Why am I the only one I know who carries a knife?

[taeku4]

I've only got into knives within the last year or so, and its kind of suprising how almost no one I knows carries a knife. The only people who do are friends who I've given SAKs to, who finally realized that knives are a really useful tool (especially since they have useful scissors on them ).

To be honest though, since I'm a student living in Bellingham, which is fairly divided, it makes sense. The thing about this city is that the most anti-knife people are the younger students my age who haven't grown up with them, and the people who like knives tend to be the older guys around town who work tougher hands on jobs and hunt and fish regularly.

I'm not going to lie though, since I grew up in Seattle and was a city boy for most of my life, I didn't understand why anyone would need a knife on them. After carrying one for a month or so, I finally understood why they are so useful and it became a habit to carry one everyday.

Like a lot of people in this thread have mentioned though, I've had to get my friends used to the idea that a knife, especially for me, is a tool first and not a weapon. Luckily, they understand that now, and even if they don't approve of it all that much they don't worry about people carrying knives.

The only real issue I've had is with guys who think they are hardcore. All these guys think about is how tactical a knife looks and how bad it would mess someone up. I ask my friends to not talk about knives in front of these guys anymore, because it inevitably leads to them asking to see my knife, then holding it in reverse grip and telling me that they know how to knife fight .

 

[Sulaco]

I would say that the majority of the people I know do not carry a knife. My wife and sister both keep SAK Ramblers on their keychains (in their purses and so, with them at all times, but not 'on them'). I know my wife uses hers a good bit. My Dad carries and uses knives daily for work, but sometimes doesn't carry one when he is off work. I have a friend at work who carries when it's convenient, but I don't think he uses a knife much at all. I have a relative or two who may or may not carry a knife if the urge strikes them. But for the most part, I hardly know anyone who does. It's been that way as long as I can remember, though. I was always the guy who had a knife on him.

I've seen people here at work use their teeth, keys, scissors, all sorts of things to replace a knife. Seems odd to me, but hey, what do I know?

I edited to add: My father-in-law (great guy, by the way) is a commercial block/brick mason. He carries this really ancient Schrade something or other Kmart special in a nylon sheath. He's sharpened it on so many blocks that the blade is now the shape of a toothpick and completely rounded off. He says he uses it to cut the bands on the pallets mortar and other stuff comes on (there's no way he's cutting, he's just prying). I bought him a nice Byrd knife and he was very appreciative, but he's never used it, let alone carried it. He's scared he might mess it up...

 

[Joben]

The only real issue I've had is with guys who think they are hardcore. All these guys think about is how tactical a knife looks and how bad it would mess someone up. I ask my friends to not talk about knives in front of these guys anymore, because it inevitably leads to them asking to see my knife, then holding it in reverse grip and telling me that they know how to knife fight .

Argh! I hate that so much. People who say stupid things like that don't get to use my knives anymore.

 

[taeku4]

Yup, I'm always cool with letting people handle my knives, so that they can try them out and get a feel. It helps a lot of my friends feel more comfortable with my knives when they handle them and know that the knives aren't going to just jump out of my hand and cut someone.

Most of the friends I know who are more into knives, or at least see the value of carrying something like a SAK, get a SAK Classic from me as a gift. With guys I get the translucent colored plastic ones or the alox, and for the girls I get the brighter and happier colors. Most everyone finds out them suprisingly useful. Hoepfully I can get them into flashlights with keychain lights .

Like Joben said though, anyone stupid enough to think I only carry knives for stabbing people don't get to handle them anymore. Same thing for people who complain that my knives aren't sharp, then cut themselves.

 

[quattromori]

I actually never wondered if people around me carry knives or not...
Still, I was born and raised in a place where every grown man carries a resolza (our traditional slipjoint) in his pocket, and it has been like that for ages, so I guess people consider it natural (more in rural areas and less in cities though).
I guess most people don't really need a knife for their life, or think they don't need it even tho they could change their minds if some prophet initiated them
It is a fact that people like us (meaning the majority of the people on this forum) have gone beyond the fact of needing a knife, and have reached the stage of wanting a knife, or two, all the time, no matter what. Of course I assume that every person needs it...but maybe it's just because I love them. I know people who think the same about flashlights, work tools in general (that think the blade on leatherman or SAK is the least useful thing), cellphones/smartphones, umbrellas (no matter the season or weather), drugs, any sort of things.
Sometimes I think that people like me have a wonderful addiction and there is really no reason for denying it, and at the same time we take our pride in showing other people that our addiction can be way more practical and useful than theirs...and eventually turn them into addicts too...

