The Sheeple are at it again!!!!!!!!!!

I got called "OJ" last week when I took out a BM 350 to open a box during a meeting.

It went like this:

6 people in a conference room looking at a taped up file box. One tries to open it by sticking a bic ballpoint pen under the tape and pulling. I pull out a BM 350, open it with TWO hands, and cut the tape.

"WHOA! Why are you carrying a boxcutter?

Me: It's not a boxcutter, it's a knife.

{Snickers} What do you need a big knife for?

Me: So I can open boxes. You got any better ideas for opening them?

OK, OJ . . ."

Hmm. Guess I need to get that Umfaan after all . . . . .
 
I would be pissed off also. I am retired and here in the Tristate area, people carry all kinds of knives. it is a knife friendly area. Autos, big folders fixed blades, and other types dont cause panic. But if one went 60 miles to the southeast he would be in SHEEPLE COUNTRY(DC Area)
 
I do volunteer work tutoring refugee children (mostly refugee family kids from the former RVN around Saigon, Liberia, and Sierra Leone). We were doing arts and crafts and someone asked loudly if anyone had a knife because they needed to cut some yarn. I was very very sleepy as it was early in the morning and I had just woke up an went there in a carpool with my friends and I was still half sleeping. I didn't realize it, but my 910BT was already out and open, with the handle end toward him for him to take.

At that instant, a hush came over the room, and the other tutor asking for the knife had his eyes bug out for about 10 seconds, and then he finally stuttered out: "I think we should put that away..."

While I admit, that might have been somewhat frightening, there was another classic moment of sheeple-ism from my work there. Fortunately, the coordinator didn't think too much of it (or didn't notice that loud snap).

We were out in the park and I found a nice piece of wood, and I used the little blade on my Gerber Multi-Plier to smooth out some rough edges on it. My non-knife friends and some other tutors immediately approached me and said, "Chang! The kids are looking, you don't want to teach them these sort of values! They'll think you're a murderer or something!".
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I have, however, taught some of the kids at our tutoring sessions that knives are useful. One of the kids I was working with had only unsharpened pencils and his pencil sharpener had just broke. I used my CRKT KISS knife to quickly sharpen it, and he immediately said, "wow! That looks sharp!". I think I've shown him that pocket knives can be very useful tools.
 
I carry this to work every day at my job at the post office.
halo3.jpg

No one has complained, yet.
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BTW, RH, I will begin work on the Tac-Spork just for you.
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I'm making the handle out of wood. I'm not sure what kind, but its probably some weird tree from Illinois.

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Chang the Asian Janitorial Apparatus
 
I too have had numerous run-ins over the small knives I carry. Ever since I was about 6, there has always been a knife (or two or three) with me. Some people carry cell phones or pagers. I like leathermans and tactical folders. Where I was raised, every male was expected to have a knife. It is astonishing how many people don't know jack squat about knives. Just this summer, I came close to losing my billet as a squad leader for carrying and using a "huge switchblade." The fact that I don't even own a switchblade and that the Gerber Covert is really a small knife where I come from (rural farm area) was not apparent at all to them. It never ceases to amaze me how much people will harass you for having a simple tool on a daily basis, then don't even have the courtesy to thank you when out of the blue, they suddenly discover that they need to cut something.

Sheeple are the plague.
We need an anti-sheeple vaccine.
And instead of starting with the lowliest privates and seamen like we did with anthrax, we should start with the perfumed princes in power in Washington and work our way down the food chain.

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"I am not, really."

[This message has been edited by KillerMan (edited 09-28-2000).]
 
