Why do you carry a pocket knife?

[jkingrph]

The chance that I forget to take my cell-phone with me is way bigger than to forget my pocket knife. I use it dozens and dozens of times a day and really hate it if I left it at home.

I have forgotten mine and had the wife bring it to work for me. I started carrying a spare in a brief case.

 

[kirk 988]

Because a very small minority here have committed knife crimes, and now the rest of us are banned from carrying even the smallest Swiss army knife on our key chain. Self defence is not the issue. We can't even carry knives which are meant to be a tool, like Kirk said.

I don't feel like I need a knife for defence. I have two hands, and a fair bit of training, which should be more than adequate here in Australia, since our baddies don't usually have firearms. I just want a small blade for opening packages, cutting string, and other useful chores. Because of a handful of morons I am now not allowed to have even that.

there is not much a bloke can do after having a large Aussie fist to his head i do agree though like i said they are a tool not a weapon it sucks that we cant carry one it still doesnt stop me though. are we aloud to have a razor in a bag ?i always have afew in my bag weather im helping family with pin tightning or helping them get the looking fine again

 

[imfallen_angel]

What's the name of this cool device?

It's simply a multi-tool with flashlight.

Plenty of similar ones on the bay.

Here's one that looks like the right one.

Or here



But I'd advise to make sure that you get one that you can detach the flashlight as if you need to work on something with the tool, you can separate the flashlight and hold it in the other hand.

I just took a quick picture of the two types I have.

The red one is very nice for the colour, but make from cheaper metal and the flashlight is NOT detachable. I picked it up from a cheap store for a few dollars to have a spare (but found more of the better ones and horded a stash).

 

[AndreasDK]

What kind of knife? I'm 66 years old and my dad gave me my first when I was 8, so have been carrying one for 56 years now. I currently have one of the Benchmade axis locking blade knives, but before it generally used a small Case stockman type where you just opened the blade and a spring in the back held the blade open , to close just push the blade, no real locking there and I never found them wobbly.

My new Leatherman Style CS seems to have a pivot with some strange screw (probably a company made one).
The blade is not held by a spring or any other locking mechanism as this would be illegal here.

It is just a few cm long, so no big deal but it would be nice to be able to keep it sharp nevertheless.

 

[madcap3693]

I always carry a Victorinox classic on my keychain. The scissors are great for trimming a nail, the tweezers and toothpick are incredibly handy. The knife is critical for opening envelopes and packages, cutting string and cutting food. I would never want to be caught without it especially in a survival situation. I'm a fprmer Eagle Scout and still try to be prepared. You will never know how useful one is until you try carrying one around for a while.

 

[kbuzbee]

Because a very small minority here have committed knife crimes, and now the rest of us are banned from carrying even the smallest Swiss army knife on our key chain.

I'm sorry, but I hold your legislators responsible for this, not this "minority". You can use ANYTHING to commit a violent crime. A hammer or baseball bat is more deadly in the average person's hand than a pocket knife. Are these also illegal? If you were to kill someone with a bat, is that legal in Australia because you didn't use a knife?

In my mind, you punish the person committing the violence. You don't penalize the general population who just want an effective tool. The offense should be the commission of the violence, not the possession of the item, be it gun, knife or cast iron skillet

Anyway, I'm in the camp of those who always have a knife with me. I carry a knife every waking moment. I've never once thought of myself as being "armed", just ready to cut whatever needs cutting. I don't even think about them until I need them. And when I do, they are always there.

When I'm "out and about" it tends to be a Spyderco Gale Bradley. Carbon fiber scales. CPM M4 steel. A thing of beauty and a great knife.

As you can see, it's developed a lovely patina.

On days I'm just hanging around the house, I generally have a Spyderco Phoenix clipped in my sweats or shorts:

I had it FFG'd by Tom Krein. He does great work.

I replaced the clips on both with wire clips, which I vastly prefer to the full metal stock clips.

Some days, I use them alot, for everything from opening packages to gardening chores. Other days, they only get used occasionally. Regardless, they are always handy when I need them.

Could I use scissors, pruning shears or a sharp piece of obsidian to do the same tasks? Sure, but I choose the tool that works best for me day in day out.

Cheers,

Ken

 

[Nicktheswede]

I personally carry one just because its a useful tool. I would never think to use it in self defense like most people who I ever talk about it with. I always find I need it to open a package or letter or cut something. Again just very useful to have.

 

[elderberry99]

I carry my Kershaw in case my Dan Wesson runs out of ammo!

 

[jd_1138]

Nice gun. Is it a 9mm? I hear some people say that you need a .357 Magnum to really put someone down. I think a 9mm will suffice, in a life or death situation. Plus there's less recoil with a 9mm. At the local gun shop, the guy who owns it is sort of a Soup Nazi type of fella. He rubs some people the wrong way but he only carries the best in his inventory -- Smith and Wesson, Dan Wesson, Glock, Colt, etc.. He refuses to carry Saturday Night Specials in his inventory. He won't even sell anyone a Taurus.