 

[22-rimfire]

Few people I know carry knives unless they grew up using knives. I did. I carry at least one knife just about all the time. I do like my SAKs. Years ago, I thought SAKs a poor excuse for a real knife. But now, I feel differently as they are incredibly useful and I have no problem sharpening them whether it be once a week or once a month. I can't justify spending the bucks for a Sebenza or similar knife to use. A $100 knife is an expensive knife to me if I'm going to beat it up like I do my SAKs. However, I own a number of $100+ knives; I'm just hesitant to use them like I do my less expensive blades. I sometimes question why I'm even buy a $100+ knife. I am impressed with my CRKT folding Razel stubby and it was like $25. However, I have elimintated most CRKT blades from future consideration after seeing the "chinese made" notation on the box and not the knife. Deceptive marketing.

Folks that I know associate knives with criminals and thugs. To them, why else would you carry a knife? They don't associate them with being a useful tool. Their "knife" is a utilty knife that you might use to open boxes, but you certainly don't carry on of these. The "company" buys these for you.

I bought a SAK for my 8 year old grandson a few months back. Showed it to him thinking he would be excited. His first reaction was I will get in trouble if I carry that knife with a clear indication that knives are for criminals and would be criminals. So, I'll keep it until he learns a bit more. But he sees me use my knives all the time and asks me if he needs to cut something. He's slowly coming around to the understanding that knives are a useful tool.

 

[pierced]

Knives are tools, if I fail to pocket one I always end up needing it.
If this isn't a popular necessity I'd say there's a heck of a market out there.

 

[bh49]

I have seen enough comments made by other forum members that makes me think I am not alone here. No one I know carries a knife.

My father in-law carries Spydie, some of my coworker carry them as well

"We have one guy at work that just flat out refuses to carry a knife or accept one as a gift."
Ha! that reminds me of the old supertition, never give a knife or it may cut the friendship, always sell a knife. I bought my son a Boker cronidur (sp?) for his birthday, but before I gave it to him I asked him for a quarter. Aye, a sentimental Irishman playing it safe!

I am not Irishman, but I sold quite a few knives to family and friends for $0.01

 

[jfn]

My brother and a guy at my old job are the only ones I know.

Everyone else is just plain crazy

My father in-law carries Spydie, some of my coworker carry them as well

Where the hell do you work? Golden, Colorado?

 

[Rsmith_77]

what bugs me, my wife

i keep trying to get her a knife and she constantly refuses, even though she constantly needs to borrow mine
when i try and point one out to her she keeps telling me that she dont need one, she has me (and my knives) meh

 

[Habbekuk]

In the morning my girlfriend and I leave the house simultaneously. She's not at all into knives but has a small spyderco on her keyring. She thinks it is useful.
On arriving at the office I say hello to the guy I share my office with. He has a small chinese folder on his keyring. The somewhat larger thumbstud knife I sold him a couple of months ago he leaves at home nowadays. He found that his unconcious habit of flicking it open and closing it tends to unnerve people. He is a hobby diver and his fixed blade is part of the underwater gear.
Next door office is that farmer girl I normally try to avoid. She carries a fake Herder to peel her apple. Her officemate does not carry a knife.
Next office: two field engineers. No 1 keeps buying chinese "trash" of me because he is smart enough to see the quality. The problem is that he is not smart enough to prevent his son from taking posession of aforementioned blades. He gets by with his leatherman.
No 2 carries a Leatherman as well. He also carries one of those Bee knives. I wish he would stop flicking it when he is bored. Bad publicity.
Next officeroom: Two ex-field engineers. No knives.
Next officeroom: Two office engineers. No Knives.
Next officeroom: Office engineer and field engineer. Office engineer is very proud of the fine polish he gave his Opinel and likes to admire my new buys. Field engineer sometimes asks me to sharpen his fake Buck 110. Calls it a "sword". Uses it mainly to peel oranges. (Can also be done with thumbnails but he prefers his folder. I'm not complaining)
Next officeroom: Field engineer and "the new guy". Field engineer does not carry a knife but is very much interested in kitchen knives and their maintenance. I still have to do some work on the "new guy"

I cannot really complain about knife acceptance at the workplace.

And of course, I carry one or two folders myself.

 

[Noctis3880]

Argh! I hate that so much. People who say stupid things like that don't get to use my knives anymore.

Better than those morons who horseplay by making like they're going to stab someone, then that someone knocks the knife out of the moron's hands and the knife lands on the floor between my legs as I'm in my seat, after I kick myself back.

After that, I'm not letting anyone handle my knives unless they're actually using it for something. Even then, I'm checking to make sure what it is they're cutting won't scrap my knife.

Even as a knife user, I feel safer knowing the idiots around me aren't in possession of anything sharper than a crayon.

