Why Do People Fear Folding Knives?

[offsetlover]

Because people are lazy and stupid. Especially teens and young adults. Heck, I am one of them (age wise). Alot of my friends are not afraid of knives thankfully, but they do realize what a knife can do if handled poorly (w/e way you wish to define that word) and are considerably cautious. They show smarts that most people DONT.

of course, i ALWAYS tell them about the knife, why i have it, what i use it for, how to work it (showing them first), and to be careful with it, or to just let me use it for them. in short, i educate. if someone has a problem with it, i ignore them and think "you will have to literaly call the police to stop me from carrying this", which wouldnt work to well if it happens at my home. if at work, i always have a knife that's blade is under the legal limit, that way security/police cant say anything really.

i always respect the rules that they have, which does go a long way with many people. shows them i am not a psyco! lol.

 

[stabman]

Not even close. :thumbdn:

I see no reason to think there are any more dangerous people out there than previously, only more information about the disasters they cause. The media stress the stresses, not the blessings of civilization.

True enough.:thumbup:
The past WAS far more dangerous, but most people didn't realize it, since there were no nation-wide networks to scare people with a barrage of EVERY bad thing which happens.

 

[stabman]

Because they have already demonstrated their disregard for the law by entering the country illegally. Just an observation by someone who lives in a county that is 67% Hispanic and estimated to be 20% illegals. YMMV

False conclusion.
In Leviticus, gayness and shellfish are outlawed; does THAT mean that if you eat shrimp you'll engage in male buggery?
One does not cause or influence the other.

 

[Sam Salvati]

I had to look in the dictionary to find the definition for those who are afraid of perfectly normal knives, the word is "RETARD".

 

[Gunfucius]

I had to look in the dictionary to find the definition for those who are afraid of perfectly normal knives, the word is "RETARD".

LOL!:thumbup:

 

[Confederate]

What's his problem? Did someone tell him he needed a nose job?

No, he was objecting to my idea of putting "thumb studs" on fixed blade knives just to confuse people.

 

[Arkeld]

I was shocked when I pulled a small knife out of my pocket to cut open a box for a secretary, only to have my boss call me in to her office and tell me I had alarmed the woman.

So what is it, some primordial, genetic memory from the stone age or what? And has anyone else gotten in trouble at work for having a small knife?

I had a similar situation happen to me, though it wasn´t escalated to my boss. I used a Kershaw ET to open a package and two people pointed out it was illegal (which, of course, it isn´t).

Since then, I carry a CRKT Van Hoy Snaplock. It´s a worse knife and I would much rather use the Kershaw, but I´m hoping the CRKT will look less threatening.

As for why people are afraid of knives, it´s quite simple really: People these days are afraid of EVERYTHING.

Driving a car? It can get you killed. Bus, train, plane? Dangerous. Cellphones? Dangerous. Smoking? OMG, it kills. Walking down the street? There´s criminals everywhere. At home? You´ll be burgled. Nuclear power? Very dangerous. Conventional power? Climate change. Eating and drinking? Who knows what harmful chemicals might be in there. Sex? Aids.

The list goes on and on. There is not a single everyday activity these days that doesn´t frighten people.

The question is, how do we change this?

 

[button]

That's the good part of being the boss. Anyone complaining about my knives had to complain to me.

I think this thread belongs right here. This is an aspect of our knife ownership that most of us face, or will. The world has become more urban and less self-reliant. Many people now see knives as a convenience at best, a danger at worst. They don't grow up with the real-world need for working with their hands.

Where ignorance is bliss,
'Tis folly to be wise.

This was written by Thomas Gray, who also noted

Alas, regardless of their doom, the little victims play!
No sense have they of ills to come, nor care beyond to-day.

Sounds like the average American before the gas prices made it too obvious to ignore.

 

[orthogonal1]

Literally true (with very few usable exceptions) in any US Govt. building where any knife possessing over a 1" blade is a crime (18 USC 803) good for six months paid holiday in a gray walled building with bars on the windows.

18 USC 803? Where? What precise subsection, paragraph, etc.

I work in a Federal building and have been told 2.5" limit, but that is probably information promulgated by someone not "in the know".

