Pocket Knives - Do You Carry One?

[MineralMan]

I do. It's a Schrade Old Timer three-blade stockman's knife. It's in my pants pocket unless I'm flying on a plane or have to go through security at the courthouse. I use it, on average, once a day to do things like open taped-up cardboard boxes, clean my fingernails or cut something that needs to be cut. I've been carrying a knife like that since I was 12 years old, and when I was 12 years old, it was OK to carry a pocket knife, even at school.



So, do you carry a knife in your pocket or in your purse?

112 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Yes - Always
	58 (52%)
	Yes - Sometimes
	21 (19%)
	Yes - Rarely
	1 (1%)
	I used to, but don't any longer
	14 (13%)
	Never have carried a knife
	13 (12%)
	Pocket knives should be illegal
	0 (0%)
	Other (explain)
	5 (4%)
	I won't answer your stupid poll.
	0 (0%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[HappyinLA]

1. Yup

An old Ka-Bar that used to be my grandfathers fishing knife. Not much left of the blades after all the sharpening, but super handy to have around.

[morningglory]

235. Yes, all my life, and I am a 69 yr old woman.

Swiss army knife. Use it every day opening boxes etc. Have had a Schrade skinning knife in the past, but too big for an old lady now.
P.S. I am from the South

[OhWiseOne]

275. Emerson mini commander

Best American made production knife.


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[greytdemocrat]

2. Nope, never have.

[Xyzse]

3. Japanese Utility Knife

Something similar to this:

[MineralMan]

4. Looks Useful

[Xyzse]

5. It is.

[mahina]

64. Does it have a clip?

Where did you buy it, if you don't mind my asking?

[Xyzse]

67. Was a gift from my brother.

The one I have is from Japan.

I don't remember where he got the ones of his which he bought online, but he has a few that he bought while in Japan.

It looks like this site has them:
http://www.utilityjournal.com/japanese-carpenter-s-knife

Oh, in regards to a clip, you see the holes at the bottom, you can attach things through there.

[mahina]

146. What a nice gift!

My brother would love that. Mahalo for the suggestions!

[Xyzse]

157. Na'u ka hau'oli

[appal_jack]

142. You can buy this very knife from Garett Wade

http://www.garrettwade.com/brass-cased-knife/p/02E05.01/

They are a little pricey, but a good company to deal with.



-app

[alfredo]

342. Gerber Sportsman with stag handle.

A gift from my wife.

[Xyzse]

364. Oh, I have one similar as well.

Those are very useful.

[alfredo]

365. I used to sell Christmas trees, that blade holds an edge.

[Xyzse]

366. Nice, makes sense.

Especially with that sap... Oie that sap.

[alfredo]

367. The twine didn't stand a chance against that mighty blade.

[immoderate]

6. Starting back in my days of substitute teaching...

Kids with broken pencils, and no sharpener in the room.

I became quite good at it. Four swipes, and I could produce a pencil hardly differentiable from the mechanized version.

--imm

[Munificence]

325. Wow

Can the kids carry one to school?

I do no think you should be able to carry one in school. Way too many crazies out there.

[Stellar]

7. My brothers did when we were younger, but I never knew what to do with one.

I guess it was a male thing.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

8. Yes, always, unless

I'm going through security, like going to the Air and Space Museum.

Mine looks like yours, except mine is a Sears Craftsman knife I bought in the mid to late-70s.

[pinboy3niner]

9. Not since I was a kid

Carrying a cheap pocket knife was de rigeur then. Now I have a good buck knife, but it stays in my toolbox.

[geardaddy]

164. Same here. I had many pocket knives.

All the kids growing up had them. Haven't carried it since I was in high school.

I had a Swiss Army knife that I bought in Luzern when we were on vacation when I was 14.

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. Nope though one lives in the jeep.

Too much of a hassle since we do got court regularly, as well as county and city. So I go through security at least once a week. Hell, when we go cover street actions we have to put in other party flavors, including first aid kit, into the backpack. I forgot to take it out once and yup, had to take it to the jeep. Trauma shears live in it.

I used too. One of those habits from the Boy Scouts. (Yes women were part of the Boy Scouts in mexico) and later EMS.

[Daemonaquila]

37. LOL - I know the pain!

I always have to check my pockets, purse, and computer bag before I go to court. I messed up so often when I was just out of law school that the security guard at the county court just kept an envelope in her drawer with my name on it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

60. Here they do not have an envelope, they just make you get rid of it

they don't care how. As media, we get to park in front, so it is not that much of a pain.

[MineralMan]

18. Mine would be useless as a weapon, but

it's a great tool.

[Agschmid]

19. My day to day doesn't really require tools...

But I can totally understand that it does for people.

ETA: As self reflection...

It's interesting I saw that question as "about a weapon" not a "tool"...

[MineralMan]

24. I think a lot of people forget that knives are

tools first. Occasionally, when I take it out to use it for something, someone is surprised to see it. Then, I open their box or cut the string for them and they get that it's just a useful tool. Since my wife has one in her purse, she often is called on to do some similar job. She wasn't sure she wanted one, but once she had it, she found many uses for it.

[Aerows]

101. It is extremely handy to have one

if you need to open a box. I consider it a nail saver - mine are pretty long and trying to open a box without one is just asking for a nasty break.

As for it being a weapon, my would be absolutely useless for that because it's only about 1 1/2" long. It's just a tool.

[uppityperson]

134. huh, I never thought of it as a weapon.

Maybe because I carry at least one and use it regularly as a tool and you don't carry one or use it as a tool.

[Agschmid]

135. It's funny because I'm the opposite, I never thought of it as a tool.

Perspective is a funny thing, huh?

[zipplewrath]

117. Swiss Army "Camper"

Maybe "Handyman" I can't remember which. But the blade gets used the least. The scissors, the bottle opener, the can opener, the tweezers....

It's a tool. Not only that, but if I tried to even use it as a weapon, the person most likely to get hurt would be me. Without a locking blade it is extremely difficult to use as a weapon.

I miss it almost immediately when I have to travel on planes and can't carry it with me.

[hollowdweller]

328. I have Case stockman.

I think yours is better. I wanted mine because it was carbon steel and had the sheeps foot blade which I can use for cutting my goats hooves.

However the Case one is hollow ground and it tends to hang up on the hard part of the hoof.

[MineralMan]

329. Hmm...I don't think I'd want a hollow-ground blade

either. I like carbon steel for the ease of sharpening to razor sharpness, but I'm not a fan of hollow-ground blades. For me, strength is more important. I can see how it might hang up as you described. The angles might be wrong as you trim your goats' hooves. That's a case where you're using the blade for its original purpose. Few people do that, I'm sure, with their stockman knives.

[jberryhill]

54. I got caught out without a corkscrew too many times

A basic Swiss Army waiter knife has saved me more times than I can count.

[lumberjack_jeff]

118. I've never been attacked by a pocketknife.

But I have been attacked by a pencil.

Weapon? Pffft.

[Adrahil]

120. I don't think most of us carry them as weapons.

Mine is used as a tool. I guess I could stab someone with it, but if I felt THAT unsafe, I'd carry a gun. I routinely attack amazon packages with it.

[Android3.14]

279. Weapon?

That made me laugh. One might as well refuse to use a hammer.

[eShirl]

13. Does a small swiss army knockoff knife on a keychain count?

The blade on it is barely 2".

[MineralMan]

20. Yup. If it has a blade it does.

Thanks! My wife has one like that in her purse. I keep it sharp for her, and remind her to take it out of the purse when we travel.

[Iggo]

14. Yes, but not in my pocket. I have one in my backpack.

Last edited Wed Sep 16, 2015, 01:55 PM - Edit history (1)

So, I'm not sure if that's Always or Sometimes.

EDIT: I'm gonna go with Always.

[mike_c]

15. the only time I ever leave mine at home is when I'm flying...

...or entering another government property. It's got a 2.5 inch or so blade and sees most of its service opening packages and such.

[lpbk2713]

16. I have one exactly like that one, only it shows more mileage.

I carried it in my left front pocket for years. Used it in my job almost daily. Now that I've retired I carry a single bladed locking-blade knife because it is thinner. I've only had one problem with having a knife on my person. About fifteen years ago I went to get a new tag for my car and forgot to leave it in the car. Their metal detector found it and the rent-a-cop made me unload it before I could enter the building.
I will remember that as my one moment of impersonating a terrorist.

[MineralMan]

22. Mine has a lot of mileage on it, too.

I just pasted a photo from Google Images.

[Downwinder]

17. All through grade school.

How else would you play Mumblety-peg?

[1939]

26. Used to have another game with a two bladed life called "baseball"

You flipped the knife and the way it came down could be a hit or an out. Blades were at 90 degrees to each other with the large blade out and the small blade half out.

Large blade digging in with no support = home run
Small blade digging in with no support = triple
Balanced on large and small blade = single
Balanced on small blade and hilt = double
Knife laying on side = out

[Downwinder]

33. Also Splits or Stretch.

[DonP]

21. Having "donated" several to the TSA ... accidentally

I finally have a very small Swiss Army utility that I now remember to leave on the table at home when traveling.

Most weekdays at work I also carry a good Buck clip point with a 2 1/2 inch blade for opening packaging, cutting strapping etc.

[uppityperson]

137. One year for x-mas I bought a 20 lot of tsa confiscated knives off ebay for families

emergency kits. Do a search for tsa lot and check out what comes up.

[Warren DeMontague]

184. Me, too. I used to keep one on my keychain- a little swiss army knife

very handy, but I'd invariably forget I had it until in line for security at the airport.

[DonP]

206. Same here, I usually just picked it up withy my handkerchief

Then realized it was there when emptying my pockets for the TSA screening.

Mine the one that had a small light in it too, that was really handy sometimes fumbling with keys for a lock at night.

Having trouble finding that model most places, but it's an excuse to wander around sports stores.

[Warren DeMontague]

217. Hey, man, that's why the internet was invented!

http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-5375-Midnite-PARENT-Midnite-Manager/dp/B001Y83JZ0


(if you don't like amazon, just google "swiss army knife led"- I got a bunch of results)

[DonP]

231. Damn your eyes!

Now I can spend more money online, buying a couple for the next one I forget and leave one in my pocket and head for the airport.

Thanks for the heads up and link

(But now I need a new excuse to wander around Cabela's and Gander Mountain)

[w0nderer]

23. Usually

Kershaw skyline or a Swiss army knife
unless i go through security or into a blade hostile environment

usually use it 4+ times per day (open boxes, packages)

have carried since age 12
was raised with 'blade and flame' (as in leaving home carry a way to make a flame and a knife)

[MineralMan]

27. Make a flame.

I was talking about that with my father (90 years old) the other day. He was talking about carrying waterproof matches when hunting, just in case. I mentioned that I always have a BIC lighter in my pocket. He allowed as how that would be even more useful if you needed to start a fire.

I can also start one with flint and steel (back of knife blade) or even with an improvised wood drill firestarter. I've never had to do that for real, but can do it if necessary. Every once in a while, I start a fire that way, just to make sure I can still do it, or to demonstrate the process to some kid.

