Pocket knife: Weird or normal?

Is it weird or normal to regularly carry a 3-4" pocket knife or Swiss army knife?

  • Weird

    Votes: 3 3.7%

  • Normal

    Votes: 68 82.9%

  • A plain pocket knife is normal, but only nerds carry Swiss army knives outside the Swiss army

    Votes: 11 13.4%
  • Total voters
    82
Ed Haywood said:
Why would I need a knife ... in church?
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I have frequently needed a knife at church. Slicing open cartons full of shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, cutting plastic off pallets of water for parking lot events, cutting rope when hanging banners, sacrificing sheep, etc.
 
Ed Haywood said:
If you are a lawyer in NYC, what are the odds you need a knife often enough to have it rattling around in your suit pocket?
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Probably often enough. I find it much easier to open packages with a blade and find pocket knives to be the most convenient way to keep a blade on my person.
 
I carry a 3.5" clip-on pocket flip folder religiously. It's just part of my leaving the house gear like wallet and keys. A Kershaw for everyday and a Benchmade for more formal gatherings. Wore one at my wedding (now defunct). I prefer a combo blade with base half serrated and a tanto pointy end. Keep it sharp enough to shave hair off my arms. Would also work to slice through a stuck seat/shoulder belt. Might even work as an auto window escape tool--never tried it.

Favorite gag at a BBQ is to pull it out, flip it open, and attack the meat. Surprising number of folks think a 3.5" blade is big. Works best in a snowflake, urban crowd. My other circles of farmers, hunters, and Alaskan ex-pats don't bat an eye. Some of them think 3.5" is cute.
 
Ed Haywood said:
Why would I need a knife on a plane, at a sporting event, or in church?
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I have used the toothpick in my Swiss army knife in all of these locations.

I used the flat-blade screwdriver tool in my plane once to "ooch" back a pin that was securing my door closed for which the release linkage had broken. I *might* have found something else inside the plane to do that job (maybe a credit card would have worked?), but the first thing I reached for was my "knife".
 
Jim_R said:
I have used the toothpick in my Swiss army knife in all of these locations.

I used the flat-blade screwdriver tool in my plane once to "ooch" back a pin that was securing my door closed for which the linkage for the release had broken. I *might* have found something else inside the plane to do that job (maybe a credit card would have worked?), but the first thing I reached for was my "knife".
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Let me revise my statement ... why would I need a knife on an airliner? I carry a milk crate full of tools on my GA airplane, including several blades.
 
Ed Haywood said:
Let me revise my statement ... why would I need a knife on an airliner? I carry a milk crate full of tools on my GA airplane, including several blades.
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I have wished for my toothpick numerous times on an airliner. The knife just happens to be in the same assembly that holds that other tool. I have never needed a blade on an airliner.
 
A few months ago there was a guy that showed up with a Kabar strapped to his waist at the pub. Which - I didn't have a problem with, but I wondered if he was skirting legality. For example knife laws in NYC are stupid. Turns out there are no issues.

knife.jpg

Here are a few within arm's reach of my POA session. The Case is a jacknife. I don't care for it much as the chrome plating pits badly. If I need a knife for the woods, the Buck is pretty solid. The British army dagger is a little impractical. For all around knife carry needs, although I rarely carry one anymore, the little Gerber promotional knife is hard to beat. It's light, thin, and you can stuff it in a sock if you want. The little Aitor Swiss Army knife isn't particularly practical, other than to have a working bottle opener on it.

The Kabar is pretty solid too.
 
Jim_R said:
Next poll: Is it weird or normal to carry pliers on your belt?
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I've never carried pliers on my belt, except on the rare occasion when I wear a full tool belt for a home project.

However, I have had one of these on my keyring for over 50 years. Dad gave it to me when I was a kid, and told me not to lose it.

Amazingly, I haven't.

1715444928566.png

It gets a fair amount of use, and not just for opening beer bottles.
 
My daily carry:

53714183020_09c594b6ae_z.jpg


I forget the model. It’s a bit bulky, but gets used constantly. The scissors and tweezers get used pretty regularly in addition to the two blades. Some features are used rarely, but I don’t think there are any that have gone totally unused.
 
Yesterday I went into the post office.

I totally forgot I had my pistol in my shirt pocket. (Ruger LC9)

No one even gave me a second look.

A couple months ago coming out of Safeway a imported homeless druggie type person demanded I give him money.

I did not feel like playing because he caught me at a bad time so I stuck my S&W 38 special in his face and demanded he give me his money. The color left his face and he ran. He was not a local.

I don't carry a knife...
 
Jim_R said:
When I was growing up, my dad always carried a ~4" Case pocket knife (something like this). I saw him use it frequently, and I developed the opinion that it was a handy tool. (Plus, I was a kid, and knives were just cool!)