 

[tomcrx]

The situation is simple, everyone is quoting state or municipal laws which do not pertain to the workplace.

Most company policies are very strict and prohibit any "weapon" in the workplace. You can argue til you are blue in the face but any knife,gun, or blunt weapon you have is prohibited. If you carried around garden shears in your belt and your job had noting to do with gardening you will probably get called to human resources.

You have no "rights" to knives in a workplace, that is totally at the discretion of your employer. Your place of employment is not a democratic environment and as long as they follow federal and state employment laws they can have any policy they want.

 

[not2sharp]

If the US goes so far as to make knives illegal(like the UK),I guess I'll be dialing 911 everytime I need a package opened

See how they like that

It happens every time pull out a knife to open a package, and for me it is usually a traditional stockman; It goes something like this:

Office dweller: "what are you going to do with that, kill someone?"
Me: "No, I am going to open the package"
Office dweller: "Come on, I don't need a darn knife to open a package"

[Now we are treated to a five minute episode during which we watch someone claw at the package, with antics that include: attemps to chew through cardboard and tape; ramdom prying and breaking of pencils, pens and other common office items; alot of grunting and heavy breathing; and, occasionally the use of sissors in a manner which is all too close to Seppuku.]

At the end, either the contents of the package are strewn all over the room, or the package is tossed into a corner with a "I'll get that later - [pause to catch breath] - I don't really need it right now."



n2s

 

[These_Nutz]

Its just one of they things.If someone i know has a knife and i know they are unpredictable and could use it on me or someone if the wrong thing happens or is said then im usally nervous unless ive got a blade.
If someone points a gun at me even if its empty i get nervous.
Im saying that and im comfortable about weapons compared to most although i will admit im not nervous with people i can trust if there holding a knife.
Its the media that put the fear into these people.

 

[topher]

The situation is simple, everyone is quoting state or municipal laws which do not pertain to the workplace.

Most company policies are very strict and prohibit any "weapon" in the workplace. You can argue til you are blue in the face but any knife,gun, or blunt weapon you have is prohibited. If you carried around garden shears in your belt and your job had noting to do with gardening you will probably get called to human resources.

You have no "rights" to knives in a workplace, that is totally at the discretion of your employer. Your place of employment is not a democratic environment and as long as they follow federal and state employment laws they can have any policy they want.

Or you can respond intelligently and rationally, point out clearly that a knife is a tool, not a weapon, explain why you carry it, what you use it for at work, and question they would jump to such an odd conclusion that a pocket knife is automatically a weapon. In many office work environments, you can go to a breakroom and find small kitchen knives with longer blades than many pocket knives (including the 3" blade on the Spyderco Native mentioned by the original poster).

And no, I'm not speaking hypothetically here. I'm describing a simplified summary of what I did when my company's Vice President of Operations questioned me on the knife I was carrying, and whether I was aware of their strict no-weapon policy. It occurred during a company picnic. A year later, at the next company picnic, one of the account manager ladies came running over to me and asked if she could borrow my pocket knife because they were having trouble opening the packaging on some of the food.

There's a lot of ignorant people, and a lot of people who are irrationally scared of knives, but when you apply logic and intelligence to their flawed reaction, most people will realize that a reasonable sized pocket knife (3" or less) is quite. . . reasonable.

 

[Rafael]

Or you can respond intelligently and rationally, point out clearly that a knife is a tool, not a weapon, explain why you carry it, what you use it for at work, and question they would jump to such an odd conclusion that a pocket knife is automatically a weapon. In many office work environments, you can go to a breakroom and find small kitchen knives with longer blades than many pocket knives (including the 3" blade on the Spyderco Native mentioned by the original poster).

And no, I'm not speaking hypothetically here. I'm describing a simplified summary of what I did when my company's Vice President of Operations questioned me on the knife I was carrying, and whether I was aware of their strict no-weapon policy. It occurred during a company picnic. A year later, at the next company picnic, one of the account manager ladies came running over to me and asked if she could borrow my pocket knife because they were having trouble opening the packaging on some of the food.

There's a lot of ignorant people, and a lot of people who are irrationally scared of knives, but when you apply logic and intelligence to their flawed reaction, most people will realize that a reasonable sized pocket knife (3" or less) is quite. . . reasonable.

