Why do most people like pocket knives?

Velitrius said:
Some folks are built just like this, Urban...

The perception that a knife will require somebody to actually use it on them, and that's just not going to happen...

But a GUN? Well that's just a mindless engine of destruction that could go rogue and decimate the population of a neighborhood block all by itself.

Besides, Mama and Papa are used to wielding an 8 inch sharp blade routinely. Kitchen knives, some folk call them.
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I know, and your right. And it's not this kids fault that his parents feel the way they do, but it still boggles my mind! I didn't think mentalities like this existed outside the NYC metro area........
 
Spyder59 said:
My philosophy too.
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Very nice!! :thumbup: I have a pic of one of my snub and knife combos floating around here somewhere.
 
Pocket folding knives are carried due to convenience and local laws.

If you can carry a fixed blade in your area then you're at an advantage. Carrying a big fixed blade openly even where allowed by the laws has disadvantages. Carrying openly scares some people and if there was a bad guy around you'd be a target. Depending on your work environment carrying openly by your employer may not be allowed. Big knives can be uncomfortable to carry. If allowed by local law and employer, I suggest carrying a smallish fixed blade concealed. Experiment with horizontal and vertical sheaths for comfort and ease of draw.
 
Urban redneck said:
I know, and your right. And it's not this kids fault that his parents feel the way they do, but it still boggles my mind! I didn't think mentalities like this existed outside the NYC metro area........
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He is a grown man who lives with his parents. Watching some of his youtube videos in one thread he started confirms this. He has since removed the videos as they did not make him look very responsible. Look at his post history for more info. He should act like an adult and move out, set his own rules. This is what adults do. The problem is he comes across as not very responsible. We are better off that some people don't have access to guns.
 
I love pocket knives. My favorite at this point in time are Rough Rider trappers.
 
If your carrying a knife specifically with intent of using it against a perpetrator in act of self defense you're delusional. In a real self defense scenario you want to have something that puts as much space between you and the perpetrator as possible, if the person meaning to do you harm is within arm reach then you're in trouble. You'd be better off with a fire arm, if that's not an option than pepper spray, or a taser gun would be better suited than a knife.

Too many have this misperception that arming themselves with a knife will magically turn them into Rambo in the event they're attacked. Unless you've been specially trained in the art of hand to hand combat I'd highly recommend you reevaluate your means of protection before you end up dead or in jail.

Most people who carry a knife whether fixed or folder view that knife as a tool not a weapon. I carry a fixed blade and a folder, but they're tools that I use on a daily basis for various tasks.
 
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So far my situation and location in this world has not found me needing to carry a fighting knife, whether in folding "pocket knife" or fixed blade style. I do have need for simple cutting tools, in everyday life and for hunting. If things change for the worse in the future, I will get whatever I feel to be appropriate for the situation, and never think to criticize or denigrate anyone else's choices in tools or weapons.
 
I've never considered a knife for self defense, but only as a tool. Given some thought I suppose a knife would be great for attacking, just don't see it for self defense, probably better to run as was said earlier in this thread. In fact the knife I carry is a SAK, Explorer Plus to be exact. I could just see myself pulling it out and threatening someone with the magnifying glass. I decided long ago not to worry about the what if ninjas and do the best to stay out of areas or situations that appear troublesome. The best defense then is stay out of trouble, it's not foolproof as sometimes trouble might find you. Fortunatly that doesn't happen often and the few times it has to me, I've been fortunate enough to find an out. Will a rabid dog or crazed serial killer attack me someday? Hope not, but if I got all the training and carried all the weopons on me, I still wouldn't know how to defend against a 2X4 to the back of my head.
 
Pocket knife popularity is a bit of a mystery to me as well, but in the US I figure they dominate because self-defense firearms are available (although the convenience of those seems dubious to me, when even a 5 shot aluminium J frame weights more than a 10 inch Rambo knife). Outside the US, in the rest of the Western World, crime is so low people carry nothing for defense, so pocket knives in Europe again win big (clip thumb opening knives are in the same category as pocket knives to me) because they are not carried for defense.

