Comments you get when you take your knife out

[KardinalSyn]

Thanks for the cool stories. Must confess the posts are far better than I expected.

A friend of mine visited me this afternoon and he saw the PPT which I had clipped to my t-shirt . He exclaimed "what a knife" when I gave it to hime and later "man, I like the weight of that knife" when he gave it back to me.

It was a dude I have known for nearly 20 years but he does not know my affinity to knives outside of the SAK I used to carry. I was glad I showed him the knife.

[OBJ Viking]

In my state so many people carry knives that I rarely get comments.

For example - Two deer seasons ago I stopped at a convenience store on the way home and a local deputy noticed my multi-cam outfit, realized I had been hunting, and asked me if I had a knife on me as he was trying to open a plastic cover on a cellphone accessory, and the most interesting comments were my warning him that my CQC-11 was sharp, then my showing him how to close a liner lock without cutting himself.

I like living the South.

[jackknifeh]

In my state so many people carry knives that I rarely get comments.

For example - Two deer seasons ago I stopped at a convenience store on the way home and a local deputy noticed my multi-cam outfit, realized I had been hunting, and asked me if I had a knife on me as he was trying to open a plastic cover on a cellphone accessory, and the most interesting comments were my warning him that my CQC-11 was sharp, then my showing him how to close a liner lock without cutting himself.

I like living the South.

Very cool. Cops where I live don't care what you carry as long as you don't poke people.

Jack

Edit
If you measure time by hunting seasons... you might be (are) a redneck.

[OBJ Viking]

...guilty as charged.

[Evil D]

People really don't say anything to me unless they're interested in knives in a positive way. If anyone has ever been intimidated by it, they never said anything. I don't work in an office though

[SpydieFan]

I'm known as the knife guy around my friends too. When someone asks if I have a knife, I laugh. Because I usually have 1.... 2.... 3... lol. One good knife for me, one beater knife for others and a keychain knife :P

I've never gotten any weird comments about carrying a knife, because when it comes down to it, someone wants something cut open, they're not going to make some stupid comment.

[Gunslinger]

"Drop the knife and keep your hands where I can see them!"

[angusW]

Was at a retirement lunch for one of my colleagues. He got a "care" package that was wrapped up. Out of the 30 or so people that were there he calls my name and says "Can I borrow one of your knives please." I let him use my Dodo. Everyone there probably had a cheap pocket knife on them but he knows mine are sharp.

I don't usually like to take my knives out in public too often. Too many men are gelded now a days and start panicking at the sight of a pocket knife. I'm just tired of the same old comments. If I have to use a knife it will usually be the Jester or a Ladybug.

[OBJ Viking]

... many men are gelded now a days and start panicking at the sight of a pocket knife...

This is so true in many aspects of society these days.

[OBJ Viking]

At last year's Boy Scout camp, we had several parents who were first time campers. The first day, they had all the questions and issues that first time campers have - forgetting to clear the stones and pinecones out from under their tent site before pitching it, wearing the wrong shoes/socks, forgetting flashlight batteries, etc.

As we settled down around the campfire at the end of the first day - I have a tradition of doing some "dutch oven magic" for the parents. Brings a little bit of civility to the wilderness. This evening, I prepared a large Brie cheese with brown sugar and pecans in the dutch oven. Gooey, yummy goodness! And of course, you have to have French bread to dip into the pot. When I saw one of the dads trying to cut the loaf with a plastic luncheon knife, I whipped out my orange millie, flicked it open and handed it to him. All the newbie parents' eyes got as big as dinner plates. Then they saw how it glided through the bread, making perfect thin slices.

Keep in mind - here we were - 10 miles off the beaten path at a camp site in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains. What the heck were they shocked about? Personally, I'd be completely freaked out if I'd *forgotten* my knives.

TedP

I like that story, 2 thumbs up.

[willydigger]

I've gotten a few mixed comments. At work in front of a younger employee I flicked open my Persistence while opening a box. "Wow check out that blade."

Same employee a few months later after flicking open my Cat. "Man you had that open, the bag cut, and put back before I new it was a knife."

Those were in a blue collar work environment. Down in the City I decided to carry my Boker Gnome around my neck. Generally it's tucked in, but it must have come out on top of my shirt. One of my city folk friends asked startled, "Are you wearing a knife around your neck? Did anyone but me notice this, he's wearing a knife."

A few weeks later, I pulled out my Cat to open a Kettle Chip bag (those things are made of super plastic), and a friend sarcastically said, "oooohh a knife" while pretending to shake his hands. He works in DC so I bet he hears that stuff all the time.

Never have I pulled a knife in front of a stranger. In spite of the high polish, I'm not that flashy.

Here are the knives in question.

Purdysistence

Boker

Cat

[OBJ Viking]

Any grown man frightened or intimidated by a knife (which is actually only a tool) seen on a person or being used in a non-threatening manner to perform a task has been successfully emasculated by today's popular culture.

