Pocket knives- idle discussion

I wish I had a job that required having a knife on me, preferably an outdoor job.

No need in the cubicle.

PHeller wrote: I wish I had a job that required having a knife on me, preferably an outdoor job. No need in the cubicle.

Don't you ever need to open a taped box or pry a neighbor's "S" key out of their keyboard and hide it while they are on a smoke break?

The Kershaw Leek appears to be a popular one (and it's mine). I carry mine when not working in my right pocket clipped on the inside (reverse the clip from the factory delivered location so it hangs blade up instead of blade down)

PHeller wrote: I wish I had a job that required having a knife on me, preferably an outdoor job. No need in the cubicle.

Life is a job that requires having a knife on you! I've carried a pocket knife since I was a 10 year old. I wear dress slacks, a dress shirt, and dress shoes to work. I carry a Spyderco Persistence in my pocket every day at work in the cube farm. I may even be responsible for a recent work memo indicating that knives with blades longer than 3" are prohibited. Women are usually fuzzy on linear dimensions so "objects in a man's hand may appear larger than they are"...luckily the Persistence blade is 2.75"

rebelgtp wrote: Most of the time I carry a Spyderco Tenacious

I carry a Tenacious when wearing jeans or other casual wear. I carry a Persistence in my work clothes (dress slacks) and have an Ambitious if I'm going somewhere that I need a 2" or smaller blade for legal reasons. These are all essentially scaled versions of the same knife and I really like them. I find the thumb hole to be easier/more effective in opening the blade than most thumb studs. My experience is that most knives with thumb studs have the stud placed too close to the pivot point and are difficult to employ effectively. I'm sure this is to minimize snagging on your pocket, but it hinders practical use.

secretariata wrote: I may even be responsible for a recent work memo indicating that knives with blades longer than 3" are prohibited. Women are usually fuzzy on linear dimensions so "objects in a man's hand may appear larger than they are"...luckily the Persistence blade is 2.75"

It sounds like secretariata needs to cut a bitch!

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

secretariata wrote: It sounds like secretariata needs to cut a bitch!

Been there, done that! Accidentally "stabbed" a coworker (at a different job) about 15 years ago. Took him to the ER, waited in the lobby. Thought I was going to wear some chrome bracelets when a voice called my name from a door I could not see. ER doc gave me a bunch of crap, but luckily only a few stitches were required. Paid said coworker's deductible and reimbursed for the bloody clothes. Kind of awkward to tell your boss that you stabbed your coworker on company time and then ask how to charge the time at the ER... Later I framed the knife in a shadow box and gave it to him. He still talks to me and laughs about it. He did thank me for keeping my knife sharp so he didn't feel any pain...

I carry a Victorinox "Craftsman" with me pretty much all the time - 20 years or so. After I bought it, I never saw another one again for years. I though the model was discontinued after Sears learned of it, but I see it's still shown on the website... It's essentially the same as the current "Handyman" model shown on the Victorinox site, but instead of the cork-screw it has a Philips screw driver.

I like it so much when I happened to run across one in an old hardware store on display I bought it as a spare (digging up the NIB spare out of the sock drawer was how I remembered the model name).

Today's basic load of cutlery includes a tiny Victorinox knife with a USB drive and LED (I think it's the SwissFlash model) on my keychain, and this clipped in my pocket:

It's a cheapie I bought at Autostoned. It's a little small for my hand, and the handle edges are a bit much, but I like the blade shape and the little skull crusher ... err ... glass breaker pommel.

Oh, and there's a Gerber Multiplier in the pack ... just in case.

secretariata wrote: He did thank me for keeping my knife sharp so he didn't feel any pain...

That's why I keep mine dull, so when I have to cut a motherberkeleyer they feel all the pain

Work has me carry these bad boys, the formidable S4

And the impressive Yellow Film Cutter

Other wise the P-38 on my keychain opens anything that can't wait till home.

I alternate between a spyderco ladybug or opinel in the office, and a boker wharcom everywhere else. I really love the wharcom. Cheap, super easy to sharpen due to the wharncliffe blade, 2" means it's legal everywhere and the grip is ridiculously gigantic and secure. It's my default gift for dudes. Only downside is that it's a little heavy for its size and it looks a little too 'tactical' for polite company.

