Demonization of the pocket knife

[fred8033]

I'm sad. I have vivid memories of my grandfather showing me his pocket knife collection. Banks used to give them out for opening accounts. If you traveled, a good keepsake was a pocket knife. He had dozens. Mt Rushmore. DC. Texas. Duluth.

 

Now, a new local court security screening program is boasting of all the weapons it collected in the first week. They were displayed on a table. Looked to be about 50 or 60 "weapons". Box cutters. Scissors. Nail clippers. Tweezers. Forks. And dozens of pocket knives. Most were very small key-chain size. Not a single one with a blade wider than the width of my hand.

 

I already live in fear of my kids being expelled for leaving a pocket knife in their jacket or backpack. Now, it's a called weapon for the everyday person.

 

Probably a bit to do with our lifestyles now. More desk jobs. More internet. Less getting outside and getting your hands dirty.

[Eamonn]

"I already live in fear of my kids being expelled for leaving a pocket knife in their jacket or backpack."

I can't remember how old my son was, I'm thinking 15.

He won a pie eating contest that was held at an OA weekend in October.

The prize was a small knife. The blade was less than 3 inches.

He forgot to remove the knife from his jacket pocket.

Went to school found the offending weapon and was putting it in his locker. A girl seen the knife and reported it.

I was called in for a meeting and the outcome was a 3 day suspension. He also wasn't allowed to attend a dance that the school was having.

Maybe Zero Tolerance is a good thing and does keep everyone safe.

But just as we have seen in some of the threads that are running surely there must be a case made for good old plain common sense.

Ea.

[Eagle92]

Don't remind me. I just bought 4 Opinel carbon steel knives (only been using them for a few day and LOVE them BTW)for myself and my boys when they get to Webelos (oldest gets hsi at the end of the month), and one of my concerns is all the laws on pocket knives and the kids. Not to mention folks who think anything with an edge or a point is "dangerous"

 

True story, when national supply posted on Facebook about the MB sash pin, the one with a double clutch back to secure the sash to the shirt, I posted that it was a waste of money since a $.10 safety pin from the sewing kit does the job just as well. I actually had a lady post that safety pins are sharp and the scouts can hurt themselves. I had to remind her that we train Boy Scouts to use a knife, axe, and saw for Totin Chip, so I don't think a safety pin would be a problem.

 

But with all the banned tools listed on another thread, maybe the safety pin should be banned.

[shortridge]

Why would someone carry a fork in their pocket?

 

I stopped carrying a knife in college. I was covering courts and cops for the campus paper, and there was no taking it into the courthouse. Nor did I carry after college - same deal when entering many government buildings. But I do have one in my glove compartment.

[Eagledad]

Because TSAs new high-tech x-ray found a comb in my back pocket, I was invited to spend another 15 minutes getting questioned, frisked, wanded and run through the metal detector. However, they gave back the comb back without any restrictions for using it on the plane.

 

Barry

 

[perdidochas]

My wife is an assistant Principal. The knife/boy scout issue does come up. Basically, our local district's policy is that if the scout owns up to it, as soon as he realizes he has it, he isn't in trouble. The knife gets taken away until a parent can pick it up. If the scout is found out by another student, then it isn't considered innocent.

 

A few years ago in a local courthouse, I had to go get my homestead exemption. I had a knife clipped to my pocket (3 1/2 inch lockblade). The security guard asked me for it, and said he'd let me have it back on my way out. We did just that, and everything was fine.

 

I wish more people would be that way.

[moosetracker]

Remember my son calling me.. All tears, and scared he would be in big trouble. He had brought a travel kit nail triming set to school. At the time the nailclipper, shoehorn, comb or case were not at issue, it was the nail file (metal). I had to go to the princple to collect it.. Principle & I had a laugh over it, as he too saw it as completely innocent, but it was reported to him by some student, so he had to act on it..

 

Several years Later...

 

I don't know what he worked out with the teachers later in his highschool, but most knew he had a pocket knife as did the students. So if the teachers needed something cut, they would give it to Ken, and turn their back on him..

 

In retrospect a really dangerous game they played. If any other student reported them, not only would son have been in trouble, but teachers may have lost their jobs over it.

[fred8033]

Fork ... Many people bring their lunches with them. Saves alot of money. I'd imagine a fair number of forks are found in pursues and brief cases all the time. I bet many jurors bring left overs with them to eat during the day.

 

I understand knives being banned from courts, etc. Makes sense. But it's still just sad.

[Engineer61]

"I already live in fear of my kids being expelled for leaving a pocket knife in their jacket or backpack."

 

This isn't a "now-a-days" thing ...

 

When I was in high school in the mid-70's pocket knives were not allowed in school...and I lived in a quiet rural community.(This message has been edited by Engineer61)

[Eagle309]

What I find most ironic is that some of the people who worry about the pocket knife as a weapon in offices seem to have no problem keeping two 5" fixed blade knives pinned together (ie scissors) in their desk and then proceed to use this tool in a quite unsafe manner to open up boxes.

[DLChris71]

The most dangerous thing are those pointy spikes people have on their desk to stick notes on, usually 5-6" long. Horrible thing to have around while changing a ceiling light bulb.

[SeattlePioneer]

My district committee has a white elephant gift exchange in December.

 

A couple of years ago I got a nice Marine KA-BAR knife and sheath that had been confiscated at the airport and acquired by a district volunteer.

 

I regard KaBar knives as two varieties of American heritage, being both Bowie Knieves and the Marine Corp knife of choice during WWII, Korea and later.

 

Mostly I use it to split kindling.

[packsaddle]

With the exception of going past the TSA trolls, I have a stockman-style pocketknife on me almost every waking hour, including on campus. No one has ever questioned it. For the trolls, I pack it in the checked bags and then retrieve it at my destination.

 

Eamonn, 'zero tolerance' is not good. It is thoughtless and hurtful. It is stupid. It substitutes a faceless regulation for good judgement. Your son suffered an injustice and all the authorities involved knew it. They were just too panty-waisted to stand up and do what was right, which was to challenge the law and the system, to ridicule it if there was no other way, but at least make all involved know what they were...cowards.

[Stosh]

I always carry a pocketknife, standard BSA whittler model.

 

I've had to have it held by security when I would go into certain buildings, but they always returned it when I exited.

 

At national centennial jamboree we toured Washington DC, I always took it out of my pocket and presented it to the security people to hold while I was in the building. I was in full uniform and they simply told me put it back in my pocket and keep it there while in the building. No problem.

 

At work a new policy just came out saying that all pocketknives were banned. I asked my boss (the general manager) if he was going to fire me now or later when I opened a box with it. He said, get a box cutter, keep the knife in your pocket and don't tell anyone I have one in my pocket too.

 

Sometimes common sense does prevail.

 

As far as the law is concerned, it is not a concealed weapon (blade is too short), but if in a desperate situation, I'm sure I can figure out quickly how to make it one.

 

Stosh

[Eagle92]

Eng,

 

I grew up in the 80s and early 90s. No problems with knives, and I went to a parochial school. Heck on 1 JROTC fielf exercise, we were running out of gear so some of us Scouts used our personal gear, which as I've mentioned elsewhere, mine was mostly USGI surplus.So while my sleeping bag was not surplus, it was attached to the butt pack on my pistolbelt and harness that was government issue. Also on the pistol belt was my WWI bayonet. And it was used in the field that weekend.