Supermarkets have me lost

B

bladeboss

Joined
Mar 6, 2012
Messages
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Why is it, when you go to the outdoor section in the one-stop-shop stores, that the dinky little CASE knives and other folders are locked up and watched over like serial killers, and the foot-long kitchen knives are just hanging openly in flimsy packaging?:confused:
Is there a law or something that I'm unaware of?
 
bladeboss said:
Why is it, when you go to the outdoor section in the one-stop-shop stores, that the dinky little CASE knives and other folders are locked up and watched over like serial killers, and the foot-long kitchen knives are just hanging openly in flimsy packaging?:confused:
Is there a law or something that I'm unaware of?
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I think it's mostly because the case knives could easily be slipped in ones pocket it someone decided to steal one (unlike the kitchen knives) could be wrong though:)
 
lets see no I brought that case knife in here or no I brought my foot-long kitchen knives in here while I was shopping. all they are trying to do is keep people from stealing there knives. you can't slip a foot-long kitchen knife in your pocket like you can a case knife.
 
I think that people would be a lot more likely to try and steal a case or folding knife before they would steal a meat clever for the kitchen. Plus, what 9 blades said about pocket fitting.
 
Most of those stores don't carry expensive kitchen cutlery. Case knives come with the display if the store buys enough. Why not use it.
 
9blades said:
I think it's mostly because the case knives could easily be slipped in ones pocket it someone decided to steal one (unlike the kitchen knives) could be wrong though:)
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I dunno about that. I saw the empty packaging from a Camillus Carnivore at a walmart once a few months back and no sign of the blade anywhere nearby. Where there's a will there's a way, no?
 
Moondrop said:
I dunno about that. I saw the empty packaging from a Camillus Carnivore at a walmart once a few months back and no sign of the blade anywhere nearby. Where there's a will there's a way, no?
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I'm not saying its impossible to steal a big knife, but it must be harder than a little case knife:)
 
Totally honest with you, I thought it was that thy were concerned about a weapon, not stealing.
But, I guess I never thought about the normalcy of pocketknives.
Ive always wondered too.
Well, thanks for the answers. :D
 
There is a "normalcy" to pocket knives? Try whipping one out on a bus, or in a crowded bar to trim a fingernail or other such mundane act with your present folder, and see just how normal they are. EEEKK, he has a knife/weapon on him, run for your lives!!

Just kidding and making fun of what should be, and still is depending on where you live, in this age and time of paranoia and political correctness. When and where I grew up, if you had to ask someone to borrow their knife, usually the first question out of their mouth was: "Where is your knife, did you loose it again?" Going out without your knife was like going out without your shoes on. It was just part of your dress routine. I guess that shows my age!

Blessings,

Omar
 
Theft would be a big one ... but my sense is that the liability issue is pressing on retailers as well.

I cannot say about your location in M*A*S*H 4077 (is there a salute or nostalgia respect smiley?) but here ... several years back when I purchased a skeletonized Sheffield folder it was taken from the locked case, placed in a locked sack and carried to the till by an employee ... where the sack was unlocked by the person at the till to complete the sale.

More recently same store, after I had the case unlocked to handle the knife, it was placed in a locked sack and I carried it to the till where the sale was completed.

Even more interesting and more recently, I found at the knife display at Walmart (knives - not in a case but individual displays locked) a diamond sharpener suitable for serrations and fish hooks not locked. At the till the surprised clerk commented that it came up as a knife which led me to believe that she was expecting it to arrive other that presented by a customer ... I have not bought a knife here and so cannot comment on that procedure.


No problem at all ... I just repeated that it is not a knife, it is a knife sharpener as the sale went through.

.... it was a very, very pointy sharpener :D
 
taldesta said:
Theft would be a big one ... but my sense is that the liability issue is pressing on retailers as well.

I cannot say about your location in M*A*S*H 4077 (is there a salute or nostalgia respect smiley?) but here ... several years back when I purchased a skeletonized Sheffield folder it was taken from the locked case, placed in a locked sack and carried to the till by an employee ... where the sack was unlocked by the person at the till to complete the sale.
Click to expand...

