What's Too Big for Office Carry?

I think how you act with it is a bigger factor than the type of knife. As long as its not something designed to look threatening like a civilian.And make sure its not against any rules. Carry a knife that will suit your needs in a way that isn't glaringly obvious. It doesn't have to be completely concealed, but don't throw it in everyones face.
When you use it, open it use it and put it away. If someone shits about it and flies into sheeple mode, act disgusted with them. If your using it as a tool its only a tool don't put up with them treating you like your a threat.
I carry a BM750S everywhere. Most people who were startled the first time they saw me use it have gotten over it or moved on. They just have to realize thats part of who you are.
 
Hi,
I work in NYC in a company that most here would consider VERY sheeple (Let put it this way - it's one of the TV networks), and I've never had a problem. It seems department related. I work as a programmer, and in my department of 10, I'd say 5 people either have a leatherman or a knife either in the briefcase or pocket!

I try to keep it sane - The largest knife I've carried (and it's pushing it) is a Munroe Chimera, and I've also carried a CRKT small pointguard, and a Jeff Hall small #2 - In other words, small and/or pretty
 
I've been wondering that as well.

Our company policy says no "dangerous weapons".

So, is a blue-handled Kershaw Boa in a custom G2 sheath a "dangerous weapon"?

1aos.jpg


Mike
 
I work at home here on my Ranch. We raise Llamas, Angora goats, and a few sheep. When it comes time to slaughter a sheep this year I'm going to use my new Ryan Model 1 pictured here.

RyanHand.JPG


This piece should rip and bleed out the sheep very quickly and humanely, therefore causing the least amount of suffering for the sheep, and.....Wait.....OH, you said "sheeple"!! Okay. Same answer though. :D
 
I only read this thread till I got to Bteels's pic of the William Henry Evolution Series Wharnecliffe.

It was exactly what I was thinking when I came to this thread.
I have one and it is THE perfect non-threatening gentlemen's folder.
People see it and say what a gorgeous little knife it is. I'd say go with the wood or Mother of Pearl model for more "eye candy" appeal. The action and lock up on this baby has to be felt. It is a real work of art that works.:D
WH has others that are even shorter in the blade than this one. And even classier.
BTW, the Evolution has a 2.9" blade of VG-10. EXTREMELY sharp OOB.

WH has the market cornered on beautiful gentlemen's folders as far as I'm concerned.

For less money, the Spyderco Vesuvius is a looker too. As is the Benchmade Osborne collab, in green or blue or methinks they even have a red handled model. These have anodized aluminun handles and the Axis Lock.:eek:

Lots of good stuff I've not even touched on to be had out there. Happy Hunting!
 
The sheeple should be careful what they wish for.

My small Seb doesn't seem to bother too many people so long as I open it very slowly, with two hands; but that's when I am in others' offices.

In MY office, the staff is used to SpecWar posters, tactical looking people coming and going from time to time and, every now and again, me opening mail or cutting up a large hoagie (sub, hero or grinder depending on where you are from) with an SOG Tigershark.:eek:
 
What's too big for office carry?

If it drags on the floor...that's not good. Or, maybe you're too short, hard to say.

If you have problems keeping your pants up (and you aren't the president)...that's not good. Or, maybe you're too stout...hard to say.

If you list to one side or the other (assuming moderation)...that's not good. Perhaps you are on the thin side...hard to say.

Otherwise you probably be fine. :)


Steve-O
 
For me, if the knife can be seen by others, it is too big. I do not reveal to anyone that I am carrying a knife that might intimidate or frighten them. I carry a MICRA on my key chain to open mail or whatever, but my larger knife remains concealed....always.

I can see no percentage in taking the risk of offending someone or causing them to think ill of me because I choose to carry a large folder. It is none of their business and what they do not know cannot hurt me.
 
well probably NOT a SIFU lol - i guess depends on the office though - my spydie centofante is slim/lightweight and small enought to pass imho - or my buck squire would for sure ....


sifu
 
Good thread, Jt, tho I fear you've maybe left us a bit in the dark about the likelihood of your using the knife at work, and the potential need for self defense on your way into or out of work.

If you are not a person who is going to be called upon to open boxes in front of others, or make other use of your knife in a public environment, it seems unnecessary to have anything on a clip while you're in your office. If, on the other hand, your using a knife in front of others is likely to be a commonplace occurrence, you're going to have to figure out what is acceptable and what isn't.

No offense, but a couplee burgs in your state have made knife news by ridiculous, Draconian municipal statutes about knives. I'd make real certain you know the municipal as well as state laws that apply to your office location.

If you really don't need to use a knife on the job, I'd go without one, or else get a nice folder, maybe a Trapper pattern so that if ever an emergency arose, you'd have a bit of blade to use. As someone already suggested, if you need protection going into the office or leaving it, then a briefcase or something similar could suffice.

If your office is stuffy enough for 3-piece suits, depending upon your build and style, I'd suggest getting a tailor at a cleaners to sew you some knife pockets on the inside of the vests. It could then be a folder or fixed blade, hanging back there out of sight, but ready if ever needed. There are always boot knifes, tho the boots most wear with suits often don't have much space for a knife.

Let us know your expected use/need, and I think we can offer you the better advice.
 
:eek: I carried my Gibbs Mad Max with 7" blade to the office with me the other day. I was the only one there until the mailman came and I whipped it out to open an envelope and I thought he was going to fall out.
michael :D
 
I use a large Sebenza at work for various tasks, and have never thought of it as a big nasty knife. Laid it on someone's desk one day while trying to do some repair work and got a look of surprise from the occupant.

