Sorry guys, this got out of hand. I’m going to go ahead and lock it. We got some trolling going on.
Edit: Not as bad as I first thought. I’m unlocking it. I think people need to start using the /s tag more often. It’ll be good for practice over the holidays.
I was an outdoorsy kid in the 80s and 90s so pocket knives were common, but of course had rules. I hadn’t carried one for decades, but started again this year because of hobbies that have me working outside and it’s become super handy. I’ll even clip it in the pocket of whatever shorts or PJ pants I’m wearing in the house while just chilling with the family. 100% for utilitarian uses, and literally every day.
One thing I have to thank the EDC, tactiool, and/or Mall Ninja Shit communities for though is the amazing variety of high quality pocket knives that use replaceable utility knife blades! Light and slim ones, not rattling box cutters.
Mine is one of these. Plain titanium color, and after an embarrassing amount of screwing around I settled on Tajima V-Rex II blades. I don’t have a collection of knives or anything like that, but it is so satisfying to have the one tool that is exactly what I wanted for the job, and have need to use it constantly.
Honestly, after scrolling through this thread, I gotta wonder when carrying a pocket knife became something abnormal to a decent percentage of the population.
It was never universal, but as young lad in the late 1900’s it was unremarkable for most people to have at least a little pocket knife with a nail file on them most of the time and never anything sinister. There were places you couldn’t take them, but for the most part we lived our lives surrounded by people with concealed knives and never thought twice about it.
Never tied an onion to my belt though.
EDIT: If it’s mostly a backlash against the EDC crowd, I kinda get it, but still it seems pretty harmless in moderation.
Yeah, I’ve got a multitool with a knife on it in my purse. It’s just handy, same as the spare set of shoelaces and little bottle of tylenol in my purse.
Obvs, this means I’m gonna stab somebody, tie them up, and make them autistic or something idk.
Yeah, no one would have even blinked at that from what I recall. Unless you tried to take it onto a plane or into someplace high security like a courtroom it was something so mundane that it wouldn’t have been brought up.
Making an issue out of it would have been akin to saying “Did you hear about Bob? He always has his car keys with him. Watch out for that guy…”
I’ve found old carvings on trees that were obviously very old trail markers (the trail was overgrown and aside from packed ground hadn’t even been used in a long time)
Where I’m from, it’s normal to carry a pocket knife or even a fixed blade. It’s not only common, but considered a
rightrite of passage. One is given to you at a very young age, and you learn how to responsibly use one. I’ve never had the urge to use it for defense; and I’ve been in many situations where I could’ve. It’s a tool.As for the “multi tool” arguments… the more complicated a thing is, the more likely you are to have problems. Have fun carving a wooden spoon with your thick multifaceted “tool”.
Nothing wrong with carrying a blade. It’s ancient. There’s a reason for it.
*rite, not right
I carried a folding pocket knife in my pocket for a really long time. Eventually, someone educated me that multi-tools (that include knives) exist. I carry this everywhere now instead of a knife. This is a lot more useful than a folding pocket knife: https://www.gerbergear.com/en-us/shop/multi-tools/all-multi-tools/suspension-nxt-black-30-001777 - You may still have plenty of uses for a fixed blade knife in addition to this, but getting some kind of multitool (I am not a fan of Leatherman), is a good upgrade to a daily carry knife.
Never carved anything into a tree; that’s fucking dumb.
I tried to get into carrying a multitool but it’s too big for and I never found I needed much besides the knife. Besides, if you try hard enough, everything is the right tool for the job.
I felt the same way until I realized that multitools come in different sizes, and you don’t need to get the biggest one with 80 tools that weighs 5 lbs. The smaller ones are barely bigger than a normal size pocket knife, and include a knife, pliers, wire cutters, pry tool, and a couple other of the most common things you might need. Much more handy than just a knife.
It’s mostly the pliers. I rarely use any of the other tools of a mult-tool.
It has a screwdriver but they are so painful to use as a screwdriver - I’d rather walk 10 minutes and get a real one.
I have this one. I like the fact that it has a carabineer built in so I can hook it anywhere.
I carry a skeletool from time to time. Same deal. It’s light, simple, and the pliers work well.
