Sheeple types

I've really only run into two types so far that I'm aware of. That was the kind that said "Don't mug anyone with that" because I used the small blade of my SAK to cut open boxes at the stupid arts & crafts store where I worked for a year. That was my male department manager, who thought he was being funny.
Then there's the type that thinks it's amusing that you carry a knife. I had that once. I'm not sure I'd have considered him sheeple, though, 'cause he liked to collect swords.
And I suppose there could be a type that doesn't let you see any reaction when you pull out a knife to cut something. You wouldn't know those are around you, would you? :)

Women that I've known have just never seemed surprised to see me pull out a knife. And my sister's finally started carrying one of her own now that she doesn't have access to mine. I want to get her a better one, though. :)


Have to add: That dept. manager's reaction always amazed me (he did it more than once) considering how many people who work in retail will leave boxcutters laying around the store where anyone's kid could find them and get hurt. I *never* did that with my SAK. One, I'm just more careful about where I leave sharp objects and two, since it was MY knife, I certainly didn't want to just leave it where it could be swiped by anyone with sticky fingers.
 
I had an office manager that DAILY asked me to open boxes of pet supplies with whatever knife I had on me. She always referred to my Mora as a 'rambo knife', or my SAK Rucksack as a 'murder weapon'. When she asked me (after months of getting me to do knife tasks) why I carry 'weapons' like that, I replied that it was to save her ass when she needed a knife that she should carry herself. I started responding to all requests to borrow my knife with: "If you're not responsible enough to carry such a basic tool for yourself, you're certainly not responsible enough to borrow mine...."
It's funny how about 50% of people that get that either avoid me thereafter or ask a week later what I think of the new knife they bought.
 
I generally carry a Ka-Bar Dozier Thorn as my EDC. It can be flipped out very fast using one motion of the thumb stud. If I open it fast, with one hand people will sometimes look at me like I am crazy, they think it is an automatic or at least assistend opening. (who am I kidding, sheeple don't even know the difference) For the most part though, if I am around people that I think might care (like when I am in the office at work) I usually just open it slowly with two hands, then it is very rare for anyone to say anything.
 
I do the same thing Ginshun. I take it out slowly and clumsily open it with two hands. It really does minimize sheeple shock syndrome.
I think part of it is that they know if push came to shove in a survival situation we would have a much better chance than they would. This strikes them as unfair that we have the advantage on them.
 
I know it's giving in, but I use a keychain knife like a Ladybug often to avoid scaring people. If someone trips over my Ladybug, I'll just tell them to shut up since a sturdy pencil could do twice as much damage. :mad:
 
Does anyone ever whip their blade out and freak sheeple on purpose? Sometimes I am tempted to.
 
no, not me. I get enough grief as it is.

I had an acquaintance (won't call him a friend) who, like me, had a CCW permit. This guy would let his .45 show all the time. I don't really know why he did it, it could have been to freak people out, but the way it came off is that he was just a wannabe bad@ss. I always thought he might get tagged for "brandishing a weapon" but never did.

There are definitely some folks who need a wakeup call, but I'm afraid something like that would just reinforce their opinion that we're all nut cases.

I am really beginning to think there may be something inborn/programmed in a large % of the population that makes them naturally fear a sharp edge. You know, the same way we fear water, fire, certain toothy animals, and Michael Jackson. Now, some of us have learned to respect and use rather than fear them. I don't know it's late and I've stopped making sense. :yawn:
 
Hi. I have had more trouble from people who should know better. Twice at work I've had guys who see the top of my edc police spydie clipped to the inside of my front pocket reach down pull out the spydie and flick open the fully serrated edge in front of a bunch of sheeple. And all the sheeple are just s--tless. I really want to clock these jerks but that would only make a bad situation worse so I just grin and bear it. One of the guys was a life member of the NRA and the other was the husband of a coworker who I had just met and who claims to have been collecting knives since high school (why he didn't whip out his own black blade is beyond me) :mad: I avoid both these a--holes and have gone to an iwb carry for all my blades. While I don't hide the fact that I carry a knife (actually knives), generally I try to be sensitive to the sheeple's fears.
 
