Why do you carry a knife?

[Bloke]

I carry a knife because I always have I s’pose to cut stuff.

I was a rigger for for over twenty years and always had stuff that needed cutting. Now I work in an office and I look for stuff to cut but old habits die hard.

Carrying a knife is illegal here so I do it to buck the system and feel like an outlaw living on the edge. Ah, hahaha! :)

[Brown_Recluse]

Mainly, I carry a knife because I need to cut various things throughout my day but I also enjoy having a precision tool/piece of art/fidget toy on me at all times. I even clip a blade in my pocket when I use the bathroom! :D Assuming I'm wearing pants lol.

[Wanimator]

Pretty much all those reasons, I always find a use for it.

[hambone56rx]

This weekend we were shooting sporting clays. At the second stand the lead just falls out of the end of the pencil. The two other guys looked up at me, I took out my maroon S90V forum native, a few strokes off the end and we have a roughly but effectively sharpened pencil once again. We were back in action with no more ceremony to it.

We may put a lot of thought into a hobby that most people don’t understand, but the irony is that when stuff needs to be cut: 1. everyone instantly recognizes the need for a knife and, 2. everyone looks to their knife knut friend to have it.

THIS IS SO TRUE!

[ZrowsN1s]

All of them probably apply. They are pretty, I do enjoy flicking them, I carry for self defense (though I don't really feel tough or bad ***, just prepared), I like showing them to my friends and I need to cut something pretty much every day.

I picked 'other' because even though ' I might need one' is a main reason, I carry one because it's a connection to the distant past. Same reason I carry a lighter even though I don't smoke. The edge and the flame were two of mankinds earliest tools. I like to pay homage to the past by carrying them.

[Tucson Tom]

Ya know - I carried a knife and tried using it as a hammer and a baseball bat - even a screwdriver and a crowbar, but when I finally realized that what a knife is for is to cut things, everything went much smoother. So these days I carry a knife so I can cut things as need arises.

Now as to why I -buy- a knife and why I carry one can be entirely different questions, but I'll stick with the one asked.

[Crux]

To cut whatever.

[JD Spydo]

I cast my vote for the last 3 selections. No I don't consider myself bad assed, nor do I look for trouble >> but I would rather have it and not need it rather than to need it and not have it. Before I moved out here to the suburbs I was living in a somewhat bad part of Kansas City, MO where I was constantly experiencing trouble of all sorts. Thankfully I never had to deploy one of my Spyders but it always felt somewhat re-assuring to know that I wasn't completely defenseless. Seriously I hope I never have to use one of my Spyders for Self Defense but as crazy as it is getting I'm seriously contemplating getting my conceal and carry renewed at some point.

I'm 64 now and I hate to say I can't duke it like I used to be able to but I'm still in good enough shape to where I feel like I could implement a good offense if the occasion would happen to arise. I did have an event about 8 years ago where I did have to use a knife for Self Defense. I was held up at gun point late one night while in my truck and I had a Cold STeel Gurkha Kukri and I got so mad I even got the guy with the gun to back off quickly. I was lucky because there were two of them ( illegal aliens) and I also had my best friend close by who also quickly came to my aid. I firmly believe that my actions may have indeed saved my life or kept me from being severely hurt and injured. I even made a thread of it on the OFF TOPIC part of the forum shortly after it happened.

Aside from that I actually use both my EDC folders a great deal during the course of my day. I've still been working jobs and doing a lot of volunteer work for a great friend of mine who is a pastor. And everyone there is constantly borrowing one of my EDCs :rolleyes: But there isn't a day that goes by that I don't either use my M390 Military or my ATS-55 Stainless RESCUE ( my two current EDCs).

[Evil D]

I got to thinking about this some more, and I have to be honest, there definitely is some fidget toy/pocket jewelry/security blanket aspect for me as well. It is definitely first and foremost a tool to cut things with, but realistically there are plenty of "quality tools" that can cut things that don't cost me $200, so there has to be more to it than just wanting a reliable quality tool. For example, Spyderco also make the value line of knives that can simply "get the job done" just as well as any $200 version, up until you start arguing about things like edge retention. It could also simply be argued that there are ~$75 Salt knives so why do I need a ~$200 Autonomy? If I'm honest with myself, I have to admit there is a lot more to it than just wanting a good tool. That is afterall what a hobby is about. You'll find this sort of thing in a lot of areas where seemingly simple "tools" are loved for much more than their base value and use. I've known a few guys who really lose it over antique wood planes when they could just as easily go out and buy a new one.

[shunsui]

Because I can.

[kodai78]

To cut stuff is # 1. I like the different designs, steels, locks, blade shapes, materials. Even when I travel by air I have one in my checked luggage. Some knives are works of art. Knives are a last ditch self defense choice but utility is really #1 for me. I do own many knives some fairly expensive but they are all cutting tools to me no matter the price, or rarity.

[JD Spydo]

I got to thinking about this some more, and I have to be honest, there definitely is some fidget toy/pocket jewelry/security blanket aspect for me as well. It is definitely first and foremost a tool to cut things with, but realistically there are plenty of "quality tools" that can cut things that don't cost me $200, so there has to be more to it than just wanting a reliable quality tool. For example, Spyderco also make the value line of knives that can simply "get the job done" just as well as any $200 version, up until you start arguing about things like edge retention. It could also simply be argued that there are ~$75 Salt knives so why do I need a ~$200 Autonomy? If I'm honest with myself, I have to admit there is a lot more to it than just wanting a good tool. That is afterall what a hobby is about. You'll find this sort of thing in a lot of areas where seemingly simple "tools" are loved for much more than their base value and use. I've known a few guys who really lose it over antique wood planes when they could just as easily go out and buy a new one.