When I was in college, one of my buddies carried a Swiss army knife. I thought it was kind of weird and bulky, but over the years I saw him use a fair number of its features, including during a road trip when he used several of its bits to wrangle his VW Bug back into operational order.

Since becoming an adult, I have almost always carried some sort of a knife on my person, including Swiss army knives. I have found that I use them frequently, though probably most often as a letter/package opener and toothpick carrier. I feel uncomfortable/"incomplete" when it's not in my pocket. (Note--I have never considered my pocket knife as a weapon, nor does my "discomfort" when it's not in my pocket have anything to do with fear for my personal safety. It is only a utility tool in my mind.)

In "recent years" (say, the last ~20 or so) it's become more difficult to just carry a knife. Used to be, I only had to remember to remove it when I flew commercial (and I don't remember but maybe it wasn't a big deal before 9/11?). Today, I never know when I'll need to go through a metal detector: Baseball game, music venue, amusement park, state fair, etc. Sometimes I do, and sometimes I don't. Size of venue is not always a good indicator. I have had to forfeit a good many knives due to unexpected metal detectors and the hassle/impracticality of going back to the car. Occasionally, there's been some convenient landscape where I could surreptitiously plant my knife and recover it again as we were leaving.

But it wasn't until very recently (like last year) that I learned that not everyone considered a small pocket knife a "normal"/"okay" thing to carry. I was with a larger group that included friends-of-friends at an outdoor festival (far from where I live) where I ended up losing a knife at the entrance, and several members of the group gave me a bunch of grief for carrying this. "Why do you need to carry a weapon like that??" was the common refrain. None of them would believe that someone might just like having a variety of potentially-useful tools easily at hand. Only 3-4 were really vocal about it, but a couple of others nodded, and nobody else in the group of ~12 carried a knife or spoke up in my defense that they thought it was a "normal" thing to do. I was on an island.

So I wonder:
- Is this a regional thing, where it's normal in some places and weird in others?
- Is this a change-with-the-times thing, where it used to be normal 50+ years ago but has become weird and I didn't notice?
- Has it always been weird and I never knew?
- Was I hanging out that day with the only 12 people who think it's weird?
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It's pretty unreasonable to consider a multi-tool like the one you posted as a "weapon". It probably gets 80% of its use helping to cut open Amazon boxes lol.
And hell a freakin' screw driver is probably a more dangerous "weapon" than a swiss army knife.
 
Zeldman said:
A couple months ago coming out of Safeway a imported homeless druggie type person demanded I give him money.

I did not feel like playing because he caught me at a bad time so I stuck my S&W 38 special in his face and demanded he give me his money.
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One or both of those actions was illegal. Neither is really something to brag about.
 
I carry both a Swiss Army Super Tinker and a Leatherman Leap and a small flashlight in my pocket every day. The scissors on the Super Tinker are the best quick scissors I have ever used, and I use them all the time. The Leatherman scissors aren't anywhere near as good but I use the pliers and the Phillips driver the most on that tool. I put them away if a metal detector is involved, but I don't worry about people who might not like me carrying them. It's just another tool to me.
 
I think I’ve been specifically asked to help with one of my multi tools or knives three times of church in the last two years. Maybe that’s because I am the oddball and other people don’t carry them, but Nobody acted like it was weird.
 
Zeldman said:
Legal to open carry in New Mexico without a permit.

I choose to not be a victim.
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Your action was not legal, whether provoked or not. "Open carry" does not equal "open invitation to brandish threateningly and demand someone else's property".

Had you said, "Sorry, all I've got is this," and shifted your position to make your gun more visible without overtly threatening the dude, I'd have thought, "Smooth move."
 
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Jim_R said:
Your action was not legal, whether provoked or not. "Open carry" does not equal "open invitation to brandish threateningly and demand someone else's property".

Had you said, "Sorry, all I've got is this," and shifted your position to make your gun more visible without overtly threatening the dude, I'd have thought, "Smooth move."
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Thread drift.
 
In my urban home environment I carry a Swiss army knife nearly identical to the red handled one shown earlier in the thread, except it has a cork screw instead of a #2 Phillips (I wish it had both).
I use it at least twice every day.

I travel to Alaska for my flying job. I make a point to leave my Swiss army knife in my car at the airport. When I get to my work housing I grab my Benchmade locking folder and Glock 29.
 
Zeldman said:
A couple months ago coming out of Safeway a imported homeless druggie type person demanded I give him money.
Click to expand...

Did he really "demand" that you give him money? Or did he ask in a way that you found insufficiently respectful?
 
Jim_R said:
When I was growing up, my dad always carried a ~4" Case pocket knife (something like this). I saw him use it frequently, and I developed the opinion that it was a handy tool. (Plus, I was a kid, and knives were just cool!)