Funny, just today, I was passing through the front office on my out the front door when I heard the Office Manager ask the Janitor if he had a pair of scissors on him.(She needed to cut the banding off a box of copier paper.)He looked at her puzzled, and then answered,"Why would I have a pair of scissors on me? I don't work in the office, you do!!"
Well, my first thought was to offer a helping hand, then, my thoughts turned quickly to my image as I pulled out my CS Tuf-Lite that resides on my keychain. I then looked around as if I were about to commit a crime or something, and I kept my offer to myself and continued walking out the door. So sad isn't it, that I have been reduced to thinking that even a knife of this stature(very small) would be looked down upon and I would be judged and labeled for having been in possesion of a potential weapon??
I am always aware of the unfortunate reality of knife carry in todays society and I do not need the attitude from co-workers who would never understand.
Also, I don't carry any real sized knife to work for the same reason. However, I am lucky that I can at least carry and use a cheapo box cutter that the company supplies.
I have often wanted to bring in a decent work knife, but I get the feeling that it just would not be viewed as appropriate.

Sometimes I think that I was born in the wrong time.
Was it easier on knife carriers years ago??
Was there ever a time when you could pull out a pocketknife and not receive that "look" and that "comment"??

I'm going to go now before I get myself upset!!

--The Raptor--


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Don't be worried about the one that you can see,be worried about the one that you cannot!!

[This message has been edited by Raptor (edited 09-28-2000).]
 
Erikfsn, I retired from the Postal Service in New York. The manager in my last station was a certified knife knut. Nobody got upset by the sight of a working blade, and around a post office, you know we need to cut things all the time. I never saw anyone with a knife like that, though. I was the only one who carried any kind of expensive knife. (Yeah, I was the manager.)
 
Esav, I'm sorry, I was having fun apparently and unintentionally and maybe? at your expense. I don't work for the postal service or own that knife. I was just trying to make a joke.
 
Commrade Chang,
Regarding the tactical Spork, I want mine with the deluxe double edge plastic serrations. Also it would be great if it came in a cellophane sheath with a napkin, wetwipe, and 100% pure honey packet. YUP, with my Chang tactical spork no buttermilk biscut is safe.
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EXCUSE ME WHILE I WHIP THIS OUT.
**Blazing Saddles**

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Lundo,

Completely understand how you feel and with you in your fight to control your rage!

But......what the "fine individual" (aka "POS") at your employment location is engaging in is a form of psychological warfare!

What you don't want to do is show him/her your rage (which others can see) which will surely cause further problems at work. End result = you'll be viewed as the "real bad guy!"

You'll eventually find out who the "POS" is. Once identified, overwhelm him/her with your assistance and kindness. And I mean....go out of your way to show it!

There is an old sayin......

"You can catch and hold a rat bastid easier with honey than vinegar."

Or is the sayin'.....

"You can get closer, so to hit them with the big stick, with a smile on instead of a grimacing frown."

Your outward flow of goodwill towards "POS" will actually earn you massive rewards while totally pissin' "POS" off! Besides, it will take 4 earth moving machines, 12 men, 42 boys and 40 flashlights to remove the "goodwill bug" that you shoved up "POS'"
buttlint holder!
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Good luck in your hunt brother of the blade!
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GigOne
"Livin' Life - Full Throttle"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Happiness is a belt-fed weapon & a Walter Brend Model 2!"
 
I to have had a similar run in with the sheeple. Started a new job some months back and a co-worker needed something cut. Being a person who helps his co-workers, I walked over and offered a hand. Pulled out a Wenger Snife. Immediately a supervisor walks to me and asks to see the knife. I complied with the request, and was told that "We don't carry weapons here. My reply was it's a SAK. Nothing but a perplexed look as he stumbled for an appropriate response.

Since then its amazing how often someone asks for something to be cut. Even @lunch.
So much for a weapon.
 
The late James Mattis had a very simple and eloquent answer to the sheeple question "Why a knife?" It has been quite a few years since I memorized anything, but I figure if I can still recall the Pledge of Allegiance and the Lord's prayer, I ought to be able to get this one down. I think every Knife Knut ought to try committing it to memory:

"It is as natural for a human to carry a knife, though one may have no immediate plans for cutting anything, as it is for a literate person to carry a pen, with or without any immediate plans for writing, or to wear a watch, whether on not one has an appointment to keep."


[This message has been edited by Berkley (edited 09-28-2000).]
 