That is an excellent observation and a really in depth commentary EVIL D and one I can really identify with because at times I kind of feel like I'm "Linus With His Security Blanket" myself. Even when I was still a kid ( two lady friends of mine say I still am :rolleyes: :D ) I actually started carrying pocketknives when I was just 8 or 9 years old. I had two uncles who used to give me stuff like that all the time and my dad didn't seem to care at all. The only reason he would get mad at me is if I wasn't taking care of my knives, tools and fishing/hunting equipment. My uncles taught me how to lubricate and sharpen folders with really old fashioned whetstones way back in the 60s and even they told me that they would take the knives away from me if I didn't take care of them. It truly was a much different time when I was growing up.

And I've never really ever deviated from that mindset either. I can remember when my older brother came back on his first R & R visit from the Marine Corp>> he brought me a CASE fixed blade and a KUTMASTER folder and I still have the folder. But I can't remember a time where I didn't have some type of tools on me at all times. When I was in high school we were allowed to carry pocket knives but we knew if we got in any trouble with them we were really going to get it bad. And we never had any incidents of anyone doing anything bad with a pocketknife.

The reason I gravitate toward extravagantly priced, super high end folders & fixed blades is because I just really love and deeply appreciate anything that is high quality. My two uncles always turned me on to super high quality stuff at a very young age. My uncle Harry even got me a German made "D.A.M. Quick" fishing rod & reel when I was only 11 and needless to say I've been a big fan of "D.A.M. Quick" reels and fishing equipment since I was a kid and the German made Quicks are still my favorite reel to this very day. They always showed me the importance of quality and how it was a much better deal it is in the long run.

But now in this present time I've gathered a new mindset that also keeps you prepared with tools>> with all of this new prepper/survivalist movement and people learning to be prepared I've just decided that I would rather be guilty of "overkill" rather than not being adequately prepared. And with this society going downhill at an exponential rate I got a feeling we will all be glad one day that we did equip ourselves and got equiped while you can still get them.

[Halfneck]

"Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it."

Ever since I earned my Whittling Chip in Cub Scouts I've carried a pocket knife. If I don't have one on me I feel like something is missing. Most times nowadays it sees minimal use, but I still have one on me just in case. Last weekend at my son's cross country meet 4 of the kids, including my son, had affixed the time tags incorrectly with zip ties. When I used my knife to cut the zip tie for my son, the other kids came up and asked if I could cut theirs. Moments like that justify all the time it goes unused.

Besides I grew up reading stuff by Tolkien, Moorcock, Lieber, and Howard. None of those heroes ever said "You know, I don't think I need a knife today." :)

[embry386]

I got to thinking about this some more, and I have to be honest, there definitely is some fidget toy/pocket jewelry/security blanket aspect for me as well. It is definitely first and foremost a tool to cut things with, but realistically there are plenty of "quality tools" that can cut things that don't cost me $200, so there has to be more to it than just wanting a reliable quality tool. For example, Spyderco also make the value line of knives that can simply "get the job done" just as well as any $200 version, up until you start arguing about things like edge retention. It could also simply be argued that there are ~$75 Salt knives so why do I need a ~$200 Autonomy? If I'm honest with myself, I have to admit there is a lot more to it than just wanting a good tool. That is afterall what a hobby is about. You'll find this sort of thing in a lot of areas where seemingly simple "tools" are loved for much more than their base value and use. I've known a few guys who really lose it over antique wood planes when they could just as easily go out and buy a new one.

I like how you expressed this, very eloquent -- my thinking was running along similar lines when I started this poll. I mean, a knife is primarily a cutting tool of course, but there's a lot more to it than that for a lot of us knife aficionados :D And it's always cool to hear about the many ways other people are enjoying their knives.

Besides I grew up reading stuff by Tolkien, Moorcock, Lieber, and Howard. None of those heroes ever said "You know, I don't think I need a knife today." :)

Hah yes, the Lord of the Rings books and movies are definitely a large part of the reason I carry knives today. :)

[Big50]

Wow, I’m right in line with everyone. In no particular order:

1. To cut stuff. I have a few heavy users, primary among them are my PM2 and PacSalt. A sturdy, well built knife that screams for more when put to real work is a true pleasure to use.

2. Preparedness. Yes, I guess it's preparedness TO CUT STUFF, but the sentiment transcends the meere utility of cutting.

3. Culture. A man should have a knife...for PREPAREDNESS...TO CUT STUFF.

4. Prettyness? Well, if that entails a sense of personal satisfaction from having nice things, then yes. Most of my knives (numerically speaking) are light-moderate users—they get used daily...TO CUT STUFF... but for tasks like cutting a burrito, taking down the occasional box; light utility but not hard work. I enjoy the engineering, materials, and refinement of nice knives in light tasks. Having some functional pocket jewlery is just plain satisfying.

[RadioactiveSpyder]

Because my teeth aren’t that sharp

[SpyderNut]

I carry a knife primarily because (1) I enjoy knives and (2) I enjoy thinking about creating new knife designs. Carrying a knife every day helps me determine what I like/dislike and it also gives me inspiration for new designs.

On certain occasions, I also carry a knife so that I can cut stuff.

Michael

[Joris Mo]

Obviously a knife is for cutting stuff but it's a good allround tool as well and no a knife isn't a crowbar but plenty of knives get used for more than just slicing and they're a very usefull basic tool. I also usually carry a Victorinox Pioneer or Spirit multitool so I can use a few more tools when needing a screwdriver/awl/etc.

[Joris Mo]

Because my teeth aren’t that sharp

And I'm also missing my 2 front teeth so yes, there's that as well..

[toxophilus]

Because my teeth aren’t that sharp

I just snorted coffee out of my nose, thx for that :D