Have you ever experienced a "knife incident" at your place of work?

DocJD said:
Different kind of "knife incident " at work :

I was sweet 16 , first job outside home as dishwasher at a semi-fancy restaurant .

The worst part of the job was called "busting down the pots" . Hard manual labor compared to using the huge dishwasher conveyor system .

It was supposed to be done on a scheduled rotational basis because it was an unpopular task .

A fellow dishwasher came to me one shift and ordered me to go do his job on the pots when it wasn't my turn . I refused and he pulled a knife and made threats .

I punked out and did his job that day . But it didn't sit well with me .

I asked the French assistant cook to help me sharpen the biggest old butcher knife I could find in the kitchen . Stashed it near my normal work station .

Next time the bully came at me , he got a big surprise . I was "ready to die " seriously PO'd and he was bluffing . Plus mine was WAY bigger !

No blood was shed and we reached an new understanding . Eventually became somewhat friends .

A formative event in my young life , and maybe part of why I prefer to carry big .
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Well, that is definitely an "incident", not like I was expecting to see in this thread. Glad nobody got "the 10th hole" OR had to relocate to "smaller accommodations"

Me? Knife incidents at work...... maybe a couple :D

First one was of a different variety (not quite as different as yours). It was 1998, I was a new cop. I was in the passenger seat, Chief was in the driver's. He wanted to show me a trick for setting up your ticket book and asked "Do you have a knife on you?" (too young to realize that question is a RED FLAG that the person is ignorant to knife use). I did have a knife on me - one of the original Benchmade Autos. Before they changed the name and added the safety. I proudly hand it to him. He opens it and uses the edge to pry out two industrial size/strength staples. I was 23, brand new to the job, and let it go..... even though he chipped my blade.

Where I work now, almost everyone carries a folder (you see the occasional ESEE 3). Benchmades are most common but there are some Emersons and ZT's. Our knife policy was very vague. I came in with a Benchmade 51 Morpho. The officer involved in the "search train" brought it to a supervisor's attention and I was told to put it back in my car. Keep in mind, when I work the search train, I have seen several "OTFs" pass through. This resulted in our knife policy being reviewed and rewritten. NOW, we have a maximum blade length (exemption for food prep) with no restriction on style.

Same job - I came in dressed in civilian clothes to pick something up (off duty). Another employee went to security and asked what our policy was on fixed blades. The supervisor knows me and (later) said he knew IMMEDIATELY that I was on site. He explained, to them, that I was not only within policy but probably knew the policy inside and out. Oh btw - the fixed blade was a SOG Kiku 4" fixed.

Years ago, I was working a contract in a "post disaster" area. I was discussing knife techniques, with a guy I barely knew but worked with. He wanted to show me a tactic and pulled out a LIVE BLADE. I took one step backwards, looked at his knife and reminded him "that is a live blade". He seemed to understand that I don't train like that (because I am not stupid) and put it away. We were both wearing M9's so it could've gotten silly but I think my reminder snapped him back into clear thinking.
 
Danke42 said:
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Casey Ryback could open those letters for OP... with his bare hands.
 
One day a dude arrived at one of the gates of the facility where I worked. Pulled out a big knife and started stabbing the air and yelling stuff. He was probably very high. Other than that... nothing really.
 
I once had to enter City Hall to sort out some fines or something. Knives are not allowed in government buildings here. I realized as I was about to walk through the metal detector that I still had a knife in my pocket, a ZT 0450. I emptied my pockets into one of their plastic bowls and handed it to the security guard doing the screening. Because the knife was in a microfiber pouch, the guard didn't recognize it as a knife, or didn't say anything, and let it through. I dont recommend trying this.

On another occasion, I boarded a flight many years ago, I won't say which airport. While waiting for the flight to take off, I suddenly remembered that I was wearing a belt buckle knife. I debated whether to inform the flight attendant that it was an honest oversight on my part, but decided to just keep my mouth shut. I don't recommend trying this either.
 
Concerning carrying a knife at work.
First I carry knives about 3" at work all are traditional blade shapes with thumb stud. I do not carry auto ( illegal in Pa where I live), any assists and do not open the knives in a flicking or showy manner.
I have used my knife in front of the head of HR and a coworker. When my coworker questioned my having a knife.
I said "I've carried a knife since I was a Cub Scout usefully tool to carry". HR never said anything.....end of story.
 
