why am I looked at like such a weirdo for having a pocketknife

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Hell, guys, it's obvious none of you has stayed in Europe long enough. Hell, I've been looked at that way four or fivetimes this year alone. And, hell, I was either using a Dragonfly to cut some problematic zip-ties from an electricity pole or opening some plastic packages with my Dozier to get some Coke while camping. It's a hell to be a knife nut here (Spain). :grumpy:
 
Be a responsible Knife owner, no worries.
but.

jonnyt16 said:
Guns and knives are out, rainbow flags are in.
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[video=youtube;jYj7T9eEQ4U]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYj7T9eEQ4U[/video]
 
Actually, I think it also has to do with you as the person they know / see. Do you act strange? Do you look like you can run amok at any time?

I carry 3 1/2" knives and lately my new zt452 4" knife. I have a reputation for being prepared. Whenever somebody needs something, I usually have it nearby. I give people the idea of having a 3 day emergency bag in their car. Part of my spiel is when we get hit by a big earthquake in CA, I have everything I need for two people to live for 3 days. And if we pick up a hitchhiker along the way, we can last another 3 days.

When someone sees me whip out my knife for the first time, I explain I always have a knife on me because you never know when you might come across a steak that needs slicing.
 
ThePeacent said:
Hell, guys, it's obvious none of you has stayed in Europe long enough. Hell, I've been looked at that way four or fivetimes this year alone. And, hell, I was either using a Dragonfly to cut some problematic zip-ties from an electricity pole or opening some plastic packages with my Dozier to get some Coke while camping. It's a hell to be a knife nut here (Spain). :grumpy:
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You hear that, guys? Don't go giving up on things in America yet. We're a country of people who agree 90% of the time but who have been convinced we disagree 90% of the time. I grew up on a farm in conservative East Texas (Charlie Wilson was my rep) and now work in liberal Hollywood (and fly back and forth between the two every few weeks). I've lived both extremes, and my experience says that people are pretty much the same. They've just been told they're different by folks with a vested interest in keeping us divided. I love Merle, but that "Snowball Headed for Hell" stuff (which I agree with half the time) doesn't really reflect what we really are. We come from different places and we've been taught different things, but there's still way the heck more in common between us than not. And as to this topic, there's not a person alive who doesn't have some kind of knife in their kitchen. We're all knife users. The rest is in the details.
 
The picture below is typically what I look like on a daily basis. I've been carrying this knife for about a decade here in urban San Diego, in all sorts of places. No one has ever said a negative word about it, nor have I ever noticed any negative reactions, and that includes several cops I have crossed paths with. But of course, I don't go around looking for negative reactions.

If you go looking for negative reactions, chances are you'll notice them, even if they're not really there. I think that some knife enthusiasts are very self-conscious about their knives, or they suffer from a persecution complex, and they think people are looking at them, or judging them, even when they aren't.

If I ever do encounter a negative reaction to my knife, I will ignore it, because that's the way I am.

In contrast, I have experienced several positive reactions to my knife. Like the time I saw this young couple trying to tie a Christmas tree to the roof of their car. They brought twine, but forgot to bring something to cut it with. I watched them struggling and felt sympathy for them, so I stepped forward with a big smile and offered to cut it for them. They were very appreciative (the guy said he was just about to try and saw through the twine with his car key). And that's just one of many occasions where a stranger has had a positive reaction to my knife.

P1000909800x600_zps3b57f8ae.jpg
 
killgar said:
The picture below is typically what I look like on a daily basis. I've been carrying this knife for about a decade here in urban San Diego, in all sorts of places. No one has ever said a negative word about it, nor have I ever noticed any negative reactions, and that includes several cops I have crossed paths with. But of course, I don't go around looking for negative reactions.

If you go looking for negative reactions, chances are you'll notice them, even if they're not really there. I think that some knife enthusiasts are very self-conscious about their knives, or they suffer from a persecution complex, and they think people are looking at them, or judging them, even when they aren't.

If I ever do encounter a negative reaction to my knife, I will ignore it, because that's the way I am.

In contrast, I have experienced several positive reactions to my knife. Like the time I saw this young couple trying to tie a Christmas tree to the roof of their car. They brought twine, but forgot to bring something to cut it with. I watched them struggling and felt sympathy for them, so I stepped forward with a big smile and offered to cut it for them. They were very appreciative (the guy said he was just about to try and saw through the twine with his car key). And that's just one of many occasions where a stranger has had a positive reaction to my knife.