Can't take credit for this, but I've shamelessly used it a couple times:

As always, the friend/co-worker/whatever needs a knife they don't have, and you politely offer your's. When you produce the medium sized folder they gasp and ask, "My god! Is that for killing people!?"

To which you should reply, in the calmest and most serious voice, "Oh no-you should see the one I have for that." Helps if you pat a pocket as you reply...

Larry
 
I've occassionly shown people that my edcs can shave my legs/arms whatever hair I have left ^^
Only to have them go, "is that sharp?"
 
Karate black-belt who could kill me with his bare hands, but exclaims, "My goodness me!" when I take out my Chinook II to cut open a box. :rolleyes:
 
jwbake13 said:
...
I am really beginning to think there may be something inborn/programmed in a large % of the population that makes them naturally fear a sharp edge. You know, the same way we fear water, fire, certain toothy animals, and Michael Jackson. Now, some of us have learned to respect and use rather than fear them. I don't know it's late and I've stopped making sense. :yawn:
Click to expand...
So, you respect Michael Jackson now? :D :p
 
Some time ago, one of my coworkers asked me if I carried a knife because I was afraid and/or wanted to kill someone!
I told her that I was most certainly not afraid, carried the knife as a tool and found it way too messy to kill people with a knife and prefered to strangle them or beat them to death when needed!
That shut her up pretty well and I haven't heard more whining from here since! :D

Bo Hansen
 
I don't remember where I read it, but someone came up with a good retort to "You could kill someone with that!/Are you gonna attack anyone?/You're a dangerous nutjob for owning that!" remarks. It was something like the following:

"You are the only one here who is thinking of violence at the sight of a knife. Please consider therapy, you are making me nervous."
 
SpyderJon said:
Of course with some of the law changes, it will soon be that someone with a locking blade will not be able to carry their knife legally.
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That might actually happen. The media, federal government and special interest groups are doing their best to disarm the public under the guise of terrorism concerns.
 
Most people that I work with now realize that I carry a knife as a tool, not a weapon. I'm the first one they go to when they need something cut/opened. In fact, I've convinced a couple that they need a knife themselves. One bought a spyderco Delica, another might be buying my Fer De Lance :cool:

I've often used the same psychology Elmer Snerd mentioned. "You see a weapon, I see a tool. I think I should be scared of you"

It's fun to mess with them though. Twitch your head some, quitely say something like "He knows too much, get rid of him", twitch some more, then say "no...I can't kill him"...twitch..."it'd be so easy"...twitch..."no...I can't"... :D

One girl I work with was playing with my Fer De Lance tonight, and she seemed deathly afraid of it. She'd let out a yelp each time she opened it (holding on tightly with both hands). Granted, it's about the most powerfully opening production auto, but still. Even moreso she liked my Kershaw Rainbow Leek.

Can't wait to get my hands on a Microtech Scarab or UT6. But for smaller, mundane tasks where I might frighten the sheeple with my auto or balisong, I've still got the Squirt S4 on my keychain. I do my part to enlighten the ignorant, but I'm not a provacateur. Not like those people lining the roads my my university with giant aborted fetus posters.

Ahem, that's giant posters of aborted fetuses, not posters of giant aborted fetuses. :eek:
 
Planterz said:
Ahem, that's giant posters of aborted fetuses, not posters of giant aborted fetuses.
Click to expand...

Looks like I'll also be changing myself when I change my daughter's diaper.
 
So, yesterday morning I'm at my desk having my first cup of coffee of the day and opening some mail with my SAK. A female colleague walks in to ask me something and, upon seeing the knife, throws up her hands and says, "Don't kill me!!" It was said in jest, I know, but it still annoyed the hell out of me. :mad:
 
"What is it with you, are you afraid someone is going to drop you off in the middle of the jungle." I was breaking down a box with a dodo.
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A dodo? That has to be the cutest knife available.


I've freaked people out deliberately. My wife needed to cut a particularly annoying bow off of a present and asked me for me pocket knife. As I reached in my back pocket to pull my SAK, one of the women present said, "You don't really have a knife on you, do you?" :mad: With that I reached back around and pulled out my SOG Pentagon Elite II.
 
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