Special Grocery Store Knife

Josh Wilson · Mar 23, 2001

I was in line at the grocery store the other day and I saw the checker use a 'knife' to cut a piece of tape. I use the quotes around the word knife because all it was was a diposable razor blade with a piece of cardboard duct-taped to it for a handle. I asked him why he didn't buy a real knife and he said, 'Don't know, guess I don't need one.'

While I applaud any creative use of duct tape it seemed amazing that someone would use this awkward and even dangerous 'knife' for their daily work instead of droping a few dollars on a simple folder.

I realize I am preaching to the choir here but I needed to vent about the ruination of common sense. Maybe I'll give him on of my extra knives and see if he realizes the error of his ways.

Jazzman · Mar 23, 2001

Is there anything that duct tape can't do. Now it makes folders!!!!!!!!!! Please, give the poor guy a knife; any knife! He needs it before he hurts himself!
What a stupid new world that has such people in it!,
Matt

RH · Mar 23, 2001

Was this clerk a minor? Seeing that boxcutter type retractable razor knives are now controlled almost like firearms, he might have been unable to aquire something better.

Funny how times have changed, even in the last few years.

My first job was as a market stockboy, where a metal boxcutter that took straight razor blades was standard issue, and were left lying around everywhere.

My second job (15-16 yrs old)was in a local knitting mill. We had to inventory and stack the 200-300 lb. boxes of yarn, about the size of a washing machine, that came in every day. 3 or 4 of us could work in step fashion and stack them sometimes 5-6 high. (ahh, to be young & strong again). After the yarn was turned into sweaters, we had to cut & tie the boxes up into neat bundles for the recycler. Standard equipment issued to every new stockboy - a Stanley 99 utility knife. We used to get the blades in the 100 ct. dispenser mounted on the wall in our back room. I still have that Stanley 99, and still use it to cut up any cardboard I'm throwing out.

My third job (16-17) was in a deli, where I had access to all manner of sharp knives - not to mention the slicing machine (got the scars to prove it).

Doctor to Patient: "I'm beginning to see a pattern here "

[This message has been edited by RH (edited 03-23-2001).]

Raptor · Mar 23, 2001

Josh,
The more time I spend here at BFC, the more keen (no pun intended) my "knife sensors" become. I see these people everywhere now. They are all around us. They live and work amongst us.

I spent the better part of 10 min. the other day at work watching our Snap-On rep try to open a box with a ball point pen!?!?!?!

I guess he couldn't find his keys.

He was a little embarrased when I finally showed him the CRKT line of knives in his cataloque that he could use to assist in his future cutting needs.

Just try to help the ones you can.

--The Raptor--

Safety Guy · Mar 23, 2001

Josh, maybe this guy just got out of prison and his old habits are still with him?

Semi-seriously, though, make sure he is indeed not a minor before you break any local, state, federal, U.N. or interplanetary laws so you don't find yourself in the big house crafting similar "customs."

But Raptor is right, we just have to try and help the ones we can.

Karl

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"Celebrate the diversity of inclusive, self-esteem nurturing, multicultural weapons arts." Karl Spaulding, The Safety Guy

amalgam · Mar 23, 2001

with all those customers passing through, if it has value, it would eventually walk off. replace it, and it will walk off again.

a razor blade with duct tape isn't something anyone would take, or even pick up!

recently I saw a checkout clerk hand a cheap pen to a customer for signing a check. he had taped a plastic fork to the pen.

I asked him about it, he said he used to lose a couple pens a week, but not one since he taped the fork to it.

Bikewer · Mar 23, 2001

In my work as an LEO at a big university, we frequently respond to sick/injury calls along with the paramedics.
The most common injury on campus- architecture students cutting thier thumbs with exacto knives....

cerulean · Mar 23, 2001

It never ceases to amaze.

This society has become so politically correct that people refuse to believe that a knife can be a useful tool. They simply deny that they could use a knife in daily life outside of the kitchen.

