What draws you to carrying a knife?

I started carrying a knife to be like my grandpa. Guess I still do.... I'm guessing the boots are Redwing roughnecks.
 
Pokerchip said:
I started carrying a knife to be like my grandpa. Guess I still do.... I'm guessing the boots are Redwing roughnecks.
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Grandpas have an incredible influence on us I guess aye.
& close, they're redwing 1907's. The para2 of boots.
 
I thought as a kid that every man carried one. I still chuckle every time another dude at work asks to borrow mine, I just secretly think why aren't you carrying a knife?
 
I also somewhat romanticize knife carry. Growing up, I had no familial figures who carried knives (most of them see a knife as nothing more than a weapon outside of a kitchen), so my interest in them is entirely on me. Unlike with many others here, the idea of carrying a knife never carried with it a masculine connotation.

I carry a knife for two reasons. The first is the utility we're all aware of on BladeForums (I know that even the most collector-ish of us at least carry a beater for EDC). The second reason is as a symbol of independence; the emergency uses of a knife (such as some of the stories I've read here on BF and elsewhere about incidents where a person's blade has resulted in lives saved) serve as a reminder that society can't or won't always be there, and that at the end of the day, the only person I can count on is myself. No matter how modern my knife is, it also reminds me of all the people throughout history to whom knives were completely essential for survival; indeed, the security of our pampered culture is nothing more than a poorly-conceived illusion. Like many others here, I feel that everyone should carry a knife and that, where legal, it's foolhardy not to. Also, this:

strategy9 said:
As someone else said here on bladeforums;

"Because God gave me neither talons nor fangs. "
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I see most of society as willingly de-clawed and weaker for it; I don't want to be like that myself.
 
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For me I'm sure it stems from scouting. Be prepared is something that gets ingrained. Also being given that folder for the first time and in trusted with that power and responsibility, was a step toward manhood.
 
[video=youtube;3seJk0L9r58]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3seJk0L9r58[/video]

Short of it?

Because of an acquired anxiety disorder, I need to be armed at all times and carrying a gun is out because of my criminal records.
 
When I was young didn't have much access but new where some of dads knives were "Swiss army knives and stuff of the sort" and always loved survival shows so knives were cool sneak it out back and carve wood and such. Years passed crap happened couldn't do that anymore split custody dad don't carry knives. At moms house one day I had set up rock climbing thing got tangled in rope don't ask how and hung there for an hour. After that I decided a knife would have helped and bought a cheap flea market one. Then that wore out bought a Kershaw it got used a lot it really is a do all tool. Scraping some digging cutting carving wood etc... Now I do some construction work on weekends and knife is most used tool so I recently got delica for opening with gloves and carry a traditional for wood carving. I like being prepared is why. So on my person I have a tiny key chain flashlight pencil pen sharpie modern knife traditional knife and note pad. Not a prepper but a guy who comes prepared.
 
It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling carrying a knife.
I just don't feel complete when I have to fly or go somewhere that doesn't allow knives.
 
Raz94 said:
I want to know what draws you to carrying a knife.

I romanticize carrying a knife, I feel like if I have a good knife & good pair of boots on I can take on the world. I feel like that's all I need (albeit extremely wrong), but I just find the idea of being prepared (a knife and boots hardly counts, but that's a different topic) to be so cool. It makes me feel like a frontiers man of yesteryear, sure I ain't but it sure makes me feel that way.
836d24ce1f996f914bba9b72e76afecd.jpg
extra points if you can name the boots.
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those are timberlands[emoji23] [emoji23]
 
I've been carrying a knife with me almost every day since Dad got me my first scout knife at the age of ten. 1974. Almost all of my jeans have had wear marks from pocket carry. Went to a sodbuster then an Eka big swede in high school. That summer went to an Alox soldier, then a Pioneer which I still have.
These days I typically carry a Blur all week, and the same Pioneer on weekends.
Carrying a knife is a right of passage for a guy. Grandpa always had one, so still does Dad. My son will get his first next year or so (he's eight).
 
The knife is the most basic yet versatile tool mankind has and I can carry a quality folding knife that is very unobtrusive yet will handle most tasks. No reason not to for me at least
 
Charlie Mike said:
[video=youtube;3seJk0L9r58]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3seJk0L9r58[/video]

Short of it?

Because of an acquired anxiety disorder, I need to be armed at all times and carrying a gun is out because of my criminal records.
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You are a fascinating, candid human being, and I genuinely like you because I feel like you genuinely portray yourself. Thank you.
 
J85909266 said:
You are a fascinating, candid human being, and I genuinely like you because I feel like you genuinely portray yourself. Thank you.
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I got no reason to bullshit ;)
 
Charlie Mike said:
I got no reason to bullshit ;)
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That's a rare quality.

I also carry knives partly because I feel safer with them. I know it's a silly notion, but it's real, at the same time.

I also like to be able to cut anything i want, whenever I want. I mourn for modern folks that have a full functioning computer in their pocket and need to use their teeth to tear open a tough package. Or then run around for 10 minutes looking for scissors...

The knife is the oldest tool for a reason.
 
Lieblad said:
During my Splicer days, I always carried scissors (even ran with them too ! )
For day to day cutting strings, open boxes, sharpen pencils, etc., scissors could easily do it all.
Now days, I carry knife. Still does the day to day work with benefit of intimidates rubes.
As well, I embrace more my ancestors daily habits.

Btw, some Splicers call scissors "snips" & go all ballistic to hear someone say "scissors".
Oh well, Not everybody is enlightened & well adjusted, Not even Splicers...
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What did I just read?
 
A knife in the pocket or on the belt represents independence. With it, you can make tools, fires, and defend yourself.

If you can't accomplish those rudimentary tasks... that means you aren't independent.
 
When I was a small child carrying a knife made me feel "prepared", and I liked that feeling. I liked that I didn't have to ask others to cut stuff for me. It made me feel "grown up". And every kid wants to feel "grown up".

And before I started growing up and became a part of the big cynical world, knives had this sense of magic attached to them. The fact that I could cut stuff with this little thing I carried around in my pocket seemed almost magical.

It also gave me this pleasantly sneaky feeling like I had a secret, as in - I was carrying a knife and people didn't know it. My parents knew that I had and carried knives, and they were fine with it, knives were not forbidden in my family. But no one else knew ;).

I also regarded knives as "treasures", my prized possessions. And I liked carrying my "treasure" around in my pocket wherever I went.

Knives also had a sense of privilege attached to them as I knew kids who were not allowed to have knives.

As an adult, most of the "magic" of knives has faded away. I still regard my knives as "treasures", and I still like feeling prepared.

As far as why I carry knives today- I carry knives for when I know I will need to cut things, and for those times when I unexpectedly need to cut things.
 
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