Why so cautious around non-knife people

I always have a knife with me, but I don't feel any less of a person just for exercising courtesy and common sense in its use. I like to think that I'm considerate, and having a knife does not suddenly justify acting like a jerk by pulling a knife out in the flashiest manner. A knife for me is a tool of utility, not a tool of self expression.
 
Keeping the flash to a minimum is an important aspect here. I'm only 5'7 & 180 but look like a weightlifting Mr Clean & generally carry large folders. I boxed in my youth & have done competitive martial arts for years in this little town & have dealt with a similar issue with the whole public image thing. And I just read that large guys get to deal with this issue daily. It doesn't feel good at all to be seen as a potential threat by decent folks. I'm betting open-carry gun people can probably add more than any of us to this topic.

It's hard to describe without getting overly involved (but I hope someone will chime in with better descriptions) but there are ways to draw & cut that negate the freakout factor. I generally open it with my back to everyone & sorta' huddle over the thing I'm cutting, choking up on the blade if possible to obscure it's size. I close it quickly once I'm done with my hands obscuring everything & pocket it smoothly. No fighter-type grips or otherwise "brandishing" my tool.

Silly as the general public's perception may be, it's on us to make a good impression, not on them to choke down their unease. It's their world too.
 
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Warp said:
That logic doesn't seem very sound.

Keep in mind that if they are scared they probably aren't going to be commenting to you/so that you can hear.

Just something to keep in mind.
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How is the logic not sound?

I dont give a damn what people think, and its legal. I stay out of the cities.

Not much logic involved.
 
i agree completely. im not squeamish in the least about using my orange military in front of anyone whether im at college, home, working at my summer job (gas station this summer)...or anywhere for that matter. the guys at college all think my knives are interesting, constantly asking to see and hold all my knives, and to have me sharpen theirs, which are sometimes nice (i.e. sog, buck, and kershaw). some of them have picked up some nice knives since then, mostly spydercos by my behest. the girls are almost always quite frightened, by which i was pretty suprised, so i never use it in front of them lol. a ton of people see it at my summer job 6 days a week so its funny observing their reactions. its in a very small town, so im not suprised that even the women are never frightened at all. most just say nothing of course, but many people comment. ive heard everything from "whoah buddy" to "wow nice" to "is that legal" and even "nice weapon" or the like is common lol. usually they just smile and laugh and some have that half bug-eyed look on their face, their head tiled back a little. you know what i mean, lol. if youre a nice guy, clean cut with a friendly demeanor, or theyve already seen you 5 or so times, using even a 'large' (even though i consider it very, very small) knife like a military will not creep anyone out in the slightest, unless theyre anti knife. luckily i havent met any...yet
 
effer said:
I agree with you completely. Nobody is rolling over though. Was it about a year ago when issue came up, that they wanted to change the law that would make pretty much every knife that could be opened with one hand illegal. A lot of people voiced their protest, lawyers and some politicians helped to get this straightened out. That was the time when we really needed to stand our ground and protect our rights.

On the other hand entertaining our right to carry and use a knife when ever and where ever we please, in any way we see fit, as long as it is legal, might back fire. Turning enough people against our right might swing the vote in other direction next time.

See what happens in New York state. Even without a change in federal law, DA (or whoever is doing it) raided knife stores claiming that most (if not all) locking knives that sell there are illegal. This is very unfair. It would be good, if we could figure out how to fight against this.

On the other hand insisting that you can and will continue using your 4" knife at work, at your own discretion, even if it makes 10 people around you very uncomfortable, simply because it is legal (and they can shove it...) That doesn't do any good at all.
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I understand your point and mine wasn't intended as a shot at you. The problem is bigger than the knife community though. Americans need to start waking up and removing despots every time they overstep their bounds in any regard (knives, guns, free speech and on and on).

It's been a pretty cool place to live - lets keep it like that.
 
Everybody adapts to society. I’m not a conformist, but I do consider the feelings of other people. Let’s be honest, people who show no consideration for other people are in general not the most stable and friendly persons.

Personally I think it’s silly to take out (for example) a 5 inch military looking folder in public for a task that can easily be performed by a smaller knife.

I’m always honest about the fact that I collect knives. I’m honest about the fact that I carry a knife. But I’m not confrontational about it. If somebody does freak out, I’ll politely and patiently explain. It always works.

Rafael
 
We have the same sit here.
I rehafted a couple of knives and re sheathed two and was over some months showing them at work (90% women) and was quieltly asked not to bring them in as they "Frightened some".
Naturally I was not told who was "frightened."
I think the real truth it is often a case of compalints being made as a form of attention seeking. To hell with the skills or the achievments though.
 
RafaelHerschel said:
Everybody adapts to society. I’m not a conformist, but I do consider the feelings of other people. Let’s be honest, people who show no consideration for other people are in general not the most stable and friendly persons.

Personally I think it’s silly to take out (for example) a 5 inch military looking folder in public for a task that can easily be performed by a smaller knife.

I’m always honest about the fact that I collect knives. I’m honest about the fact that I carry a knife. But I’m not confrontational about it. If somebody does freak out, I’ll politely and patiently explain. It always works.

Rafael
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I agree. the explaining thing is what I do not particularly like.

the netherlands is probably way more conservative considering knives than the US, and even though (still) legal to carry pocketknives, I don't like to have to explain myself for something perfectly normal and to be branded 'abnormal' before I start to explain myself.

