhere.

California isn't bad at all and compared to other places it's actually pretty awesome. I just had to buy me some non locking (!) UK pen knife since I'll be going to Europe this summer. At least it opens with one hand. ☺

The knife laws of the State of California could be much worse, I agree with you. That is not what I am addressing.

Local public perception of what a legal knife is and why someone would carry a blade is where I have issues. AO knives are not switchblades. My pocket knife is a tool, not a weapon, unless I use it as such, and I have zero plans to harm someone just because I have a knife in my pocket or a gun in my home. Yet, these are all common attitudes in my area. If I had $20.00 for every time I answer knife questions or have to explain that my knife is perfectly legal and that, no, it is not a switchblade or, yes, that the blade is over 2 1/2 inches (it's three), but it's OK under California law, I would have a bundle of cash. Most of the time I carry 3 in folder (US made Kershaw Zing or Wenger Standard Issue) or maybe a Griptillian if I want something larger. I should not have to justify my legal actions to others just because they are afraid, paranoid or just want to be involved in something that is not any of their business.

I am finding that most people react to knife use in public with urban myths and false knowledge, believing they know what knife laws really are.

BTW, I was in Germany back in the mid 1970s. Would love to go back.

 

[Jim85IROC]

2 incidents.. One Thanksgiving I was at friends house and we had about 20 people around the table and I was asked to cut the turkey.. their knives didn't work.. So I finally pulled out my lazer sharp Para 2 and started cutting into that bird perfectly (I was pretty clueless while doing it because people thought of how clean that knife was).. it made some peoples stomachs turn about me using a pocket knife on the turkey everyone else would eat..Some kndly suggested I go back to the dull kitchen knives "meant for carving the turkey. ha ha!

Same here, except with my wife. It drives her nuts when I use my pocket knife in food prep. The other day I took my Manix 2 out of my pocket to start cutting some food and she got all bent! "Don't use that, it's disgusting!" The knife was brand new and the blade hadn't touched a single thing at that point. She started complaining that "you clean your fingernails with that thing!"

By the way, answering that you use her Wusthof Santuku to clean your nails too, isn't the right answer.