P1000909800x600_zps3b57f8ae.jpg
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Wow. Nice. I don't think I've ever seen an open carry fixed blade in LA (but I see pocket clips everywhere; hipsters love knives). What kind of knife is that?
 
JWheel said:
Wow. Nice. I don't think I've ever seen an open carry fixed blade in LA (but I see pocket clips everywhere; hipsters love knives). What kind of knife is that?
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Thanks. It's a Wilson Tactical model 25. Wilson Tactical was an offshoot of Wilson Combat (custom 1911's), it was basically their knife division. Now their knives are sold under Wilson Combat. The model 25 was discontinued years ago.

It's a little over 10" long, 5" blade, D2 steel, almost 1/4" thick. (my camera makes it look bigger in that^ pic)

It's been my work knife ever since I bought it (shipping, construction). It didn't take long for it to become my EDC.

It's not unusual for me to see someone in San Diego carrying a fixed-blade. Not common, but not unusual either.

P1000953750x563_zps6974cd30.jpg
 
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killgar said:
Thanks. It's a Wilson Tactical model 25. Wilson Tactical was an offshoot of Wilson Combat (custom 1911's), it was basically their knife division. Now their knives are sold under Wilson Combat. The model 25 was discontinued years ago.

It's a little over 10" long, 5" blade, D2 steel, almost 1/4" thick. (my camera makes it look bigger in that^ pic)

It's been my work knife ever since I bought it (shipping, construction). It didn't take long for it to become my EDC.

It's not unusual for me to see someone in San Diego carrying a fixed-blade. Not common, but not unusual either.

P1000953750x563_zps6974cd30.jpg
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Oh yeah. That's a sought after blade. You should sell it ... to me. :)
 
JWheel said:
Oh yeah. That's a sought after blade. You should sell it ... to me. :)
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lol. Sorry, I'll have to decline. It's my "go to" fixed-blade. I think I would be lost without it. :)
 
Because the norm these days are people who have no desire to be self reliant...
 
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It's all in the gestalt invoked....

Oh all right, it's all in the "immediate impression received which can fall into a pigeonhole which carries more emotion and information than the sum of it's apparent parts".

One way to change this impression received is to carry a "pocket knife" instead of a "knife" (shameless traditional knife plug here). That might be the easiest way.

Another thing folks seem to be doing is working to give the impression of a handy individual with a tool or a prepper. This is a valid approach as well.

As long as you don't flick it out with glee (in public anyway). This will give a negative impression of "danger" due to our media, 9-11, etc. This is how it is, just how it is and nobodies "fault". A lot of the media which re-enforces this is fiction which will always be lurid.

So it is our responsibility to think of these things. 'Tain't right, but it's so.

'Course some people are just buttheads.
 
East coast big cities and other big cities like Chicago, most with gang/crime problems, are a tough place to live for all knife users, and firearms owners. Their mayors etc. don't seem to be elected because they support constitutional rights but because they can continue to hand out all the freebies the voters think they are entitled to. Folks working in the trades and outside those congested urban sites use knives all the time and won't bat an eye if they see one.
 
jonnyt16 said:
Its the sad, new America. And I believe the government and the media played a big role in it. They have done a damn good job of ripping out the ruggedness and masculinity of the general population and replacing it with a softer, more compliant citizen. Guns and knives are out, rainbow flags are in.
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So true.. And so so so sad
 
I occasionally get funny looks concerning my knife from other people. I sort of feel it's their problem and when they formed their initial impression of you and the knife. You even get these looks when you get a SAK out sometimes. But generally speaking, I do choose the knife relative to my needs and where I am likely to be and use it. Keep the knife use functional and not flashy and you're fine.
 
Making sure your knife is in accordance with local knife laws can certainly help your confidence level in dealing with any negative reactions.
 
I get more odd looks when I pull out a flashlight than when I pull out a knife.

That said, the only knife that is guaranteed to not get a bad reaction is a red swiss army knife. People are so conditioned to think of them as tools rather than knives that it never provokes a negative response.
 
JWheel said:
Cory makes a fine point. What he says is totally true. It's not your problem, it's theirs. HOWEVER, we live in a country where majority rules. Personally, I like to bring people over to my way of thinking and make them comfortable around things they might be strangers to. Otherwise, we risk scaring people into doing things like trying to take our rights away out of fear. Once you leave the majority quaking in fear, they'll make their problems ours.
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:thumbup: It is an opportunity to be a knife/tool ambassador. I enjoy that a lot. But it doesn't happen much in my profession.

Zieg
 
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