[w0nderer]

38. flame

Waterproof matches, inside a match safe (also has a little waxed cotton, to side of it i glued a firesteel (modern)

i can start fires (friction, bow, old flint n steel, piston, so on) but if i can be lazy by just carrying a small medical container with matches... i will

yep same here i do them(primitive) for training, or show it to someone on trail who forgot their stuff (when hiking), only had to use firedrill once RL (that's when i learned to carry multiple methods of fire making AND keep bics waterproof) i could have made it out without fire but cold freeze dried food is not nice


may want to double ziplock (the small ones) pack that bic lighter...even better put a condom over it it then double bag it

bics don't work well when wet and usually when they are wet it's because you are...which is also when you need the fire LOL
Bics are nice otherwise though

[MineralMan]

40. The primitive firemaking techniques are a pain in the butt.

Especially the firedrill. They're worth learning, though. I get what you're saying about the BIC lighter, but I'm rarely far out in the woods these days.

I was never a Boy Scout. My friends and I as a kid learned to do all that stuff just for fun, really. We even used to live-trap small critters, just for fun, then release them. I don't think we even thought about all that as survival skill training. It was just fun to learn to do things.

[w0nderer]

52. they are truly a pain

i hate hand drill and rubbing trench (plough?) more than fire drill (bow)

never was a scout either, loved the woods and sailing and camping and just had fun learning from people and books and on my own
then later army(non US) drove it home harder during escape and survival exercises

as for the bic...one big rain (and my grow up area was by arctic circle) so windchill would make that fire a 'fast neccessity'

[MineralMan]

59. It's not hard to dry out a wet BIC, really.

Tap the working end against something with the end down a couple of times, then blow hard into the opening a couple of times with pursed lips. That will almost always remove enough water to make the lighter work. If not, repeat until it works.

I've been a smoker, and have soaked my BIC enough times when fishing to know how to get it lit PDQ, really. It's never failed. When I've been far afield, though there is always another one in a ziploc bag in the pack.

[w0nderer]

227. going to have to try that technique

most other techniques i tried didn't work well
(soaked as in water 5 plus minutes and then tried)

former smoker here too, congrats on freeing yourself from the nicotine

noticing your caveat 'i carry a backup in a bag' though

[Snobblevitch]

287. I read an article in an outdoor magazine

that gave survival tips if stranded in the woods in bad weather. One of the tips was to use a flint and steel to light your dry underwear on fire. The next month a guy wrote in saying he carries a Bic lighter to light a fire. His backup is a second Bic lighter. He carries a ziplock bag of dryer lint for tinder and keeps wearing his underwear.

Years ago I bought a magnesium fire starter that has a piece of steel on one edge. I have never used it except fore messing around.

We have hunting land in northern Minnesota, but it is impossible to get lost because you can hear the highway noise from most of our 200+ acres. Plus, we all carry compasses. (Not to mention the cell phone coverage.)

[oneshooter]

79. Whenever I am out hunting or fishing I always carry a flint/steel/tender kit with me.

been doing that since I was 12 years old. Even in the Marines I carried it, got a lot of weird looks but it came in handy several times.

[w0nderer]

226. rather get the weird looks and be warm with warm and boiled water

than cold, with no boiled water

I got weird looks too the first couple of weeks in armed forces (non US)
till our survival trainer had us in front of barrack building starting fires whilst he was on 4 floor of the building with a garden hose
showering us

Mine have always been ferrochromium rod (swedish firesteel style) or magnesium+striker style (plus tinder and small piece of hacksaw blade (flax fibre+cotton+beewax))

[oneshooter]

229. I use old style char cloth

Made from 100% cotton fabric, double washed. and cut into 3" squares.
Catches a spark real well.

[w0nderer]

239. classic 'flint' and steel

right?

as in the 'stone' and a piece of high carbon steel?


i've used char cloth, it does catch a spark wonderfully, and i love it

with ferrochromium stick though i can throw a spark into the flax/cotton/wax combo after fluffing it and have it go from 'golfball of fluff' to 'inferno' in .5 for my environment (formerly arctic/just barely subarctic) it was perfect

have you tried leeching out real tinder fungi? catches real nice too, lot more work than char cloth though

[oneshooter]

268. No I haven't. Char cloth wooks great for me. A small snuff can of dryer lint,

all cotton, works well.
I forge all of my fire steels and cold quench harden.

[Eleanors38]

96. Couple of Bics and a plastic prescription bottle fulla cotton.

[Nac Mac Feegle]

138. Protip:

Saturate the cotton balls in Vaseline. Waterproof firestarter that burns very well.

[Eleanors38]

177. Yep, aware of that. Thanks.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

25. Used to carry a small one with blade, scissors, standard screwdriver, and a file.

I could use the file to turn phillips screws. My grandfather's company had them made up as giveaway swag back in the 60s.
It was a big help to me back in my A-V days and I'd grab it on my way out the door in the morning right along with my keys and wallet. Now I don't need it for the job and I'd hate to have to hand it off to someone if I went through a security gate.

[PeteSelman]

28. I carry a bastard sword.

Why half ass it?

[Crabby Appleton]

29. I carry a 2 inch blade Gerber

I've opened a lot of boxes with it.

[MineralMan]

31. Yup. I'll bet I use it to open packages more than

anything else. And not just for myself. It's pretty handy to be able to do that on demand.

[lumberjack_jeff]

119. Mine is almost exactly like that one.

Found it in a parking lot about 15 years ago. My kids call it "The Precious" because yes, you can borrow it... provided you remain within 10 feet of me.

[SeattleVet]

332. I carry a very similar one with the 3" blade.

I've carried this one daily for over 30 years and it still looks almost new. Gerber makes a good bit of gear.

I usually also carry a Leatherman on my belt.

[alfredo]

344. That's my everyday knife, my Sportsman II is my Sunday dress up knife.

[1939]

30. Knives

Carried my Boy Scout knife as a kid. Can opener, bottle opener, and screw driver came in handy more than the blade. Carried a pen knife as an adult plus an army P-38 can opener on my key chain. Since the security turds have become so anal, i quit carrying. I keep a large jack knife in each car, though.

[Amishman]

32. always, it was my grandfather's

blade is about 2", very useful. Its been sharpened so many times the loss of metal is noticeable but I think it has at least another few generations of use left in it.

[MineralMan]

34. Nice. I wouldn't do that, though. I tend to lose

about one knife a year. I'd hate to lose my grandfather's knife.

[madokie]

35. pretty much all the time

Gerber para frame one blade. One thing I learned in SERE school is to always have a way to start a fire and a knife with me all the time. I pretty much gave up the lighter since I don't smoke anything anymore but I do carry a knife. I use my knife too, when ever it will do the job it gets used.
A knife will last me 2 years at the most

[uppityperson]

36. "One"? I answered yes, but carry "one" as the first of "several"

Each has different bits, sizes, uses. I have them biinered together so make sure get them all removed when in need of such.

[Lurker Deluxe]

39. I have prolly 50 or more ...

I was taught at a very young age, 10ish ... coulda been 11, to always have a knife. Depending on what the plans were for the day decided what knife was to be added, the pocket knife was always there. I was raised on a dairy farm in rural upstate New York and being without a knife was just unheard of.

Up until 16 or so I carried a Boy Scouts knife, multi bladed tool that had a screwdriver, bottle/can opener, knife blade, and a leather punch, and yes ... I carried it to school. From there I changed so many times it is hard to remember. In the top drawer of my nightstand there is a box with a bunch of pocket knives in it, every now and then I pick a different one to carry.

I certainly have at least two of the (Schrade) Old Timer knives as pictured. Case is probably my favorite brand for multi-blade, Kershaw makes a nice single lock blade as does Gerber. In my pocket now is a Case 3 blade.

For years my father always bought me a knife for Christmas ... interesting to wonder when that stopped, and why. I always loved a new knife.

[MineralMan]

45. Schrade actually was out of business for a while.

Someone bought the name, though, but the new knives are made in China, I think. When I get down to one of them, I go on eBay and buy a nice used one, preferably with carbon steel instead of stainless steel blades. It's easier to put a razor edge on carbon steel than on stainless, and I like my knife to be a sharp as possible.

There are always several Old Timer 80T models for sale on eBay for reasonable Buy it Now prices. I always keep two on hand, so when I lose one or just misplace it, there's another one ready for use. From time to time, I manage to clean up my garage, and usually find a couple of ones I've misplaced and then covered with some junk. Right now, I have four of them, since I just cleaned off my workbench.

I'm a sloppy worker and tend to set things down and move on, instead of putting them away. Hence the need for workbench cleaning from time to time.

[Erose999]

84. Schrade is made in China now? Thats sad news. I think the last pocket knife I bought was a Ka-Bar,

sadly also made in China nowadays. It was a good knife for the price though.

[MineralMan]

88. Yes. I was sad about that, too.

Some Chinese made knives are fine, but there's a lot of junk out there, too. Good knives are expensive these days, so most people opt to spend less and live with lower quality stuff.

I tend to go for vintage knives these days, and look for ones that show little use. That way, I get a great old knife that's like new.

[MohRokTah]

41. I used to always wear a Leatherman on my belt.

I would also have an old three blade pocket knife in my pocket.

I haven't carried one since 9/11 because I fly too much.

[dumbcat]

42. Pretty much every day since I was eight years old

which was 59 years ago.

Cub Scout knife, Boy Scout knife, switchblades, Swiss Army knives, Army utility knives, Buck Folding Hunter, Benchmade, Kershaw, Case Trappers and Stockman patterns, Spyderco, and many others.

As I aged I trended to smaller, lighter, and more upscale folders. My current daily carry is a Chris Reeve small Sebenza in Titanium and micarta.



If I am stepping out someplace special, like our monthly art exhibit, I'll throw one of the William Henry's in my pocket, as there are always some knife collectors there and we compare new knives.

http://www.williamhenry.com/knives.html

I also have some fully custom knives made for me by some prominent knifemakers that I won't show, as they can be personally traced to me. But alas, they always stay in the safe and never in my pocket.

Yeah, I'm a knife snob. It's an illness.

[Lurker Deluxe]

58. Pretty knife

I get the "snob" thing. I am that way with hand tools and fishing gear.

It is not an illness ... you have to have something to covet.

[Travis_0004]

71. Nice knife

I usually carry a plain Sebenza.

I had a mnandi in mesquite burl that was absoulty beautiful, but I sold it, and haven't been able to find another one.

I do have a mammoth ivory mnandi on order that I hope to receive soon as well.

[w0nderer]

228. As a collector of 'cheaper' $20(kershaw skyline on sale)-$500

i've met a lot of knife snobs, nothing wrong with it, as long as they(you?) realize we can't all afford THAT kind of cool stuff

we all do love seeing them as long as they are showed the way you did..non condescending and cool

only own one custom knife myself, railroad (classic old high carbon) spike knife made by my step son
into a seax and given as a gift for being a 'cool' stepdad

probably not expensive but i won't trade it for anything ever

[dumbcat]

233. Anything handmade has great appeal to me

The engineer and tinkerer in me really appreciates hand craftsmanship. That's why I love art in general, custom made firearms, Rolex watches (which are literally assembled by hand, piece by piece) and custom knives.

