The vanishing knife.

I here you Carl, I'm 18 and wear a watch(whole other addiction), and carry a pocketknife. Kinda uncommon, but it seems like there are younger people genuinely interested in cutlery, and the great outdoors, it just that most have a more contemporary taste in knives, and are more likely to carry, and collect Spyderco, or ZT, rather than GEC, and Case. Still, people stuck in my generation, would rather purchase the latest smart phone, rather than a heirloom grade, knife. I don't have the nerve to invest too much in technology, seeing as it becomes outdated very quickly. People scoff at my Iphone because it's an older generation one, I could care less, all it does is make the occasional call, or text. I'd rather use that money for knives, and other bona-fide tools, that aren't going to become obsolete on a whim.
 
This is something that I've thought about to myself very often,for very long periods. It's kinda scary in a way, because all of the skills that people have learned to use and in turn all of the tools that they use to help themselves survive are being forgotten and abandoned. It's basically gotten to the point where society has gotten so advanced that it it doesn't need to be self-reliant anymore because people have figured out how to build machines to rely on instead. Many of the things people used to do for themselves are being done by machines, so in turn the ability to do them ourselves is diminishing and the tools needed(knives for example) are losing importance. There are still people though like the ones on this website who appreciate their ability to rely on themselves and want to do be great at it no matter what everybody else says about them not needing to in the first place. These are the people I love.
 
I don't see why people are acting like these things are mutually exclusive. I wear a watch and carry a knife and also use an iPhone 4S. Each of those three things are invaluable on a personal and professional level. We all have our needs and we all have our wants, and I'd like to think we do a fairly good job of balancing them.

On a typical day I carry a: Gucci watch: (gift from my mother,), Vic Spartan, iPhone 4S, Kershaw Leek, Sinclair Cardsharp 2.

I'm noticing people taking a certain holier-than-thou stance wherein they carry a Case instead of a smartphone. It seems a little ridiculous.
 
I always carry a knife, even if I'm not leaving the house. It always comes in handy whether no matter what type it is. I'll switch off to all different purposes. Fixed, utility, self defense...just yesterday I was lucky enough to have my Yojimbo on me when I came across some pickles that needed slicing. Perfect tool for the job.
 
I am guilty of the watch thing too. So much that when I forget it the white no tan ring around my wrist reminds everyone.:)
 
I do flooring and go through at least ten razer blades a day. So a razor knife makes sense. At the end of the day I would have to total rework a few knives if I used them for my job. And replace them at least once a week. That's big bucks, but on the other hand i can get a thousand razorblades for the price of a decent folder.
 
fielder said:
...A 15 year old lad watching me was shocked that I carried a knife, believing it was illegal.....
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That cuts straight to the core of the thread opener.

22-rimfire said:
....Many young people associate knives and carrying a knife with the criminal element or budding criminals....
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Why? They had to be taught that or indoctrinated into that.
 
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Others have said similar things, but still I'm compelled to add :)

Urban life, everything is pre-packed, ready to consume just by tearing the package, twist the cap, etc.

This change of lifestyle reduces the need to use knife.

When men are further and further from nature, he has less and less need of a tool that is primary when dealing with nature: sharp things!

PS: I have iPhone 4s an iPad3 as well, EDC are Resilience & EL08. Do they shave better than disposables? No, but I use them anyway as it's a testament of a good tool well maintained.
 
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I live in California and I'm 29. I've been carrying a pocket knife since I was around 5 or 6 years old. I have had an EDC on me since I can remember. I've been carrying a BM 710 for the last couple of years, before that, a Benchmade HK Axis with the rubbery/aluminum grip, before that, a BM 940. Before that, a Emmerson Persian Folder. Before that, A Spyderco Police model, Before that, a CS Voyager XL (what the hell was I thinking?!) before that, some sort of crkt crawford falcon.... ETC...
My point is, That I never really encounter people that make a big deal about it. But I'll have to admit, when I am at work I have been carrying smaller folders. I use an older spyderco copilot as my EDC when I go to school... I used to have a Spyderco Cricket with the spyder edge though which was probably the most useful knife I have ever owned. But this Copilot is growing on me. It has that sexy hollow grind ooo yeeaa.
 