I have never found any use for pocket knives in my daily activities, and I cut stuff often... I use Exacto blades when I need to cut something, quite often just the blade without the handle... Most pocket knives have poor fine cutting ability compared to several Exacto-blades, especially when a fresh edge is needed after some previous work...

The rare times I ever needed a knife was in dire emergencies, usually related to a bike breakdown, where a pocket knife would have been of no use: I was glad I had a large fixed blade to leverage the chain back on, and once a Model 14 even gave me access to badly needed shelter...

I never got the usefulness of a pocket knife for daily activities, and I think Andy Rooney put it best when he did a 60 Minutes segment devoted entirely to pocket knives: "They seem like a better idea than they are."

Gaston
 
Gaston444 said:
Pocket knife popularity is a bit of a mystery to me as well, but in the US I figure they dominate because self-defense firearms are available (although the convenience of those seems dubious to me, when even a 5 shot aluminium J frame weights more than a 10 inch Rambo knife). Outside the US, in the rest of the Western World, crime is so low people carry nothing for defense, so pocket knives in Europe again win big (clip thumb opening knives are in the same category as pocket knives to me) because they are not carried for defense.
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There are so many inaccuracies in this statement it boggles the mind. We get it, you don't like the USA. Why keep posting this slander on a US dominated forum?
 
craytab said:
There are so many inaccuracies in this statement it boggles the mind. We get it, you don't like the USA. Why keep posting this slander on a US dominated forum?
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Well said, Cray.... Gaston's post is a real head scratcher.

He figures we carry pocket knives because guns are so readily available? LMAO! You figure wrong, Gaston. And Europeans carry pocket knives because crime is so low? :confused:

And why would you question the popularity of pocket knives on a knife forum? Insane in the membrane. Like going on a car forum and spouting off that you ride a bike because the rest of the western world doesn't like to pollute the air.

This thread is full of great examples of why carrying a pocket knife is a useful, enjoyable, popular activity. Let's not Gaston it all up.
 
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Gaston444 said:
Pocket knife popularity is a bit of a mystery to me as well, but in the US I figure they dominate because self-defense firearms are available (although the convenience of those seems dubious to me, when even a 5 shot aluminium J frame weights more than a 10 inch Rambo knife). Outside the US, in the rest of the Western World, crime is so low people carry nothing for defense, so pocket knives in Europe again win big (clip thumb opening knives are in the same category as pocket knives to me) because they are not carried for defense.

I have never found any use for pocket knives in my daily activities, and I cut stuff often... I use Exacto blades when I need to cut something, quite often just the blade without the handle... Most pocket knives have poor fine cutting ability compared to several Exacto-blades, especially when a fresh edge is needed after some previous work...

The rare times I ever needed a knife was in dire emergencies, usually related to a bike breakdown, where a pocket knife would have been of no use: I was glad I had a large fixed blade to leverage the chain back on, and once a Model 14 even gave me access to badly needed shelter...

I never got the usefulness of a pocket knife for daily activities, and I think Andy Rooney put it best when he did a 60 Minutes segment devoted entirely to pocket knives: "They seem like a better idea than they are."

Gaston
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Ok, so here we have you saying you don't understand why so many people carry pocket knives and a fixed blade is a better option...However then on a different thread you're spewing garbage about how you don't understand why anyone would carry a fixed blade and deal with the hassle of being harassed by local law enforcement.

So which is it? You're straight up contradicting yourself, and on both topics you're so far off from reality . Every knife has its place, whether fixed or folder. I carry both and use both on a daily basis depending on the task at hand.
 
I carry a pocket knife like most have stated here, for edc type tasks. A pocket knife excels in edc, weights little and probably can take care of 98% of anything I may face. Pocket knives are downright fun to use too.

I think not being trained or proficient in knife fighting, then relying on a knife for self defense is unwise. If your going to use an item to possibly protect yourself or loved ones and have little experience with it, bad choice. Besides, their are better options than a knife that can be used to defend oneself. I find making wise decisions, humility, and common sense to be the best forms of self defense.
 
Velitrius said:
Well said, Cray.... Gaston's post is a real head scratcher.