Thirty or so years ago I got the itch to modify a couple of knives. That got me into making knives from kits, then grinding blades and working with exotic handle materials. Then into leatherwork to make sheaths and pouches for the knives. It kept my hands busy, my brain reading and studying, and my body out of the bars for many years.

I know I can't compete skill-wise with the master knifemakers. So now that I have some disposable income I like to support them and their work (art? craft?) and buy some from the masters.

I'd love to see the custom knife your step son made. That's something to treasure for a lifetime and pass on to the next generation. I'm glad my son appreciates many of the same things I do. He is going to inherit a safeful of interesting handmade artifacts, and I'm pretty sure he will also pass them on. Something about that comforts me.

[Maeve]

43. Husband and sons do

Hubby and one son work with wires/computers so, yeah, for business. Other son carries one for the sheer usefulness of it and all have several, from simple to Swiss-Army-crazy.

Oh, and I have a multi-tool in my car, but not something I carry.

[MineralMan]

46. I keep a good-quality multi-tool in the consoles of both

cars. There's a modest toolbox in the rear compartment of both, too. I don't like to be without tools. They get used often, too.

[Maeve]

50. If just to get packaging open!

Got a new set of wiper blades, wanted to put them right on as it was about to rain--needed a knife to get the plastic open.

[MineralMan]

66. Yup. I hate clamshell packaging.

The sheepsfoot blade on a stockman pattern knife is perfect for those. Two slicing pulls and that sucker opens right up. Did I say I hate clamshell packaging?

[fadedrose]

44. My Dad did

a heavy old one he had for years...

My husband has one, a swiss-army that I bought for him maybe 40 years ago, maybe more...


They are handy. Carry with my blessing MM...

[MineralMan]

48. I'm heartened to see how many DUers are still carrying knives.

Does my old heart good.

[Eleanors38]

98. Carry a Buck 110 someone gave me. Had a broken blade tip, not under warranty...

but they RR'd the blade and billed me $10, which I paid. Good deal all around. Has assisted me in field dressing and skinning 2 deer, and numerous other pop-up jobs.

[Romulox]

47. Kershaw Skyline in my pocket now.

[MineralMan]

49. I carried a locking folder for a while, but

went back to the stockman pattern three-blade knife. That combination of blades works well for a wide range of needs, including fingernail cleaning.

I also used to be an oboe player. The sheepsfoot blade was the ideal shape for scraping oboe reeds if sharpened specifically for that purpose. Other oboists used to laugh when I pulled out my pocket knife when a reed needed some work. They all had expensive reed knives in their cases. But, when they saw that mine worked just as well, they were interested.

[dumbcat]

68. Yep, clip, spey, and sheepsfoot

I wonder how many of the general population even ever heard of those patterns? Or why they were developed and became popular standards. I always liked the stockman and trapper pattern knives the best of the traditional folders.

I have a really pretty Wharncliffe pattern blade in pattern damascus and fossilized mammoth ivory scales that I really like.



Johnny Stout still makes some beautiful knives.

[MineralMan]

72. I think the sheepsfoot and Wharncliffe blade

patterns are among the most useful on a knife for utility use. The traditional Electricians knife is a variation on that pattern, too, I think. Knives are interesting and the stories behind the blade shapes is fun to learn about.

[Erose999]

104. I have a Case XX electrician's knife I carry sometimes. The hawkbill blade definitely comes in handy

for cutting in pull strokes, perhaps less so than the sheepsfoot style blade. But it works great for cutting carpet, rope, etc. I like the locking flat-point screwdriver as well.

I think my ideal knife pattern would combine a 3" sheepsfoot blade with the locking screwdriver of the electrician's knife, and then it'd have the phillips screwdriver of the Swiss Army knife. They probably make a Swiss Army knife in that style but I don't find the Swiss Army stuff to be as robust as a knife like a Case or a Buck.

[MineralMan]

107. Some electricians knives have a straight blade, rather

than a hawkbill. Usually, it's a heavy blade and can be struck on the spine with a hammer to cut heavy copper wires. I have on like that in my toolbox, and actually have used it that way. It will cut right through 3-wire 12-ga. Romex with a sharp blow from a hammer.

[lumberjack_jeff]

299. One of these days I'm going to make a sheepsfoot knife for boatbuilding

Probably use an old lawnmower blade for the raw materials. Thick enough that I can whack the backside with a mallet.

[Romulox]

100. Locking is good for whenever you're doing more coarse work.

The large flat blade of the Kershaw Skyline is a handy tool for cutting, hacking, or prying. For the the latter two, a locking blade is preferred!

I also used to be an oboe player. The sheepsfoot blade was the ideal shape for scraping oboe reeds if sharpened specifically for that purpose. Other oboists used to laugh when I pulled out my pocket knife when a reed needed some work. They all had expensive reed knives in their cases. But, when they saw that mine worked just as well, they were interested.

Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed reading this, as I have a close friend who is an oboe player.

[MineralMan]

110. The thing about an oboe reed knife is that you sharpen the blade

and then use a steel to roll the edge over to one side. Adjusting reeds is done by scraping off .001" or so at a time until you get the thinness you want. The rolled over edge is perfect, but it makes the knife useless for anything else. They make special knives for the job, but I found that sheepsfoot blade to work just great. I also had a regular reed knife, too, but only used that at home when I was making reeds.

[w0nderer]

53. that makes at least 2 skyline carriers in this thread so far

you have excellent taste in blades

[Romulox]

99. Thanks, you too! I also enjoy Benchmade knives, but I'm nervous to carry them every day ($$$). nt

[w0nderer]

230. i consider EDC close to disposable

For work i'll carry for instance
skyline and a cheapo i ran on wet paper (400/800/1600/leather w jewelers rouge)
the cheapo was 7 bucks and i'll scrape paint with it if need be and have 4 more in a box ready to use..disposable and nicer than a 'utility blade' in the hand

the skyline isn't disposable the same way, but still, cheap enough and replaceable enough to use
the other stuff ($$$) exactly (cold steel, benchmade, old bali-song (former pacific cutlery now benchmade)

[trackfan]

51. Yes.

I use it almost every day.

[mahina]

55. Sort of. I have one in my driver's side acessory pocket, so I always know exactly where it is.

Not on my clothing or bag though. It's a leatherman.

What are the different blades for? Does it clip on your belt?

[MineralMan]

62. They had specific uses for cowboys and sheepherders.

The clip blade (the long one) is a great general purpose knife blade. The sheepsfoot blade, with the straight edge and blunt end is a great cutting blade for pull strokes. I use it mostly for things like box and package opening. It's great for cutting leather, too, which is how the cowboys used it a lot. The spey blade is designed for use in castrating livestock, but has lots of other uses for others. It's short and I keep it extra sharp. It's perfect for scraping a bee's stinger out of your skin, but is good for all sorts of delicate cutting.

There's no belt clip. It's specifically made to be carried in the pocket of your jeans. Its rounded ends keep it from wearing a hole in your pocket. It's a very useful pattern that a lot of people prefer. Other varieties have just two blades, the clip and sheepsfoot or clip and spey. I like the three blade version in a medium size (3" clip blade).

[mahina]

65. Thanks MineralMan.

Interesting!

[dumbcat]

69. Great tutorial

I wish more people knew and appreciated the history of our tools.

Thanks!

[REP]

56. A Buck pen knife and a Gerber folder

I have a large number of knives and use them all. I always carry at least one, the Buck.

[BarbaRosa]

57. Swiss Army Knife.

I've carried one for years and years. This is my latest model:



on edit:- when I'm in my shop I have a combo blade, utility knife on my belt. Something like this but not exactly:

[Gormy Cuss]

61. Why would I admit that on teh interweb?

Nice going, Agent Mike.

[MineralMan]

63. LOL!

That's funny, right there.

[spin]

70. I carried a Benchmade 710 folder at work before I retired but now ...

I carry a fixed blade knife. Easier to clean when I use it for food prep.

My current knife is an ESEE Isula II. It's considered to be a neck knife but I hang it under my left arm pit where I find it more comfortable but easily accessible. Since I wear it under my shirt it is considered in Florida to be a concealed weapon. Fortunately I have a Florida concealed weapons permit which not only allows me to carry a concealed handgun but also permits me to carry a concealed knife.

[Shankapotomus]

129. Anyone who knows anything about knives

knows that's a great blade.

[cherokeeprogressive]

73. In my tackle box and tool boxes can be found numerous pocket knives.

I usually pick up every old Barlow, Kaybar, or Buck I come across.

[MineralMan]

76. I found a very old Russell Barlow knife in a

box of hand tools at an estate sale. The tools were priced at $1 each. So I bought the knife. Not my style, though, so I put it on eBay. It sold for $216. From my research, it dated back to the 1910-1915 period, and had never been sharpened since new. Best estate sale buy I ever made, actually.

The guy who bought it was really excited by the knife, and wrote me back when he received it, thanking me for putting it on eBay. Who knew?

[cherokeeprogressive]

126. WOW!

I have a very old ivory handled Buxk. Maybe I should look into what it's worth.

[MineralMan]

131. There are lots of knife collectors.

[yuiyoshida]

74. I own two swiss army knives

because I thought they were cool and handy, but I never carry them with me, as it might be considered a weapon, and I don't wish to end up in Jail. What I really love are my Nihon-to...Japanese swords that I own..





All of them are real, not toys, they are sharp, and yes they are real weapons.

[Travis_0004]

151. It is legal to carry a knife on you in all 50 states

I can not think of a single state where somebody would be arrested for a swiss army knife. '

[yuiyoshida]

153. I still don't trust police...

Even so called Mellow San Francisco police.. You may have seen what they did to that guy with the metal rods for crutches not long back. I don't need to end up on the CBS Evening news with 6 police officers sitting on my back, and face, holding me down cause I was walking while being Asian.

[ProfessorGAC]

75. Yes, For Many, Many Years

Either a Swiss Army Knife or an assisted opening lock blade. If i have the lock blade, the army knife is still in the car of something in case i need the scissors or screwdriver or something.

[Agnosticsherbet]

77. I have one in my toolbox, and another with my camping gear.

I have no reason to carry one in my pocket. It is a tool, to me.

[MineralMan]

78. It is a tool. I use mine daily.

Wherever I am, I may need to cut something, so I have a useful tool in my pocket all the time. I use my pocket knife frequently and am glad it's available. I have lots and lots of tools in my house, in my garage, and in my vehicles, but the knife is always available.

[Agnosticsherbet]

80. Don't need it for normal work. They are hard on keyboards.

When I need one, I always know where it is.

[Go Vols]

81. Carry a German Eye similar to this

[MineralMan]

82. I think that's called a Congress pattern knife.

It's a pattern I don't really understand. Two sets of the same two blade types. Interesting.

[Go Vols]

86. One side stays sharper than the other

One side is for peeling apples,cutting tape/delicate things.The other side cuts the strings on Hay bails and skinning/cutting small wire and such.

[MineralMan]

89. Makes sense.

[Go Vols]

368. Seems the congress knife

was sold mainly in the South when it came out and Abe Lincoln had one in his pocket the night he died.Learned something new.

[MineralMan]

369. That video was well worth the time spent

watching it. I enjoyed the anecdotes at the end of the video.

