Why the stigma with knives ?

D

Dixierust

Joined
May 3, 2016
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The other day while working , i was doing my thing and customer saw my mora riding on my beltloop when i lifted a box and the guy jumped back about two feet and said " damn what a knife " . Now i never even unshethed it so why was this guy over reacting ? Ive had several encounters like this , all with my plane jane mora .

In TN you are legal to carry any blade concealed and i really enjoy my right to do so, but why do people freak over knives ? Ive also noticed the scare threshold is about 4" blade , anything more that that and people get uncomfortable . Anything less and it becomes "cute" and non threatening. I told the guy "you should see the one i got at home " hahah. I dont get it , everyone owns and uses knives right ? I am certian i would be more dangerous with a metal pry bar in my hands than a knife. Besides who uses knives as weapons anymore when guns are so available . So why all is the status quo so terrified of such a useful tool ? Thoughts ?
 
I think the biggest issue has been that the time in which carrying a blade was seen a useful has long since past, or I suppose not so much useful so much as necessary has past. So as people needed one out side the home less and less, it become more common not to carry one. This in turn made it more unusual to see them carried out. This leads them to wondering why it is carried, and since they no long know a need or usefulness they are then free to make up in their head that why. Now there are a number or opinion as to why they come up with the worst possible ideas and are then afraid, but IMO they are moot. Bigger issue is how we carry and we react to their reactions.
 
Dixierust said:
The other day while working , i was doing my thing and customer saw my mora riding on my beltloop when i lifted a box and the guy jumped back about two feet and said " damn what a knife " . Now i never even unshethed it so why was this guy over reacting ? Ive had several encounters like this , all with my plane jane mora .

In TN you are legal to carry any blade concealed and i really enjoy my right to do so, but why do people freak over knives ? Ive also noticed the scare threshold is about 4" blade , anything more that that and people get uncomfortable . Anything less and it becomes "cute" and non threatening. I told the guy "you should see the one i got at home " hahah. I dont get it , everyone owns and uses knives right ? I am certian i would be more dangerous with a metal pry bar in my hands than a knife. Besides who uses knives as weapons anymore when guns are so available . So why all is the status quo so terrified of such a useful tool ? Thoughts ?
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Why are you equating your experience with one person to the general population?

I took my auto out the other day at the grocery store opened it with it's full thwack and nobody batted an eye so no one is scared of, or concerned with knives.
 
Read more closely and you will discover that i wrote " ive had several encounters like this " that does not mean one instance with one person .
 
Dixierust said:
Besides who uses knives as weapons anymore when guns are so available . So why all is the status quo so terrified of such a useful tool ? Thoughts ?
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You got that right. When I need to threaten people, I go right for a gun. People should be afraid of a weapon like it.
 
Very few news stories are headlined: "Man uses tool to achieve legitimate purpose." Modern news is a fear generating machine. Many people are infected. And that's probably all the non-political content I can write.
 
Dixierust said:
The other day while working , i was doing my thing and customer saw my mora riding on my beltloop when i lifted a box and the guy jumped back about two feet and said " damn what a knife " . Now i never even unshethed it so why was this guy over reacting ? Ive had several encounters like this , all with my plane jane mora .

In TN you are legal to carry any blade concealed and i really enjoy my right to do so, but why do people freak over knives ? Ive also noticed the scare threshold is about 4" blade , anything more that that and people get uncomfortable . Anything less and it becomes "cute" and non threatening. I told the guy "you should see the one i got at home " hahah. I dont get it , everyone owns and uses knives right ? I am certian i would be more dangerous with a metal pry bar in my hands than a knife. Besides who uses knives as weapons anymore when guns are so available . So why all is the status quo so terrified of such a useful tool ? Thoughts ?
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I get it perfectly. I think you are about right on the 4" blade length and that is a folder that you conceal in a pocket. I prefer something around 3" myself. I think the problem is simply the fixed blade regardless of legalities in TN. I have pretty carefully considered what my knife activities are in terms of cutting and a 3-3.25" blade works best for me. But you can do what you want to.

Yes to the firearm and self defense.

Added: Few people actually carry a knife daily.
 
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Next time it happens, you could calmly ask the customer why they had such a strong reaction to the sight of a knife in a sheath on someone's belt.

You don't mention what your job is but I am assuming that you might occasionally need a knife in your work. You could respond that it's just a work tool and leave it at that.

If your work is not one that requires a knife, then when people see you carrying a sheathed knife on your belt it may surprise them. Not everyone is aware of the relatively new changes to knife laws in TN and even then, may still feel vaguely threatened when they encounter something they weren't expecting and that may cause them to worry.

My conjecture, which is only that, is that there is probably something of a pervasive atmosphere of fear being promulgated by 24x7 news outlets over the past decade and a half that might have something to do with making more people jumpy than logic would dictate. So that might explain why it's a more common reaction.
 
Three things are at play here, some of which have been discussed:

1) The increasing urbanization of the culture and a de-emphasis on individual capability and preparedness;

2) The long-term association of knives with the criminal class;

3) The visceral reaction people have to knives--few people have been shot. Most of us have been cut at some time or another.
 
average gimp said:
Three things are at play here, some of which have been discussed:

1) The increasing urbanization of the culture and a de-emphasis on individual capability and preparedness;

2) The long-term association of knives with the criminal class;

3) The visceral reaction people have to knives--few people have been shot. Most of us have been cut at some time or another.
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Those are good points. i have a friend that refuses to carry a knife even when he needs one for work stuff due to the association of knives with the criminal element. He uses a utility knife when cutting is necessary. Most of us have been cut to varying degrees and a sharp knife cuts.