Well, it's certainly not like that at Walmart here. The small knives(Gerber, Kershaw, SAKs) are kept in a locked display, but once you say you want to buy one, they get it out of the case, ring it up at the register right next to the display, then put it in the same sort of plastic bag you'd get just shopping for groceries. No extra security or locked sacks or anything like that. And I assume it's just a theft issue-I can go to the camping isle right next door, pick up a Bear Grylls folder in a plastic clamshell, or a machete, or a Winchester knives 3 pack, throw it in the cart, and move on. While it's true you could theoretically open the clam shell and pocket the knives in store, you can't just drop the whole clamshell or parang in your pocket(unless you wear some pretty radical attire) and wander off like you could with the Gerbers, SAKs, or Kershaws in their little boxes.
 
9blades said:
I'm not saying its impossible to steal a big knife, but it must be harder than a little case knife:)
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Honestly, I stood there for a couple of minutes trying to figure out how someone would get the thing out of the packaging without being noticed and then walk away with it. I know. Maybe they tried the old, "This? I had this when I came in." :) They have the BG Parang an aisle or so over. I wonder if any of those have "walked" out the door.
 
Moondrop said:
Honestly, I stood there for a couple of minutes trying to figure out how someone would get the thing out of the packaging without being noticed and then walk away with it. I know. Maybe they tried the old, "This? I had this when I came in." :) They have the BG Parang an aisle or so over. I wonder if any of those have "walked" out the door.
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I would like to hear how someone could conceal a BG parang...about the only way I can think of is if you were wearing a winter jacket (which in GA is rarely needed) and you somehow attached it to the inside...and I must say, there is no way to discreetly open clamshell packaging;) I've actually heard the adhesive used in clamshell packaging redacts to profanity...
 
Having once been a young man, and now being an old man, I can tell you one big reason why the pocket knives are locked up and the kitchen knives are not. I'm willing to bet kitchen knives of any size are simply not prone to walking off the way pocket knives of any size are.

Is it really surprising? More than a few forum members have admitted to having no particular interest in kitchen knives, but will spend all kinds of money, effort and time when it comes to pocket knives. Some of us value the kitchen knife as more than a cooking utensil. But few of us value it the same way as we value our fancy folding man-baubles.
 
The USA doesn't seem to care much about kitchen knives, yet anyway. I see all manner of long pointed knives on the racks of churches within easy reach of anyone, even kids. Nothing has ever happened bad however, but when I pull out a small folder within sight of the same rack, the little old women all look and comment on how it's so deadly. Go through any Walmart and kitchen knives hang freely within easy reach, in flimsy plastic sleeves, same with axes, pruning saws and everything else made for rough cutting, all out in the open within easy reach. Contrast that to the UK where I've read all of that stuff is locked up and a hassle to buy. Maybe there is more to it than just the smaller stuff is easier to steal and more valuable? I think people in the USA have more fear of smaller easily hidden blades, they seem to be perceived as more sneaky I think and less useful. The UK thinks bad about them all!
http://frontpagemag.com/2012/dgreen...-ban-on-long-kitchen-knives-to-end-stabbings/
 
taldesta said:
Theft would be a big one ... but my sense is that the liability issue is pressing on retailers as well.

I cannot say about your location in M*A*S*H 4077 (is there a salute or nostalgia respect smiley?) but here ... several years back when I purchased a skeletonized Sheffield folder it was taken from the locked case, placed in a locked sack and carried to the till by an employee ... where the sack was unlocked by the person at the till to complete the sale.
Click to expand...

I've purchased knives in stores where they did that.

The funny part was the scissors the girl had in the drawer under the till wouldn't cut the zip tie and I cut the zip tie off with my own SAK.

It was a silly exercise.
 
In Texas, I've never seen a (supermarket) store put a knife in locked display cases. They just hang them up in clamshell blister packaging.
 
jill jackson said:
The USA doesn't seem to care much about kitchen knives, yet anyway. I see all manner of long pointed knives on the racks of churches within easy reach of anyone, even kids. Nothing has ever happened bad however, but when I pull out a small folder within sight of the same rack, the little old women all look and comment on how it's so deadly. Go through any Walmart and kitchen knives hang freely within easy reach, in flimsy plastic sleeves, same with axes, pruning saws and everything else made for rough cutting, all out in the open within easy reach. Contrast that to the UK where I've read all of that stuff is locked up and a hassle to buy. Maybe there is more to it than just the smaller stuff is easier to steal and more valuable? I think people in the USA have more fear of smaller easily hidden blades, they seem to be perceived as more sneaky I think and less useful. The UK thinks bad about them all!
http://frontpagemag.com/2012/dgreen...-ban-on-long-kitchen-knives-to-end-stabbings/
Click to expand...
Definitely!
 
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