Knife Stigma

Does anyone feel there's a very negative attitude attatched to knives? Perhaps in a similar way there is to guns.

I do recall that ages ago we used to have the legal un arguments on the forums but not so much the knife one but where I work there is a very definite opinion that even a very small penknife is completely unsuitable.

I'e always got a multitool in my pocked for any number of reason and there is litterally no two days I don't use it for box cuting at work. Fixing machines with the screw driver, opening the odd tin, opening bottles with the pliers, all sorts. Quite often people even come into the room to borrow it.

Yet there have been a few occations that I've been look upon with surprise if I produce it for whatever reason. A few of the lads make a bit of a joke about it 'watch out watch out he's got a knife!!!' and all that with a lot of laughing but a few lasses have attempted to give me a proper dressing down over it, one even poking her finger at me shouting 'youre not allowed that, its a leathal weapon' to which I was tepted to reply it wasn't half as sharp as her tounge.
One time I imainge that someone had been taling about it for what ever reason in ear shot of a manager and he came up to were I was working to tell me to show him it to see if it was appropriate (which inceidentally it was)


Now I'm not going to start the 'should you shouldn't you' argument as that's been done to death but does ayone else fine that there is a stygma attatched to knives?

Yep,there's definitely a stigma around knives. I've made a few,collected quite a few,and customised several.When people learn of my "hobby" the conversation invariably turns to either the legality of it all or my (apparently questionable) mental state!
It's down to a mix of knee jerk media induced paranoia,and lack of knowledge of the law of the land.


...most do agree,however,that i do have some gorgeous knives in my collection!

Agreed. There is a lot of suspicion when i get my penknife out to open a can of beans at work.

There seem to be two types of people

1. The knife is a tool
2. The knife is evil

There is a stigma but it's the same, no probably worse, with guns.

Like a gun, the knife will do nothing to you by itself. It requires someone to pick it up, hold it correctly (by that I mean by the handle), and slash/stab/cut/hack etc you with it.

Does the knife do that by itself?

No, a person does. The knife is only a tool and it is never evil!

....but I don't need to tell you guys that anyway.

you really have to look at motives and intent.

Sorry to be type-casting, but as an example you have 5 x 16 year old lads in hoodies all carrying some form of knife.
WHY?
some for bravado, some because their mates are, some for 'protection' (yeah right)

they CARRY them for various reasons ... thats MOTIVE
They intend attacking another gang or individual or are out 'mugging' etc
thats INTENT

The knife is a tool used for various reasons

according to Home Office Stats, more people are injured or killed in violent assaults with everyday type articles.. hammers, srewdrivers, Kitchen knives etc than with 'combat knives.

Thats INTENT again

Stateside I don't see the stigma Jagunco describes. However, people do tend to me more fearful of edged steel than a gun.

Stigma seems more cultural or geographical than anything.

Funny really to think of someone freaking out over a pen knife in a multi tool. Just goes to show how intrusive the nanny state is to the people's psyche.

There seemes to be less of a stigma in the US with more people carrying small folding knives or penknives for day to day use - opening packaging and that sort of thing. It's considered more of a tool than a weapon. Over here if you have any kind of knife you are regarded as a tool with a weapon.

A friend of mine is a cop and says when kids are caught with knives they've invariably got a cheap steak knife with a makeshift cardboard scabbard. He's never caught anyone with a tactical folder or anything like that. All these kids claim they are carrying them for protection of course and would never think to use them unless started on...

Maybe they just like steak? The kids where I live seem to like chicken judging from the number of fried chicken boxes they leave lying around.

Bloody hell I'm getting old.

Most of the cops I have spoke with over many tears, is that they do not really bother with people who carry knives.



The only time they get bothered with knife carry, are those menacing looking blades which look for killing or trouble PER;




"Switch blades are still a big "no no". But they still sell in some parts of the US at knife shows as "curio collectibles"

Dave, I can't remember where I came across it but I remember reading a report about knife carrying teens, the conclusion, if I remember correctly, was that although a small percentage of kids carry blades with bad intentions, the majority carried them as they thought most other teens carried one and therefore carried one for 'self protection'
This actually confirms my own findings and I, many moons ago, carried knifes on me all the time.????

that indeed was and is the most common 'explanation' for carrying a knife amongst teens
however having one increases the chances of USING one, and familiarity breeds easy usage with any wepaon

if you have it as a 'part' of your daily garb or extras, it will feel worng not to be carrying it.. then its an easier step to drawing it for threats thern defence, then attack

I carried a pen knife/ knives all the time as a kid growing up in the 80's. Growing up in a village surrounded by country side all the kids had them. I remember when the first Rambo film came out and one of the older lads got a replica rambo knife with the compass on the top and all the survival gear in the handle. Everyone wanted a go with it (well jealous!! haha).
You could still easily get hold of butterfly knives (balisongs) and one lad had an old flick knife.

We used to walk round the streets go up to the woods and make dens and all that with them and never think of threatening each other with them.
Back then if you had a problem your fists sorted it out.

In some parts of the US, you can carry a knife, but it has to be sheathed and clipped onto a belt, clearly visable.

Also, the "sight of size", the blade cannot be longer than the with of the owner's hand palm.

Also, if it is to be a large knife used for recreation, it cannot be carried wthin meteo areas.



I have a strange story with a knife and some blood on it

I've always said that in the US I'd rather be in court for wrongfully shooting someone that righteously stabbing them. All those cowboy movies where the Indians used knives and the good guys used six shooters and rifles, the movies about everyone else in the world whipping out knives to fight with while John Wayne et all duked it out...finally, 9/11 when the evil doers used razor blades and knives to carry out their attack definitely create a stigma.

Nick

Nick Hughes wrote:I've always said that in the US I'd rather be in court for wrongfully shooting someone that righteously stabbing them. All those cowboy movies where the Indians used knives and the good guys used six shooters and rifles, the movies about everyone else in the world whipping out knives to fight with while John Wayne et all duked it out...finally, 9/11 when the evil doers used razor blades and knives to carry out their attack definitely create a stigma.

Nick

Having shot someone, is not as apaaling as stabbing someone in the eyes of most jurors

I remember when I was a teenager and my mates and I liked to carry knives to feel hard. One idiot I used to hang around with had a collection going and the more illegal the better I once remember when I was 13 or 14 we were walking through town and he must have had about 3 survival knives strapped to himself. We also liked to have little bb replica guns. It was all complete lunacy and it made us feel hard and rebelious and all that.

I did have a survivial knife that I never carried. Got it when I was 9 or something and my parents bought me it for cub camp. I wasn't allowed to carry it anywhere else of course.

Half the trouble with kids carrying knives I suspect is that it is illegal and a lot of kids like to rebel. I would susupect that many kids that carry these days wouldn't use a knife, they just like to feel hard carrying one.