What's weird is that this denial is so strong that people will actually try to trick themselves by using "fake" knives. They don't want to admit that a small pocket knife would come in handy, so they resort to using fake knives like car keys, or a pen, or a razor blade with a makeshift, duct taped handle.

Geez..

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Cerulean

"My good reason to carry a knife is that God gave me rather weak teeth and rudimentary claws in an evolutionary trade-off." - J.K.M.

Velitrius · Mar 23, 2001

The wife and I just got into an argument over political correctness vs. knives.

She had a kid on her school bus, a kid who never gave her any trouble. Another kid told her "That boy has a knife". Wife pulls over and asks the kid for the knife, and he pulls out a small pocket knife and hands it over. No problem so far that I can see.

Wife: "Poor kid, he's in big trouble now."
Me: "Why?"
Wife: "Cuz we have a zero-tolerance policy on weapons in our school district."
Me: "Kid ever give you any trouble before?"
Wife: "No, he's a good kid."
Me: "Then don't turn him in. He didn't have a weapon, he had a tool."
Wife: "How would you feel if a kid on the bus had a knife and poked our son?"
Me: "Same as I'd feel if he got poked with a pencil."
Wife: "But a pencil isn't a weapon, a knife is."
Me: (after wife leaves room) "%$!!@*&$%#@!$"

You see, this is the problem here. Knives are no longer being viewed as tools in our society. And the worst part about this is that our children are being TAUGHT in SCHOOL that knives are weapons and not tools.

That poor S.O.B. at the grocery store may have had no option to carry a knife, simply because the store has a "NO WEAPONS" policy for its employees. Sad days are here, knife friends. Funny, the school has a shop that teaches "Right tool for the right job", but they won't find a knife within miles of the place.

Buzzbait · Mar 23, 2001

This grocery store clerk shows us why people are so scared of knives. Anybody dumb enough to duct tape a razor blade to a cardboard handle will soon hurt himself pretty badly. Many people show a very distinct lack of common sense these days, and probably don't deserve to carry a knife. Would I trust somebody this stupid to carry a real knife? Nope.

Times have changed my friends. I was talking to my buds at work about this the other day. We distinctly remember the day we got our first knife. That day was a right of passage to adulthood. We'd been entrusted with a tool that could potentially harm us badly. We'd been given the chance to prove our levels of common sense, maturity, and discretion. Nothing was said to us, but we understood this.

I'm betting that the father of this grocery store clerk never quite felt that his son had enough gray matter to be given his first knife. I agree with his father's decision.

Jazzman · Mar 25, 2001

Hey Bikewer, what university in St. Louis. Is it SLU or Wash U? If you don't want to respond here, email me at garavamj@slu.edu. I myself go to SLU and ws just curious.
Thanks,
Matt

James Y · Mar 25, 2001

When I was still in court reporting school, a woman was trying to open a plastic-covered packet of steno paper and having difficulty. I offered her my very small Case slip-joint pocketknife to open her package and she said disdainfully: "No, I will not use your KNIFE." She then proceeded to open the package in the accepted "civilized" way by gnawing at it for a while with her teeth, like a puppy gnawing on an old shoe.

Jim

Raptor · Mar 25, 2001

originally posted by James Y:
"No, I will not use your KNIFE." She then proceeded to open the package in the accepted "civilized" way by gnawing at it for a while with her teeth, like a puppy gnawing on an old shoe.

....LMAO

--The Raptor--

not2sharp · Mar 25, 2001

Don't take it to heart, dumb people happen, there are here today, and they have been there all along.

I work at one of the "high tech" companies. A couple of years ago there were a few hundred of us at a local team building exercise. Mostly, white collar marketing types, 20 something to forty something, and about 35-40% female. At one point we were divided into groups of 12 and tasked to put together an adhoc presentation.