Duke wrote: My EDC (aren't *I* cool) is a Victorinox Cybertool 29. Frankly, if it had a scissors instead of the liitle knife blade, it would be utterly perfect for my needs.

The next size up- the Cybertool 34- is what I carry around constantly except when the TSA tells me I can't. It adds scissors and a few other useful tools and has been what I've carried for over a decade.

For those times when I can't carry it due to air travel, I instead carry a Leatherman Style PS which is the only multi-tool I've found that meets the TSA's requirements for taking it on an airplane since the only blades are on the scissors and they're like 1" long. I usually have it attached to a Leatherman Piranha to round out the tools I have with me when I fly. It's always interesting going through checkpoints since half the time they don't look twice at it and the other half they have to inspect it very closely before admitting it passes and letting me go on.

nicksta43 wrote: secretariata wrote: He did thank me for keeping my knife sharp so he didn't feel any pain... That's why I keep mine dull, so when I have to cut a motherberkeleyer they feel all the pain

I figure there is a small chance that I might cut myself, so sharp is my preference...

Some people are concerned about bringing a knife to a gun fight. I figure a knife is better than a pebble...everything is relative!

In reply to secretariata:

Or just carry both

Lancer007 wrote: In reply to secretariata: Or just carry both

I prefer "pull pin, count to 3...toss grenade." You only have to get close!

Can I just have a quick semi-threadjack here? This is part of Amazon's blurb for the Leatherman Piranha Ash mentioned: "Like the fish for which it's named, the Piranha pocket tool will help you get the job done quickly." Does nobody read this stuff before it's published? Man's best friend, the piranha, always there to lend a helping hand. Whether it's chasing down CELs in your Audi or trying to find that one last piece of missing trim at Hershey, doing it with a piranha means doing it right.

Thank you. Please resume the discussion about pocket knives.

I usually have a Swiss Army "Camper" knife in my bag. I've had it since the 80s. I also have some kind of generic multitool in my car, I think I got it for free with a t-shirt from Duluth Trading.

The only Swiss Army knife I still have is like this one but with red scales that I have had since the 80's. I like the textured metal scales over the normal plastic ones. It lives in the ash tray of my truck.

I've carried the Skeletool CX (better steel in the blade than the usual Skeletool) but it got a bit bulky. I slide in and out of small cars all day, and I don't want a knife clip catching on a leather steering wheel and damaging it. BTDT.

For a long time, I switched to the Gerber EAB. Replaceable blade means I can abuse the hell out of it and it's tiny. It'll slip into your watch pocket of your jeans and you'll never know.

I've still got the Victorinox I picked up years ago but it's too big to carry. Same with my classic Leatherman.

I've recently starting using really good kitchen cutlery (like a KAZAHANA blade made of HAP40 steel) and starting using waterstones for sharpening. Everything in the house is getting wicked sharp as practice So I'm going to pick up one of those SOG Tanto knifes to try, they should work well to put a really good edge on. As always, you guys are a bad influence.

we try our best

Oh yeah there is a SOG Seal Pup strapped to the side of my bag that goes with me to work and when I am up in the hills hiking around. My Leatherman Rebar is in the small pouch on the outside of the SOG's sheath. But those aren't pocket knives

rebelgtp wrote: Oh yeah there is a SOG Seal Pup strapped to the side of my bag that goes with me to work and when I am up in the hills hiking around. My Leatherman Rebar is in the small pouch on the outside of the SOG's sheath. But those aren't pocket knives

I have one of these in my car and whenever I'm working corners. It was awesome on a kayaking trip down the Iowa River when we found and disposed of an abandoned Bud Light tube flotilla.

This thread made me order a Benchmade Griptillian with G10 scales from REI. Thanks guys.

I suppose my KA-BAR could be a pocket knife, but it would have to be a really big pocket.

Keith Tanner wrote: I suppose my KA-BAR could be a pocket knife, but it would have to be a really big pocket.

And a really bad idea.