I grew up carrying a pocket knife from an early age and once forgot my Buck 110 was in my pocket when I went to dress out for football (I usually went to my car and put it there before practice to prevent theft), and had to have my coach put it in his desk until after practice. It was not really a big deal to take it to him.

[xceptnl]

Purdysistence

Willy, that is some serious polish on that blade!

[The Student]

I cannot recall an instance in which I have used a knife in public, I guess I would if someone had said something about it. At work when I pull one out I usually get "never seen that one before when did you get it?". With my normal reply "yesterday".

[dsmegst]

I've got to say that it really depends on how you use it. I've gotten one surprised comment from a waitress when I started cutting up some food for my kid. But the other hundreds of times, people hardly notice. Avoid aggressive movements or a quick opening and don't scare the people around you. That and anyone that knows me is used to seeing me use my knife.

[Dr. Snubnose]

Not for nothing....but If I pull out any knife and use it in public in front of someone that knows me, they always end up saying "Oh you Carry a Knife?!" I tell them No.....I carry 10-12 more......That usually shuts them up....But I have been known to hand a knife to a clerk in the supermarket have trouble opening boxes to stock the shelf, who was trying to use a dull razor....I have even handed a cashier clerk in a Sporting goods store a SE Ladybug to cut the plastic tie between a pair of sneakers cause she could not find a scissor and I needed to try them on....and from both I got a Big Thanks You.......Most of the time I keep my knives out of the public eye...unless I really need to use it......Doc

[Paradiggum]

I do work in an office. A few years back I had to open a box of paper in the copy room. One of the boxes that has 2 plastic bands wrapped around them. I pulled out my Delica and cut the bands and a co-worker says, "What do you need that big knife for?" I thought, "Big knife?" But I said, "To cut things like these bands so I don't have to go all they way back to my desk and get the dull scissors that the company provides that wouldn't cut this anyway." She replied, "I don't think you're supposed to have that here."
We have nothing in the handbook about it but that was the last day I carried a Delica to work. Knowing this woman I'm actually surprised she didn't say something to management. Maybe she did. They never said anything to me. Now whatever I'm carrying stays in my car and the only knife I have on me is the small SAK on my keyring.
She doesn't work there anymore but I'm one of two guys in my department and the other guy would never carry something like a knife. Most of my other co-workers would freak out so my job is more secure if I just leave the knives in my car.

That's the only negative comment I've ever had. Any other comments were from friends and I've turned most of them into knife carriers.

[SpyderNut]

I just so happened to run into this issue at work today. For the record, I make no bones about the fact that I carry a small pocket knife (or three), but I do exercise discretion, especially in today’s climate of anti- “weapons.” I only use these little knives to open envelopes, packages, and etc. In light of the “no weapons” policy where I work, I generally limit myself to carrying a Ladybug H1 Hawkbill, SAK StayGlow Rambler, and a SOG Micron Tanto.

Most recently, here’s what I’ve heard:

During a meeting this morning, one of my colleagues laughingly told my boss, “Hey, you know the first time Michael calls in sick to work, it will probably be due to a self-inflicted knife wound.” Ha! Too funny.

Later at lunch today, one of my other colleagues told me in all seriousness, “Hey, I really like you as a person—don’t get me wrong—but I’d rather slowly die than to hear any more talk about guns, knives, old cars, or country music.” (Country music? Hmmm. But I don't remember talking about Willie Nelson). No problem. Out of respect to my colleauge, my boss discreetly switched the subject to old Winchester firearms. I mean, honestly, who doesn’t like to talk about the old Model 94, 12, or even 42?

[jackknifeh]

I don't think anything has changed a lot in the past 6 years concerning carrying and using a pocket knife in public. I've carried one all my life, every day except the few days I may have forgotten it or had to go to the courthouse. In fact the metal detector in the courthouse in my town is probably 5 years old or so. Before it was installed the subject wasn't brought up in my presence. I don't spend much time there though. Anyway, I've never even thought about this issue until I got on this forum. I mean it never even occurred to me that a pocket knife was inappropriate in any situation except courthouses and such. Now I think about it every time I use one in public. I bought some asperin at Wal Mart one day paying for it at the pharmacy register. I wanted to take some immediately and when I used my GB to get through the bank vault level protective stuff over the lid I was thinking about it all the time. Especially since I believe WM has cameras viewing about every square inch of the store. I've decided not to let this issue dictate what I carry 99% of the time but now I think about it. I blame my phobia on you forum people. You are a different species. If the situation was as bad as it seems to be around here (forum), pretty soon a job application will have a question like "Are you a member of a knife forum?" If you answer yes you had better be applying for a job as a mercinary.

Jack

[SpydieFan]

I'm glad I don't work in a place where there is a "no weapons" policy... hell... in every single job I've had knives are encouraged... at college, they're encouraged because written into the rules, I am in a trades program where use of them is necessary. I don't ever plan on getting a job that says "no" to knives... and if I do... I plan on carrying them anyway, because I quite simply don't care and I'm not going to be some helpless person without a knife.