Legendary_Jarl said:
One day a dude arrived at one of the gates of the facility where I worked. Pulled out a big knife and started stabbing the air and yelling stuff. He was probably very high. Other than that... nothing really.
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Had that happen at my job. Guy was waving a dagger around like he was fighting invisible faeries or something. Had to call the cops, who arrested him for "disorderly conduct". Had to go testify in court about it, and the guy musta had priors and/or on parole/porbation because the guy was in an orange jump suit, with shackles and fetters. Judge dismissed it because the prosecutor, with my truthful description of the events, couldn't prove intent of disorderly conduct.

Several years later the guy showed up at work again and thanked me, even though I was the one that dropped dime on him. Not for setting him on the right path or anything "feel good" like that, just that because I told the truth in court he was found "not guilty". I was passingly worried that he might come by one day to cap my ass, but that passed with time. He pops in to say "hi" once in a while, although I haven't seen him in months. Wouldn't surprise me if he's back in jail; the dude is 17 shades of meth-addled and clearly not quite right in the head.
 
no "incidents" good or otherwise, at any of the I dunno how many places I've worked at between 1971 and retirement in 2015 due to health issues ... at least 60 ... I learned in High School I can't take factory work ... I tried at no less than 25 different factories ... after a week I was climbing the walls and had to resign.

I remember at one job we had an "incident" when someone on the cleaning crew mixed a gallon of Chlorine and a gallon of _____ (for liability and safety reasons, I'll not mention the common cleaning product he added the chlorine to) in a 5 gallon bucket, and made chlorine gas.
Everyone got off early that day, and had the next day off, while they cleared the gas from the building. Only six had to go to the hospital, and no immediate fatalities. (Some may have started pushing up daisies or weeds earlier than they normally would have, years later.)
Yes, the idiot was one that had to go to the hospital, and yes, he was fired for the incident. No. I was not the moron that mixed those two shouldn't ever be mixed together liquids.

At all the places I worked at, "everyone" carried a knife, and used them for appropriate tasks. At over half of the place I worked at, the HR person doing the interview asked to see your pocket knife as part of the interview, even as late as 1996. No knife? Unreliable, untrustworthy, forgetful, not prepared, don't get the job. Busted or dull blade(s), red rust (a patina was acceptable): use wrong tool for job, don't take care of their tools, don't get the job. Knife sharp and in good condition: reliable, trustworthy, prepared, takes care of their tools, get the job.
 
I was relocating from Chicago back to Guam to reassume my job as a police officer.. Was traveling on a commercial airlines with a back pack as a carry on.. Went through TSA at Ohare with no problem. Spent the night in Tokyo waiting on my flight back to Guam, went through their security with no problem, still with my back pack.. Got home to Guam, started dumping my backpack out and out of the bottom of the back pack fell one of my spyderco civilians with a 5 inch serrated blade..

2, Was traveling to the Philippines through the airport here on Guam with a back pack as carry on.. During the screening of the carry on baggage before boarding the aircraft, the TSA agent called me over to the side and said they found one of my polycarbonate training knives in the ruck. This ruck was one I used for my gear as I am a Filipino Martial arts instructor, but thought I had cleared everything out.. Found one of my training blades there and had to go through the pat down and all of the other security precautions with no problem.. No charges were filed, but I make dang sure that if I use a ruck as carry on, it is purged and repurged before the clothes go in for the trip.
 
Not an incident, but just to echo what others have said. I suspect most companies have a policy regarding knives (or other weapons) buried somewhere in their files; enforcement is up to them and can vary wildly from workplace to workplace. Generally speaking, using your knife reasonably probably won't cause much of a stir, weird secretaries notwithstanding.

I've taken my 3"-4" folder out at work a few times but cautiously, not knowing how someone might react. Never had a problem. I was more concerned with the 7" kitchen knife we kept unprotected in the draw for parties, and was amazed how people would take it out and flail around without giving it a thought. And leave it sitting out afterwards for the rest of the day. Good thing it wasn't really that sharp.
 