[dumbcat]

91. And no clip or spearpoint pattern blade

I wonder if it might have to do with restrictions on "pointy" blades?

[MineralMan]

93. I doubt it. The two blade designs are useful for a lot

of things. A clip blade isn't as versatile, in my opinion, although I like having one on my knife. I use it mostly for cleaning my fingernails, though. It's a good whittling blade, too, but I don't do a lot of that any more. I just don't see the utility of two sets of what are essential the same blade designs. I wouldn't buy a congress pattern four blade knife like that.

[kentauros]

83. Not in my pants or attached to a belt.

I honestly can't stand being weighed down by heavy stuff in my pockets.

I have two Leatherman multi-tools, one for my satchel, and one for my car. Also a pair of folding scissors in my satchel, which I use more often than a knife.

The knives I use the most are in my kitchen

[MineralMan]

85. Ah, kitchen cultlery.

I'm a big fan, and the primary cook in my household.

My wife doesn't understand why I have "all those knives." I've tried to explain how each is used, but it doesn't make a dent.

On the other hand, when I served a whole ham one Easter and used my long ham slicer to turn it into nice slices for serving, she understood why that knife exists. But, she doesn't like cooking, so she still doesn't understand why I use a 10" chef's knife to cut up vegetables, even after I showed her how the knife is used.

I think knives scare her, somehow. She always takes the shortest one to do anything.

[kentauros]

103. This reminds me that I need to go and sharpen my veggie cleaver.

I have a chef's knife, but the plastic handle is broken (for whatever reason, Wusthof decided that the tang didn't need to go all the way to the end of the handle, and so it broke off at the end of the tang.) I'd like to find someone to take the rest of the plastic off and replace it with a nice wooden handle. I just don't know what kind of craftsman to ask for that task.

Honestly, I don't have many knives even in the kitchen. A few paring knives, though I could do with just one. Two bread knives, with my favorite being an offset "sandwich" knife I got from K.A.F., I think. It's the sharpest knife I own.

And the veggie cleaver, which is my primary knife, and probably the least expensive. I think I paid less than $20 for it over twenty years ago at a budget Chinese restaurant supply place. It's great for mincing garlic, and practically pureeing it through a smash and smear technique I use

Learning knife technique does take time, and a desire to learn it. Otherwise, yeah, I can see people being afraid of them, especially when they watch TV-chefs in action.

[MineralMan]

108. My kitchen knife set is from Chicago Cutlery.

I bought it in the early 1970s, and it has carbon steel blades, full tangs, and hardwood handles. I love those knives and they're a lot cheaper than Wusthof. They don't make the carbon steel blades any more, but they still make the same patterns in stainless with the hardwood handles and full tangs at a reasonable price.

I have a cleaver, too, but I use it on meat and chicken and, as you say, to crush garlic. My wife's afraid of it.

[kentauros]

111. Chicago Cutlery is an excellent brand.

I only have the one Wusthof, as I don't own a single brand for my "set" of knives. I remember a video of Martin Yan showing and explaining how to use a cleaver for garlic.

And here's the video

[Lizzie Poppet]

373. Yes! I love the old-school Chicago Cutlery knives.

I have a french ("chef&quot knife and a utility knife from that series, with the carbon steel blades. They don't hold edge quite as well as the good German brands, but they're easier to sharpen, and I can get a very, very good edge on them. I'm a mediocre cook...but I have wonderful knives.

[MineralMan]

374. They're my favorites. I found them at a Goodwill

store about 20 years ago. There's a 10" and an 8" chef's knife, a wonderful ham slicer with a 14" long blade, and several utility and paring knives. Wonderful tools, as long as you sharpen them regularly and stored them in a knife block. They have to be carefully dried after each use, though, or they'll rust. They're worth the trouble. I can put a keener edge on them than any other knife I own.

Frankly, I used the 10" chef's knife for almost everything. It's my absolute favorite kitchen tool. I recently found another one, in excellent condition at another thrift store, and bought it as a backup.

[Snobblevitch]

271. Your Wusthof chef''s knife with the broken handle is from their Gourmet line.

The blade is stamped instead of forged. I had a 9" knife like that and the handle was cracked. I sent it to the Wusthof customer service center and they mailed me a new knife.

http://www.wusthof.com/usa/Meta/contact/index.jsp

[kentauros]

282. Thanks for the link!

I'll try that. It doesn't seem like it's stamped, though. I've had stamped knives before and they were flimsy and fragile. This one is pretty solid.

[Snobblevitch]

283. They are good knives,

but they are stamped out of a piece of steel instead of forged. You can tell because it doesn't have a bolster or heel.

http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/knivescutlery/ss/

My first good thrift store kitchen knife was a 9" Wusthof Gourmet chef's knife. I bought it for $1.80, used it for a while, and learned I could get it replaced for free. I still have the new one in the packaging and can't remember where I put it.

[kentauros]

285. My girlfriend really liked it

when she was visiting this past spring from New Zealand, so I may just send the new one to her instead (when I get it from Wusthof.) I could certainly use a good forged one.

This is my veggie cleaver, made by Dexter:

[Snobblevitch]

288. I have a couple of those cleavers.

One is at home and the other at our cabin.

Holy crap, your girlfriend is in New Zealand? If I may ask, where do you live? If you're not also in New Zealand, that really sucks.

(I once had a girlfriend living in Texas while I lived in Green Bay. It sucked royally.)

[kentauros]

302. I live in Texas.

Whenever I have a steady job situation (oil&gas industry sucks at that) we'll move her and her pets here. We've been at it for many years, with me visiting there once, and her here twice. We have goals, though it's all dependent upon my income.

It does suck to be apart with that kind of distance (and time difference of her being 17-19 hours ahead, depending upon which one of us is in daylight saving time) yet we make it work anyway

[Snobblevitch]

311. Good luck to you....

and your avatar....!

[kentauros]

322. Thanks!

[oneshooter]

318. It can work out.

I was working in Africa and my girlfriend was in Texas. Now we both live in Texas and have been married for 30+ years.

[kentauros]

323. I'll have to let her know of that,

because she does get depressed it isn't going to happen, whereas I hold on to it. Plus, my first marriage was long-distance at first, though at least still on the same continent (Texas to Ontario.)

neighbor!

[oneshooter]

324. I continued to work overseas even after we were married.

Ended up in Kenya as a Game Control Officer. Lost that on over politics, seems that a white Game Ranger killing black poachers is not PC.
Came home, in the five years after we were married Loving Wife had bought a bit of land, built a house and a barn, and had our first son. LOTS of long distance phone calls, and I got home every three months or so.

It can work out. All it takes is love for each other, trust in each other and lots of phone calls(or letters).

[kentauros]

357. Thank you for your kind words and advice

We do skype and email because calls would cost too much. It's always fun for me in "talking to the future" while she has to "talk into the past" due to the time difference

[oneshooter]

362. In the early 80's there was no skype, only telephone and the mail. n/t

[Snobblevitch]

272. I find it interesting how much we seem to have in common.

I too am the cook in our house and collect knives, both for the kitchen and pocket knives with a few fixed blade hunting knives as well.

I don't collect expensive knives however. I mostly find them at flea markets or thrift stores. I haven't found any in quite a while, maybe because I haven't been looking.

The pocket knife I most carry these days is a Camillus U.S. military issue folding knife.

I have about 15 various Wusthof forged blade kitchen knives of various sizes that all cost under $5 each. I haven't seen one in the thrift stores for a couple of years however.

[Half-Century Man]

87. I carry a Scimitar folder from Cold Steel

My wife carries a small knife in her purse


I tend to be very rough on knives. A buck knife has a life expectancy of 1 year with me. I switched to Cold Steel 20 years ago and now will not carry anything else. I wore out three of these knives in 14 years as a industrial maintenance specialist.
The scimitar is no longer manufactured by Cold Steel. So I'm on my last one. As I am now disabled, I will get a smaller knife when I wear this one out.

[MineralMan]

92. That's an attractive knife, but I don't think it would be

useful to me, really. I'm all about simplicity and practicality. I tend to lose knives, too, so I don't want to spend a bunch on any individual knife.

[Half-Century Man]

97. In my current life

It is big and expensive. But after lugging one around for 20 years, I loath to let it go.
The blade lock is phenomenal. The hinge pin is the stoutest I've ever found. The blade is so tough I can cut brass shim stock into custom fit pieces with it.
Take a lot of work to sharpen it though.
CS makes very good knives, I just no longer need one this size.
But, it's not done just yet.

[oneshooter]

197. When my son and my nephew went overseas, US Army both of them.

I purchased a Cold Steel Tanto bladed folder for each.
I gave it to them saying that"The military supplies you with everything you might need, except a good folding knife. May these serve you well and help you return safely".

They have both returned, and still carry the knife.

[backscatter712]

90. Often, I carry a Leatherman Wave in my backpack.

But because I frequently have had to go places for my work and education, like the State Capitol, or to city government offices, where they have you walk through metal detectors and x-ray your bags, and frown on knives, I've had to leave mine at home.

[MineralMan]

94. I don't have to go through metal detectors very often at all.

I leave mine at home when I do. For airline travel, though, I put my daily carry knife in a pouch in my checked bag for the flights, so I have it with me after I arrive. It wasn't that long ago that you could carry a folding pocket knife with blades no longer than 3" on the plane. No more, though, of course.

[bluedigger]

95. Usually carry a Leatherman.

Always have one if I'm working.

[Mike Nelson]

102. When I was a boy I did, like...

...my grandfather. Don't anymore.

[TacoD]

105. Please add "Fuck with me and find out" as an option, just for the lulz

[Erose999]

106. Here you go:

[MineralMan]

109. Why would I do that? I'm talking about knives as tools.

Not weapons.

[Whiskeytide]

112. I always have one except on a flight or the Courthouse. Carrying a ...

... SOG 2 inch folder right now (pretty rugged - I'm hard on my knives - and it has an adjustable clip that I find handy). I have about 20 or so. Several old ones I got from my dad when he passed away. But I don't carry those. They're tucked away in my sock drawer.

[Whiskeytide]

112. I always have one except on a flight or the Courthouse. Carrying a ...

... SOG 2 inch folder right now (pretty rugged - I'm hard on my knives - and it has an adjustable clip that I find handy). I have about 20 or so. Several old ones I got from my dad when he passed away. But I don't carry those. They're tucked away in my sock drawer.

[yurbud]

301. I misplaced one of my pocket knives before 9/11 and found it a year after in a side pocket of my

carry on bag.

They never noticed it.

[sarisataka]

114. Usually two

A Swiss army and a straight blade.
At least one goes with me everywhere

[OriginalGeek]

115. Used to

in High school - I went to high school in Texas in the late 70s/early 80s. We could still have shotgun racks on our pick-up trucks rear windows. We had no problem carrying buck knives on our belts and/or pocket knives in our pockets.

The only one I have now is very similar to yours except it has the Mason symbol on it - my grandpa is a Mason and he gave me that knife. I don't carry it though because I usually forget to put it in my pocket - it's more often in my leather-working toolbox.

