That's a sweet looking knife.
Why do you carry a pocket knife?
- Thread starter DE_Dude
- Start date
johant1968,
I know you apologized in a latter post, but you might need to read the following article from a UK newspaper, it shows that Europe is not as safe (in spite of its draconian laws) as the citizens believe. I've carried a pocket knife since I was 8 years old and have never used it against another human being, but would if need requires. The same holds true for the firearms I own. Maybe the knowledge that I'm armed gives off a "don't bother him" aura to the bad guys, or its the fact I'm 6'5" and 240 lbs.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...73/UK-is-violent-crime-capital-of-Europe.html
It's not my intention to start a fight either
I think that, if the general public carries weapons, more people are also ready to use them. I'm not saying they will use them as the aggressor, but I think conflicts escalate quicker in an environment with many weapons. That is why I think the spread of weapons in society should be limited. On the other hand, like I said, when you know that you have a higher chance to meet someone with a weapon (gun or otherwise) outside, you probably want to protect yourself as well.
I do know that European states banned weapons not for protecting their citizens against each other, but for protecting the rulers against the people, especially when they feared that the 1917 revolution would spread across Europe. I also don't know if their is hard evidence for a relation between weapon ownership and violent crimes. However, Switzerland has relatively lax gun laws, and the homicide rate (figures of 2004 - 2006) in Switzerland (0.6 per 100.000 inhabitants) is higher than in e.g. Germany (0.2 per 100.000) and the Netherlands (0.3 per 100.000). Are the Swiss so much more violent than the Germans or Dutch? I don't think so, but they have far more easy access to a gun.
Of course there is a huge difference between a gun and a knife. If only because most knifes are tools. But given the reasoning above, I think that knifes which are purely designed as weapons should be discouraged as well. For the other knifes, I think teaching kids to treat them in a responsible way is most important.
Of course this is all personal, and there is a lot of emotion involved (e.g. the right to defend oneself against an oppressive government, which the rulers have taken away from most European citizens, but which the Americans have retained throughout history). My personal belief is that adding weapons to a society makes it more unsafe. But I can understand when you think otherwise.
johant1968,It's not my intention to start a fight either
I think that, if the general public carries weapons, more people are also ready to use them. I'm not saying they will use them as the aggressor, but I think conflicts escalate quicker in an environment with many weapons. That is why I think the spread of weapons in society should be limited. On the other hand, like I said, when you know that you have a higher chance to meet someone with a weapon (gun or otherwise) outside, you probably want to protect yourself as well.
I do know that European states banned weapons not for protecting their citizens against each other, but for protecting the rulers against the people, especially when they feared that the 1917 revolution would spread across Europe. I also don't know if their is hard evidence for a relation between weapon ownership and violent crimes. However, Switzerland has relatively lax gun laws, and the homicide rate (figures of 2004 - 2006) in Switzerland (0.6 per 100.000 inhabitants) is higher than in e.g. Germany (0.2 per 100.000) and the Netherlands (0.3 per 100.000). Are the Swiss so much more violent than the Germans or Dutch? I don't think so, but they have far more easy access to a gun.
Of course there is a huge difference between a gun and a knife. If only because most knifes are tools. But given the reasoning above, I think that knifes which are purely designed as weapons should be discouraged as well. For the other knifes, I think teaching kids to treat them in a responsible way is most important.
Of course this is all personal, and there is a lot of emotion involved (e.g. the right to defend oneself against an oppressive government, which the rulers have taken away from most European citizens, but which the Americans have retained throughout history). My personal belief is that adding weapons to a society makes it more unsafe. But I can understand when you think otherwise.
You are expressing one of the sides of the classic gun/weapon control argument. The other side believes that "An armed society is a civil society". The argument goes that one will exercise self-control knowing that others surrounding you can respond in kind. This has been proven out in the USA wherever concealed weapon permits have expanded, violent crime has fallen.
Why-do-you-carry-a-pocket-knife?
most commonly to punch air holes in my coffee lid.
most commonly to punch air holes in my coffee lid.
Lots of reasons already in this thread, and it is useful almost every day. I travel most weeks and attend a lot of conventions. I open a lot of boxes and cut a lot of sealing tape. Oh, I check my bag.