You can make a lot of things with a sharp edge.
Same here. Growing up, you got a pocket knife for Christmas or your birthday some time around middle school (usually a Swiss Army or Boy Scout knife) and it was just a thing you carried like your wallet or house key.
Multitools changed the tradition a little, but didn’t end it. Largely it meant another round of all us kids getting a multitool for Christmas.
I’m not a big EDC guy, but I still habitually have a good penlight and one of these on me most of the time: https://www.gerbergear.com/en-us/shop/multi-tools/all-multi-tools/armbar-drive-onyx-30-001585
The scissors and screwdriver come in handy more often than the blade. So these days if I give knife/tool it tends to be something like that rather than a Jackhawk 9000 sort of thing.
What’s wrong with carrying a swiss army knife? I always have it with me. It’s been with me at all my dates. No tree carving, though.
Better luck next time, homey
It’s kind of a compliment.
These comments are wild lol
What do you mean one of them? What kind of moron doesn’t carry a knife as part of their regular kit? Just today, I forgot my knife and was boned because I couldn’t open a thing until I got home. Knives are handy.
you forgot your knife and then someone had sex with you because you DIDN’T open anything?
I did for a while, and I never needed it. I’ve never needed to open something out and about where a key wasn’t perfectly capable.
Why are people so weirded out by one of the oldest tools we have?
Society now outsources its cutting to machines…
I agree.
Boy Scouts used to get jack knives in 3rd grade.
My pacifist mom brought me all the guns I wanted when I was a kid; by the time I was about 12 I decided guns were for little boys and put all of mine away. Never felt the need to own one.
My pacifist mom brought me all the guys I wanted when I was a kid
nice
Edited, and you have a filthy mind.
People are utterly terrified by the idea of something that could cause consequences if wielded improperly.
Or, stated another way:
People are terrified not just of accountability, but of potential, theoretical accountability.
Hyperconsumerism?
0 attention span?
Things are supposed to all be instant, temporary and ephemeral, nothing that implies the potential of long term consequences can be considered without a level of genuine terror.
Also depends on the size of the knife.
Pocket knife: cool. Rambo knife: get the fuck out of there
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I’m flabbergasted as to how you managed to live long enough to learn the English language, and never had to, like, open a box
Knife access is needed frequently enough to warrant at least a nice a little slip joint. You can use them to trim loose threads, open boxes, trim plastic tabs/flashings, dig out splinters, remove bee stings…
My wife asks to borrow a knife most days, and when I’m not carrying one, she gets flustered, yet refuse to bring her own.
When I worked at a fast food place I would bring a knife every day, because one of the things you do a lot of is opening boxes and bags and tearing them open with gloves on sucks ass. You seem to be under the impression that pocket knives are chainsaws lol
You should have asked for a utility knife or box cutter. If you got hurt using your knife, the company could easily draw out and possibly dismiss a WC claim citing unauthorized equipment.
I did, the manager shrugged and told me to borrow the knife another employee brought in lol
no, you’re just wrong.
Depends on the knife really. Even just a 1” non-locking blade on a multitool has excellent utility.
It’s a balance between usefulness and looking like a Crocodile Dundee cosplayer. You take what’s appropriate for where you’re going.
I would say that locking blades a generally safer for the user than a non-locking blade.
Absolutely. Sometimes jobs exceed the abilities of a non-locker and then it gets dangerous.
A smaller blade is less dangerous but not safe. You wouldn’t give a 3 year old a multitool with an exposed knife.
And the second part of the argument was that you don’t need that utility all the time. 99% of the society can get their things done without carrying a knife around.
Thus someone constantly carrying around a potentially dangerous tool would look weird. I’m sure a hammer would also have great versatility but when you see someone casually lugging a hammer around you wouldn’t find it weird?
You can do 99% of things without carrying a GPS, phone, internet browser, 3 cameras, a compass, an MP3 player, a TV and contents of the Library of Congress around, but no one bats an eye about someone bringing their modern smartphone literally everywhere.
A smaller blade is less dangerous but not safe. You wouldn’t give a 3 year old a multitool with an exposed knife.