When I was in college, one of my buddies carried a Swiss army knife. I thought it was kind of weird and bulky, but over the years I saw him use a fair number of its features, including during a road trip when he used several of its bits to wrangle his VW Bug back into operational order.

Since becoming an adult, I have almost always carried some sort of a knife on my person, including Swiss army knives. I have found that I use them frequently, though probably most often as a letter/package opener and toothpick carrier. I feel uncomfortable/"incomplete" when it's not in my pocket. (Note--I have never considered my pocket knife as a weapon, nor does my "discomfort" when it's not in my pocket have anything to do with fear for my personal safety. It is only a utility tool in my mind.)

In "recent years" (say, the last ~20 or so) it's become more difficult to just carry a knife. Used to be, I only had to remember to remove it when I flew commercial (and I don't remember but maybe it wasn't a big deal before 9/11?). Today, I never know when I'll need to go through a metal detector: Baseball game, music venue, amusement park, state fair, etc. Sometimes I do, and sometimes I don't. Size of venue is not always a good indicator. I have had to forfeit a good many knives due to unexpected metal detectors and the hassle/impracticality of going back to the car. Occasionally, there's been some convenient landscape where I could surreptitiously plant my knife and recover it again as we were leaving.

But it wasn't until very recently (like last year) that I learned that not everyone considered a small pocket knife a "normal"/"okay" thing to carry. I was with a larger group that included friends-of-friends at an outdoor festival (far from where I live) where I ended up losing a knife at the entrance, and several members of the group gave me a bunch of grief for carrying this. "Why do you need to carry a weapon like that??" was the common refrain. None of them would believe that someone might just like having a variety of potentially-useful tools easily at hand. Only 3-4 were really vocal about it, but a couple of others nodded, and nobody else in the group of ~12 carried a knife or spoke up in my defense that they thought it was a "normal" thing to do. I was on an island.

So I wonder:
- Is this a regional thing, where it's normal in some places and weird in others?
- Is this a change-with-the-times thing, where it used to be normal 50+ years ago but has become weird and I didn't notice?
- Has it always been weird and I never knew?
- Was I hanging out that day with the only 12 people who think it's weird?
Click to expand...
The people giving you grief over having a pocket knife should be shown the spot where they can go **** themselves …

I don’t have time for people that stupid in my life.
 
Jim_R said:
Your action was not legal, whether provoked or not. "Open carry" does not equal "open invitation to brandish threateningly and demand someone else's property".

Had you said, "Sorry, all I've got is this," and shifted your position to make your gun more visible without overtly threatening the dude, I'd have thought, "Smooth move."
Click to expand...

You may be correct. Like I said, I was having a bad day and I was not in the mood to be hassled by the paid agitators being brought into this state. Another day I may have handled it different.

Homeless and possibly illegal immigrant agitators are being brought into this state for various political reasons to try to open the borders to any and all enemies of the USA. Trying not to turn this political, but I am just getting tired of them. I never open carried until the hoards started pouring over the border.

The natives that pan handle (very small percentage pan handle) are non threatening and so much easier to deal with. Just a simple head shake and they will normally turn away.

Ed Haywood said:
Did he really "demand" that you give him money? Or did he ask in a way that you found insufficiently respectful?
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He told me he needed money and held his hand in his jacket pocket to suggest he was holding something. Might work in Mexico but it didn't work here.



I'll take a working taser if anyone wants to donate one.
 
Half Fast said:
But then there was the time my high school Latin teacher was trying to open a package. She asked the class if anyone had a pocket knife she could borrow. Somebody said, "That's against the rules" and she replied, "Look, I just need to open this box. If somebody lends me a pocket knife for a moment I'm not going to get them in trouble for it." Whereupon every single guy in class pulled out a small knife.
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Funny, I have a similar story.

A few years back, the Coast Guard ship I was assigned to made a port call in Panama City, FL. Me and a handful of guys from the crew stumbled into the Coyote Ugly bar there (I'm not a fan but the group I was with wanted to go there) but given that it was a weeknight, it wasn't very busy. Paid our cover, made it past the bouncer doing some sort of security check and onto our corner of the bar we went. We'd been there for probably an hour when a different bouncer came up to our group and told one of our guys he wasn't allowed to have his knife (visible in his pants pocket) and demanded he give it up. I was the senior person in the group so I told the bouncer "That's interesting...you want all of them?" "Whaddya mean?" About 15 knives appeared...roughly one for each person in our group. His attitude changed drastically as he carried all of them to the front podium in an arms-out fashion like he was carrying a stack of lumber.
 
Zeldman said:
Homeless and possibly illegal immigrant agitators are being brought into this state for various political reasons to try to open the borders to any and all enemies of the USA. Trying not to turn this political,
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Whoops, fail. (This has gone from "thread drift" to "thread la-la land".)
 