I've cut loose threads on shirt or jacket and carved up a whole bunch of helpless apples. The other day I taught a young friend how to use a yoyo and we had to cut the string to his height.
I studied knife fighting and my teacher gave me A Cold Steel Clip Point 4" Voyager...strong, light, handy. No specific reAson for you to carry a knife, but mine comes in awfully handy.
I've cut loose threads on shirt or jacket and carved up a whole bunch of helpless apples. The other day I taught a young friend how to use a yoyo and we had to cut the string to his height.
I studied knife fighting and my teacher gave me A Cold Steel Clip Point 4" Voyager...strong, light, handy. No specific reAson for you to carry a knife, but mine comes in awfully handy.
BINGO!
Everything I read states Switzerland has the lowest or low violent-crime rate
To answer the OP I also like to carry a knife that is functional art like this one
Attachments
Nice and simple. I like it. Makes me wanna grab one of my smaller knives and give it a chance for a few days.Why-do-you-carry-a-pocket-knife?
most commonly to punch air holes in my coffee lid.
That indeed! Everything is in sealed boxes, or in plastic blister packings nowadays.
I think there is a direct relationship between the sale of sealing tape and of pocket knifes
Ah yes, the personal belief, aka opinion, defense for disarming the simple citizens rationale.
Your post is a politically correct barrage wrapped in emotion and personal beliefs based on emotion. This isnt meant as an attack, but a blunt statement. It is a holier than thou attitude that looks condescendingly on the less civilized people among us that believe tool ownership and usage is normal.
No world is without weapons. Mankind has progressed from using rocks, drowning, burning and strangulation to using whatever is the current favorite technology, along with favorite hands on killing methods. The animal kingdom remains an animal kingdom because for the most part they havent progressed to using tools for maiming and killing. In spite of appearances and personal beliefs, man is still an animal.
Legislation on specific weapons or better phrased tools banning them, at most causes those with criminal intentions to use another tool. At the worst, as so many locations around the world have demonstrated, the lawless get the cheapest most efficient methods of killing available via outside channels. The AK47 & AK74 and a number of sheet metal stamped weapons can be constructed in a garage workshop; they may not be pretty or even accurate, but they work. Steel is common almost everywhere, all it takes to make a knife or a sword is a file and a heat source to control temper. Boomerangs, bolos and archery materials can be made from any forest. Ahh, but the criminals either steal or obtain their choices elsewhere.
Legislation does effectively remove tools from the hands of the law abiding not to forget the additional burdens of additional red tape and monetarily supporting the legislative bans; more enforcement, more administration, greater costs and adding the ever present harangue by enforcement and administrative services for more help.
No country on earth is free, absolutely free from violence. There is no period of mans history, whether records based or reconstructed, where mankind has been free from violence.
Earth today certainly does not provide any reassurance for a violent free future, anywhere or anytime.
Then there is this absurd attitude by all too many that weapons availability causes crime or violence. In all of my years keeping and using knives, I never had one that caused me to attack anyone or encourage aggression. In fact, I challenge you to conclusively prove a tool of any sort causes violence all by itself.
Whether it is archery, shooting sports, wood carving, wood working, knife throwing or darts, the items involved are tools. There are no differences except physical design. Skill and understanding are required for their safe use. There are less injuries in the above activities than in football or soccer; in some cases, there are less injuries than watching some sports.
You also imply that we are used to and live with violence in America; nothing could be further from the truth. Yeah, if you believe the movies and television; but in America violence is concentrated in certain urban environments. A large part of the violence is gang or drug related and close to where the gangs operate. Most of the rest of America is quite crime/violence free and people do not fear for their lives or walking around.
In the fifty years of carrying a knife, Ive never pulled it out with aggressive intent or action. However I did grow up in a gang environment and I can still pull my knife out of my pocket and open it with one hand in one motion. Contrary to your assumption about automatic knives, ownership of spring loaded knives in America will get you jailed. Youd find it impossible though to find a decrease in violence when the spring loaded knives were banned.
An aggressive or criminally inclined person is aggressive or criminal in spite of tools or weapon bans.
Only if or when mankind itself grows beyond aggression or domination desires will violence between people decline.