I had a knife incident as a kid. When I a teenager one of my first real jobs away from my family farm was...on a different farm. The pay was better, and I worked with some pretty girls instead of my brother lol unfortunately I also worked with a crazy person.
There was a kid there who thought he was a badass, and did drugs. He was really short and Im tall and he resented that I guess? I think he was just bipolar.
One day he randomly sprinted at me and tackled me, and I had to fight him. Unfortunately for him, my dad was a marine and I got bullied alot at school, so I knew a thing or two about fighting. I punched him out and I thought we were good after I picked him up. Then it started happening a lot more. I would be working and then hear a pitter patter and know it was on like donkey kong lol

One day me and the crew of about 5 were all were joking around while picking berries in the orchard. Guys started making "yo momma" jokes and the bipolar kid started making jokes on my mom, so I said one back. It was all pretty normal kid stuff, and I didnt even say anything offensive really, my joke was goofy since I really didnt want to fight that guy yet again.

I went back to work and heard the pitter patter of that kid running again, so when he tried to tackle me I was ready and headlocked him. I wouldnt let him up until he promised me he was going to calm down, and told him to take it easy, we were all just kidding around. He told me he was calm so I let him up. Then he pulled a knife on me.

We all had knives since we worked on a farm, and his was this dull ultra tacticool gas station thing that looked like a batarang and had blades that folded out one on each side of your hand. He opened up both blades and started walking towards me, and my boss grabbed him in a full nelson thank God. As it turned out, the poor kids mom was dead though I didnt know that, and he had a rough home life. Its a shame, we could have been friends, he was actually a nice guy when he wasnt trying to kill me or bully me lol

Other than that one crazy thing, just normal knife issues like people abusing your knife when you lend it out. But mostly positive experiences.
 
I was a ground service equipment tech at an international airport. We worked on literally everything for several airlines except the planes and I had a keycard/passcode that gave me access everywhere.

I carried a Griptillian and used it in various places in and around the airport. I pulled it out while repairing an electric cart the airport cops used and one attempted to confiscate it. I dumped the rest of my toolbag out and showed him all the screwdrivers, a hammer, etc that weren’t allowed for passengers but were allowed for us. His boss came over and told him to stop. I guess they wanted their stuff fixed.
 
You guys might have to take discussions of what it means to take the Lord’s name in vane (or what a name is, or what a swear is) elsewhere.

I’m here to read about folks terrifying executive assistants when they draw their machetes out of their attachés to put a point back on their Ticonderogas.

if your letter opener doesn’t raise HR’s eyebrows, it’s not big enough.
 
I'm retired now, worked at the same company 30 years but changed jobs for the last 2. (machinist, factory work)
When I went to the new company, I asked coworkers about the knife policy. I was told no knives were allowed, that they were weapons. The written policy basically agreed with that. I got a snarky remark from one guy from a small OHO.

Fast forward to me having been there a couple months and I remark to the guy on the machine next to mine that the knife policy is sucky there and that I like to have a pocket knife on me while working. He pulls out his good size OHO and a few other guys pull out theirs and everybody has a laugh.

The written knife policy was restrictive, they often are, but once people knew me it was not a big thing. That's the most common scenario. I ended up carrying a large svord peasant sticking out of a pouch in my back pocket.
 
davek14 said:
The written knife policy was restrictive, they often are, but once people knew me it was not a big thing.
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where I work knives are permissible but weapons are not; it’s a terribly written policy, to be sure. I’ve found that no one has any trouble with a slip joint with a blade less than 4”. Before the ‘rona virus I could actually whittle at the lunch table holding conversation and no one would think twice.
 
This is more of a comment than in incident. I'm in manufacturing and if I'm not at my office work station I'm in the factory, sometimes needing to open packaging that can be anything from a small tube (or a very large tube) to a pallet or crate of supplies / product. I do need something "substantial" at times. I had my AD20 today and used it to open a larger flat packing box to identify something with a client standing next to me, and he commented on my knife. Nothing that stopped me from doing the task at hand so it was basically a non issue in my mind and his comment wasn't anything derogatory, but he noticed it and opened his mouth. I also use that same knife in the front offices and all of my coworkers know this and have asked on occasion to use it, so again a non issue for me.
I definitely think location/purpose has a lot to do with it (and using your head), but at the same time think it won't become a problem if you (the user) don't let others make it a problem for you. By making it all about them and not your knife, ;)
 
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