Outside of work I almost always have a pocket knife. It just looks weird with my “normal “ corporate clothes. But, many do bring theirs to the office.
 
Half Fast said:
Who remembers this one?

I am your substitute teacher, Sister Mary Elephant.​
Class, attention. Attention, class! Class? SHUT UP! Thank you.​
Young man, now give me that knife. ​
SWISH-THUNK!!!​
Thank you.​
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I played that tape so many times it wore out. Still listen to it on my phone.
 
Pulls Swiss Army knife from pocket.
Q: “Why do you need that weapon?”
A: “If you’re someone who thinks this is a weapon, no one would even need a weapon to take you.”
Or, “You probably oughta see your doc about getting on TRT - you’re bordering on a negative number.”
 
I've still got the Cub Scout knife my Gramp gave me in 4th grade. I'm 65 and carry it now and then just for grins. During hay season I always have a knife of some description, usually serrated with a hook blade for clearing the baler knotter.
The most useful pocket tool I have though is a mini- Leatherman. About 3" long folded up, but has a blade, scissors, tweezers, a couple size screwdrivers, a bottle opener and little ruler stamped on the side. I use that thing probably every day for something.
Last time I went to city hall they tried to take it. Heck the blade is probably an inch and a half long. Stashed it in the bushes outside until I left. What a crock.
 
Anyone remember these?

1715472119834.jpeg

Is the brown one a Scout knife? Never was in Scouts, but I've had three of these. Lost the first one long ago; found the other two in antique shops. They weren't rust-resistant at all.

The red one comes apart when you open the fork and spoon so you can use the fork and knife at the same time.

1715472091534.jpeg

Maybe 20 years ago I came across a four-inch Old Timer pocketknife laying on the gravelly beach of a remote river that we used to fish. Had to go in by boat. The knife was in really nice condition. Showed my Dad; he was with me at the time. Still have it. The following year the two of us were in there again, same beach, and he picked up a huge Old Timer pocketknife, must have been seven or eight inches long. Just had to beat me at this. My son still has that one, I think.
 
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My EDC, Benchmade Doug Ritter folder, normally carried in a belt pouch.



IMG_7028.jpegIMG_7029.jpegIMG_7030.jpeg
 
I used to carry a pocket knife daily until the early 2000s. I suspect I stopped when carrying a cell phone became a thing. Too much weight to carry around.

Whenever I’m doing outdoor or EMT related duties I carry either my gerber or Kershaw Onion on my belt.
 
I don't always carry a knife anymore, but I frequently do.

I keep a spot on my nightstand for my wallet, phone, keys, and knife. Each morning I decide my plan for the day and load my pockets accordingly. When in doubt I throw it in my pocket, which happens a lot since that decision comes before coffee.

Also, over the last half century or so I have built up a collection of knifes. Many have a theme, some not. It's a pretty big box and I enjoy wandering through it sometimes.
 
I’ve always got a knife of some sort on me and have since I earned a Totin’ Chit in Scouts. Perfectly normal tool. Over the last couple of years, I’ve surrendered enough tools that I’ve just built into my routine that if I bought a ticket for something to gain entrance that there’s likely going to be a metal detector, so I don’t go to a lot of events that require a ticket unless I can verify I won’t have to donate another knife.
 
Country Flier said:
I have a drawer full of “the tinker” Swiss Army knives. I like this model (carry it every day) because it the smallest/simplest SAK with a phillips. I have a drawer full because I occasionally lose them.
View attachment 128666
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Here's one that is tiny, with a surprisingly usable phillips screwdriver, and it's TSA compliant:

https://www.victorinox.com/en-US/Products/Swiss-Army-Knives/Small-Pocket-Knives/Jetsetter/p/0.6263

See also:

https://www.pewpewtactical.com/tsa-approved-multitools/
 
Matthew said:
I carry a small knife all the time. It’s just habit now. I used one for work for a lot of years but don’t really need it now, other than to have it handy so I don’t have to look for it.

I have a small one, like this:
www.gerbergear.com

Ultralight LST | Gerber

Brought to market by none other than Pete Gerber himself, this ultralight knife has a big history. Learn more here.
www.gerbergear.com www.gerbergear.com

and a larger one like this, with a pocket clip, and I really like it:
www.dewalt.com

Folding Pocket Knife

The Folding Pocket Knife has a comination blade with both straight and serrated edges, ideal for both push cuts and slice cuts. This knife also features a tanto tip which enables the user to pierce through tough materials. The rust resistant stainless steel blade enables heavy use
www.dewalt.com www.dewalt.com

I’ve lost a few to metal detectors and security over the years though.
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Ultralight LST is my all-time favorite pocket knife.
 
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