Knife culture

[jsrockit]

Loved knives when I was a kid (when I hung out in the woods a lot). Now I don't care anymore. I guess I don't see the need in NYC.

 

[Fraser]

One of my last creations before work/family/photography became a better use of time.
13fbpiclatestone1 by f4saregreat!, on Flickr

 

[Dogman]

I'm a recovering knife knut--AKA collector/acummlator. My grandfather gave me my first pocket knife at a very early age. We used to sit around and whittle on sticks to pass the time together. I have loved all types of sharp objects for a very long time.

Pretty much everyone--men and women--carried at least a small folding knife when I was growing up. I don't recall anyone ever using a knife as a weapon--knives were just tools we all used daily. Of course, anyone who had a knife could use it as a weapon if the need arose.

I carry a folding knife daily. Except when flying or going into restricted areas. These days it's likely to be one of several Benchmade, Spyderco, Emerson or other brand lock-blade knife. But I am also very fond of Case, Queen, Buck, Boker and other traditional slipjoint folders.

 

[pechelman]

pretty much always carry one, unless im traveling somewhere they arent allowed.
i rotate between things like classic slipjoint, modern tacticool stuff, and everything in between, but I always come back to 1 knife that I enjoy carrying in my pocket more than any other;

Carter Cutlery, 179mm bird & trout with lignum vitae handles.
In the neck sheath he includes, it slips right in the pocket and is so thin and unobtrusive. It's perfect in the hand, gets ridiculously sharp with Rc ~63-64 white steel, and is easy to maintain. I also carry this when I go out fly fishing or camping on my neck as was intended.

Attached the original product photo I still happen to have. It has a lot more patina now on the white steel core of the laminated blade.

 

[Fraser]

Now axes they get really interesting🙂
14fbpicNorlund2 by f4saregreat!, on Flickr

 

[ruby.monkey]

Its not quite that simple, anything over 3inches and a locking then you need a reason to carry it, but the complication is everyones reasons are different!

An example is I can carry a sgian-dubh while wearing a kilt as it part of national dress.
Knives a bit like cameras can get very expensive especially with 'GAS', another forum I'm a member of is britishblades have a look.

Anything over 3" OR locking blade will require a good reason to carry. A small but important detail.

From the gov.uk site:

It is illegal to carry a knife in public without good reason - unless it’s a knife with a folding blade 3 inches long (7.62cm) or less.

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Lock knives are not classed as folding knives and are illegal to carry in public without good reason.

 

[Prest_400]

Years ago I found a pristine Opinel 8 half buried in a field road. Was cycling and the blade shone, rescued it.

Despite having mushrooming culture in the family (Pyrenées), we never use them to cut while picking. I have grown in the coast and don't think about using pocket knives much.

Did have a picnic and the knife was really useful. Fantastic cutting cheese and bread, as well as opening nuts.

In Spain the limit is 11cm per blade and I think no restrictions over folding and locking; what is prohibited are the spring blades that click open.

But I do enjoy wielding large knives in the kitchen. Found that cutting and chopping vegetables was entretaining once I got the basics down. Since then I cringe at anyone using tiny knives to do the cutting.

 

[charjohncarter]

Dear John,

Frances had a similar two-blade knife from the same maker, which had belonged to her father. Last time she saw her brother, she gave it to him. THAT'S generous.

Cheers,

R.

Very generous!!

 

[coelacanth]

I think I was the last generation of kids carrying "Higo" folding craft knives to elementary school back in Japan, before "what if they cut themselves or stab others" mindset took over and banned from schools. I remember I had to sharpen my pencils with Higo knife myself when I was 6 or 7.

I carry Chris Reeve small annual (2001) Sebenza left-hand version for the land. Spyderco Pacific Salt (H1 blade that really doesn't rust!) when I'm diving. I have a few others that I rotate, but I've been a fan of Spyderco and CRK for quite some time now. For motorcycle ride, glove compartment and camping, I'll have a multitool, usually the Victorinox SwissTool.

 

[lxmike]

L carry a swiss army fnife with the single thumb opening blade, (carried when fishing), a small bone handle pocket knife.

 

[drew.saunders]

I have a (now retired model) Leatherman S4 "Squirt" on my keychain. It has a tiny blade that's just right for opening packages and, much more useful, scissors, along with a couple screwdrivers, nail cleaner, and a tiny pair of tweezers that I have yet to lose! The scissors are the best part of this little tool, much more useful to me than pliers.

I suppose I could use the ~1.25"/3cm blade for self defense, but I think my keys would be more effective. I've had US army knives, various swiss army knives, and I have an Opinel as well. I don't carry the Leatherman on flights, thanks to the theater of security.

It looks like the "Micra" is the current Leatherman that's replaced my Squirt in functionality.

