Why do YOU care what OTHER PEOPLE think of your knife?

[coldmrk]

I mostly care about if my knife matches my shoes.

Ha! Exactly! Black on black baby.

 

[bld522]

Elaborate. Please.

How does my pocket knife choice get me killed?

Editops.. You meant job. Sorry. I would't know. I'm self employed.

That's right. You wouldn't know. But you have no problem telling people how they should behave based on your massive lack of knowledge.

Methinks this thread belongs in W&C.

 

[22-rimfire]

I've noticed an alarming phenomenon among members of this forum-set.. The concept of 'sheeple friendly'... I see people not picking certain knives because of how other people might percieve the knife. I see things like 'people get nervous when I pull out x knife'.. Or 'I use this knife when people are around because its not intimidating'.. Or something along those lines..
Why would you let someone elses stupidity/fear/ignorance dictate what choice you make for a cutting tool? If you were going to do that 'for realz' you would have to forgo carrying one at all.. Because maybe someone you might see, or that might see you with your knife wouldnt be comfortable around ANY knfe.
As a knife person, I have never once given any thought to what people NOT carrying MY KNIFE might think if they see it get whipped out and used, so this concern for other people's 'comfort' is completely alien to me.

Alarming phenomenon? ...Stupidity/fear/ignorance..... it works both ways..... I always take into account what people's reactions are likely to be to a knife I might choose to carry.

 

[Fanglekai]

I care because I'm not a rebellious, attention-seeking teenager. YMMV

 

[115Italian]

I don't care. But when a fat lady yells "he's got a knife, police police " and screams her head off you might care

 

[gonebad395]

I carry whatever knife I decide that morning. That being said I also use judgement on where I whip my knife out and who's around. I'm with my kids a lot and I try to teach them gun and knife safety anytime I can this includes deployment and surroundings. That being said I don't let the places I'm going or the people I'm with dictate my knife choice for the day.

 

[Bobby3326]

I carry what I want when I want...If someone sees me out with whatever knife im carrying at the moment and doesn't like it, well quite frankly they can go @$&! Themselves. I don't pick knives based off how they'll be perceived while I'm carrying em, I pick knives I like and want and carry em whenever I want.

Just this past Friday while the wife drug me out shopping we were in the store when the wheel on the cart got tangled in shrink wrap, without a thought I pulled out my bk16 and began slicing the shrink wrap off the wheel. Once done I noticed I got a few strange looks from people around, but on a positive note no one attempted stealing stuff out of our cart.

 

[shadowofleaves]

In my former career as a law enforcement officer, I carried pretty much whatever knife I wanted. I've carried automatics, balisongs, and very large fixed blades on duty. I now work as a registered nurse in a mental health facility where I am prohibited by policy from carrying a knife on duty. Yet, almost daliy, I find myself in need of a blade at work, such as opening boxes from the pharmacy in my medication room. I carry a Kershaw Leek and a Leatherman Micra very discretely for such tasks and I am pretty cautious about pulling them out around my co-workers, bosses, or patients. I usually pocket my Cold Steel Rajah II, Benchmade 47, or Spyderco Vallotton when I am off duty and tooling around town on my motorcycle though.

 

[NG VI]

I've noticed an alarming phenomenon among members of this forum-set.. The concept of 'sheeple friendly'... I see people not picking certain knives because of how other people might percieve the knife. I see things like 'people get nervous when I pull out x knife'.. Or 'I use this knife when people are around because its not intimidating'.. Or something along those lines..
Why would you let someone elses stupidity/fear/ignorance dictate what choice you make for a cutting tool? If you were going to do that 'for realz' you would have to forgo carrying one at all.. Because maybe someone you might see, or that might see you with your knife wouldnt be comfortable around ANY knfe.
As a knife person, I have never once given any thought to what people NOT carrying MY KNIFE might think if they see it get whipped out and used, so this concern for other people's 'comfort' is completely alien to me.

Whatchu talkin bout, Willis? How do you justify it? Why bother? Whats wrong with growing a set and carrying what you like?

I want to be a good neighbor and that includes respecting my context.

I also truly enjoy nice examples of numerous styles of knife and have no issue rationalizing an extra knife+carry setup.

I've got a Case Stockman in my pocket that I'd love a chance to use in public and an Endura around my neck that I probably wouldn't pop out in town.

Neither of those give me any reason to leave my nylon Climber at home, and with the little belt sheath ($8 Wenger with a trim job) it's sleek and trouble-free anyway.

It's not alarming to be considerate.

 

[strategy9]

Simple, I don't... Lol

As per the lagality, if I'm within the law, I care less what anyone thinks of my actions, period...

I know us knife knuts are a very small minority in the real world, so 99% of the time even most of my cheaper knives is already on par with if not better then the next guys... And that 1% of the time I cross paths with another knut, there is no comparison, "his crk is better then my bulr" in as much as there is some appreciation and we can actually talk Knives...

 

[Ccc]

OP, are you asking because you honestly cannot understand why someone would choose their knife based upon their social environment?
Or are you asking because you dislike the straw-man you have built up in your head, the person who you think would do this?

If you are honestly asking, it is because living in a society is about choices, and conforming to societal rules, and large knives are sometimes inappropriate. I don't define myself by the knife I carry that day. I will carry a smaller knife when I will be in close proximity to people, and a larger knife when I will need it. I use my knives as nice tools, so I don't devalue my smaller or more discreet knives. They serve their intended purpose which is to cut things and be useful.

If you are asking because you want to be upset, then I have nothing for you, but insulting people who might think differently than you isn't very endearing.

 

[Wowbagger]

As my Mom would say : "It's all BS and conversation".
Just gives 'em something else to talk about.