 

[elderberry99]

My Dan Wesson is a .45.
I also carry a .38+P S&W 442 during the summer with light shirt and shorts.

 

[vegasvics]

I carry this little guy. It's not a heavy duty knife, but it comes in handy more than a few times a day. Like the other day. I was in a high-end watch store to have a new strap put on my Breitling watch. The salesperson (typically aloof as you find in these establishments) was having a hard time removing the protective film on the new band. Out comes my knife. "Here you go. Try this". He takes the knife, delivers an appreciative nod, and suddenly the quality of service instantly goes up. Now, that doesn't happen if I hand him a switchblade or a box cutter, but in this case it worked out perfectly

 

[elderberry99]

When you show a case, you can't help but to have the quality go up. I have a very small case that I found a few years ago. I keep it in the truck glove box. Every time I use it I think of the poor guy who lost it. I would have been sick to my stomach if I lost it. It is probably only worth about $30 or so, but the memory of when he got it and the uses he had from it. I really feel for him. If it is any consolation to the guy or woman, I have given it a very good, appreciative home!

 

[grndslm]

I carry a Gerber Artifact and a Leatherman Freestyle CX every day!! I recently purchased a Leatherman Crunch, which is the smallest folding pair of locking pliers (aka: vise grips) that can still clamp onto 1" bolts/nuts, but I don't wear a belt enough to carry the tool in its sheath. When I do wear a belt, I carry it tho. And I'll try to carry it more when riding my motorized bicycle. I got the Crunch pretty much just for all my mechanic work.

I also have a Boker Hyper that I absolutely adore, just for how solid it is and feels in the hand (feels like sex with my hand ).... and a CRKT M16-13SFG, which I carry into the woods if I think I'm going to need to shred open some flesh.

 

[rupertbear]

I carry a pocket knife because I need one regularly. My ancestors didn't have much for teeth and nails, so they invented tools. I thank them by using tools.

 

[hig789]

Because I would look funny walking around with my Katana on my back.

But seriously I just bought a small Wenger Swiss army knife and it is a very nice little knife.

 

[srothman]

...because I can't take my gun everywhere

I have a Spyderco Tenacious in my right pocket that i use for cutting all kinds of boxes, twine, etc. and a CRKT M16 Kit Carson Tanto in my left.

I've never been one for the more traditional "pocket knives". Had a buck growing up, and a little red Swiss Army folder, but that's about it. I have a truckload of knives now, but those two do a good job for EDC.

 

[OldSchoolYoungin]

...because I can't take my gun everywhere

I have a Spyderco Tenacious in my right pocket that i use for cutting all kinds of boxes, twine, etc. and a CRKT M16 Kit Carson Tanto in my left.

I've never been one for the more traditional "pocket knives". Had a buck growing up, and a little red Swiss Army folder, but that's about it. I have a truckload of knives now, but those two do a good job for EDC.

The Tenacious is an outstanding value for $30. It's a really common carry for me in case some dont-care-if-it-gets-damaged-or-not situation arises.

Not to hijack, but just picked up a Buck Vantage Pro S30V and nice G-10 scales for $50? Are you kiddin' me?

 

[Rustonrazor]

I have carried a knife since I was 13-14 years old. Every day except my wedding day. You ever notice that whenever someone needs a knife there is only 1 guy that has one. I use one at work to open boxes and packages because I handle inventory most of the time. I keep one at home because I mess around in the yard a lot and need it from time to time. Even for peeling or cutting fruit, after cleaning it of course, it comes in handy. Once, before 9/11, I was able to talk my way onto an airplane with my Gerber Gator 4" serrated blade. I still had orange peel on the blade from my breakfast and that was all it took to convince them I wasn't a terrorist. I now carry an Old Timer that was given to me by my grandfather before he died. Not an expensive knife, but it is special, easy to carry, and easy to keep very sharp.

 

[DE_Dude]

Ok guys, I caved in and ordered a knife last week...the SPYDERCO AMBITIOUS!

http://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-Ambitious-Black-PlainEdge-Knife/dp/B004MMSDHO

This is day 1 of carrying a knife (well, since a Swiss Army knife when I was around 10 years old) and I love it. I've had enough times this week at work when I needed to open something and had to tear things apart like an animal. Now I have a handy tool to keep things more civilized.

 

[packersfan117]

I carry either a Kershaw Leek, Schleiper Whittler or a Kershaw Junkyard Dog every day. There's always something that needs opened or trimmed. It came in handy a few weeks back for trimming parachute cord to tie a gentleman's hood down, he'd run into a deer and the hood was just flapping about.