 

[Dagon]

In an office based job, I find little reason to use a knife on a daily basis. Even the incoming Amazon packages (I have my books delivered to the office) can these days easily be opened with only your fingers (how insensitive of them! In the past their packaging provided an excellent excuse for cutting!). Some people around me have a cheap little paring knife on a plate to peel the odd apple, and that's about it.
So yes, I can understand that few people in this kind of environment do not carry a knife.

 

[tsuba]

Because people seem to be satisfied with the cutting performance of their car keys.

CPM S30V keys exists ???

 

[Makermook]

I hope this won't sound like a hijack, but I asked my scouts one time (getting ready for a survival camp) "show me everything you have in your pockets right now" This was at church and I didn't get much. I then told them they could take everything they had in the pile, plus 1 thing additional each on the camp. They could also get together and plan as each of them got 1 additional item. Some stipulations like fishing line was 1 item, hook was another item fishing pole was a 3rd item etc. They did have a $2 cheap knife in the original mix, 1 out of 10 boys possible in a semi rural community. That was 25 years ago and it has gotten much worse as the big city grew up around us. I almost always carry 2, a work knife and a keeper that stays very sharp just in case. Joe

That reminds me. I have a friend with a teenage son in the Scouts. He was going on a weklong jamboree somewhere, and I wanted to make him a nice user bushcraft knife to use...well, out in the bush. The Dad told me that the Scouts are no longer allowed to carry fixed-blade knives; everything has to be a folder, and a non-locking folder at that.

What? I'm sorry if you're a fan of the folding knife, but there are things you simply can't do with a folding knife that you can with a fixed blade, and a lot of things you *can* do, but which are just unsafe.

I was very disappointed in the BSA at that point.

 

[jerm03]

The average person does not use or need a knife enough to carry one. For years I did not carry one unless hunting, fishing, or camping. Recently I have started carrying a SAK. Most use is of one of the screwdrives. I have not found a use for the modern lockback tactical type knives.

Until I visited a knife forum with questions about knives and a Sanrenmu 710 I had never heard of a Sebenza. When I did I thought it a foolish thing for me to spend such a price for that kind of a knife when the SAK and Trapper type knives have always done what I wanted to do. I did buy a Sanrenmu 710. After carrying it for a few weeks I still do not see a use for me.
I have carried a Kershaw OSO Sweet, and while I like it, again I haven't found a use for it.

So I think people carry and use what experience has caused them to believe they need. A farmer or rancher has a much greater need for a knife that most other folks. The days of sitting and whittling for a past time are over for most.
Folks who are knife lovers carry one because they like knives. Most do not really have a need, except just for a hobby. If one wants a $300 knife to cut up boxes and slice paper that is fine, but don't think most men or women have that type of interest.

Regards,
Jerry

 

[KBamhi]

Way back in time men were men and they did man things that required specific hand tools. Things have changed and so have many of the tools. Those who don't use the tools we do either have or will eventually try to take our tools away.

 

[gdtrfb]

I work in an office, and there are a few that carry knives based on a clip exposed from a pocket. My employer has a strict no weapons policy and reserves the right to judge what is being carried. While the folks here are emphatic about any knife being a tool, the HR dept may feel differently. The guys in facilities and shipping are generally allowed to carry whatever they like for their job.

I typically carry a SAK, or gents folder in my pocket. All < 3" and they are fine for an occasional package, etc. in the office, and general chores at home. Like others, I just don't have a need for a locking tactical pocket clip option. The SAK gets used every day, and, e.g. opening a beer, a general fix it/ repair, replacing batteries in the kids toys, etc. I feel odd without it. The nice thing about a slippy, sak, etc. is that they are not perceived as a threat to 99.9% of folks. To bad TSA doesn't share that view. I hate going on business trips without checking bags.

I don't know many folks that carry a cutting tool on a daily basis. My father in law does carry a small utility blade most of the time. He is a retired shop teacher. None of my friends carry cutting tools except when camping, etc.

 

[Cynic2701]

CPM S30V keys exists ???

Are you telling me that on a forum composed of avid knife collectors and steel aficionados, that I am the only one that collects custom made keys? I had my keys duplicated in S125V!

 

[Kilow206]

I too am the only one in my circle of friends who carries a knife everyday and has a collection of knives. Most of my friends know I always have one and will ask to use it when needed but they still never find the need to carry one themselves. I view knives as a too and not as a weapon, a 2.5in blade would make a pretty shitty weapon and would distract me more than anything else when actually trying to defend myself with my bare hands.
What I really don't understand are people who carry a gun everyday with them. I hate guns they are not a tool and it's onl purpose is as a weapon. It's quite large to carry on the hip, people see it, and how often will it actually get used? Live by the gun, die by the gun. Pulling a gun out during a real situation will only escalate the tension and if the other person has one too they will more then likely fire just out of pure fear and threat. Also if you are not prepared to actually kill someone or even accidentally an innocent bistandard and face murder charges then why carry one?