You wouldn’t let a 3 year old cook dinner for himself either. A guy owning an oven is a huge red flag
In a enormously consumerist society with a lot of packaging, why is it weird to carry a package opening tool?
Knives are dangerous. No argument there. Hell, my car keys can be dangerous too. But they are also utilitarian in a lot of different and innocent situations. Having a simple pocket knife is not a bad idea.
- Cutting open boxes
- Cutting wire or string or that flat plastic tie used in packing
- Stripping wire
- Dislodging items
- Scraping things
- Peeling apples
- Whittling
The point is, I’d be less concerned about somebody having a pocket knife than a gun. But, that may be because I’m from the South and it’s more common down here; not that guns aren’t common, but that knives are very common.
Hell, my car keys can be dangerous too.
I would bet money that the person you’re talking to thinks we shouldn’t be allowed to drive cars either
Scraping things
Remind me not to loan you my knife.
Same with “dislodging items”
Can you explain in detail HOW knives are dangerous? Like more dangerous than the internal combustion engine.
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A knife is about as “inherently dangerous” as milk. Properly kept, it’s never going to be an issue. Accidently leave it on the floor, and someone can slip or get cut.
Being responsible dos not remove a danger from existence. Accidents can still happen. Intent can change. The danger is always present. You even acknowledge this in n your last sentence.
Yes, being responsible and respectful of a dangerous item (e.g. knife, gun, whatever) is always good, and will minimize the danger. But the danger is always present, and thus always requires the responsibility and respect.
I still believe my original point stands.
My point was that spilled milk is just as, if not more dangerous than a knife. Everything in life has a degree of risk. Part of being an adult is managing or accepting those risks. You can roll off your bed and get hurt, does this mean that there is no place in society for bedframes? Perfectly healthy people are going to die or get seriously injured from falling down stairs today, shouldn’t we ban multi-level housing as a response? Probably hundreds of people are going to get cut or die from a knives today, is that a reason not to carry one?
For me, no. I have lots of useful things I do daily with a knife. Not carrying a knife when I needed one has caused me many more issues than carrying a knife when I didn’t. However, if you live in a perfect pampered world where you never need to cut, slice, open, poke, pry, trim, shave or shape anything, I could see why carrying a little pocket folder might be an unnecessary risk. I live in a safe place where crime is low and dangerous wild animals are few, so I don’t carry a firearm, it’s an unnecessary risk and an uncomfortable inconvenience for what I would get out of it.
You seem to have come under the impression that I’m against knives.
I was also calling HikingVet out for what I believe was a bad faith argument.
This does depend on where you live. In a dense city where you always have access to stores and services, it’s not as vital. Meanwhile someone who lives and works in an isolated area would want to keep more tools on them or in their vehicle (flashlight, first aid kit, lighter, multitool/knife, etc)
turns out knife nuts are just as stupid and crazy as gun nuts…
Best to just ignore the type of person who carries a weapon like a women carries a full makeup kit.
Both do it for the same reason, impressing men but neither will acknowledge it and get irrationally defensive if it’s pointed out.
If this wasn’t true, they would be downvoting, they’d just ignore it and move on, like a real man but they can’t because they aren’t.
I think a sizeable factor for the disdain is that EDC-bro that everyone knows who use their knife for everything even when the proper tool is right next to them. Or even the ones who carry an assault-type knife (like a karambit) holstered on their belt just for showing it off.
Those specific people sorta remind me of those fedora-bros where they think of it as an status symbol.
All the people justifying carrying a knife everywhere: context, and also the kind of knife. I remember once being in the labor and delivery ward of a hospital and a guy visiting pulled out his wallet to sign in. He must’ve been one of those every day carry chumps because like 8 things fell out of his pocket, including a pocket knife that was at like 8” long.
What fucking threat are you gonna have to neutralize at the maternity ward you fucking nerd? Or do you think they’re gonna let you cut the cord with that dirty ass flea market knife that’s probably blunt as shit. All you’ve achieved is making everyone around you uncomfortable because america is loaded with incidents of mass violence.
What fucking threat are you gonna have to neutralize at the maternity ward you fucking nerd?