He figures we carry pocket knives because guns are so readily available? LMAO! You figure wrong, Gaston. And Europeans carry pocket knives because crime is so low? :confused:

And why would you question the popularity of pocket knives on a knife forum? Insane in the membrane. Like going on a car forum and spouting off that you ride a bike because the rest of the western world doesn't like to pollute the air.

This thread is full of great examples of why carrying a pocket knife is a useful, enjoyable, popular activity. Let's not Gaston it all up.
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:thumbup:
 
My bad self would run away before I would consider deploying a knife in self-defense. I'm pretty sure that would defend my self better than a knife - pocket, folding, fixed, whatever.
 
Gaston444 said:
Pocket knife popularity is a bit of a mystery to me as well, but in the US I figure they dominate because self-defense firearms are available (although the convenience of those seems dubious to me, when even a 5 shot aluminium J frame weights more than a 10 inch Rambo knife). Outside the US, in the rest of the Western World, crime is so low people carry nothing for defense, so pocket knives in Europe again win big (clip thumb opening knives are in the same category as pocket knives to me) because they are not carried for defense.

I have never found any use for pocket knives in my daily activities, and I cut stuff often... I use Exacto blades when I need to cut something, quite often just the blade without the handle... Most pocket knives have poor fine cutting ability compared to several Exacto-blades, especially when a fresh edge is needed after some previous work...

The rare times I ever needed a knife was in dire emergencies, usually related to a bike breakdown, where a pocket knife would have been of no use: I was glad I had a large fixed blade to leverage the chain back on, and once a Model 14 even gave me access to badly needed shelter...

I never got the usefulness of a pocket knife for daily activities, and I think Andy Rooney put it best when he did a 60 Minutes segment devoted entirely to pocket knives: "They seem like a better idea than they are."

Gaston
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Odd post for a knife forum.

I don't know about pocket knives having 'poor fine cutting ability'. I have plenty of folding knives that do it very well. And perhaps Andy Rooney is (was?) one of those types who don't think anyone should carry any type of knife at all, because he never had to be self-reliant. I use my pocket knife(s) several times a day, and have never found them deficient in their intended uses. Now if you think one should be able to jack up a car or chop down a tree, then obviously they're the wrong tool for the job.

Jim
 
James Y said:
Odd post for a knife forum.

I don't know about pocket knives having 'poor fine cutting ability'. I have plenty of folding knives that do it very well. And perhaps Andy Rooney is (was?) one of those types who don't think anyone should carry any type of knife at all, because he never had to be self-reliant. I use my pocket knife(s) several times a day, and have never found them deficient in their intended uses. Now if you think one should be able to jack up a car or chop down a tree, then obviously they're the wrong tool for the job.

Jim
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Thanks for pointing that one out! Lol. I stopped reading after the USA bashing in the first paragraph. The post makes no sense.
 
I use my pocket knife on a daily basis. From opening boxes and mail to cutting up my lunch. I've even used my knife to remove splinters from my fingers. Point being there's not a day that goes by that I don't find a use or have a need for my pocket knife. I feel awkward if I don't have one with me.
 
Bobby3326 said:
Ok, so here we have you saying you don't understand why so many people carry pocket knives and a fixed blade is a better option...However then on a different thread you're spewing garbage about how you don't understand why anyone would carry a fixed blade and deal with the hassle of being harassed by local law enforcement.

So which is it? You're straight up contradicting yourself, and on both topics you're so far off from reality . Every knife has its place, whether fixed or folder. I carry both and use both on a daily basis depending on the task at hand.
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You obviously just skimmed over my posts... I said I could not understand someone carrying a fixed blade knife openly... Particularly in an urban environment... You had to really skim a lot to miss that part I must say...

And by the way, Andy Rooney pretty much made it his life's work figuring out the practical from the absurd, gaining a huge following and writing dozens of books on nothing but the subject of everyday practicality, and he found pocket knives second rate. If it makes you feel any better, he also said he was impressed when he saw a man carry a pocket knife, it's just that he did not find them useful...

For delicate crafting tasks, a pocket knife would be of no use, and would make a mess of most really precise tasks... This even more so at the accepted 20 degrees per side that is common on these things...

When I need a knife it's usually for a big task, usually with a hint of improvisation, and I reach for a sensible 10" blade hollow handle.

Gaston
 
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