 

[richard_l]

I have a collection of 50 or so pocket knives, mostly Victorinox, Case, Queen, and Buck. I always carry at least a Swiss army knife, but certainly not for defense.

 

[blumoon]

These days I have either the Case Tiny Trapper or the small buck knife in my pocket.

[/url]DSC08170 [/IMG]
When I need a bit more knife I carry this:

[/url]swiss army giant [/IMG]

 

[nikonhswebmaster]

I carry at least one blade every day. These days I'm carrying a benchmade griptilian. Depending on the amount of pockets I have I might also have a leatherman micra as well.

I used to, but most are illegal where I live. Any knife that can be "gravity opened" is "possibly" illegal, even if one must hold the blade to open it. At 3.45 inches the Griplilain is not too long, but probably can be opened with one hand. Gravity knives account for more than two-thirds of arrests, about 10,000 a year.

I used to carry the classic Buck 110 Folding Hunter, but at 4 7/8" it is just asking for trouble. My 102 Buck Woodsman one would think, no -- but hunting knives are legal -- even open carry.

Crazy eh?

 

[MV72]

First one was a French copy of a Victorinox with metal sides. I still have it. Then came a German fixed blade hunting knife.
Quite many knives at home I'm afraid, folding, locking, hunting, Swiss , German, French, Swedish, Norwegian, American...
All types and sizes of Opinel and another similar type, the Nontron, with engraved boxtree handles of various shapes, and a swivelling lock.
Plus I inherited my father's and uncle's.
I carry one at weekends and during holidays. I used to have a Laguiole handy in class to cut paper sheets if needed. But that was quite some time ago...
There's a Leatherman in my car glove box at all times as well.
I've even carried my Kershaw 1050 in England undetected several times. Well you don't get checked by the law when you hike in the North York Moors..
I remember having to haggle hard with a police officer to get the Opinel of one of my students after he was caught rolling a joint in St James Park.
Quite a lot of the lads must have carried some sort of blade in the group back in the 80's. I did let them know about British law before the trip but didn't check the gear they packed.
But I eventually retrieved it. The perk was a good cup of tea in the cop shop and a friendly chat while the boy was locked up in a cell with a partner and worrying about his near future...

 

[MikeMGB]

I think I was 8 when my Grandfather gave me my first pocket knife, a bone handled antique folder with a 1.5" blade. Back then nobody batted an eye when a young kid pulled out his pocket knife to cut something.

I've had various knives since then and currently carry a 2" Case with locking blade, I use it all the time at work for opening packages.

 

[sevo]

I suppose I am relatively knife-conscious, generally owning the appropriate knife for every task I engage in. But I rarely kill, mutilate or dismember while I frequently eat. Hence, the one knife usually in my pocket is a pocket picknick knife. When photographing, I also carry a Leatherman, when cycling, a cyclists multitool. Outdoors, I usually carry another pocket knife or two to cater for the kids (which usually forget or misplace theirs).

 

[madNbad]

When I was still working, I had an Emerson CQC-7 Tanto blade clipped in the neckline of my ballistic vest as a "just in case". Learned how to open it using a flick of the wrist.

 

[rybolt]

I'm from East Kentucky where they issue pocket knives to each baby boy when freshly born. We grew up whittling and trading knives. The only times I've never had one in my pocket was when on an airplane.
About 12 years ago a dear friend made me a gift of a Benchmade #330S Gentleman's Knife. I carried it every day until last spring when I was in Ireland and needed to fish a hair out of the inside of my wife's camera. After I got it out I laid the knife down to put the camera back together and forgot it. I was really down about this as my friend had passed not long after he gave me the knife. It was, of curse, long discontinued and nearly impossible to find. After several months of searching I was able to buy one and now it's back in my pocket.

 

[BLKRCAT]

I used to, but most are illegal where I live. Any knife that can be "gravity opened" is "possibly" illegal, even if one must hold the blade to open it. At 3.45 inches the Griplilain is not too long, but probably can be opened with one hand. Gravity knives account for more than two-thirds of arrests, about 10,000 a year.

I used to carry the classic Buck 110 Folding Hunter, but at 4 7/8" it is just asking for trouble. My 102 Buck Woodsman one would think, no -- but hunting knives are legal -- even open carry.

Crazy eh?

I do think that the griptillian is one of those grey area knives, at least in Canada. I still wanted one though and managed to get one with no problems.

I seem to favour the middle finger flick which is perfectly legal and very fast to deploy. But when playing with it I'll gravity open either by doing a spider drop, or releasing the lock and flicking the knife open with a wrist.

As mentioned though any of my flipper knives, like my CRKT M16-10KZ can look and deploy just as fast as any switchblades or any absolutely illegal knives in canada, yet remain perfectly legal with no grey area at all.