Wondering....

J

justjed

Joined
Oct 23, 2010
Messages
1,836
Why is it that sooooo many people seem to think of a knife as a weapon first? I mean, everyone has a knife. EVERYONE! They keep them in their kitchens. In their tool boxes. They use them at work to open boxes. They get handed one at a steak house. Everyone uses a knife almost every day, without even thinking about it. It's a tool for cutting stuff. Just like scissors, or a water-jet, or a cutting torch, or whatever.

But, when someone calls a knife a tool, they get their ass handed to them on a plate! There is always someone(not just on the forums) who has to say that the courts don't look at it as a tool, the average person on the street doesn't look at it as a tool, etc. That it's a weapon first and foremost in the minds of the majority. I beg to differ.

Yes, a knife can be used as a weapon, and a very effective one in many cases. But I'd wager that 99.9% of people who use a knife every day have never drawn one in defense, or had one pulled on them, as in a robbery, or whatever. They never think of the weapon potential of the 8" chef's knife they're using to carve their turkey or chop their veggies. It never even crosses their mind. They simply cut whatever needs cut and go on about their business.

MILLIONS of Americans carry a concealed handgun every day, myself included. Most will never have to use one in defense. BUT, a concealed handgun IS a weapon. Period. And that's ok. But a knife is somehow wrong? Why the paranoia? What am I missing?
 
Dunno o_O . But what I do know is that when I see someone packing a blade, I think weapon first, weapon second and tool third :eek: !
 
Aaaah, so, we're not so different. But I don't usually think of my EDC fixed blade as a weapon, probably because it's LITTLE, with a 2-3/4" blade, wood scales and mosaic pins. It's just for opening boxes and cutting stuff at work. I carry a .45 to take care of the bigger jobs off site. Fortunately, I've never run into a situation where I would need it. I have knives that were designed as weapons, but they're not something I would carry every day, as the local the constabulary would frown upon my doing so...
 
You have to consider, if the possession of a knife is brought up in a court case, it has probabaly been used as a weapon. Which, it's still a tool intended to cut... your just trying to cut another person instead of rope, or a box, or food, or whatever.
But I see someone carrying a knife and they gain respect points in my book, and depending on who they are, where we are, and what we're both doing, I have to resist asking to fondle it. :rolleyes:
I'd also wager people who are afraid of someone carrying anything larger than "x inches" would be much more terrified to know that people like you and I also have loaded handguns hidden from view.
 
Yep drives me nuts when I am watching Forged in Fire on the History channel, the host always calls them "weapons" when referring to the knives/blades.
 
I never think of my knife as a weapon, even my big slimline machetes that look like swords. They are all great tools, and when someone expresses insecurity about me having a knife, it takes a moment to register.
That being said, there have been a huge climb in knife related deaths/attacks/news stories in the last 2 months where I live. The news always says knife in such a negative, dramatic way. The way things are around here right now, if I pulled out a knife on a bus to eat an apple or something, people would flip s#!t. Would be a fun experiment though.
One thing I never got is why people carry a knife solely for defense weapon. How many times in your life will you use it for that purpose? Knife is definitely not the best defense weapon, not even the 2nd best.
 
I have no problem with FIF, the knives they are building are being tested for their weapon potential. It's a game show, in my opinion. And the finalist DO have to produce a functional reproduction of a historic weapon from the past. Btw, ALL of the swords/weapons they are shown on the table for the finals are reproductions made by David Baker. I've met a few of the contestants, they have nothing but good things to say about the show. For the most part.
 
If you're not legally allowed to carry a gun, a knife can be an effective defensive tool. Easier to conceal than a baseball bat, quicker to access than a 4' chain, etc. And I have heard that some criminals, gangstas, for instance, are not afraid of being shot, but NOBODY wants to get cut...
 
I totally agree with the OP. I carry 2 knives every day and the last thing I would think about when carrying them is using them as a weapon to hurt anyone. I was actually attacked by a guy with a knife when I was in college. He was stealing stuff out of my car and I went out to confront him. He was in the drivers seat and had the knife sitting on the passenger seat. When I opened the door to confront him he grabbed it and came after me. The weapon of choice was not a switchblade, an OTF, a flipper, or a big hunting knife from the sporting goods store. Nope it was your standard cheap wooden handled serrated steak knife from a nearby restaurant. I have never looked it up but I would bet most attacks with a knife are some type of kitchen tool.

I will say for those that do want to carry a knife for self defense, get some training. I think with out some form of training the chances run high you will get stabbed with your own knife.
 
Rational folks see guns and knives as tools and weapons. I carry both daily (a multitool, knife and a firearm). Each is a tool until I need to defend myself.

In the case of the multitool (Leatherman Skeletool) I might need to defend myself against a loose screw.
 
I did a small experiment a few years back. I was the team-lead for a small crew of sales reps and would work with 5-10 people each week. After the project was done, I was usually assigned a new group of people (depending on location).

The "experiment" started at lunchtime. I always packed an apple in my lunch and preferred to cut it in slices with a blade.