Sure enough we soon found that we need to cut some materials to build a display. No problem I though as I reached for my trusty stockman. I never had a chance. By the time I turned around there were already at least 10 knives on the table. Knives were coming out of pockets, brief cases, and pocket books. Almost everyone had a small SAK, or a micra, a multitool, or some other small folder. There were no "tactical knives" on display since we all respected the company's ban on weapons. But, that doesn't keep reasonable people from being prepared.

Raptor · Mar 25, 2001

not2sharp,
Now that's 'gotta be the first time I've heard a story like yours here at BFC.

Normal, sensible people???
Ten of 'em in the same room???

It's about damn time!!!

--The Raptor--

mnblade · Mar 26, 2001

The cardboard/razor blade/duct tape example is pretty bad, but, with that said, I don't think I've EVER seen a grocery store employee using anything better than a $1.99 cheapo box cutter with disposable blades. And I do take notice of such things. (Hell, who among us here on the forum doesn't, right?!) Personally, I just can't see wanting to carry and use such a hunk of junk - but then again I can't see ever wanting to cut something with a pen or with my keys or via the puppy-chow method.

[ 03-26-2001: Message edited by: mnblade ]

phantom4 · Mar 27, 2001

Velitrius, I agree with you completely. Another thing that bothers me is the other kid turning him in. If he had a gun or a Bowie knife on the school bus then fine but I a small pocket knife? Give me a break! I got into a little bit of an argument with my son's 3rd grade teacher last year over a "snitching incident". The school had banned Pokemon cards for being to much of a distraction which I can understand. They were not actually banned from school property but they had to stay in your backpack. No playing or trading on school property during school hours. My son was caught at lunch and his cards confiscated. I received a note from the teacher informing me what happened. I went to see him to let him know he had my full support because my son knew the policy. I happened to ask how he got caught. The teacher said another kid turned him in! I really tore into him saying I didn't think turning kids into little snitches was a very good thing. I told him I had no problems encouraging kids to report drugs or dangerous weapons but I considered something that was a harmless distraction to be a whole different matter. As the year went on i got to know the teacher betterand he turned out to be a great guy---a hunter and gun collector who excitely showed me a new lever action carbine he had in his trunk when I ran into him at the hardware store one day. Considering I live in liberal la la land---Montgomery County MD, he just better hope nobody snitches on him to the local teachers union, they'd probably yank his card!

phantom4

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who dares, wins

Safety Guy · Mar 27, 2001

I have another nice "knives and common sense" story. At my health club, Fridays are free bagel days. As I sit and read the paper (yeah, sometimes I work out, too!) I take out my folder (after washing it off with soap and water--I AM civilized, ya know) and cut my bagel(s) in half. This beats the plastic knives they have (which spread the lowfat cream cheese just fine) by light years. Plus, I leave my knife out while I'm sitting there, and let other people use it to cut their bagels. I don't think anyone has refused to use it yet, and I sometimes get good comments about it.
Most of the people have been in their forties on up, so maybe it is somewhat generational.

The knife is usually my Endura, which I also take swimming.

Once or twice it was my Ascent or my CS Gunsite II (BTW, the thick tanto blade here doesn't seem to work as well on those bagels).

That Sifu really looks nice. I wonder how they would respond to an extra large size bagel cutter?

This might make a great sociology experiment! Think I could get funding for a hidden camera and a LARGER KNIFE COLLECTION?
For the experiment of course.

Karl

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"Celebrate the diversity of inclusive, self-esteem nurturing, multicultural weapons arts." Karl Spaulding, The Safety Guy

e_utopia · Mar 27, 2001

Karl, it's too bad you weren't here while James Mattis was still with us. He used to use a Cold Steel Vaquero Grande for similar purposes. See, now I'm getting all nostalgic, since I can just imagien what kind of stuff he would have posted in this thread. Moment of silence, please...

-JB, who feels like he just got a bucket of cold water dumped on his head.

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e_utopia@hotmail.com