Excellent post! Explaining rationally why you carry a knife and acknowledging that some people do fear knives, is much better than dismissing everybody who doesn’t share our opinion about knifes as ‘ignorant sheep’. Being smart also helps.

Example of a stupid reaction: an acquaintance of mine was asked about why he carried a folding knife (at work) and he answered: “Don’t worry, I don’t carry this knife to hurt anybody, because I can kill with my bare hands.”

Also it should be noted that some people do show their knife unnecessary to intimidate at the work place…

Rafael

 

[elkins45]

I used to be a teacher, so for many years I tried my best to educate people about the difference between a tool and a weapon. Eventually most of the faculty in my school came to depend on me to supply a knife when they needed something cut.

Now I work in a state government office building in a state where the legislature had a very specific debate about concealed weapons in state offices--with the result that CCW is very specifically permitted in my workplace. I still try to educate a little bit, but sometimes when a particularly far-out flower child asks "Why do you have a knife?" I'm really tempted to say "Because it's too difficult to cut stuff with my gun."

I do like the point about the scissors being longer and more dangerous, especially since the pair of scissors I use have 8" blades and were actually provided by my employer!

I have made one concession to the sheeple: in addition to my true EDC I also now carry a small peanut or stockman. It's the one I pull out when I need to cut something when other people are around, saving me the need to explain my AFCK or Rijbak.

BTW if you think having a knife at the office scares the commies, imagine what it's like when you drive a car full of co-workers to lunch and one of them nosily decides to take a peek into your center console. If you think they react badly to pocket knives imagine how they behave one of them finds your Glock!

 

[superc]

18 USC 803? Where? What precise subsection, paragraph, etc.

I work in a Federal building and have been told 2.5" limit, but that is probably information promulgated by someone not "in the know".

You are correct. MY bad. Sorry. I made two mistakes. Quoted the wrong number (the correct one is 930) and confused the rules at a facility I sometimes work at with a statute. The correct current legal length (for facilities that don't have even more restrictive rules and regulations) is indeed 2.5 inches. A copy of the total statute is found at http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/s...tml/uscode18/usc_sec_18_00000930----000-.html Blade length is set in g (2).

 

[neeman]

Perhaps.....
Try doing it this way.

May I help you open the package? I have a knife.
Move the package away from them to the corner of the desk out of direct view.
Reach into your pocket for a medium stockman.
Open it with two hands, no florish.
The two hands covers the knife, and with minimum show of the knife cut the package open.
Put the knife away.
Pass over the open package.

Next time they will ask you to open another package.

If someone opened a knife without telling me, would also be a little concerned.

 

[Erasmus]

By using the flat screwdriver/bottle opener on my SAK to tighten a screw, in a low key way, I have attracted the simultaneously snide, fearful and smug attention of a few would-be slaves.

We need to generate a variety of verbal comebacks that make these anti-knife saps feel as stupid as they appear, to us.


------------
Hurray for our side, and to hell with the intrusive, meddling crybabies.

 

[Arkeld]

Perhaps.....
Try doing it this way.

May I help you open the package? I have a knife.
Move the package away from them to the corner of the desk out of direct view.
Reach into your pocket for a medium stockman.
Open it with two hands, no florish.
The two hands covers the knife, and with minimum show of the knife cut the package open.
Put the knife away.
Pass over the open package.

Next time they will ask you to open another package.

If someone opened a knife without telling me, would also be a little concerned.

Are you telling me that fast-drawing my karambit with the wave and quickly changing my grip isn´t the way to go? Sheesh.

Seriously though, it´s a sad state of affairs when most peoples initial reaction is "OMG he´s got a knife, he must be a maniac" rather than "Hey, good thing he keeps the one handy, saved us some time".

 

[neeman]

Are you telling me that fast-drawing my karambit with the wave and quickly changing my grip isn´t the way to go? Sheesh.

Seriously though, it´s a sad state of affairs when most peoples initial reaction is "OMG he´s got a knife, he must be a maniac" rather than "Hey, good thing he keeps the one handy, saved us some time".

LOL

Perhaps we should take in to consideration that people are afraid of knives.
And then figure how to gently educate them not to be.
It steps away from the them and us syndrome.