Why Do You Carry A Knife?

JAlexander said:
Bravo. That's *exactly* why I carry a knife. The cutting things, I mean. Not the killing people.

James
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Well said, the knife is one of man's oldest tools. Hard to argue with thousands of years of evolution ;) , man needed knives then, we need them now and likely for a lot of similar things.
 
Because I can :D Seriously,there is always something you need to cut everyday. I use a knife at work cutting shrink wrap off pallets, bailing strap and cardboard. I have a box cutter, but sometimes a longer blade is needed.
 
Tok said:
Let me ask u all this: if one day (I surely wish) there is no legal limitation whatsoever on what u can carry around anymore, then would u be happier to carry a SAK/Leatherman or a nice fixed blade? Which one is actually more useful and which one will make u feel happier just to carry it around? U be the judge. :) I believe that we wouldn't even be able to exist till today if our ancestors were so "peace" loving and wouldn't use any sharp tools for hunting and self-defense in the past.
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First let me say I'm peace loving, and that if we were so conscious of avoiding war in the past then we could have possibly avoided alot of tragedy. There is a big difference between peace loving and self-defense. If you are attacked you have to do what you have to do. Also, I would love to learn how to hunt one day, and respect those who do very much.

Now to answer your question I live in Jersey, and there aren't any length or fixed blade restrictions. :) (Although alot of gun ones :barf: ) So unrestricted, what is my EDC? A Victorinox Camper. :D

A fixed blade is nice, and certainly the undisputed king of the outdoors, but the SAK is not only an outdoor aid to the fixed blade, but the most practical EDC knife I can think of. The SAK will do all my daily cutting needs and has some back up tools just in case.
-Kevin
 
For everything that may need cutting or piercing.

Inanimate or animate, usually have a few dedicated to different tasks.

Brownie
 
I have carried a knife since my Scouting days when I first became enamored with my SAK Tinker...since then it's become quite a dangerous hobby to my wallet. I carry knife to break down boxes, clip my fiance's coupons, cut string, clean my nails, etc. Currently I'm carrying a Spyderco Spur, my small decorated Sebenza, and a Forge de Lagioule 7cm.
Matt
 
JDBLADE, Your initial question asked why we "carry" our knives on a day to day basis. The question seemed to refer to personal knives in our pockets or possibly in a belt sheath rather than a work knife on a table. I would guess that you didn't get any meat cutter comments because they don't carry their knives around except in their hands. Mostly the knives are put on a counter or in a rack between uses.

I use my kitchen knives for slicing, dicing, mincing, chopping, filleting, etc. They get used more than my pocket knives. I own over 100 kitchen knives so that I can test designs and materials and bring sharp knives when my church team volunteers at the local soup kitchen. In many ways my kitchen knives are sort of education knives. I learn and teach a lot about knives using those kitchen knives.
 
For me, like most of you, it's second nature. For more than 40 years, I've carried various knives. Used them as part of my everyday routine. Lately, I've carried mostly nice quality traditional knives. I think it allows me to open up a conversation with others about why it's so much a part of me, and why I love to see someone ready for their first knife, or wondering why they quit carrying a knife.

Maybe even convert someone to knifenut status. :)

Bill
 
Tok said:
And to me all those uses for a knife are simply the icing of the cake. Just can't deny on that. :)
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Another good use... putting icing on a cake. :)


I should be ashamed of myself, though, because just a few minutes ago a thick padded envelope was delivered by UPS and when the stupid "tear here" strips didn't work, I had to stop and think about how to open the thing. Shame on me.



edited mainly so that it would actually be in English
 
I've got 5 on me right now. Why? I don't freakin' know. I just like knives and I can never decide what to carry so I carry several for different levels of light to hard use or whatever.

Anybody on this forum can answer the original question nearly the same, but the weird thing is that so many people carry several as well as flashlights and any number of other gadgets.

Remember Captain Caveman ? That's me!
 
I carry knives for most of the afore mentioned reasons but I also like the primeval/elemental sense that if I got jumped by a horde of inner city gangbangers invading my suburban "hood" or by a hungry cougar while hiking, i'd have something sharp that draws blood. I don't carry firearms and you never bring a knife to a gunfight...but it does give me a (probably false) sense of reassurance. I don't know, it just feels right?
 
salsbre said:
... I don't carry firearms and you never bring a knife to a gunfight...but it does give me a (probably false) sense of reassurance. I don't know, it just feels right?
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I think you should always bring a knife (or more) to a gunfight-along with as many guns as you need.
 
shgeo,

Isn't that part of the Scout's Motto?.......At least in the Southwest.

Bill ;)
 
Mostly to secretly open up, feel the edge, silently say "Whooooo", fold it back up and put it away til the next time. Occasionally to cut something so quickly and silently that observers go "Whooooo" and last but not least to have something to sharpen when it dulls microscopically from all the "Whooooo-ing."


;) :) :D :p
 
It's just one of those as natural things...it's a morning ritual put on watch and ring, grab wallet and money clip and place knife in pocket. Like other's have said, it's just a part of who I am.
 
There's a couple of reasons.

1) There's a pride of knowing that we can cut things and fix things and pull out splinters and open boxes, etc. at a moments notice. It's empowering to posess these abilities and to know that one is that much more self sufficient.

2) A knife acts as an extension of the body that gives us superhuman abilities. With a mere swipe of our hand, we can now slice/chop/stab through tough materials. We can do things that no bladeless human can do. There's a thrill to this. It's similar to using a remote control or a handgun. Yes, a knife can be used as a weapon and this is a thrill - to know that we possess a tool that can cause harm.

3) A knife is a "manly" form of jewelry. Precision craftsmanship, rare and beautiful materials, an obsession with aesthetic perfection - these are the characteristics that make fine jewelry so popular. While we tend not to show off our knives as much as say a ring . . we spend way too much time admiring it ourselves and get a quick thrill when someone else does see and admire it. However, we also tend to value engineering perfection and utility over simple jewelry - so we get a thrill by owning and admiring and using our own personal specimen of engineering/mechanical perfection.

4) A pocket knife often makes a perfect worry stone. We can caress it when deep it thought. To feel this solid, beautiful, perfect tool in our pockets gives us something to do with our hands and gives us a feeling of warm security.

My other hobby is hi-fi, which is another male-dominated hobby. There are a lot of similarities in that you see audiophiles obsess about engineering perfection . . and yet it ultimately comes down to the fact that these men want to truly experience the beauty and raw emotion of music. It's an artistic obsession mixed with the male need for tools and machines.
 
Sorry I don't know where this quote came from or I would give them credit, but,

"I carry a knife because I was born without claw or fang."
 
I’ve carried pocketknives as long as I can remember and every morning would put one in my pocket along with my keys, money and wallet. After over 50 years it’s just a natural part of what I have with me. All my knives were well maintained and honed razor sharp as I was taught from a single digit age back on the farm. I started paying more attention to them when I stumbled on this website. At first I thought, what a bunch of nuts! Then I became more and more interested as I checked out the links and followed the discussions and forums. Now I have about 5 sites on my favorites list and check things out every day. I even started buying knife magazines. During this relatively short span I’ve bought two new knives and am thinking about a custom or a high end off the shelf. You guys should be ashamed of yourselves I think you have created a monster.
 
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