Who carries a pocket knife?

[OldGreyEagle]

Exactly the point Youngblood, you pull a gun out in Montana you have pretty good odds you will be staring down more than a few barrels...

[SR540Beaver]

By golly Yaworski, I knew we'd finally agree on something. I wear a suit to work everyday and always carry a small Buck knife in my pants pocket. One just like my Dad's. If I put on pants or shorts with a pocket, my knife goes with me. For camping, hunting or hiking I carry a larger pocket knife. My 9 year old son has 2 pocket knifes and was thrilled to actually get to carry it on his first Cub Scout campout since he can't carry it to school. How can anyone NOT carry one is the question?

[kittle]

I used to, but got out of the habit since I quit work. It really doesn't come in handy around the house as much as it did at the factory.

 

My mither-in-law carries one as does my husband.

 

Katrina(This message has been edited by kittle)

[red feather]

Carry a buck knife daily,use it daily and carry a leatherman on overnights.

 

Used to carry it when I flew but they are now banned and would be taken away.

[yaworski]

" It really doesn't come in handy around the house as much as it did at the factory. "

 

I use mine all the time around the house. Opening packages, cutting string, slicing salami, etc..

 

 

[OldGreyEagle]

I usually carry a multi-purpose swiss army knife. It has the tiny scissors, and toothpick and tweezers. At work I would always get giggles when someone saw it for the first time. I would get some kinda comment like "what are you, a Boy Scout?" I would reply "Yes, an Eagle Scout thank you". Then of course I almost had to establish a check out system for people wanting to open packages, use the screw driver, and all the reasons for which you carry a pocket knife.

 

One week end Mrs E and I were at a party, it was a pot luck kind of thing. Well, one couple brought an adult beverage that did not have a twist off cap, but actually had cork stuck in the bottle neck. The host and hostess were mortified as they didnt have a cork-screw. I was reaching for my pocket when I heard someone say, "Hey OldGrey, too bad your knife doesnt have a corkpscrew on it". The laughs were just dying down when I pulled it out of my pocket and announced, "But of course it does". The resulting uproar, I am told, registered at the local college's seismograph.

 

NB: The party was NOT was not connected with scouts in any manner(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

[John D]

I have several knives I bought from a little boy in Peshawer, Pakistan. His dad is an Afghan war vet with no legs and he sits and hand grinds these knives from high carbon steel scrap, the boy peddles them for a buck a piece on the street. I give one to each new senior patrol leader. We call them our "Uncle Osama" knives.

My other knife is the BSA Official knife made in New York. Better get one before they shift the factory to China.

[RobK]

I've carried one pocket knife or another every day since I was a cub scout. I carried them to school through college, and I carry one to work. I've also regularly carried a Gerber multi-tool for several years now. My current pocket knife is a Gerber EZ-Out with a clip so I don't even need a pocket. I even carry it when swimming, clipped in the waistband of my shorts. Being without my knife would be like being without my left hand.

[Compass]

I always carry one. On Scout occasions: either a Leatherman or a Swiss Army or my 30 year old scout knife, depending on my mood; non-Scout occasion (work, home): little Swiss Army knife.

 

Yaworski: it's mystifying to me that none of your boys carry knives. Every boy I've seen just about pass out to get their Totin' Chip so they can carry one-- seems to be a rite of passage for them. Are there any other rules or restrictions beyond Totin' Chip requirements at your troop?

[yaworski]

" Every boy I've seen just about pass out to get their Totin' Chip so they can carry one-- seems to be a rite of passage for them. Are there any other rules or restrictions beyond Totin' Chip requirements at your troop? "

 

No special requirements. I think that it is just the culture of our area. Knives - bad, SUVs -- good.

 

 

[Eamonn]

Boy, has this topic hit close to home.

My 14 year old son forgot to take a small pen knife out of the book bag that he also uses as a day pack. He took the darn thing to school,and being a real nit wit showed it to a girl.

She informed a teacher.

I got the phone call from the school.

He got a 4 day suspention.

I have to agree with the school, and admit to being upset at my son. We have covered this time and time again.He knows better.

I used to carry a swiss army knive, but has become such a hassle, at the airport that I now don't. But I do miss it.

I'm all for Scouts learning to the use of sharp tools.

However, I wasn't very happy when a knive was one of the rewards for Cub Scouts, in the popcorn sale. Heck, if a 14 year old can act that dumb,what chance does an 8 year old have.

But then again,my 14 year old was REALLY DUMB.

One good thing is that I get to use the computer a lot more for the next month !!

[yaworski]

"I have to agree with the school, and admit to being upset at my son. "

 

Why? Not the upset with son part but why agree with the school? The rule is flawed and stupid.

 

The judicial system discovered that "one punishment fits all" doesn't work but yet the schools embrace it. No consideration of what happened, what caused it, etc.. Just a knee jerk reaction and suspension or expulsion depending on the school.

[le Voyageur]

On the river, I carry one main knife, a blunt tip sheath knife strapped to the PFD, and 4 spares...just in case.

 

For reenacting either the French and Indian War, or the Rev. War, I carry a small neck knife to cut patches for the musket, or whatever chore needs to be attended to. My sash knife with it's 15 inch blade serves as a personal sidearm; plus a small English scapler tucked into a leg tie backs up the main gauche; that, and a hawk completes the persona. I'm now considering adding either a plug bayonet or a dirk to the outfit...

 

However, when I'm demonstrating, or teaching 18th century close quarter combat using edged weapons, I prefer my trusty rubber knife.....

[Eamonn]

To answer Yaworski; "Lead us not into temptation"

As a youth in one of better schools in London, I seen a very good friend of mine brandish a knife at another student in the hope of frightning the other boy. Some how, some way he ended up stabbing the poor kid. (Not badly.) Needless to sat the police were called, and the press had a hay day. Mainly due to the fact that both of the my friends parents were members of parliament, and his dad was/is a doctor.

He missed six months school, waiting for a court date. Was fined five pounds (Approx. $12.00, at that time,) His parents made him repay his legal fees. Which were considerable.

This was a good kid, who done something dumb.

Not allowing kids to take knifes to school, is much the same as not allowing young children to play with matches.

As a foot note my friend became a Queens Scout, and is now a doctor,

[yaworski]

"Not allowing kids to take knifes to school, is much the same as not allowing young children to play with matches."

 

However, we do allow older children to carry matches. Your example is another case of using the exception to make the rule. I went throught primary and secondary schools without ever seeing a knife incident. Never had one in college either.

 

We don't trust "children" with knives but yet we trust them behind the wheels of cars and they frequently put those cars into trees and kill themselves. In my small town, six high school students died in month because the unskilled drivers put the cars into either phone poles or trees. In the fifteen years that I've lived her there have been at least a dozen car accidents with teenaged drivers that required either a hearse or a medi-vac flight. In that same time period there were no knifings.