As it is now, the people you don't explain yourself to, probably think you're abnormal and this is not a perceived thing on my side. It's what some friends who can speak freely to me have actually told me.

In participiting in the bladesports community, these forums and in my conversation with other people, I try to slowly make a difference.

Ten people that understand the reason behind it are just 10 more people that migth act as ambassadors for other knife people and help keep the fear away regarding knives.
 
Warp said:
Florida is one of those over rated southern states that does not allow openly carried firearms.
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The only thing we can't do is carry a firearm open. I am content concealing mine. Overated? I don't agree, but that's my opinion.
 
I don't worry about people who are surprised when i am prepared with an appropriate knife to do work when they were not. It is the intentionally over reacting jerk who spotlights the moment for the sole reason to cause friction that bothers me.
 
Its so incredible to have forums like this where we can see, in real time, what happens to civilizations when they get too "civilized."

I carry a small folder or fixed utility type blade with me everywhere except the shower, and if I had a place to hang it in there................ A kukri in the truck, another on my Polaris and one right beside my bed. I never purposely flash a knife like a kid with a new toy but also never try hide it. I've had a "knive/tool" of some sort on my person for the last 30 years and have never run into trouble.

I can't imagine living in a place where that changes. For the life of me, I can't figure out how a person goes an entire day without a knife on them??? I literally use mine dozens of times a day. Granted I work outside and care for horses, animals and use equipment, etc. I guess some of these city gentleman (I think they call themselves metro-sexuals) traded in their work blades for nail trimmers and tanning beds.

Rome didn't think it would fall either! Reminds me of a quote from one of the greatest humanitarians of our time.

"Our Country won't go on forever, if we stay soft as we are now. There won't be any AMERICA because some foreign soldiery will invade us and take our women and breed a hardier race!" -Lt. Gen. Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, USMC

Bill
Virginia
 
In France it's hard to be a knife addict, only the slipjoints are legal, but only if your job or activity (hunting, fishing, camping) give you a reason to use it.

Here you can't walk with a pepper spray, a kobutan or a tactical flashlight... so the 4" military in my pocket is illegal :grumpy:
 
Reading over this thread it just struck me how sad it is that we even need a thread about this. In the old days people would have thought you were strange for not having a knife. Now were discussing the dangers of people seeing our knives, what is happening to the world?
 
Geography matters. Like they say, "When in Rome....."

It's a fact of current life that you gotta be smart with your knife carrying/using/deploying in certain areas. Office environments, major cities and other places with alot of people around.

Away from Rome people have a more sensible approach to knives.(as well as other areas of life) Knives are seen more as the tools that they are.

You don't have to be some backwwods Jeremiah Johnson recluse so far out there they need a heli to go visit you....you simply need to get out of the metros. We are a thoroughly modern family in every way but we collect knives and the kids carry them and so do their friends.

I feel for some of ya'll...
 
dude, i'd assume from your screen name that you're from north dakota....

therefore its safe to say that you are indeed that far out there :p

idk, i live in northern minnesota, and i still get looks from people, and that was with my gerber paraframe. i don't even think about whipping the benchmade out around people i don't know or trust
 
I think people are missing the real point here....

All it takes is one person to make a big deal out of the knife and then it's a real issue and it doesn't matter why either. ;)

Every state, town and county can be different.

Then every company can be different and that can change overnight too.

It really doesn't matter if the knife is legal or you have a right to carry it etc.

The police can still be called.....

You can still be fired from your job...

Bottom line is that knives are weapons (Worse than a gun) in MOST peoples eyes...
 
TheGovernment is right, you might as well be running around with a machine gun. Not the way it should be, just the way it is...
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did I read that first part right
 
Tripton said:
Same here. I carry what I want. Great, isnt it? :D








That said, I dont brandish large knives (or pistols for that matter) in an intimidating way, I just use them. I have never had anyone comment in a way that would lead me to believe they were scared.

Of course, around here, most people are really laid back about pocket knives.
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Thats what I like about Indiana. We can carry whatever we want. Hell, you could carry a .50 cal rifle into Wal-Mart and the only thing that would happen is someone would offer you a cart to put it in.

Ironically, the only real rule regarding guns and knives is actually a ban against throwing stars. We ain't allowed to make or use them here. :D
 
jay2pointoh said:
Until I do something illegal, they can cry all they want. Some of you put too much importance into everyone's fears and hide as if you were some child molester.

Is it legal?
Yes.
Have a nice day.
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Here's the problem. A typical LEO may or may not know the details of knife or gun carry laws. And so during what should be a routine traffic stop, they find you with a legal knife. Regardless, you get taken to the magistrate or whoever else that also may or may not know the specifics of the law. Now you've lost time and had to go through a whole lot of hassle over it.

This isn't some made up example. I know this sort of thing happened and Virginia happens to be a relatively gun and knife friendly state. So legal or not, you can invite trouble to yourself. :(

Is this fair? No. It's wrong and it shouldn't happen but it does. I know the knife laws of my state and what my rights are better than the people that enforce it.

It is within my rights to strap on every knife, gun and rifle I own and go for a walk in my neighborhood but you can be sure someone will call the cops. I don't need more trouble in my life, but you can be sure that if someone calls my EDC folder out, I make sure they are educated. Politely and with respect.
 
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