Everyone in my groups was aware of the Leatherman I carried and would often ask to use it for random tasks. During lunch I would use the Leatherman blade to cut my apple; nobody batted an eye.

The one day I pulled out a Mini Griptillian to cut the apple I immediately drew attention to myself. None of my team was "scared", but their interest was about why I carried a knife. I explained that I use the blade on my Leatherman enough so that a dedicated blade made more sense to carry, just like a screwdriver. It made sense to them and they never asked again.

With the next group of folks I worked with, I would use my Mini Grip all the time, and while I got the occasional question "is that a knife" there wasn't much attention drawn. When I cut my apple at lunch nobody batted an eye. They saw me using the knife from day one and became used to seeing it; never saw me with a multitool.

I think that people see a single-bladed knife more as a weapon rather than a tool. When you combine a blade with multiple tools (I.e. Leatherman) the blade is seen as a tool instead.

Many people are not used to realizing the different uses of a knife, so they need to "see it to believe it". If you just whip a knife out randomly to cut an apple, people think "weapon". If you give them proof that it can be used in other ways (I.e. Using it in front of them often), they start to see the different uses of a knife as a tool rather than a weapon.
 
justjed said:
Why is it that sooooo many people seem to think of a knife as a weapon first? I mean, everyone has a knife. EVERYONE! They keep them in their kitchens. In their tool boxes. They use them at work to open boxes. They get handed one at a steak house. Everyone uses a knife almost every day, without even thinking about it. It's a tool for cutting stuff. Just like scissors, or a water-jet, or a cutting torch, or whatever.

But, when someone calls a knife a tool, they get their ass handed to them on a plate! There is always someone(not just on the forums) who has to say that the courts don't look at it as a tool, the average person on the street doesn't look at it as a tool, etc. That it's a weapon first and foremost in the minds of the majority. I beg to differ.

Yes, a knife can be used as a weapon, and a very effective one in many cases. But I'd wager that 99.9% of people who use a knife every day have never drawn one in defense, or had one pulled on them, as in a robbery, or whatever. They never think of the weapon potential of the 8" chef's knife they're using to carve their turkey or chop their veggies. It never even crosses their mind. They simply cut whatever needs cut and go on about their business.

MILLIONS of Americans carry a concealed handgun every day, myself included. Most will never have to use one in defense. BUT, a concealed handgun IS a weapon. Period. And that's ok. But a knife is somehow wrong? Why the paranoia? What am I missing?
Click to expand...

Movies, history documentaries, and media all work to portray knives as weapons only. I wish they were seen as tools... you could probably do more damage to someone with a sharpened flathead screwdriver (assuming it is made of S30V steel of course). It is unfortunate, but thats the way it is.
 
Blues Bender said:
I did a small experiment a few years back. I was the team-lead for a small crew of sales reps and would work with 5-10 people each week. After the project was done, I was usually assigned a new group of people (depending on location).

The "experiment" started at lunchtime. I always packed an apple in my lunch and preferred to cut it in slices with a blade.

Everyone in my groups was aware of the Leatherman I carried and would often ask to use it for random tasks. During lunch I would use the Leatherman blade to cut my apple; nobody batted an eye.

The one day I pulled out a Mini Griptillian to cut the apple I immediately drew attention to myself. None of my team was "scared", but their interest was about why I carried a knife. I explained that I use the blade on my Leatherman enough so that a dedicated blade made more sense to carry, just like a screwdriver. It made sense to them and they never asked again.

With the next group of folks I worked with, I would use my Mini Grip all the time, and while I got the occasional question "is that a knife" there wasn't much attention drawn. When I cut my apple at lunch nobody batted an eye. They saw me using the knife from day one and became used seeing it; never saw me with a multitool.

I think that people see a single-bladed knife more as a weapon rather than a tool. When you combine a blade with multiple tools (I.e. Leatherman) the blade is seen as a tool instead.

Many people are not used to realizing the different uses of a knife, so they need to "see it to believe it". If you just whip a knife out randomly to cut an apple, people think "weapon". If you give them proof that it can be used in other ways (I.e. Using it in front of them often), they start to see the different uses of a knife as a tool rather than a weapon.
Click to expand...
They are called Sheeple unfortunately. Way of the world though.

I cut my apples with my Glock 29 10mm and nobody bats an eye....
 
Folks considering a knife as a weapon instead of a tool isn't too surprising. Hollywood has a lot to do with this of course. Plus, we constantly hear words like tactical/combat knife, it is pretty much drilled into our minds. Personally, I rarely use a knife as a tool, yet I still pack one around with me most of the time.
 
When they see you have a knife, they realize how vulnerable they are, because of not having one. its instantly scary to them, without them even understanding why. Like children scared of snakes. They go through life not carying one and are not used to seeing someone with a knife outside of kitchen. Deep inside an insecurity wakes up. Now they just wish you are a good guy who uses your knives as tools not to harm them hopefully. So if you have a scary blade it's just going to be an amplifier. Lots of people are not even ready to have one. Maybe it's better this way.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top