I work in an office at my university. I've checked all state laws and school rules and only carry what's allowed. Still I don't let anyone, other than a few "select" people, know that I carry or what I carry. In that environment most people would absolutely flip over anything bigger than 2", so my knives stay hidden, and when I do need to cut something, I make sure no one is looking. It's a sad, sad world
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Jason aka medusaoblongata
-----------------------
"I have often laughed at the weaklings who call themselves kind because they have no claws"

- Zarathustra
 
Don't bother trying to explain to people that your knife is just a tool. They won't get it. That is why I think of my knives as weapons because the majority of people see it as weapons. Since I think of my knives as weapons, I keep them concealed. Even if you explain yourself until you are dry in the mouth people will still think of you as a potential maniac/psycho with a weapon. They might act nice to you after the incident but they will not forget that they saw you with a weapon. Best to keep it concealed.

White collar definitely will see it as a weapon. Blue collar would probably check it out and ask you where they could get one.
 
Ericfsn!

If only I could afford a knife such as that (yes I know what it's worth ;-) ) I wouldn't take it to work with me, I'd take my OTF clone that works real good!

BTW nice knife!

Paul
(Drooling)
 
Congratulations on the flame! No that just doesn't sound right does it? Usually one avoids flames in real life as well as the cyberworld.

My .02 worth, not sure if anyone said this or not, but this is my solution. If and when you find out who it is, don't take revenge, life is too short for thar BS. No you start by bringing smaller pocket/pen knives into the office, and use them around the person, when you can, nothing threatening. Then as the person gets used to seeing you with a "non-lethal" knife, start to share with them some facts about the knife/knives you are using, like "hey. did you know that this knife is almost 100 years old and going strong. . . This type of knife a .... was first made to do ..... just small things and do be helpful this non-knife knut needs to be eased in ;-).
Then after this goes on for a while, start talking about why and how you collect, as a natural extention of the conversation while you are using your knife. If the person starts to show interest, foster it, make it grow! What you want to do is educate this one person to see that knives are not BAD and knife owners/carriers are not BAD/SCARY people. Let him or her know how much knives can cost, like "this knife cost me $3.00 when I was young, but in this condition at this time I can sell it for $50" Or "you know most pocketknives are inexpensive, and most people do have a use for one sometimes, if you had one you wouldn't have to ask me to open packages all the time for you. They can be expensive too, I have a ...... that cost me $...... and saw a ..... for $..... I would love to own, but can't afford." As the person gets used to you using knives around them, you can start to bring different knives with you, until you can bring and show and use your usual daily carry knife without the reaction you got previously.

So I say educate him/her make them aware what knives are and can be. You might turn them into a knife knut!

I know that seems like a long hard process to just educate one person about knives, you can modify this anyway you want to, bottom line this person has been conditioned in one way or other to fear knives, esp. one that is "scary" to them, or maybe just had a bad experience with one, mugging etc. Show him/her that all knives are not the same, as all knife persons are not the same.

Make him or her an ally. That is the best revenge.


Peace

Paul
 
viper5192, you are living in an idealistic state of mind. Don't waste your time trying to convince someone a knife is not a weapon. If people were that open minded, people would not condemn the NRA. People would be not blamed gun companies and ban assault weapons and automatic knives.
 
Originally posted by nonbox:
viper5192, you are living in an idealistic state of mind. Don't waste your time trying to convince someone a knife is not a weapon. If people were that open minded, people would not condemn the NRA. People would be not blamed gun companies and ban assault weapons and automatic knives.
Click to expand...

It is not so much convincing them that a knife is not a weapon, as convincing them that a knife is not ONLY a weapon.

Most people who are irrationally afraid of weapons probably consider themselves _very_ open-minded in regards to other things. Unfortunately, the only time the average person hears anything about knives is when some little old lady has been stabbed on the subway. You never hear news stories like "box successfully opened" "fish gutted" or "wooden badger whittled", any more than you would hear "flight 291 fails to crash into the Atlantic" or "firearm used in responsible, preventative, non-lethal manner".
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Non-knife people then assume that the primary purpose of carrying a pocket knife is to randomly attack little old ladies on the subway. It is up to people who know better to educate them that this is not so. Is this fair? No. But is anyone else going to do it? No.
 
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