My favorite knife for everyday carry is still a gerber silver knight locking blade. As I mentioned in an earlier post, because I keep knives sharp I used to use it to cut off large plots off of our plotter. My knife left a tear free edge where the supplied disposable razor left fibers and tears. Many people cringed when I would hold the plot with one hand so it wouldnt wrinkle when cut off, pulled my knife and opened it one handed and used it. I might come and cut off a plot for a pretty lady, just for the diversion, but I usually insisted that people borrow my knife, use it and return it. If you were too afraid of my knife to do that or learn to do that I couldnt be bothered then. Its kind of amazing how many cringers learned to use their own knife, especially when I was on travel and the bosses groused about less than perfect edges.
Fear is fear and only gets worse if not controlled. Your statement, I think teaching kids to treat them in a responsible way is most important , is absolutely valid! That goes for all tools.
TedK..........
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
TedK, thanks for the elaborate reply!
I think there is such a wide gap between our opinions, that it's best to return to the original topic; pocket knifes.
It does not mean that I want to make your point of view irrelevant in any way! I respect your opinion, and I just don't want this thing to escalate.
I think there is such a wide gap between our opinions, that it's best to return to the original topic; pocket knifes.
It does not mean that I want to make your point of view irrelevant in any way! I respect your opinion, and I just don't want this thing to escalate.
so back to our regularly scheduled program of pocket knives! For work I over see operations for a company which requires me in pretty much every department including warehouse, technical support, and production. I use my knife from cutting wires, opening boxes, cutting leather and fabric materials, cutting/opening those pesky pallet strappings, and a hundred other different things. Even outside of work, it always seems to come in handy around the house. I probably use my it on an average of at least 10 times a day.
My daily carry knife is an SOG TF-5 Trident in desert camo (its the easiest one handed opening knife that I have), and also a kershaw 1655 in my messenger bag.
My daily carry knife is an SOG TF-5 Trident in desert camo (its the easiest one handed opening knife that I have), and also a kershaw 1655 in my messenger bag.
I really like your SOG. How's the lock on it? Reliable?
This is my daily carry knife:
It's wicked sharp. I love the grind. And it's a fixed blade. I bet it'll last me a life-time.
When people ask why I carry a knife and a lighter I tell them this: The two things that allowed man to become civilized are tools and fire.
My knives come in handy a lot. Maybe not everyday, but I often find myself needing a sharp blade many times per week. I'm always cutting stuff from boxes to limes for my G&T's to loose threads on my clothes. I use my lighter a lot less often (i don't smoke), but I do use it for nylon fibers, for lighting a cig for a friend, to light the Bunsen-burner in the lab, etc. I've never had to use a knife to defend myself, and I really hate when people think a pocket knife is only good for violent acts....we've got concealed carry permits for a reason. I'm not going to bring a knife to a gun-fight!
It's wicked sharp. I love the grind. And it's a fixed blade. I bet it'll last me a life-time.
When people ask why I carry a knife and a lighter I tell them this: The two things that allowed man to become civilized are tools and fire.
My knives come in handy a lot. Maybe not everyday, but I often find myself needing a sharp blade many times per week. I'm always cutting stuff from boxes to limes for my G&T's to loose threads on my clothes. I use my lighter a lot less often (i don't smoke), but I do use it for nylon fibers, for lighting a cig for a friend, to light the Bunsen-burner in the lab, etc. I've never had to use a knife to defend myself, and I really hate when people think a pocket knife is only good for violent acts....we've got concealed carry permits for a reason. I'm not going to bring a knife to a gun-fight!
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@thunder54--I've worked at UPS also so yup I do indeed understand. I've carried many different pocket knives over the years and I collect them and have made a few. I've used them in peace and war, at the restaurant that has foldable tableware, to slice fruit, cut emergency bandage, slice salami, bread, cheese and fruit from the local market. I taught my son to use them safely. As has been said previously, once you have an EDC(every day carry) you won't leave home without it.
Why-do-you-carry-a-pocket-knife?
most commonly to punch air holes in my coffee lid.
Can you elaborate on the make and model?
because there is absolutely no way i would have been able to dig out and cut out all the tangled, mangled, twisted fishing line out of my reel without my trusty pocket knife today.
got it out, got it restrung, ready to go!
got it out, got it restrung, ready to go!
that is pure awesomeness!!!
My rotation has plenty of choice..
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