How knife friendly is your job?

[Fuse]

The company I work for recently put up signs on all the doors saying "No guns or weapons on company property." I think it's kind of ridiculous considering it's a factory. The need for a knife arises pretty regularly. Nobody is sure whether the company considers a pocket knife a weapon or tool, and they've been intentionally vague. Not to mention the place is full of scalpels and hammers already. I could probably get away with carrying a Spydercard, but I think a Street Beat might be pushing it.

[CWO]

They are probably concerned about workplace violence. While the sign won't prevent it - their insurance company may have insisted upon it.

[Dr. Snubnose]

I own the company so everyone carries...No problem! :D Doc :D

[Fuse]

They are probably concerned about workplace violence. While the sign won't prevent it - their insurance company may have insisted upon it.

Well,what got it started was gun selling in the parking lot. I understand the banning of guns on company property from a liability standpoint, but to me banning knives in a factory setting is a little silly. Especially when the place is loaded with the aforementioned scalpels. They trust me to make afterburners for fighter jets, but I'm not responsible enough to handle a knife? A little goofy in my estimation.

[Gollum]

I'm currently doing some seasonal work at one of the big 3 package delivery companies and although I didn't recall it being specifically forbidden, I guessed that they would disallow me carrying a knife although I need/use one.
For them it's a security issue (employee theft), we can't even have a cellphone or wear certain brands of clothing.
So to get around any potential hassle (don't ask a question you're not gonna like the answer to), I put a Subcom on a quick-detach keyring. (I've been told I have a problem with authority).
Detach it on the job when I need it, put it back on my keyring and toss it in the tray (where it goes unnoticed) before I go through the metal detector and pat-down on the way out.
Problem solved!

[Fuse]

I guess I probably should of posted this in the Off Topic forum. Sorry.

[cobrajoe]

Wow Gollum, that's a creative solution! I might try the same.

Right now, I always carry at least one blade on me, usually a spyderco--unless I'm in a building or other place that specifically prohibits them. To me, a knife is always a tool, but I will admit that some knives are built to look like weapons. I usually try to aviod buying and carrying blades that look "scary".

[Fuse]

Wow Gollum, that's a creative solution! I might try the same.

Right now, I always carry at least one blade on me, usually a spyderco--unless I'm in a building or other place that specifically prohibits them. To me, a knife is always a tool, but I will admit that some knives are built to look like weapons. I usually try to aviod buying and carrying blades that look "scary".

That's another thing. I'm sure any knife I did use would be considered "scary" by someone. This world is full of people who are looking for an excuse to be offended. Oh, no. I'm starting to turn into a curmudgeon. Next thing you know I'll be starting every conversation with, "You know, back in my day..."

[Senorx]

I'm a LEO. Get to carry at work! I'm considered the "Tackleberry" of knives around here. Folks can't understand my Spyderco fascination.

[Episteme]

I am a Ph.D student at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, and my colleagues are professors and other graduate students who are very liberal in general, so any tool that could be used as a weapon is automatically frowned upon. My roommate is a graduate student in my department and has expressed a great deal of distrust and unease towards my knife collection. As such, I will not use anything other than a SAK or Delica to cut anything in the presence of my colleagues. I do carry my SE Police or Endura 4, and sometimes even a SOG Seal Pup in a Kydex sheath (much less so since Maryland knife laws seem to frown heavily upon fixed blades).
So to answer the question, I "work" / study in a very very knife UNfriendly environment. Keep the big blades hidden away, don't do anything stupid, and dress in a 'mature' manner, and problems will be kept to an absolute minimum. Four years of undergrad and I've never had a problem with knives, and now that i'm a graduate student, I've yet to have any problems as well.
-Mike

[J Smith]

We are suppose to use box cutters but it is overlooked at my location.

[i.v]

the only thing that is not frowned upon at work is my Victorinox multi tool. I often do the same thing as Gollum does with my ladybug and if i need a little more cutting power I replace it with my Cricket.

BTW most people I have seen seem to find the Cricket cute because of it's round shape, even those who are serious NKP's.

[Dr. Snubnose]

I am a Ph.D student at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, and my colleagues are professors and other graduate students who are very liberal in general, so any tool that could be used as a weapon is automatically frowned upon. My roommate is a graduate student in my department and has expressed a great deal of distrust and unease towards my knife collection. As such, I will not use anything other than a SAK or Delica to cut anything in the presence of my colleagues. I do carry my SE Police or Endura 4, and sometimes even a SOG Seal Pup in a Kydex sheath (much less so since Maryland knife laws seem to frown heavily upon fixed blades).
So to answer the question, I "work" / study in a very very knife UNfriendly environment. Keep the big blades hidden away, don't do anything stupid, and dress in a 'mature' manner, and problems will be kept to an absolute minimum. Four years of undergrad and I've never had a problem with knives, and now that i'm a graduate student, I've yet to have any problems as well.
-Mike

Funny How times have changed... the University that I did my Undergraduate work at back in the 70's, didn't really care what kind of knife you had as long as you didn't use it to threathen anyone, my roommate and I used to practice Argentine Gaucho Knife Fighting and would also practice Knife Throwing in our dorm room...some of the professors and RA's would come and watch from time to time...we never had any problems....Doc :D

[bigkahunasix]

I'm the boss so I make (and regularly break) the rules. I usually do not fully trust those that do not carry, yea I'm quirky like that. An armed workplace is a polite workplace. Bigk6

[Ferreter]

I work in a Hardware store and it's against company policy to use anything other than the 'approved' OLFA safety knife. Can't use any other type of safety knife. Only the OLFA...... :rolleyes: apparently we can't be trusted to use other safety knives safely :confused: let alone a knife where the blade doesn't automatically retract.

I still carry a Spyderco any time I'm at work and you can bet that if something comes up that can't be cut with the safety knife I'll be asked to cut it because just about everyone at work knows I always have a real 'knife' on me :D

Ferreter

[Jordan]

The policy of my company is no knives, but we all carry one. The letter of the rule keeps the insurance company happy and nobody seems to care beyond that. I'll quit before I'll try to pry open a shipment of gatorade with a 5 cent razorblade holder again... you go through about 1 a box.

[zenheretic]

Unless a work place is really really unfriendly, they will ignore knives even when it is against policy until one of two things happens: 1) That annoying person who bitches about everything has focused on you and your knife, "It is against the RULES!" or 2) They need a reason to fire you.

[Echo63]

my old job was pretty good, they said "no knives" but both bosses regularly carried a Clear Lexan set of "brass knuckles" (clear Lexan so they dont show up on security camera footage as well as going through metal detectors)
and one of them occasionally had a machete in his bag too.

so one of my salts plus my Leatherman wave were always on me when i was at work.

in the job i start in about 2 weeks i am not so sure - in the office it should be ok but out in the field (shooting portraits at schools) i think even a cricket or ladybug would be a no no

[Jordan]

You are probably right about that echo... in the US at least having even a legal knife in a school zone can be a felony in some states.

[Echo63]

You are probably right about that echo... in the US at least having even a legal knife in a school zone can be a felony in some states.

im not sure if there is a law prohibiting knives on school sites in australia (well i never had a problem when i was carrying a 93mm rescue and leatherman wave doing security on them at night) but if i do carry a blade in this new job it will be a very sheeple friendly small blade like a vic classic