[doc03]

116. I carry a Case Stockman. Case is one of the few companies

that haven't moved all or most of their production to China. I used to be a Buck knife fan but most of them now come from China.

[Major Nikon]

121. Kershaw leek model 1660BB

Made with Sandvik 14C28N Swedish made steel.

[w0nderer]

232. lovely blade, lovely steel n/t

[krispos42]

122. No... I carry two of them

I carry a Swiss army knife in a holster on my belly, and a SOG folding knife clipped to my front pocket.

The latter could be weapon if I ever my learned how to knife-fight.

[Fearless]

123. I have no reason to.

[MiniMe]

124. Used to, then I forgot to take it out of my purse when I went through security at the airport

And they took it.

[Travis_0004]

152. I did that once

It was a nicer knife, and I realize it before I got to TSA. I didn't have time to go back to my car, so I burred it in the soil of a potted plant inside the airport.

Came back 2 weeks later, it was still there, and I took it and left.

[MineralMan]

155. Clever!

I'll remember that trick, in case I ever forget to take my knife out of my pocket before heading to the airport. Thanks!

[Travis_0004]

160. Just dont get caught

I could imagine trying to explain to the police why you are hiding knives in the airport.

[w0nderer]

234. nice one :-)

another...
i asked in a shop for envelope/gift box and stamps and mailed it to my home address only cost me a couple of bucks

had i been clever i would have mailed it where i went instead

[Thor_MN]

125. Rule #9

Although mine has most recently (within the last hour) cut a peach, and earlier today opened envelopes. One can be the favorite older relative of young kids if you can get them to their toys at Christmas.

[bobclark86]

127. One from my adopted hometown...

A clone of the Camillus electrician's knife:



I use the blades for boxes and the screwdriver for screwdriver-ey things.

[GoneOffShore]

128. I've got five different pocket knives

An Opinel for picnics, a Laguiole for day to day, a Nontron (mini knife, about 2 inches long) for "dressy" occasions, a Buck that stays in the toolbox, an old Sears Craftsmen that gets used for opening letters and making holes in leather belts.

Plus in the 'knife block' there are probably 25 knives. Everything from a bec d'oiseau up to a 14" chefs with stops in between at a couple of santoku blades and at least one cleaver.

Knives are tools.

[X_Digger]

130. A Case or a Kershaw in my pocket, a gerber multi-tool in my bag.

Been carrying a knife since I was eight or so.

[Xithras]

132. I have a Gerber Dime micro tool on my keychain with a short blade

http://www.amazon.com/Gerber-30-000469-Dime-Micro-Black/dp/B006M9NIDO/
Not exactly a pocket knife, but it's got a damned good blade on it.

[Adsos Letter]

133. Yup. A Buck 305T.

Two blades. It's a bit over 2 1/2" when closed.

[Avalux]

136. Yes. My Dad's knife, he engraved his initials in it when he was in the Navy.

He taught me to always carry a pocket knife. It has so many uses, as you've pointed out!

[Bonobo]

139. Great example of white privilege! Well done! nt

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

148. But does the OP count as "micro-aggression"?

Or your reply?

Or this reply to your reply?

It's just one more concept I'm trying to wrap my head around.

[MineralMan]

156. WTF? I don't get it.

[Bonobo]

158. Become black and THEN carry a knife around.

It wouldn't be as safe as a super white man with a white beard. That's the privilege.

[MineralMan]

172. I see. I know a few black men.

Most of them have a pocket knife in their pocket. In fact, most men I know do. Practical people.

[Aerows]

140. I've weighed that I do carry a pocket knife BUT

A folding kukri that is perfectly capable of chopping kindling is also very nice to have.

I love tools. I love to make things. But I truly enjoy new designs of our traditional implements. That knife folds down to 4.5", but it is absolutely as capable as a full kukri if you aren't planning on pruning a kudzu forest.

[kwassa]

141. Here are the three that I carry.

?c=2

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

149. You must have very deep pockets. nt

[Nac Mac Feegle]

143. When I'm at work, which is almost all the time

I have three on me at all times.
1) a Swiss Army knife
2) a Leatherman Wave
3) a folding Stanley type with replaceable blades

My personal record for going into a courthouse while "On The Job" is four dog bowls. Working in the communications room in the basement means that I could need to use a LOT of tools. I walked into the security area and told the gja5 to call her supervisor. She said "Why?". I proceeded to unload my pockets, filling 4 of the dog bowls they have to hold the stuff going through the x-ray machine. I told her that all of the stuff needed to go with me: knives, electrician's snips, screwdrivers, etc... Her eyes wide, she called for the boss. All the stuff went with me. Technicians need tools to do their jobs.

[lpbk2713]

145. I had to go to a woodworking shop inside a state prison once.

Had to be escorted by two guards.

[Waldorf]

144. Not as often as I should.

Those little pocket knives sure do come in handy. Many times I've cursed myself because I needed one to open a box, etc., and didn't have one.

[ladyVet]

147. I used to.

I started when I was first in the USAF and was opening an envelope with some stock for one of the base organizations and a small pocketknife fell out onto my lap. It was an Oldtimer, too.

I later got a larger one, and I had one in my pocket all the time (or if I didn't have anything on with pockets, it was either in my car or purse. I carried a knife until sometime in the late 90s (often had a box cutter, too, depending on what job I had at the time) and don't even remember stopping. Might have been due to greater security and people wigging out over knives.

I need to dig up the larger knife and start carrying it again. Never know when you might need something that has a sharp edge, and nail clippers don't seem to work that well for anything serious. The little one got lost outside, and by the time I found it again it was rusted almost to a sliver.

[LWolf]

150. Not usually,

but I've got one and carry it at times.

I have one of these on my key chain that serves many purposes when a pocket knife isn't appropriate:

[DetlefK]

154. Stay away from cheap pocket-knives.

I got one as a teenager, but it lay unused in my desk. I started carrying it with me when I entered civil-service. (Germany used to have conscription. You could choose between military-service with short duty and high salary or a civil-service with longer duty and lower salary.) From then on, anywhere, anytime. (Except flights and fancy discotheques.)




I recently found an old one. It desperately needed some greasing and seemed rather low-quality and cheap. (Some of the tools weren't identifiable.) I decided to clean it before greasing. Within ONE second of contact with soapy water the plastic shells fell off.

[DawgHouse]

159. I carry a multi-tool thing with a knife blade in my purse.

It's very convenient when you need to open a package.

[Miles Archer]

161. Swiss Army Knife...

...large blade, small blade, the two screwdrivers and bottle/can openers, corkscrew, punch/awl, toothpick, tweezers.

[Jamastiene]

162. I carry my Schrade sometimes. It is very old and not very large.

Back in the 80s at the Greensboro federal courthouse, I had to empty all my pockets. I was carrying my entire knife collection, lol. Things weren't so paranoid and tense back then though. Other than them laughing (I was still a kid back then), nothing came of it. They gave them all back to me on the other side of the metal detector. So, I carried all of them in with me, lol. Now, they would have me strapped in leg irons on the way to Gitmo if I happened to be carrying all my knives. For the record, I was going to have them sharpened while we were out of town that day. I didn't want them stolen. So, I carried them on me. I can sharpen my own nowadays. So, I would not have to carry all of them at once on a rare out of town trip.

[bikebloke]

163. A Swiss Army knife when travelling.

As a tool and eating utensil. But never in my pocket, but stuffed in my backpack or bicycle panniers.

[oneshooter]

165. It is truly amazing how many democrats carry a deadly weapon. n/t

[MineralMan]

166. I can't imagine how a non-locking pocket knife

is much of a deadly weapon, you know. The thing would fold up on your finger, probably, and injure you, not anyone else.

The typical pocket knife, like the one in the picture in my OP, is a tool, not a weapon. As a weapon, it's pretty much useless.

[oneshooter]

167. It is a "weapon".

It has a sharp blade that can be used to injure. It is a weapon.

https://www.gov.uk/buying-carrying-knives

[MineralMan]

168. Oh, OK, then.

I'll keep that in mind next time I open a box from Amazon.

[oneshooter]

169. There are safety blades that you can use.

http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/packaging/boxes-cartons/packaging-accessories/plastic-safety-knife-spring-loaded-with-6-blades?utm_source=msn&utm_medium=shp&utm_term=795281&utm_campaign=Packaging-Accessories&infoParam.campaignId=WR

Of course you will have to leave it at home.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

222. This could be a problem

[w0nderer]

236. ordering! n/t

[Adrahil]

198. OFFS....

A sharp pencil is a weapon if you want to get down to it. This is idiotic. I carry a knife because I often need to CUT things, and that's what knives are for! Coiuld I kill someone with it? Yeah.... but if that were my intention, I'd carry a gun, not a knife. I have a gun carry permit, but don't carry one. QED

[w0nderer]

238. *applause*

anything is a weapon (commonly quoted in practical martial arts classes)

knife is primarily a tool, it may be a tool one can use to defend oneself
so is a hammer
screwdriver
ashtray
beer glass
counter top
umm and so on

oh, i has one too, not currenly CCW'ing because i'm in a nicer than normal (for me) area

[Adrahil]

199. I won't carry a knife without a locking blade...

damn near lost my little finger once.

[MineralMan]

200. I learned how to avoid that as

a kid.

[Adrahil]

202. This wasn't merely carelessness.....

My dog struck the back of the blade responding to the doorbell. I was... I dunno.... 13 at the time (MANY years ago now). Since then, it is EASY to find a knife with a locking blade, so I just get one. Damn dog was lucky to not impale herself!

[Hoyt]

178. Pocket knives aren't likely used to embolden people like Zman, Loughner, racists, etc.

We need to confiscate gunz and replace with a 3" pocket knife, even if gun fanciers whine like babies.

[GGJohn]

212. Right on que.

Are you going to help confiscate those guns? Or are you going to leave it to those with guns to confiscate private firearms?
Are you a doer, or just another keyboard commando that relies on others to do your dirty work?

[Hoyt]

214. Naw GG, I'm going to depend on you law-abiding gun owners to do the right thing, no matter what

Cliven Bundy, Teddy Nugent, the NRA, George Zman, the little voices that tell you need 4 gun safes chocked full of weapons to enjoy live, etc., tell you.

[GGJohn]

286. IOW, you're just another keyboard commando

who depends on others to do your dirty work.
Thanks for clarifying what I've suspected all along.

Sorry dude, but there are no little voices in my head, maybe you should look in a mirror before casting asperations on others.

[Hoyt]

289. You are the one boasting you just couldn't let your gunz go if that were the law.

Doesn't sound law-abiding to me.

[GGJohn]

291. Really? When?

Prove it with a link.

I've been a law abiding citizen all my life, I've never even had a traffic ticket, can you say the same?

[Hoyt]

293. Yes. And, I've never carried a gun in public or stockpiled then at home, legal or not.

[GGJohn]

294. Hey, here's a clue Hoyt,

carrying a concealed weapon or open carrying in AZ is perfectly legal if you're not prevented by law.
And I could care less if you've never carried in public or collected them.

I asked for a link, got it yet?

[Hoyt]

295. Lot's of things are legal that hurt society. Gunz are one of those, GG.

The law does not say you have to strap a gun or two on to walk down the street, or fill 4 gun safes full of lethal weapons and ammo.