I did notice an interesting phenomenon several months ago.
I was talking with two hard core construction worker dudes in my kitchen. One of them is my furnace guy. He comes over every year to check'r out and do some cleaning. Great guy, kind person. The other guy I had only met that day.

We were discussing my hand tool woodworking and the super sharp tools and sharpening. I showed them some stones and we talked for a while.

Then I was attempting to put across some idea about steel and edges, or one of them may have brought up something about Samurai swords or some such. I picked up one of the larger Japanese knifes that was sitting out on the counter (no kids in our house) and said something like "here is an example of what we are talking about". As soon as I picked it up BOTH guys reacted and would have taken a step backward if they weren't already against the counter. I was not close to them at that moment.

Well there is an example of people reacting to some serious blade deployment.
One of them had known me for years and years and knew I was just going to let him look at an inanimate object in my kitchen rather than be attacked.

I almost laughed. I wasn't fooling around or trying to be intimidating in the least bit. I wasn't expecting a reaction like that from these two burly dudes.

Or maybe it is just my half crazed appearance combined with a sharp thing in my hand.

Just kidding . . . I'm pretty mild looking compared to them.

 

[AndreLinoge]

That's right. You wouldn't know. But you have no problem telling people how they should behave based on your massive lack of knowledge.

Methinks this thread belongs in W&C.

So he knows what I know. Neat.

Do you have a problem?



I think some of you are getting the wrong idea here. This is not a confrontational thing on my part, I have a genuine interest in how people reason it out- if and when they do at all. Of course, the internet tuffguys show up and bring comic relief with their 'superior knowledge of all things- including who I am and what I'm about and how my life works'. We'll take all types tho, makes for good reading.

 

[AndreLinoge]

OP, are you asking because you honestly cannot understand why someone would choose their knife based upon their social environment?
Or are you asking because you dislike the straw-man you have built up in your head, the person who you think would do this?

If you are honestly asking, it is because living in a society is about choices, and conforming to societal rules, and large knives are sometimes inappropriate. I don't define myself by the knife I carry that day. I will carry a smaller knife when I will be in close proximity to people, and a larger knife when I will need it. I use my knives as nice tools, so I don't devalue my smaller or more discreet knives. They serve their intended purpose which is to cut things and be useful.

If you are asking because you want to be upset, then I have nothing for you, but insulting people who might think differently than you isn't very endearing.

Where have I insulted anyone?

 

[NG VI]

Where have I insulted anyone?

It's inherent in your choice of language.

 

[fetzer85]

I've experienced many situations which cause me to be conscious of my surroundings...


- Once at church a plastic tablecloth needed trimmed and I pulled out my Griptilian. The guy helping me said 'Whoooaaaa John, you gonna trim this or kill me?' I gave him a WTF look and realized his concern was actually real in some odd sense, despite how well he knew me.

- Was at a grocery store and a dad pulled out (what looked to be like) maybe a 4" folder to trim a thread off his kids coat. A lady by him literally yelled out 'HE HAS A KNIFE!' as she ran down the aisle. Security showed up a few moments later and ultimately nothing happened.

- A couple years ago I was at my grandmothers house for Christmas. She's in her mid 80's and apparently didn't know I like to carry folders. When someone needed a gift opened I offered my knife. She saw and said 'JOHN! Why do you have that knife?!' A brief discussion later and she still couldn't understand why I carried a weapon. Didn't see a need for it. Besides that one encounter my grandma is a very normal lady but sometimes you don't know what gets at people until it happens.

- My last example was in a dentist office. The receptionist had a package she was trying to open but was having a hard time. I offered her my knife (think it was a RAT 1 maybe) but handed it to her closed. She said 'How does this thing open?' I said I can open it for her and she handed it back to me and said 'That's ok, I'll just find some scissors, thanks though'. So she found some scissors and ended up cutting her finger a little from trying to use the scissors like a knife instead of like scissors.


The world has a ridiculous variety of people. I'm smart enough to assess my surroundings and act accordingly. And for the record I do have a pair but I use them on my wife, not while using my knife in public.

 

[fetzer85]

So he knows what I know. Neat.

Do you have a problem?



I think some of you are getting the wrong idea here. This is not a confrontational thing on my part, I have a genuine interest in how people reason it out- if and when they do at all. Of course, the internet tuffguys show up and bring comic relief with their 'superior knowledge of all things- including who I am and what I'm about and how my life works'. We'll take all types tho, makes for good reading.

Your condescending tone and reference to genitals definitely set us down this path...

 

[AndreLinoge]

I guess I also hope that any knife person who begrudgingly chooses knives for the day based on others' perception of them might read thru and realize that they actually would rather carry what they want instead of what will be 'okay to be seen using'. I doubt any of us own knives we truly dislike, so its not being forced to carry something you dont like, but maybe second guessing your own preference for the day because of whatever perceptive bs you might be subjected to. In the end, we live OUR lives, not others', and thats why I wonder about it.

Perhaps its not an 'alarming phenomenon', but I do see the thought brought up frequently in 'reccomend me a knife' style threads.

 

[Ccc]

Where have I insulted anyone?

I was only asking whether it was a genuine question or complaining about people who choose to change their knives based upon social standards. It was a two-part question and answer.
Internet communication does not deal with subtlety well, and if no insults were intended, then sometimes crass language (like the phrase "grow a pair") comes across as aggressive.

But I still would like to know whether you actually do not understand why people choose to modify their knife choices, or whether you are upset that people make that choice. Different questions will result in different answers.

 

[AndreLinoge]

Your condescending tone and reference to genitals definitely set us down this path...

Valid point. Text is bad for conveying tone tho.