The way around this is carry something concealed, generally a folder, but there are small fixed blades that you can pocket carry.
 
GermanyChris said:
I took my auto out the other day at the grocery store opened it with it's full thwack and nobody batted an eye so no one is scared of, or concerned with knives.
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^ Just out of curiosity: what was your reason for doing this? I can guarantee you, that whether I was up in conservative Idaho, or liberal California; if I were to pull out my Infidel OTF for no reason at all & start showing off with it (as you did), many people would have a problem with that...LEGAL OR NOT!

And if somebody did this near me (that I didn't know), I guarantee you, all of my senses would be high alert. This is just a completely stupid way to act in a public place, or around people that you don't know! :thumbdn:



Everyone is entitled to their own opinion on this subject. As for me personally: I carry a knife daily, however I don't flaunt it!
 
I think this is an arena where the "knife rights" groups could be helpful. It's great they're fighting for our rights in court and legislative houses. But I'd like to see them go a step further with a clever advertising campaign reminding the general public that knives are primarily tools. Full stop.

Every grocery store clerk in America carries openly the same knife blamed for the 9/11 attacks. And nobody cares:

http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov/notablecases/moussaoui/exhibits/prosecution/FO08301.html
FO08301.jpg


That's because the box cutter is still viewed primarily as a tool. The public needs to understand that this is also a tool:

10315.jpg

(photo courtesy Ragweed Forge)
 
jc57 said:
Next time it happens, you could calmly ask the customer why they had such a strong reaction to the sight of a knife in a sheath on someone's belt.

You don't mention what your job is but I am assuming that you might occasionally need a knife in your work. You could respond that it's just a work tool and leave it at that.
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Or, when someone is thown by your knife, you can say "You should see the one I have at home!" and convince them that knife users enjoy even-more terrifying knives, reinforcing their stereotypical thibnking, and making things more difficult for all of us.
 
KELAMA said:
^ Just out of curiosity: what was your reason for doing this? I can guarantee you, that whether I was up in conservative Idaho, or liberal California; if I were to pull out my Infidel OTF for no reason at all & start showing off with it (as you did), many people would have a problem with that...LEGAL OR NOT!

And if somebody did this near me (that I didn't know), I guarantee you, all of my senses would be high alert. This is just a completely stupid way to act in a public place, or around people that you don't know! :thumbdn:



Everyone is entitled to their own opinion on this subject. As for me personally: I carry a knife daily, however I don't flaunt it!
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He did not say he flaunted his auto, just that he opened it and didn't keep it silent. Nothing wrong with that. WHy own knives you won't use? When autos were illegal to carry but legal to own, I would open mine in public but silently. Now that they are legal, they get the full thwack :)

You do realize this is a site for knife enthusiasts? We should exercise our rights and use legal cutlery openly whenever we need to. It's for the protection of our hobby. This doesn't mean "flaunting." Plus if your business dictates a certain decorum, then as an American, we do what must be done for money, hide your knife :) but still carry it.
 
When someone asks me "You carry a knife?!" and go all wide-eyed, my response to them is usually "You don't? What's wrong with you?" and then stare at them incredulously until they slink away.
 
So many awesome choices of knives today it's hard not to pack your favorite blade these days. Fun to carry and may come in handy for utility or defense. If some wimps are offended screw em.
 
I'll just leave this here...

Fear - an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.
Prevention - the action of stopping something from happening or arising
Control - the power to influence or direct people's behavior or the course of events
Agenda - the underlying intentions or motives of a particular person or group
Impressionable - easily influenced because of a lack of critical ability.
Propaganda - information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.
Influence - the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself.
Indoctrinate - teach (a person or group) to accept a set of beliefs uncritically
Law - the system of rules that a particular country or community recognizes as regulating the actions of its members and may enforce by the imposition of penalties.
 
average gimp said:
Three things are at play here, some of which have been discussed:

1) The increasing urbanization of the culture and a de-emphasis on individual capability and preparedness;

2) The long-term association of knives with the criminal class;

3) The visceral reaction people have to knives--few people have been shot. Most of us have been cut at some time or another.
Click to expand...

All three of these can be blamed, in part, on Hollywood or just the media in general.

People will always build a personal moral system on something and the media can be extremely effective and is a very easy place to start. Especially if religious practice and training are lacking. I guess that you could also blame the government or it's use of the media but personally, I would have to point the finger at the media first and foremost.

Most people will act upon personal morals and peer pressure more than anything else. If true, we can assume that as our culture shifts to urbanization, less and less of our population will feel a need for a blade outside of the home. Combine this with the media portraying knife and gun use in poor light and our government restricting use, carry and ownership, it is no surprise that many will overreact if they see someone use a knife in public.

As someone has stated, we should exercise our rights and use legal cutlery openly whenever we need to. This leads to the question of how we can keep public overreaction to a minimum. I'm sorry, but, just because I have a legal right to have a machete on my hip, does not mean I plan to wear one next time I eat at my favorite burger joint or steakhouse. It may be legal for me to do so but, I don't look forward to explaining my legal rights to others, including my local LEO.

It has been said that people don't know what they don't know. This really becomes apparent with autos compared to AO knives. John Q. Public can't tell the difference. So, how do we exercise our rights as knife owners without shaking up the people we meet in public?
 
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