[GGJohn]

296. But the law says I can because I'm a law abiding citizen.

My carrying a concealed weapon doesn't hurt society in the least bit, despite your allegations of such.

Once again, got that link I asked for?

[Hoyt]

297. Actually is does hurt society, but gun fanciers have never cared.

[GGJohn]

298. Ok, you say it hurts society?

Tell me how my carrying a legally concealed weapon hurts my fellow Flagstaff citizens?

[friendly_iconoclast]

307. Your interlocutor is quite imaginative-he thinks guns make people do bad things

He also believes people have stated things that they have not, in fact, stated...

[GGJohn]

312. I've noticed that.

When asked to provide proof of his claims, he either,

A. Starts with the insults w/o the proof, or,

B. Runs away, again, w/o proof of his claims.

[Hoyt]

331. GG, unlike you, I was not up all night fondling gunz.

[GGJohn]

340. Hoyt, neither was I,

and I notice you still won't, or can't provide proof with a link.

[Hoyt]

330. Most of all, GG, gunz embolden people like Zman, Dunn and other racists,

to intimidate people. Gunz embolden militia types and right wingers. There's a lot more negative aspects, but I doubt you care about those because you are too fond of your 4 gun safes chocked full of lethal weapons, you need a gun in your pants to walk down the street, . . . . . . .

[GGJohn]

341. All of which has jack shit to do with me.

Carrying my legal concealed weapon does not impact my fellow citizens in the least.

[Hoyt]

345. Has everything to do with you and those like you. To keep you in gunz, we make it easy for those

folks to have gunz. But, you don't care as long as you have yours. Thus, it's hard to say you are any different.

That's what you gun fanciers just can't accept/admit because gunz are more important to you.

[GGJohn]

346. Naw, it has nothing to do with me and my fellow legal carriers.

You got it wrong, what I don't care about is you having a conniption fit over my legal firearms, but it is entertaining.

[Hoyt]

347. Sorry GG, your irrational love of gunz helps make them available to those who will misuse them.

In 1996, even Australians got smart and said those addicted to gunz don't trump society.

[GGJohn]

349. In case you hadn't noticed Hoyt,

this ain't Australia, I don't care what other countries do with their firearm laws, I care what the US does with our firearm laws.

My irrational love of firearms?
If nothing else, you are entertaining.

[Hoyt]

350. We are the only country with selfish gun fanciers who care little for society, as long as

they can have a house full of gunz. Our laws should not protect such depravity.

[GGJohn]

352. Ya da, ya da, ya da.

Entertainment at it's best.

BTW, I proudly wear the title gun fancier, I am a connoisseur of fine firearms.

[Hoyt]

356. Nothing to brag about here. Now the Cliven Bundy militia might approve.

[GGJohn]

358. i'm not bragging Hoyt, I'm stating a fact.

I could care less what Cliven might approve of, but you sure seem to like to refer to him.
Hmmmm, makes me wonder if you have some sort of obsession about him.

[Travis_0004]

180. Its a tool. It has many uses.

I was wearing an 'assault belt ' yesterday. I had a hammer, long screwdrivers, saws and lots of other weapons. And I was 50 feet away fron a school zone also.

[w0nderer]

243. LMFAO i know the feeling

heck i've been on school grounds with diesel fuel and ammonium nitrate (about 20 gallons and 400 pounds)

those were tools too

the diesel ran the tractor that spread the fertilizer all over the grounds

for the people that can't figger sense here google AMFO

[hack89]

182. I thought the RW were the folks we can't trust with weapons

Are you saying Dems are just as prone to hate and violence as repukes?

[oneshooter]

191. If they routinely carry dangerous weapons concealed on their person,

they have the capability of injuring, even killing others.

[hack89]

193. So capability equals propensity in your world?

I keep forgetting that to you weapons are magic talismans capable of turning the mildest man into a serial killer.

[oneshooter]

194. Wrong person.

I am just pushing the anti self defense peoples meme. If you carry a weapon, you are a killer in waiting.

[hack89]

196. Got it. Sorry for the confusion. nt

[w0nderer]

244. ah...sarcasm in running

please disregard Mail..or not

not sure this is the way to do it man

let's bring discussion to pm

[sarisataka]

210. It truly is amazing how narrow

some minds are.

If you check my pocket for a weapon and pick the knife, you missed the weapon.
Hint- it's the pen.

[w0nderer]

245. Hint, if you checked my pocket

you missed it
if you stripped me
you missed it
if you asked me
you might have missed it
mind==weapon



(I get your drift though and would rather clean a knife wound than a pen one)
both are tools that do things, but can be used as weapons

[sarisataka]

250. Good point

a good mind will direct how you use any weapon.

A great mind may find a way out of a situation without having to use a weapon.

[w0nderer]

251. I believe i just found a fellow follower of sun-tsu n/t

[sarisataka]

255. The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.

You will find The Art of War right beside The Book of Five Rings on my shelf.

[w0nderer]

258. same here

next to those
the prince
mein kampf
das kapital
little red
some jefferson and other works (

that knowing the enemy part right?

*bows*

[sarisataka]

263. I do not have Mein Kampf, yet

But I do have On War. I find von Clausewitz is a good addition to Sun-Tzu and Machiavelli although he is lesser writer than those two, IMO.

[w0nderer]

264. clausewitz is well worth reading

hit me on pm and i'll send you MK ebook format
it's more focused on media/mental control/civilian take over
than sun, 5ring, or clausewitz, think machiavelli in a practical environment


kinda think creator of 1984 and animal farm

[sarisataka]

273. I will do that

appreciate it

[Android3.14]

284. I'm not with this guy

Just want to make that clear, in case it ever comes up.

[Android3.14]

317. A man (or woman) without a pocketknife is...

an animal that must rely on more highly evolved creatures that know how to use tools.

Get a pocketknife. It gives you an advantage in more areas of existence than any other tool.

[w0nderer]

336. lol

have said that frequently

usually when watching someone do the bite face as they try to 'bite' a pack open with teeth

makes me question who is civilized:
"the homo sapiens non tool user with a face like a monkey gnawing on plastic"
or
"the knife carrying homo sapiens that opens it smoothly"

would make a great meme
image 1 biting open a bag
image 2 cutting open a bag
image 3 in restaurant steak in hand ripping with teeth
image 4 in restaurant steak on plate cutting with steak knife
image 5 ripping tearing open a box
image 6 cutting it open
and so on

ending with 'are YOU a civilized tool user?'
too bad i'm not artistic

[benEzra]

372. It's been pointed out before...

that Homo habilis had more tool-use capability with her/his obsidian flake than some coddled specimens of H. sapiens eloi do.

Perhaps some people prefer to open packages and cut what needs cutting with their teeth, like a dog, or perhaps they call in actual tool-users to do their cutting and carving for them, I dunno. Personally, I find myself with opposable thumbs and a brain shaped to use tools as extensions of my limbs, and choose to use them.

My current everyday pocketknife is an inexpensive Smith & Wesson liner lock I picked up at Autozone after my Gerber finally wore out from years of use. I have a Victorinox around here somewhere for geek stuff, too.

[bigwillq]

170. Sometimes.

I keep it in my car, and I sometimes carry it with me.

[Stardust]

171. I carry a Leatherman in my bag--a must-have for single ladies.

[oneshooter]

173. So you admit that you carry a deadly weapon to use on others? n/t

[Comrade Grumpy]

176. Hell, I drive around every day in a deadly weapon.

If deadly weapons are all you're looking for, deadly weapons are all you'll find.

Or are you trying to make some sort of gunner point?

[w0nderer]

246. thanks for making a point i've tried to make as a bicyclist LOL and as a knife owner n/t

[friendly_iconoclast]

308. Are some potentially deadly weapons deadlier than other potentially deadly weapons?

[Stardust]

181. Hell no, I use it to cut open boxes and stuff. It's never occurred to me to use it on someone. nt

[oneshooter]

190. It is still a weapon, capable of taking a life. n/t

[Stardust]

195. No it's not. Leave me alone.

[friendly_iconoclast]

306. It *is* a weapon, whether you admit it or not

[Stardust]

326. No, it *isnt* a weapon. It's a tool. Period.

[oneshooter]

338. According to LE it is a weapon. n/t

[friendly_iconoclast]

360. Protip: Don't open up that "tool" in a public place...

...unless you're actually using it as a tool. You will find out quickly that the local
gendarmes tend to frown upon other uses, and do not share your opinion that it is merely
a 'tool'.

[Lizzie Poppet]

211. I don't carry my knife to use on others.

That's what the 9mm is for.

[oneshooter]

216. Yes, but the other poster made a strong implacation that she did. n/t

[friendly_iconoclast]

309. Silly oneshooter, don't you know that those fatally stabbed are less dead than those fatally shot?

<SARCASM MODE> to <OFF>

[Spirochete]

174. Sort of

i have this little Swiss-army-type knife on my keyring. The only way I'd remember consistently to carry it.

[MineralMan]

175. Is the little blade sharp. If so, you carry a pocket knife.

If not, it's something else, I guess.

[Spirochete]

179. It's definitely a pocket knife

Just a pretty small one.

[Rhythm]

183. Same one for the last 10 yrs...

Looks like this, but all brushed-silver...



I also carry a pocket-sized sharpener, because as a professional in a commercial kitchen, i need to be able to touch up my knives on a moment's notice.

[beergood]

370. where did you get that

sharpener?

[Rhythm]

371. 'Lyric' ordered it online somewhere... put it in my stocking at Christmas

I haven't a clue where she found it, but it is one of those indispensable things in my work-life.

[ohheckyeah]

185. I love my

little Buck knife. I carry it when I go out, otherwise it stays on my desk. I'm the only woman that I know that carries a pocket knife - it gets borrowed a lot to open packages or cut a thread.

[w0nderer]

249. my ex-wife ran into:

how can you carry a knife, it's un womanly?
can i borrow it to open a pack?
it's un womanly
can i borrow it to cut a thread?
it's un womanly
can you please open this clamshell pack?
it's un womanly
could you help me trim my nail?


i ended up telling her when she was tired of it, "anyone who speaks bad of carrying a knife..no service unless they change their tune"

[ohheckyeah]

254. Well, nobody that

knows me isn't too surprised. I wear jeans and cowboy boots all the time. I actually freak everybody out if I put on a dress. LOL Last time I did was about 10 years ago for my nephew's wedding. I'm definitely not a girly girl.

[w0nderer]

257. my ex wasn't girly girl either (former army and bisexual)

on the semi butch side of bi

3rd anniversary present was a boot knife LOL

[ohheckyeah]

259. I'm straight

but think I overdosed on girly having 3 girly sisters.

Boot knife, huh, I never thought of that. LOL See what you started? I'll have to look for one.

[w0nderer]

265. like i said--- ex

but hell
bootknives are good, either full kind or folded

i saw what i started
so ..
gerber guardian
gerber mark I

ok and i'm innocent...talk to my lawyer :-p

[ohheckyeah]

267. LOL

I'll just sue you for the price of a boot knife.