Perhaps we should blame manufacturers for making things in a way that discourages use of a knife and convinces others they're unnecessary.
 
I would think that clamshell packaging alone would drive knife sales.

I'm not so sure knives have disappeared. They've certainly morphed, as most markets do over time.

While it's nice to point to years gone by (most of my knives, bikes, climbing gear are "traditional") it's hard to judge current users. I'll wager those folding box cutters would be appreciated by tradesman of yore if they were available.

There are two aspects of changing knife culture that disturbs me. The first is the survival/tactical turn that's taken place. Maybe it's a reflection of post 9/11 fear, distrust that our infrastructure will stay up or just the natural response of a culture that has been in a constant state of war for so long. Seriously, I find it creepy.

Second, I'm boggled by the numbers of mass killings with guns by mostly disturbed young men and saddened by the recent school killing of a math teacher by a disturbed boy with a .... bud cutter.

I dunno. It's all pretty sad. And I sympathize with people who freak out when I pull out my Opinel. They're scared and I can understand why.
 
I'm often surprised at the amount of red blooded males that I know, meet, or otherwise interact with, who don't regularly carry some type of a pocket knife or cutting tool on them.
With so many options available these days, I can't understand why you wouldn't have SOMETHING. I don't care if it's a small slipjoint like a peanut, barlow or a texas toothpick, a folding (or even sliding/ratcheting) box cutter/utility knife, a SAK classic on your keychain, or even just a multitool of some kind with a blade or two in it.

You can't tell me that size and weight are any kind of a factor at all. You have knives that are as small as light, to as big and heavy as you could possibly want. Not to mentions knives that fit in your wallet, on your keyring, or are built into other everyday items.

I've carried a knife just about every day of my life since I can remember. Sometimes they were crappy little no name knives that could barely cut a piece of tape. I even carried one throughout junior high and highschool, even though it was generally frowned upon in the "rule book". I felt absolutely naked without it, and still do.

I'll bet that a day doesn't go by that I don't use a knife for something. Even if it's just opening a bag or cutting some tape off a box.

Maybe a car key or a pair of scissors from the junk drawer, or a plastic knife from a fast food cutlery packet is enough to get most people by from day to day.

For me? Not even close.
 
SOLEIL said:
I work at a large manufacturing global corp. 90% of workers carry a pocket knife. A majority of them, women included, carry the folding razor knives because because it suits their needs and the company gladly issues new blades. They even have used blade containers located at regular intervals so people and cleaning crews don't get cut on improperly discarded blades. Many of us also carry personal pocket or small sheath knives. People do not whip knives out and wave them around as it will cause problems. But we do openly bring in new stuff to show off and compare with others knives. Everyone is low key about it so no one gets offended. One time an engineer said that my knife was a wicked weapon. I corrected him by saying that it was just a tool, no different than hundreds of tools used there on a daily basis. He smiled and said "Good explanation, you have a good tool". A great many of use also carry things that require permits and must be concealed. We can not carry them at work but the methods of concealment stay with us. We keep our tools in quiet seclusion. The casual observer would never know what we have and may conclude that no one has anything. At least where I live every one of my friends has tools on his/her person. We are not dressed properly without them. It is so natural we don't even think about it. It is expected and appreciated. There are more people out there carrying various tools than most others realize.
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Seeing as you work in an area where knives are actually welcomed, and folding utility knives are popular, could you recommend a good model for purchase?
 
A.P.F. said:
I prefer to call it the 'pussification' of society. Throw in a hoard of 'metrosexuals' and you have the makings of a true disaster should things go south. Perhaps it should be mandatory that each young person watches a season of MacGyver. :)
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BINGO! This is the situation we now have. Few "men" are found nowadays. Very sad and depressing to see what's become of our society. They're no longer individuals, they're "citizens", some of whom have never had a callous on their hands, never done a tune-up on a car, never gutted a deer, ridden a horse, even fired a gun or gone fishing.

