who here decides what to carry because they are worried what the sheeple will think?

hell, i don't care what the sheeple think and the next thing i know i don't have a job anymore
 
I carry concealed and am careful with using "scary looking" tactical knives around non-knife people. I also have a non-threatening spare knife (Opinel) on me so as not to disturb the public unnecessarily.

Like it or not we all live our lives according to some conventions of society. My tactical knives are utility tools first, but they are also unapologetically weapons. Therefore I don't blame people for perceiving them as such if I brandished them about. I think discretion is just common sense, and there's a time and place for using tactical knives. I carry knives to make my life easier, not to shock people. And IMHO I don't think we should use them as a sort of in-your-face political statement.
 
I take public reaction into consideration when I carry. I always carry a smaller, very utilitarian knife with me for use in public. I save my bigger knives discretely.
 
I agree with tallwingedgoat. There's no point behind in-your-face political statements. I'm sure everyone has heard the social convention about avoiding discussion of religion and politics. That applies here. It's just being polite, and being polite translates indirectly, and sometimes directly, into money, friends, and time spent outside of the judicial system. I would no sooner frighten people with my knives than I would belch, pick my nose, or walk around with my fly open.

IMO the only times to carry an eye-catching large knife would be at a knife-rights rally, a gun & knife show, or when I had a legitimate sporting use for it. The rest of the time I'll be discrete. As for impressing people with your usefulness, my friendly knives have always been up to the tasks for which friends and coworkers borrow them. I shoot for good reactions, like "wow, that little knife cuts like an exacto; very handy". That comment from a female coworker after using my Chive. And yes, I opened it discretely before handing it to her handle first. When she was done I asked for it back open, explaining that it has an unusual lock.
 
I used to be concerned with what the general pop. would think of my daily carry and so usually ended up with only a SAK in my pocket. Now I actually enjoy the odd startled reactions I get and so indulge my wicked sense of humour when asked "why do you carry THAT?" I tell 'em 'you never know when you'll have to kill something'. I am 'however' not stupid and am prepared to defend my folders as TOOLS to anyone in authority or anyone who thinks that they are an authority figure. Bottom line- I still don't carry a fixed blade much but I carry as big a folder as I own with no apologies or regrets. Knife laws are REASONABLY sane in Canada for the time being but I don't expect them to stay that way forever. If and when my knives become illegal to carry I plan on breaking the law. So I guess you could say I am willing to make a few concessions to the frightened little mouses of the world but not very many.
 
The advantage of carrying several knives is that you can use the one best suited to the circumstances. Cut a piece of thread or open a letter or box, use a small slipjoint folder. Kill a wild boar use an EK Bowie. Everything else, should fall comfortably, somewhere in between.:D
 
I don't let what people think determine what I carry, but I do let it determine what I will use in front of them unless its an emergency. I carry a tiny Swiss army knife for utility and another knife for special circumstances. I also go by what's legal.
Still I don't care to argue about it in court unless I have too. There is legal and then there is legal. You would be surprised at the varying interpretations out there. You can win but at what cost. Quit charging windmills and use common sense and it will not be a problem.
 
I do adjust my EDC a bit according to the circumstances. Nobody has been shocked or frightened by my use of my knife in the workplace, while shopping, etc. I guess alot of comes down to the way you present yourself to others. I'm pretty clean cut and dress nicely when out in public. Nothing fancy, just an ironed shirt tucked in and Dockers. You'd be amazed at the extra help you can get when you look friendly. Nice smiles from people too. Nobody says anything to me when I use my knives in public. The image I project to others is positive one. I still can look pretty mean in uniform and have a "game-face" while at work that works quite well.
 
I pay attention to social convention, and more so when I'm traveling. The point is to blend in rather than stand out. When I need to use a knife in an environment where most people don't even carry any more, I want those around me to be glad I have it, and that means keeping it small enough to be invisible most of the time, as well as generic enough to be non-threatening. I find a small sebenza satisfies both of those criteria most of the time so it is often with me outside of my home-territory where I can carry a small FB most of the time if I choose (which I usually do).

The other day I was at a party in a local park. Had my Dozier K1 on my belt when I found myself behind a food counter being asked to cut up tons of French bread and hard cheese. Out came the Dozier which saw about 15 mins. of use, then was slipped back into its sheath. I had no sooner put it away then I heard a female voice behind me ask "can I borrow your knife?"

Now I almost never loan someone a good knife, but I turned around and found there standing in front of me an unbelievably pretty (and sexy) middle aged woman (mind you I'm even more middle aged myself) and without skipping a beat or removing my eyes from hers (and that was difficult believe me considering what she had on and how well she was built) I reached for the Dozier, flipped it around and presented it to her handle first. My instinct told me this was a woman of experience with knives and everything else too... Sure enough, she expertly sliced a few limes (while I expertly checked her out confirming my first impression) for the Coronas and other things going around, turned the knife around and handed it back to me also handle first saying only "Thank you, a very sharp knife." I said only "thank you", and sheathed the knife without (once again) taking my eyes from hers.

That was the end of the encounter. She turned away first, and I didn't get a chance to speak with her the rest of the day. Hey, I'm married too, and my wife was there! :rolleyes: Still my first thought when it ended was for my Dozier... I had to find some water and get that lime juice off the D2 blade!
:p
 
Originally posted by Rifter:

Personally i have decided the sheeple can go screw themselves, as long as what im taking is legal and i carry it in accordince with local laws then i dont see what the problem is
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My thoughts exactly.