[csziggy]

186. Used to when working around horses

I once almost lost a horse who got tangled up in a rope with a loop around her neck. One of the other people there had a pocket knife, pulled it out and cut the rope, saving the horse's life. I went straight out and bought a knife and carried one for years.

Often I would forget I had one in my pocket and end up carrying it into town which caused some odd looks if I had to get something out of the bottom of my pocket.

It came in useful for many other things - cutting hay strings, trimming tags, etc. And it was always very sharp - a dull knife is more dangerous and less useful than a sharp one!

I liked a smallish knife with two blades - but I like the stubby looking blade on your knife.

My husband used to carry a knife all the time, too - he likes a Swiss Army knife, the real ones not the knockoffs. He got one confiscated once when reporting for jury duty. He'd totally forgotten it was in his pocket - if he'd remembered he could have left it in the car.

[Maru Kitteh]

187. Middle aged female - Yes sometimes.

I carry my leatherman in my nurses bag and in my hiking gear which is always with me. So I guess by sometimes you could say "most of the time."

[Snobblevitch]

188. I always have a pocket knife on my person.

Except, of course at the airport. Whenever I go to Arizona yo visit my sniwbord father, I also go to a flea market to get a pocket knife. (He can bring it home in his checked luggage.

Why would anyone not carry a pocket knife?

[w0nderer]

252. Thanks

Why would anyone not carry a pocket knife?

dunno what to add to this
....ummm
nopes


good statement

[eridani]

189. I carry a Leatherman multitool which has a knife as one of the attachments n/t

[One_Life_To_Give]

192. From being needed for work to opening beer

My trusty CubScout Pocketknife has been in my pocket most every day since I was a kid.
Be it cutting straping tape, tie wraps or just the odd envelope. Find most weeks it saves me alot of steps by it being right there with me.

[Straw Man]

242. Cub Scout knife!

Last edited Fri Sep 18, 2015, 07:30 PM - Edit history (1)

Wow, that brings things back. I remember trying to whittle a "neckerchief slide" with one of those.

[w0nderer]

253. wow that's pretty

yes i'd like a thumbstud and lock on the blade but


daym that's pretty

[Skidmore]

201. Never carried a pocket knife

although I have other women friends who have. I always use my thumbnail to open the tape on boxes or a nail file. My nail file serves as an excellent substitute for a screw driver too at times.

[CrispyQ]

203. Swiss Army Knife - in my backpack, which I carry everywhere.

I forgot I had it until I repacked it a few days ago. Got a whistle, too.

[Paladin]

204. No surprise to see our DU Gun Enthusiasts claiming to carry multiple knives.

No surprise whatsoever......

[MineralMan]

205. This is not a gun thread.

It's a tool thread. It is not a weapons thread, either, and I couldn't identify DU gun enthusiasts anyhow.

[Paladin]

225. Carrying one knife keeps things in the "tool" category.

Carrying multiple knives amounts to wishful thinking.

[w0nderer]

256. carrying multiple knives

amounts to being aware that the work one is in
has different demands


i carry an expensive (or not $45) for where i need a 'sharp'
opening packs, opening boxes, cutting nails (finger), cutting fruit (yes my dentist told me to) , so on

and a 'waster' (cheap pocket knife) for scraping paint, goo, cutting where i know the blade will be against metal (cutting rubber handles off a steel handle and similar)

wishful thinking? yes i WISH i didn't have to sharpen my waster every day
i WISH i had enough money to use only the expensive knife
but mostly i WISH i wasn't judged by people with no clue of hands on work

[DinahMoeHum]

207. Swiss Army fisherman knife and sailor's rigging knife.

I don't carry them with me ALL the time, just those occasions when I feel I may need it.

The SA fisherman's knife is kept in my pocket and I take it with me when I work as a volunteer at outdoor festivals. Somehow, something happens and it becomes real useful.



In years past, when I've gone sailing, mostly on traditional-rigged boats, I've also worn a rigging knife and marlinespike (two separate entities) in a sheaf.

[Callmecrazy]

208. I got the exact knife as a safety award from my company...

Cut my finger the first time I opened it.
Carried that old timer for almost 10 years.

[Person 2713]

209. Small pen knife about 1/3 the size of a Swiss army only sometimes

[workinclasszero]

213. They come in handy

for lots of stuff.

Just don't take them to the airport.

[Blue_Tires]

215. I had a small Swiss army knockoff that I carried on my keychain

but that was a long, long time ago

[tabasco]

218. Can anyone recommend a good inexpensive pocket knife?

Unfortunately, I've lost a couple.

[MineralMan]

219. I've never really found such a thing.

good and inexpensive seem to be conflicting qualities when it comes to pocket knives.

There are plenty of inexpensive pocket knives and plenty of good pocket knives, but those qualities never seem to be combined.

Some of the old, respected brand names are now manufacturing in China, and the quality seems diminished.

A great place to look for pocket knives is to search for "vintage" knives of the type you want on eBay. I suggest using the Buy it Now option and checking frequently until you find one in excellent condition being offered for a price that suits your budget. If you're patient, you'll find a bargain on a USA-made knife that has been used gently. Look closely at the photos and read the descriptions carefully, too.

Keep in mind that you're not looking for a "new in box" collector grade knife, but a good, serviceable one made a couple of decades or more ago. You can even limit your search to popular brand names like Case. Eventually, you'll find a real bargain.

[Mosby]

248. You can get a Case medium stockman for 40-45 dollars

https://www.doitbest.com/products/case-cv-stockman-pocket-knife

It's a three blade knife, very versatile.

[w0nderer]

260. i think the closest you'll get to 'good' + inexpensive

is SAK (swiss army knife) or kershaw skyline/crown/blur/needs work series

usually good and cheap are opposites, they don't happen

gerber does a few...the paraframe are ok if cared for

[Major Nikon]

270. In terms of bang for the buck I think it's hard to beat some of the Kershaw knives

I caught the Kershaw Leek on sale for $30 and if I had it to do over again I'd pay more for it. If you need something with a stronger tip, the Skyline is in the same price range. I have a cheaper made-in-China Kershaw that I paid about $20 for and I keep around the house for utility. The steel and the craftsmanship are not as good, but it's still an excellent knife for the price.

The problem I have with $100+ pocket knives is I eventually lose whatever I carry, so it just doesn't makes sense for me to pay that much.

[ornotna]

261. You can get a #6 Opinel for $12

http://www.opinel-usa.com/collections/opinel-carbon-blades/products/opinel-no-6-carbon-steel-blade#.Vfxl2ZeSd-I

Carbon blade means it will sharpen up nicely, but will rust if not taken care of.

[tabasco]

274. Just what I'm looking for. Thanks.

I'm not looking for an heirloom piece to show off and pass on to my grandkids. I need a sharp sturdy knife to use a lot on a daily basis and probably lose in the woods one day.

[GoneOffShore]

335. The Opinel is very popular in France

You can buy them in any 'Tabac' or specialized shops.

Prices range from 10euros up.

[lumberjack_jeff]

292. I really like my small schrade lockback

Here's a nice one.



I wouldn't carry a knife without a locking blade - much safer.

This one is mine.



I found it in a parking lot more than 10 years ago. The blade originally looked very much like the one above, but it has been sharpened many, many times.

[greendog]

220. Leatherman Micra on my keychain.

[Phentex]

221. No but I carry a purse hook...

I have a much greater need for a purse hook than I do a pocket knife.

[Rabon]

223. knife

No, never take a knife to a gunfight.

[MineralMan]

224. Who is talking about any kind of fight?

I'm talking about a popular tool people carry with them. There's no fighting involved.

[Electric Monk]

300. For the kind of whack job that has guns on the brain all the time, this thread is really about guns.

See our very own Gungeon for further details. They love your thread.

[friendly_iconoclast]

310. There's also the whack jobs that stoutly deny that knives are weapons...

...and ones that believe inanimate objects influence human behavior

And why so coy about a link? The discussion you refer to can be found here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1172176143

[Electric Monk]

333. Studies have shown that people behave differently depending on what objects they possess

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=7183073

[friendly_iconoclast]

361. Apparently, we should only carry inexpensive guns and knives while in public

From a cite in your post:

They found that people driving the most expensive cars were four times as likely as drivers of the least expensive cars to enter the intersection when they didn’t have the right of way. And it was even worse when it came to yielding to pedestrians.

The Times said those findings, reported Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, led the researchers to conduct a series of experiments that found rich people also were more likely to cheat to win a prize, take candy from children and say they would pocket extra change given them in error rather than give it back.

[Adrahil]

343. Opening packages with a gun is messy and noisy.....

They are not the same kind of tool.

[dumbcat]

237. I'm glad this thread is getting so many replies

and mostly in the right spirit. It does my heart good.

Thanks for the thread MM.

[MineralMan]

240. Sometimes, a break from politics is a good thing.

[w0nderer]

262. second this

it's nice to see most people realize that a pocket knife is a tool
makes me feel good

thanks MM

[ChairmanAgnostic]

241. Two

A late Swiss Army knife that had pliers, magnifying glass, and tools I seem to use each day. And in my wallet, a flat stainless credit card shaped knife bottle opener, screwdriver, wrench, and compass. (If you put a string on it it points north/south. )

[Buns_of_Fire]

247. Sure. Sometimes two of them.

A little 1 1/2" Gerber (attached to my car keys).

A 2 1/2" Gerber Bear Grills Model (scrapes off magnesium flakes and makes the spark to light 'em up). This is a replacement for the identical model that was confiscated at the Orlando Greyhound Bus Terminal -- yes, the Orlando Greyhound Bus Terminal, for chrissake! -- by the TSA when they were afraid someone might hijack the bus and fly it into a building.

I have a Leatherman Sidekick, which usually stays in the RV.

And a machete, which usually stays in the RV, too. (It's easier for me to handle than an ax for trimming kindling for a campfire, and it's also useful for the occasional zombie attack.)

(Oh, and there's a boxcutter, too. It stays in the apartment. I use it for -- believe it or not -- opening boxes. Once a stockboy, always a stockboy.)

[Liberal_in_LA]

266. no. no

[Codeine]

269. Kinda -- I carry two boxcutters.

One is an old-school razor style cutter, which I try I avoid using because I'm quite clumsy, an the other is my "remedial box cutter", a safer model that is mostly just as useful but doesn't put me in the emergency room.

[NickB79]

276. I carry one that I found lying out at the beach, surrounded by little kids playing

Seriously, this is what I found in a foot of water while at the beach with my 5-yr old in July:

Good knife. Stupid previous owner.

[Snobblevitch]

280. Three days after I got to my destination I found a similar knife in my carry-on bag.

TSA in Minneapolis missed it. TSA in Phoenix too my dad's mini Leatherman that he forgot he had in his pocket.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

277. I usually have my Gerber Gator handy,

if not on me, then always in my truck. I've had one like in the picture, for about 20 years now, and like it a lot. I cringe at the idea of loaning it to a co-worker for even 2 minutes. Its a tough and reliably sharp knife, and I've always worked jobs where a good knife is necessary.

I had many pocket knives and hunting knives when I was kid, and taking a pocket knife to grade school in the late 70's and early 80's, was not a big deal, but I think that I was probably the last generation to be able to do so.

[IMG][/IMG]

[Android3.14]

278. When I have a pocket knife, I use it all the time

'nuff said.

