Pocketknives/Kitchen Knives/Fixed Blades
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The problem is that you only see a knife as a weapon. It's not. It's a tool. It's man's oldest tool.
If you don't need a knife, don't carry one. But at least in my day to day life, I use it to open boxes, letters, cut tape, cut bindings, dig things out of hard to reach places (gravel out of my boot/splinter out of my hand), cut food (and I work in an office, not a blue collar job or anything particularly outdoorsy). I use mine all the time. I get particularly annoyed when another guy asks to borrow mine. For me, being a man means being prepared for what life throws at you. A knife is a good tool to make other improvisational tools as well.
Hell, even my wife keeps a small one in her purse, and I routinely have to sharpen it for her
There's a saying around here "If you're wearing pants, you've got a knife in your pocket"
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Doug, I'm the same way. I feel naked if I don't have a knife. It's as if I'm not ready for what life might toss my way.
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RnR, I really wasn't into carrying knifes like a year ago or so…looking back at that time and looking at the time now, carrying one, I really have to say that I don't want to miss my knife one single day anymore!
it really comes in just way too handy since it's the perfect tool to help you through the different situations a day has to offer (check Doug's post!)...so when i sometimes find myself without my knife, i have to say that i somehow feel "naked"...it's just a weird feeling to me! may sound a bit weird but yeah, that's the case
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Carrying a knife makes me want to stab people in the neck.
Have you told your therapist about this urge?
he hasn´t told him, he showed him iirc…
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Carrying a knife makes me want to stab people in the neck. Not carrying one would disable me from doing so.
And this is why Seul drinks so much- it dulls the urge to do impolite things like stab people…
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I'm just a peace-loving dude who grew up in a peaceful place and time, so it baffles me why so many people take knives around with them.
Looks like I'm living a sheltered life. :-\
Growing up and living in a sheltered, peaceful life is probably why you don't understand. That is a wonderful but rare thing.
A knife is a tool, arguably the earliest tool mankind invented for itself. From the chipped stone blade to the modern metallurgy we have today. It can be used as an offensive or defensive weapon. It is essential in every kitchen and construction site across the globe. Scalpels are busy at work in hospitals every day. To say a knife is a weapon is to be ignorant of the bigger picture. I find the people that ask, "Why do you have/need that?" are usually asking to borrow it to cut something later on.
Knives have as much of a culture around them as any other consumable. Crafting steel is an art that dates back centuries and is still rapidly developing. Design and production for pocket knives registers as highly on my nerd-meter as denim, guns, or beer. Functional art. Wouldn't be caught without one (or more…)
Whether they're 'for you' or not is up to you. I bet if you carried one you would use it more often than you think.
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RnR no prob. As peaceful as we are in swizzy, real Swiss carry a Swiss Army knife ;). As a tool not as weapon like Doug described correctly
Shit, I'm from NY and I ALWAYS have a Victorinox Electrician with me
Knives cause good stories to become non events. Stories like "hey, you remember that time you yanked your tooth out opening a blister pack?" and "you remember that time you had to gnaw on your food in front of the director?" and "the infamous time your wife broke her foot when her shoelace got caught in an escalator" become an afterthought because you have the right tools to do what you need to do
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My father always carried a knife and multi tool. It was always nice to go places with him because if you needed to open something or fix something in an emergency, he would get the job done. After he died, I decided to carry mine all the time and take over that role.
Most of the older men I know carry knives for that exact purpose. I don't think I can name another person around my age who I interact with often carrying a knife or multi tool. Call it old fashioned, I don't know. I just find it really nice to know I can get myself out of jam instead of having to call someone.
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Knives as weapons vs productive tools to help people: I wish I could say I thought of this myself, but I'm pretty sure I got this from Professor X
An open hand is a sign of offering or peace, but can be used to strike someone, a closed fist can be a sign of violence, but can be used to protect within the fist
All depends on perspective and intention
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Call it old fashioned, I don't know. I just find it really nice to know I can get myself out of jam instead of having to call someone.
Not old fashioned: smart. I used to carry a knife for a lot of different reasons: being prepared, self defense, just because knives are cool. But when I got married and took on the responsibility of being the man of the house for my wife and son, priorities changed. It's now my responsibility to take care of them, whatever life may decide to toss at us
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to further the point, a knife is great as an everyday carry tool but really a poor choice for a primary EDC weapon (defensive, of course). if I felt I needed to carry a defensive weapon I'd carry my glock 19. (and I do have that choice where I live). if I felt I needed a weapon and couldn't carry a gun for one reason or another I'd rather have some variety of taser.
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bravo, great conversation with varying points of view (figure i bitch when a thread has taken a bad turn, should applaud when it is going the right way). i carry a little multi tool so i can open any beverage offered to me & screw what ever may need to be tightened up. the only reason i do not carry a knife is because much like RnR i never really got into them. oh & i am clumsy & forgetful & would either lose a digit or sit on it while open.
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I live in Belgium, €urope. Unfortunately it's illegal to own a gun here… You can get permits for guns and all that, but it's massively hard to obtain one and expensive as fuck to buy a gun (in the legal circuit)...
In all fairness, if guns wére legal here, I'd collect and shoot 'm in designated areas, or the countryside... I LOVE guns and am massively jealous of you 'mericans when it comes to that... But I'd never carry one in my day to day life...
A knife on the other hand, I do not consider a weapon... I have been carrying one for 20 years, and no matter what the situation, I've never even considered pulling it, not even under duress.