The mere assumption that knives are weapons by default seems pretty foreign to me. Sometimes the “fucking threat” that needs “neutralizing” is a tag on a stuffed animal or a plastic clamshell container that can’t easily be opened without tools.
I work in a hospital, on the way to work and on the way back I often stop by picking mushrooms. The situation you described is not unlike my ordinary life.
Wouldn’t it be wild if he was somewhere before he got to the maternity ward? Maybe he should just leave the knife in the car, so that it’s available for anybody if they want to steal it.
lol one of the things we have to do in psychiatry is go through every patient’s belongings on admission.
We’ve seen all kinds of things from drug paraphernalia to weapons to dildos (and one dude just had the whole lower half of a sex doll) but in this context the thing that takes the cake was the patient hallucinating so bad they were talking to the demons more than us and it turned out there was a loaded gun in the bag they’d had at their bedside for 8 hours in the ED. The honorable mention is the lighter that looked like a gun that I put in a little plastic baggie with a note covering it that said ‘THIS IS A LIGHTER’ so that no one would panic when they first saw it.
Honestly I don’t even care all that much we really do live in an area where you might just want to have something on you even if it’s just a nice hefty flashlight. I’m probably not going to win a fight, but I’ve always said I’ll at least take a testicle with me and leaving behind some tetanus doesn’t sound too bad either.
Some reason? I always carry a knife.
You must be a true romantic.
The one guy in the room
“Let me grab the scissors real quick”
“No need, I have a knife!”
“Oh that’s okay, they’re in the drawer right here”
“LET ME HAVE MY MOMENT”
I also carry a knife; it’s for when I’m NOT at (someone’s) home, typically when I buy some food that needs a little extra effort for eating, e.g. a loaf of bread, whole fruit, cheese, or just opening the package. And there’s a multitude of other rarer use cases.
Why the fuck would someone need to carry a knife at all times?!?
Edit: Geez guys okay okay it was a joke dammit!!
Legit question. It’s weird to always carry a knife with you. But seems like to be normal for the Lemmy community…interesting.
Because they like the utility?
I’m always a bit bewildered when I get that question right at the moment I take my knife out to help someone open or cut something.
Like, you just needed a knife right now, I got one, I help you, and then you ask me what I carry a knife for?
For exactly this!Because every day im forced to drive an incredibly unsafe machine that has the highest chance of anything i interact with to kill me. A machine so unsafe that in the event of a collision, the safety systems could kill me. My knife has a seatbelt cutter and a glassbreaker, as do every one of my knives. Why would you not carry a knife? Do you carry your keys? Or your wallet? Do you out on clothes every day? You act like its some difficult process to grab my knife when i grab my keys.
Knives can come in many varying sizes and form factors, and can be specialized for usage in many practical and commonly encountered situations.
Utility knives take this concept further and often feature multiple additional, opposable heads geared toward other common household uses, such as screw driver heads, bottle openers, nail files, or even little teensy weensy scissors.
I also carry a knife always, use it all the time for boxes and whatnot. Would never consider using it as a weapon for like self defense, that’s why I carry the gun at a times.
My trusty Opinel
I carry a No 12 for work most of the time, when I pull that one I get a few frowns. It’s great for cutting baguettes though, or splitting kindle…
Careful with cutting wood, the (carbon steel) blade can break.
It’s because of the implication.
I collect multi-tools, there’s always a knife on me bc they all have knifes. I mostly have them for scissors and can openers and they’re awesome!
Yup. Nephew printed me a wall mount knife rack to store my favorite ones by the door. Never leave home without a knife.
Favorite one and approximate price?
I carried a Benchmade mini griptilian for 5 years before I lost it. Paid like $119 around 2010. Amazing knife. Steel was a little soft though.
Now would be a Spyderco ambitious, some Kershaw assisted opening knife, and a Benchmade bugout knockoff I got from AliExpress that I love. Great size and fit the budget for what I use it for. I have some others in my camping gear, but don’t know names of them off the top of my head.
I can’t be dropping hundreds of dollars on knives I can easily lose.
Couple Leatherman like the skeletool too, had it for almost the whole warranty. Now it rides in my IT crash bag.
