Every day we come across situations where
having a knife would be useful. Many
folks reach for a box cutter, scissors, or a kitchen knife. While these can work for the task at hand,
they are often pressed into service well outside of their intended roles. This brings inherent risk to the tool, the
person using it, or both. These are task
specific tools. Using a kitchen knife to
open a clamshell package may work, but it isn’t ideal. At best it’s unwieldy. At worst it’s dangerous. Alternatively, a pocket knife is a task
generalized tool. It is supposed to fit
multiple roles every day. It has a wide
range of tasks to fill. Here's a few of them:
1. Every Day Carry (EDC)
Carrying a knife makes it easier to cut
tape, cut string, cut trailing threads on clothing, open boxes, open clamshell
packaging, cut/strip wires, prepare food like fruits and vegetables, open
mail/envelopes, open food packaging, cut paper when scissors are absent, cut
zip ties, cut tubing, remove tags from new clothing, or even for
sentiment. Some of us have knives that
were given as gifts, inherited, or are even family heirlooms and they mean a
great deal more than their price tag.
Yes, before you ask, some people even carry knives as pocket
“bling”. I am more of a pragmatist and
don’t care about pretty objects as much as useful ones.
2. Emergency Preparedness
It’s great to have a knife in case of an
emergency or survival situation.
Carrying a knife makes it easier to cut seat belt straps for
extrication, create cloth bandages, cut rope, make kindling, scrape a
firesteel, create a fire board and spindle, dig out a splinter, build a
shelter, prepare wild game, collect wild edibles, make traps, carve utensils,
etc
3. Recreation
Having a knife is almost mandatory in many
recreation activities. How many hunters
or fishermen neglect to carry a knife?
Only the stupid ones. Seriously
though, if you are out hunting or fishing having a knife is not an option. You NEED one.
Having a knife means you can gut, skin, and bleed game. It means you can clean fish, cut fishing
line, make animal calls, prepare an animal hide, make a “blind”, cut brush, whittle, carve, and/or prepare bait.
4. Self Defense
Lastly many people carry a knife for
self-defense. I am a huge proponent of
knowing how to defend yourself. Many
people carry a knife as part of their self-defense carry. Law enforcement, body guards, soldiers, and
security often have a knife in their gear.
I personally do not carry a knife as a self-defense tool but if I had to
press my EDC into service I would. Some knives are legal and some are not. There are many self-defense techniques using
knives…too many in fact.
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