I carry a large folder every single day, in my right front pocket. I rarely take it out in public, instead using the blade on my SOG PowerLock.

While I don't care if anyone sees my knife, I'd rather not draw attention to it by whipping it out, and cutting something that my PowerLock can handle.

'Save the hassle' is one of my motto's.
 
While I don’t really care what I carry when not at work, I do tune it down at work. Everyone at work knows that I am a former law enforcement officer and they don’t really get too freaked if I have a large (4" or so ) blade. I do remember another officer friend who wanted a Vaquero Grande and I talked him into to ordering it. He carried it on duty, plain clothes, most of the time. We were in a class of mostly state police officers when he took out his knife and showed a buddy that was sitting next to him. You should have heard the rank and file’s comments. Even those who routinely carry handguns, shotguns and rifles in their units have something against large blades, Go figure.
 
I, like the majority of you fellow BF members, DO NOT CARE what the sheeple think of what I carry.

As posted by some fellow Texans before me, anything with a 5.5 inch blade or less is LEGAL here in the great state of Texas!!! :D :D :D (Just to keep those "big headed" LEOs in check, I carry a copy of the state law, regarding knives, in my wallet.;))

I carry my Spyderco Military PE and Endura SE for work, and for non-work carry either the Millie, Lum Chinese, or Calypso Jr. LtWt. with my Native as a backup. I don't worry about carrying a blade that will "offend" someone. I really don't care, WHATSOEVER, what the sheeple think.

If I do run into one who is offended, I welcome the confrontation. :cool:
 
Freak out a stranger on the street and maybe later on he gets a chance to vote for a law that WILL make the blade you showed him illegal.

Freak out a coworker and maybe later on you get passed over for a promotion or get picked early at layoff time. I've been asked to pick between staff members, and if there isn't any performance difference then the one who is 1% more freaky gets the short straw.

Freak out a friend and maybe the friendship now is a little more distant.

Legal knives? A saying we have is that you're "dead right" - meaning that you're right but you're also dead. You won the battle but you may lose the war.

There's just no point.
 
While at work, yes I do take into consideration what other people will think (the sheeple). That's why the Emerson usually doesn't come to the hospital with me ;). But outside of work on my own time I carry whatever is legal, not caring what sheeple may think.
 
years ago, long before ya could get a license to carry, i lived in a crack/crime/scum infested area, and was robbed once, i decided i wasnt gonna worry what anyone thought, and started carrying a walther PPK .32 24/7 on me and carried a 12 gauge pump shotgun (which was legal) in the trunk. it almost seemed that people could sense i had it, as i was never approached/threatened while i had the PPK. my wife carried an old colt .25 auto. we often laugh as now we both have permits that legally give us the right to carry, and yrs ago, when we lived in the bad part of town,and REALLY needed them, we had to carry illegally - ironic isnt it??

was i wrong to carry?? legally yes, morraly, no, not imho. i carried the gun to use only as a last resort, to save my life, knowing the crap i was going to get into if i DID have to use it. carrying illegally will teach you restraint for sure, ya dont want ANYONE knowing about the gun unless ya HAVE to use it. thankfully, i never did have to pull it.

theses days i feel ARMED w/a glock 32C or 33 vs that old PPK as a primary gun.

and this was really before the ager of good one hand opening folders w/pocket clips. i still have my old drop point gerber FS11, which in the early 80's was state of the art, and man, it is crappy lol compared to todays stuff.

but ya just have to decide what YOU are willing to do to protect yourself, other people be damned, just depends on YOUR situation, a mans gotta do what a mans (or a woman) gotta do..........

greg
 
I used to live in a place where it mattered. I used to have a job where it mattered. I moved to a place where it doesn't and got a job where it doesn't.

Who won? I look around and compare my current surroundings to my old ones. My kids can walk around the neighborhood and not be abducted. I leave the house unlocked when I go somewhere, and leave the keys in the car wherever I park. I have free seafood and clean air. No traffic, cheap real estate and low taxes. I can pull a six inch hunting blade at Subway to cut my son's sandwich up and nobody raises an eyebrow.

I'd say those sheep who stayed in my former environs lost that one.
 
I work in a mental health inpatient unit. So, occasionally someone will comment. Especially if it is seen in the main office in Yakima.
Most of the people I work with have a fair dose of common sense.

I did point out to one person that it would probably be more efficient to beat them to death with the chair I was sitting in than to stab them with the camillus they made a comment upon seeing it in my pocket. It was cruel of me. I broadened the her veiw of weapons to include makeshift weapons. I am sure that she is looking for a way to ban writing utensils, coffee cups, picture frames, chairs, staples, three hole punches, etc. Maybe, I should just buy her a knife......
 
Velitrius said...
I leave the house unlocked when I go somewhere, and leave the keys in the car wherever I park. I have free seafood and clean air. No traffic, cheap real estate and low taxes.
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Sorry... I would have asked you this privately, but you refuse emails... Where exactly is this wonderful place and what kind of work is there to do there?
 
Originally posted by Velitrius
No traffic, cheap real estate and low taxes.
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Hmmm...I don't know of the Washington state you live in ;). No traffic, you must not live anywhere near Seattle. But I hope it's not down south cause it smells funny down there ;).
 
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