"Wow! That sure is a big knife :eek: "

"Yep" I says, "sometimes these here cables get out of control, and I have to put them down ma'am..."

She laughs.

A little friendly humor softens a member of the sheeple toward my BIG BAD knife. I even get her to help me out and hand me the knife while I'm pulling cable.
 
The one thing nobody mentioned is a nice small Swiss Army or Wenger.
The Swiss Army knife has been around so long that people just ignore them. I guess the red handles on them are an accepted item.
I have a small Swiss Army with the LED flashlight that is attached to my gear bag with a spare oversized cuff key.
Everyone looks at it and says get a real knife :p
The tiny blades are very plain and they are sharp! , I have the scars to prove it.
Some of the blades thay have run up to about 3"
 
Bugs... the expected use at work would not be much -- the occasional box and mail, hanging thread and other small odd tasks. As far as on the way to work -- well, I do ride mass transit, but it is pretty safe in the Cleveland area.

The knife I was thinking about was a BM 690. I am liking carrying a knife to and at work. The one I have been using was small enough but seemed a bit too tactical for the office. Now I am thinking the slightly bigger, but less tactical 690.

Hope that helps...JT
 
i work wearing a suit and sitting at a desk, admin/IT for a hospital. I always had my spydie viele on me. a buddy of mine carried a military to work, so i started with a benchmade pinnacle and then got a starmate. he started to carry his civ. no one complained about any of my carries, but lots of people ask or commented. one of our managers remarked that his blade was so BIG when he whipped it out to cut a box. it's legal and safe, and it usually gets hidden by my suit jacket. no problems. usually, demonstrating a blade's utility often eases people's outlooks, especially if you come off as a gearhead.
wear what makes YOU comfortable. if there's a problem afterwards, then rectify it. it's not school anymore, and the teacher isn't going to confiscate your stuff. First and foremost, do what's best for YOU. if you need a gent folder, than carry it. if you want something tactical, then carry it. don't try to modify your behavior in accordance to people around you. you will see yourself lowering your standards every day.

toast
 
I have to agree with some folks and disagree with others.

Where I work (a university) there is a "weapons policy", i.e., a "no-weapons policy", and a person could get fired for violating it. OTOH, the policy also specifies that a pocket knife with a blade less than 3" long is not a weapon. I don't really doubt that I could make a case for the "toolness" [or even the "jewelryness":cool:] of a particular knife with a slightly longer blade, such as a Spyderco Viele or Benchmade 690, both with blades just a hair over 3", but life seems a lot simpler when I can simply carry a BM 705 or Camillus/Ralph EDC with a blade slightly under 3" and not have to worry.

If you work in an "office" and there is no stated limit I'd think a BM 690, especially with a plain edge and satin finish, would be dressy and non-tactical enough that very few people would take umbrage. Living in Ohio, knife usage ought to be more prevalent than in NYC or LA, too, but you never know.:rolleyes: I work with enough techies that a lot carry some form of knife. In my previous assignment everybody I worked with carried a knife (and often a Leatherman too), but now that I'm back in a strictly software function, I don't really know what all the occupants of the neighboring cubicles [:(] carry. I'm sure some probably do and others may not.

I don't see any good coming from carrying something that is really likely to offend someone. I sometimes change out my carry when I know I will be around someone who is likely to react badly, but I still carry something and have no compunctions about showing it in peaceful uses. I figure that it is better overall to demonstrate the use of a knife as a tool than to carry something that looks like a menace. You never know. You may actually have a positive influence on some of your co-workers with a nice knife used judiciously.:)

Paul
 
I would say carry what ever you dam well want and the hell with the pc *******s
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That would be a nice philosophy to live by if people(like me) didn't have these pesky little things like mouths to feed at home, mortgage to pay, monthly bills, knife buying habit and so on and so forth we have to pay for. Well, for me, I'll just leave the big stuff out in the car till I get off of my job(which pays quite well BTW) even though the place is run by clueless pc dips.
The sad truth is most people have to tow the company line or else forsake all of the above in order to carry "what ever you dam well want", and I'm not willing to give up my knife buying budget all that easily.:p
 
At every job, I've pursued a process of Knife Person Incrementalism. It's a gradual thing. First I mention casually that I collect "pocket knives." Then I start showing off my latest gent's folder. Over time, the size of the knives increases, though with the larger one's I'm quick to say something to the effect of, "I don't know about this one; it's a little large for daily pocket carry."

After a while, my coworkers just think of me when when they think of knives, and I can get away with carrying blades that would otherwise raise eyebrows (or alarm). For example, a coworker who found an old bayonet came to me to identify it, and I posted it on Bernard Levine's forum for him.

It's really pretty amazing what people will get used to, if you just give them some time and work your way up to it gradually.
 
A good idea for many cases Razor.
However, not in my particular case.
I work for a large international corp.:rolleyes: and their policy is "while on company property, being in possesion of a blade over 2 inches in length is grounds for immediate termination".
Not much room to work with there.
Factor in a situation that happened a year ago when some moron attacked another associate with a pocket knife at work. If you listen carefully you can hear the sound of the metal detectors gently humming as they are being turned on.
Dumb asses had it turned up so sensitive at first, the plate holding my left arm's distal radii together set the damn thing off.:mad:
After explaining to them that airport metal detectors don't get set off by it, they turned the sensitivity down on their new toy so I don't tingle when I walk thru it.:D
No biggy though. As long as I can carry my Spydie Cricket or Pegasus, I don't feel too naked.
 
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