I wear an analog wristwatch. I carry a pocket knife 24/7. I wear pants that fit. I tie my shoe laces. The stereo in my truck is set on talk-radio (haven't used an FM station in years). I read books, not just magazines. I don't have holes in my ears. I can change a tire. I can read and write. I don't swear every other word (unless working on the truck). I vote every election. I've been working since I was 12 yrs old.

I fear that I am quite the exception in this modern age, far from typical anymore.

And we wonder why we're headed in the direction we are...
 
that does it. they should pass a law where every kid under the age of 18 should have to watch a mandatory 10 episodes of the a-team, macgyver, and first blood.:p
 
I believe that tools change with the times. I got rid of my folding buck for day to day dog food bag opening, rope cutting, etc. , for a folding Stanley. Along the way, I started carrying a Bic instead of matches, credit card instead of cash and a smartphone instead of a quarter.
 
I was guilty of not carrying a pocket knife for years. Looking back, not only was it influenced by moving to Southern CA, but I also think it was because small knives would fall out of my dress pants pocket. Now that I wear jeans to work every day, I'm back to carrying a small SAK and rotating between several other knives. Today it is a Lionsteel Mini. New job coming up where I have a feeling jeans are going to be discouraged and I'll have to go back to nicer pants or dockers.
 
ijustdontknow, I find that flat, non-clip knives work best with dress slacks. Less imprint. So long as they aren't too long, they don't eject any more than change does.

I keep a Schrade USA 5OT for that, but something like the Buck 501/503 or Kershaw Chive would do.

Shrade 5OT by Pinnah, on Flickr

Another option is to pocket carry (not key chain, but pocket) a Leatherman Micra. It has as much (or more) functionality as must SAKs and folds up nice, small and flat.

edc-pair-2 by Pinnah, on Flickr
 
I gave up on caring if John Q Public carries a knife anymore, I do care that family and friends get a good knife. Any type of SAK, usually the Vic classic, make their way into family members hands at the holidays. My cousin's husband is an electrician, he got a Victorinox electrician model. My brother in law grew up on Buck knives that he and his father used and carried to dress deer, he gets a Buck 301X with bone scales. My little brother could give a damn less about knives, they are tools just the same as his tool box full of tools, but he gets a balisong at the holidays because he is interested by them. My sisters have their one knife, and that works for them. My mother has gotten a knife, as well as my father gets a knife every year at Christmas (although he hasn't lost his Case peanut this time ;)). My godfather has gotten a knife, several friends have gotten knives, as gifts.

Most of them tell me a box cutter would work fine. SAKs made by Victorinox, Kabar Dozier folders etc are cheap well made folders, that can be easily replaced. My sister broke the blade on a Cold Steel I gave her, it was a Tuff Lite I believe, she locked her keys in the truck and used the knife to get back in!

Every single time I visit a Walmart, Target, Dicks sporting goods big box store I always check the cutlery section. I usually carry a large micarta Insingo and Case Tribal Spear. I don't need any of the knives for sale there, but it is a sickness that we have. I'm also shopping for cheap knives to give as gifts at the holidays. Most people in my family tell me that they have their one knife, they have enough already! Others depend on me to get their knife fix, and some get in to the hobby themselves. A family friend has gotten by fine with his Case lockback. It has survived years on the trackloader, skinning deer and gutting fish. Razor sharp. It's all he needs. I have also seen men in business suits comparing William Henrys, Mnandis and custom folders. I have made mention of the fact I was looking for knives in a flea market setting, and practically everyone in there pulls out a knife to compare to each others. The people are out there. Ten years ago I was just moving away from the Chinese swap meet junk into Cold Steel and Gerber. I still would stick with a utility knife to cut up drywall, tile etc. I cringe when a buddy pulls out a nice old knife, or a nice custom knife, to do a dirty job (open oil cans, clean gunk off an undercarriage etc).

I'll always at least have the peanut you gave me Carl, or the Vic classic on my key chain. Never go without a sharp edge.
 
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