[passiveporcupine]

290. I have a tiny one on my keychain, does that count?

I also have a normal smallish pocket knife that I take with me when camping or hiking (or used to). It's ancient and I've not needed it much, but I feel better knowing I have it with me when I'm out in the woods. A survivalist thing, I guess. I've never needed it as a weapon, nor have I thought of it that way.

[PowerToThePeople]

303. Never

But I think I own that exact same oldtimer from when I was a kid.

[Recursion]

304. A leatherman

It's illegal in Mumbai though so I stopped.

[spiderpig]

305. I use mine all the time

to cut those nasty plastic ties off of items I've paid for. To trim those demon hangnails. To scrape away whatever you need to scrape away.

Between airports and courthouses (jury duty - I get called like clockwork) you can't leave them on your keychain. Boo.

[jimmy the one]

313. Invitation to a dogfight

Just to let everybody know this thread has been cross posted to 'Gun Control and Right to Keep & Bear Arms' thread, also know as the 'Gungeon'. A lively discussion (cough) as to the pros & cons of gun ownership versus gun control.
What has transpired is that the cross posting OP author has twisted about (imo) your knife thread & tries to make it seem that we gun control advocates have sabotaged the knife thread into some kind of 'knife carriers are potential killers carrying deadly weapons'. Did any of you get that impression from gun control advocates? (hoyt & paladin the only two I recognized).
Oneshooter, hack, & lizzie poppet are all gunners, and they seem to be the ones suggesting violence related themes.

You all are invited to view, the following OP paragraph is not from me, but from the pro gun author, DonP:

(title) Interesting GD thread worth scanning for gun related commentary
{link to mineral man's knife thread} democraticunderground.com/10027174258
It's supposed to be about who carries a pocket knife, what they use it for, what kind it is. But it turns out to show some gun controllers with serious focus issues.
It's interesting to see the differing opinions and knives and the vast majority of posts are on topic, about what kind of knife they carry. But the inevitable handful of gun control fans insist on declaring all of them "weapons" and anyone that carries one is just a "potential killer" for carrying a "deadly weapon".
Of course, one of our rare banned posters can't resist inserting their normal "Gun Nutz" screed in a "who carries a knife" thread.
IMNSHO, It's an excellent example of how far down the rabbit hole some of them have gone. They are incapable of posting on anything they think can be twisted to their worldview without demanding others rally to their agenda.
Another argument on why even trying to discuss anything with some of them is a total waste of time.

The big problem DonP has, is that the ones suggesting 'deadly weapons' and 'killers' are generally gunners. I recognized no 'gun control advocate' who has done what donP accused.

Determine for yourself: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1172&pid=176143

[MineralMan]

314. I'm sorry that you have taken the opportunity to

try to turn this thread into something it is not. It was never about weapons of any kind, based on my original post. It's too bad that some tried to make it so. It is a post about tools. It was intended to be just that. That others have attempted to shift it to a different discussion is regrettable.

[jimmy the one]

315. just thought you should know

mineral man: I'm sorry that you have taken the opportunity to try to turn this thread into something it is not. It was never about weapons of any kind, based on my original post.

I well understand MM, but I am not the one trying to turn your thread into something it's not. I only thought you might want to be made aware of what others were saying about it, subverting your thread. I defended you guys: I went thru the entire thread & didn't see any bigoted demonizing of every gun owner.

I never thought it was about knives causing violence, and was well aware it was innocuous discussion of the merits of owning knives esp pocket knives.

MM It's too bad that some tried to make it so. It is a post about tools. It was intended to be just that. That others have attempted to shift it to a different discussion is regrettable.

Concur.
I stopped carrying them tho many years back due to metal detector concerns & fear of false accusations if I pulled my keychain out. Now, believe it or not, I just carry a fingernail clipper, which can do a fair job at cutting, in a pinch. Plus it keeps me from reverting back to my old habit of nail biting.
I don't even own a gun anymore, been gunfree for near 15 years. Own many house knives; there's a big one, a machete, tho likely more of a sword. It's not that good at cutting branches as a hatchet or axe tho. And I admit one does look scary carrying it.

[MineralMan]

316. What goes on in the Gungeon is not of interest to me, really,

nor is it of interest to most DUers. I don't post in that group, nor do I usually bother to read there.

I think most DUers avoid that group, pretty much. It's a group with only one topic and that topic isn't of that much interest to DUers, even those who own firearms, as I do.

What happens there has nothing whatsoever to do with the reason this thread and poll was posted. I was interested to learn how many DUers regularly carried pocket knives. I was pleased to learn that it is a majority. That's the only reason the thread was created, and many people make comments about their pocket knives and how they use them. Almost nobody said that they considered them to be weapons, defensive or otherwise, in describing their pocket knives.

Just as I suspected, a lot of people carry one to use as the tool it was intended to be. That the Gun Control and RKBA group discussed this thread in another way is none of my business. They can discuss whatever they choose, but I won't be there to participate. I don't welcome linking to that other thread, which is not about the subject I raised in my OP.

[jimmy the one]

319. affected others might want to read it

MM: Almost nobody said that they considered them to be weapons, defensive or otherwise, in describing their pocket knives.

I agree, that was an underlying point; except that in donP's depraved thread, he said that we 'gun control fans' were denigrating knives as 'deadly weapons' & you all were 'potential killers', when we didn't say that at all. In fact mostly gunners were mentioning killers & deadly weapons.

That the Gun Control and RKBA group discussed this thread in another way is none of my business. They can discuss whatever they choose, but I won't be there to participate.

Certainly your prerogative, but others in this group who affected replies to gunners or us gun control fans, might be interested in how they're being labeled. One knife poster has indeed replied over there.

MM: I don't welcome linking to that other thread, which is not about the subject I raised in my OP.

I'm sorry but I will not at this time remove my post containing the link. I will give some time for any other interested posters to read it, & after maybe a week I will delete it. Unless you are really adamant about it, it's not that important to me you know.

[Iggo]

359. Trashed that room ages ago.

Totally dig it when people don't drag the drama into the light.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

320. I have that exact same knife. Sometimes I carry it. Sometimes I don't. When I do carry it...

...I use if for doing the things that a knife is useful for doing. It is, at times, a conveniently useful thing to have in my pocket.

[MineralMan]

321. That pattern of pocket knife is one of the most popular

around. Every knife maker offers those, if they make regular pocket knives. It's always seemed the most useful compact set I could find. I carry mine daily, because I find uses for it daily. Other people don't need a knife on a daily basis, I'm sure.

I just used it a few minutes ago to open a clamshell package. Having it in my pocket meant that I could open the packaging without any delay to find something to use to open it. That's why I always have that simple knife in my pocket.

[hollowdweller]

327. I love knives and have a collection.

All thru high school and college I carried a Buck 110. In the early 2000's the blade broke right at the tang. Buck will replace but I sent a note could they just replace the blade because it had sentimental value. I bought it with money from my first real summer job in HS and also cleaned out the first deer I ever got with it. They replaced the blade.

I carry this one a lot these days. It's actually a german switchblade camping knife. This is an old picture, the knife is a little worse for the wear these days because I use it a lot on the farm.



Here's another cool blade. A big Nepalese khukuri I own. I use it to chop trees up that fall. The thing is about a pound and a half and about 18" long. I think they use them to behead goats during the Dashain festival but I just use it for brush clearing:



Sort of historical combo. A reproduction of the knife used by NESSMUK in his book woodcraft and camping with curley maple handle with mosaic pins, and then a repro of Nessmuks "Double Bit Pocket Axe" with an Osage Orange handle made by OK blacksmith Lee Reeves. Both are great for camping and backpacking.




Here's another Nessmuk, this is more pimped out, with a stag handle and cable Damascus blade.

[workinclasszero]

334. Cool stuff :) /nt

[w0nderer]

337. top switchblade

i think i may just have it's little brothers (blade only)

german made right?

had it for a good 30 years now, still snaps out fast and smooth
never carried it since where i lived/live switchblades are illegal

Got a khukhuri, was actually given mine by a Ghurka guy i met and spent a cool couple of weeks with
mine isn't as pretty as it was the 'issue' one he had..HE used one made in his own village

still nice tool for outdoor usage

very pretty collection specially the outdoorsy ones

[leeroysphitz]

339. I carry a hair comb that looks like a switchblade, n/t

[MineralMan]

348. Why?

Why not just carry a comb?

[leeroysphitz]

363. Oh. lol I bought it in 5th grade from an impromptu Christmas store

I thought it was so bad ass that I spent 50 cents on it instead of my dad's gift. A friend tried to steal it but I caught him and got it back and I've been using it ever since. Sorry for the book but... you asked.

[NaturalHigh]

351. Yes, a little cheap one.

It's useful for opening boxes and such.

[clffrdjk]

353. hell I carry two.

I have always carried one ever since I was 10. And yes I am young enough that it could have gotten me in trouble in school, the teachers knew I had one but never cared because I didn't cause trouble.

[kairos12]

354. Benchmade.

[struggle4progress]

355. I could have gotten into the habit. But I was a hippy in a time and place

when anything was grounds for a bust, so I tried to limit my exposure

[Major Nikon]

375. I thought I'd kick this thread

Since I got a new pocket knife. It's a Kershaw 1670S30V Blur. My previous EDC knife was a Kershaw 1660 Leek, which was a pretty good knife for the money, but a little too delicate for hard use. The Blur is considerably heftier than the Leek and has a drop point tip which is considerably stronger. It came from the factory pretty sharp, but I gave it a bit of a steeper bevel which made a considerable difference. Time will tell how well it holds the new edge.

[Travis_0004]

376. S30 is good steel

It wouldn't be my first chioce on a large knife, but its good for smaller blades. Its one where the heat treatment is easy to mess up, but as long as they get that right, its a pretty good blade.

[Major Nikon]

377. This is my first blade with S30V

So I'll just have to see how well it performs with what I'm doing with it. I do a lot of electrical work which is pretty hard on a knife. I'm going to try to beat the hell out of the Blur and see how it does. It should be interesting since I changed the bevel to a sharper angle. I've heard S30V is prone to chipping, but I think the key to this is making sure the edge stays well polished which is true for any steel. The thing about S30V is that it's much harder to put a good polish on the edge even though it wasn't particularly harder to get it sharp initially. I use a loupe for inspection and figured out right away that this knife took a lot more passes with the finer grits to get it right.

[MineralMan]

378. I like a clip main blade. It works better

for cleaning my fingernails, one of the most frequent things I use the knife for. I know that sounds silly, but that's why it's my preference.

But, I just lost another pocket knife. Damn! I didn't have time or the cash to get another Old Timer 80T, so I went to the local farm supply store and picked up a cheap Winchester locking folder with a clip blade. I'm still hoping to find my regular knife. I'm sure I put it down somewhere after using it, and it sneaked off and hid behind something.

[Major Nikon]

379. I still have my dad's 80T

It's probably around 50 years old or so. It's been sharpened so many times only about 2/3rds of the longest blade is left. I just looked and you can get a new one for $17.25 shipped at Newegg which is a pretty good deal.

[MineralMan]

380. I'll check that out, thanks!