Knifes in the work place?

If you work construction and knives are banned you have to request a spring loaded box cutter that automatically closes when pressure on the thumb mechanism is released. Think of it as an auto closer. Pretty much useless. The fact is those who are confident in their position will carry their own knives. Those who are insecure and are already on the chopping block will be Sh**t canned.
 
I'm a waiter and always carry my ZT 0560 with me. People ask me why, And when the moment comes when they need to open 10 boxes I laugh:D
 
My son was at the time a maintenance mechanic at a worldwide hotel chain I'm positive most here would recognize. He was given a written warning for having and using a Spyderco Cara Cara. Apparently he thought it was more useful for the job he was doing than the disposable razor knife he had. If he was seen with it, or any other pocket knife he would be terminated immediately and security called. This was despite the fact that not only the razor knife was part of his tool box cart but so were all manner of larger and deadlier tools including even electric chainsaws/clippers, hatchet/hammer, saws, drils, wrecking bars, etc. Not very logical.

Where I worked at one place during my 30 year state career there was a new Administrator who decided to ban all weapons possession in privately owned vehicles. He was at the point of looking for outside K-9 units trained to sniff out firearms in vehicles when some more down to earth admin types that had worked their way up explained to him that around 80% of his employees carried a firearm ( and knife and whatever else he had decided to call weapons)in their vehicles and were not going to back down , and stated so openly. He was facing the fact that his mandated minimum ( by a federal judge at that point due to a ruling from a lawsuit) levels per shift would not be maintained past the first day and first search. To top it all off he was mandating this to state certified law enforcement officers telling them they could not carry in their vehicles to and from work.

We are not talking about taking them into the job itself. That was already controlled by one access point with airport style walk through metal detectors as well as guys with wands. This guy wanted to tell people they had no reason to carry for self defense on their time while going home.

He finally was forced to back down. What he learned was only there was limits to his powers. As a note there were no problems noted at that facility or the older one it replaced going back to the WW1 era from staff and the firearms they carried in their vehicles. He was just personally anti gun and pro control of ever detail he could think of.

He finally settled for a registration and permit system. You had to have a reason for carrying, a particular weapon with serial number, and had to open the vehicle for inspection when asked. All this was over and above state law and was unique to that facility. No others were done like that and to my knowledge no incidents had led to this action at this facility or any other.

The facility administrator decided ( IMO) that he didn't think people, even certified and trained LE officers should carry personal weapons off duty while going back and forth to work despite the times involved ( shift work), distance of commutes ( some an hour and a half commute) and the fact that some of the old guys who had been around 20-30 years knew personally and had interacted with 10,000 to 30,000 of this states felons. Some times involved in their incarceration and having been in situations where force was used.

The whole situation seemed unusual to me.
 
"I'm a waiter and always carry my ZT 0560 with me. People ask me why, And when the moment comes when they need to open 10 boxes I laugh"


When the moment comes when 10 boxes present themselves people will have a box cutter. You don't see 10 boxes turning into 20, then 30 in your absence, right?
 
Phi Sig said:
I work in a paper mill and most people have a knife on them. In fact, you can go to the storeroom and they hand out papermaker knives to whoever wants one.
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I do as well and the mill issues a standard 3" fixed blade knife to all new employees as well as making them available whenever anyone wants one. They are cheap, inexpensive knives but do the job. I prefer my own fixed blade HK Plan D...does the job better.
We are not allowed to bring guns into the workplace.
We also have to wear a cut proof glove on the "non cutting hand" whenever we use a knife...that is in reaction to the bone heads that have cut themselves using a knife incorrectly and cutting themselves triggering an OSHA incident. The gloves are rather nice and I have several pair at home for very grippy work gloves.

There is no rule about carrying a knife at work.
 
whitty said:
Last guy I hired did not have a knife. Told him to come back when he did!
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Applying for a job with a knife company and not owning a knife. Priceless. :D

Laughed my ass off at this one.
 
Every time I leave work, LP has to check my bag. Every pocket has at least one blade, not to mention I usually have my BK 7 or 9 in the large compartment. They usually just laugh about it or ask genuine questions about knives. Also, I have started a bit of a knife craze at work. People are always showing me when they get a new blade and I have given away a few as well. I've also become the company "sharpener"! Well, me and the guy I work with. We are both always being handed a knife to sharpen......which comes with a steep price of course......a beverage donation ;)
 
My company has a no weapons policy that doesn't mention knives. I'm in the IT department and keep an old Vic classic on my desk to open boxes. I don't keep a knife clipped but always have one. One time I used my buck 501 to slice whole pickles in a pickle eating contest. At our Christmas party last year I used my buck companion to cut a paper "you can get drinks" bracelet off my girlfriends wrist in front of everyone. No one has ever said anything negative despite the majority of them having liberal political views. I am pretty discreet with my knives and tend not to carry "scary" knives very often. I like my coworkers and my job and try not to put that in jeopardy, while still being able to enjoy my hobby and lifestyle.
 
I work in finance for a manufacturer, and although they decided they would not allow concealed carry on the premises, everyone carries knives. Most of our senior leadership team carries folders including our CEO in his khaki's. I carry a Spyderco Dragonfly in my khaki's, and carry a Mini Grip or an HK/Benchmade 14715 in my jeans on Fridays. Our chief commercial officer (VP of sales) who used to work for Dacor (the diving company) has a large fixed blade Dacor diving knife on the credenza of his office! If someone goes postal here, they may not get shot, but they're going to be cut into many small pieces by a whole bunch of folks!

Oh, almost forgot, I have a leatherman Skeletool in my briefcase and a GEC #92 also in my briefcase for cutting my afternoon apples.
 
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I work in a midsize law firm, and there isn't anything in the policy manual stating no weapons. But if you do something stupid there's no doubt you'd be in trouble. Several of the attorneys and staff have pistol permits, including myself, and pocket knives are pretty much not even given a second thought. I've had clients who know I'm a "gun-guy" come in with their latest or more interesting acquisitions. I just try to keep it low key, and carry my less "aggressive" folders (Sage, BM 940) instead of my PM2, or ZT 556 (which is a bit heavy to clip on dress slacks, anyway.)

Of course, I always have to dis-arm before I go into court or most government buildings.
 
Patryn said:
Where I work knives of any kind are strictly prohibited. :( Having one on you is grounds for termination. You could always try to carry one, but since we pass through metal detectors upon leaving, it's not likely it wouldn't be noticed.
That being said, I did stop in on a day off to check with HR about something. I walked into the building and on my way to HR put my hand in my pocket. I realized that I had my knife on me since I was off for the day. I immediately turned around and went to security and let them know, and explained it was my day off, etc etc. They told me to slide it through the table at the detectors and make sure I take it to my car before returning. They didn't give me any issues since I let them know right away at least.
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I worked for a company like that about 9 years ago. The job itself and coworkers were all decent. The company implemented some rules that prohibited any kind of cutting instrument anywhere in the office. They removed the desktop paper cutter, they confiscated all scissors and replaced them with the kind that kids use in elementary school, they replaced some knives in the break room with plastic serrated knives. It was just insane. Turns out the new HR manager was extremely paranoid and wanted to take drastic steps to make a name for herself with the CEO, COO, and CFO as well as prevent any sort of opportunity for an incident to occur. When I brought up that the maintenance room contained a tool chest with hammers, large 1" wrenches, crescent wrenches, screwdrivers, etc. She went full blown nuts and had the maintenance manager come in and remove every tool we had available. I saw right away that I was not going to be able to work comfortably in an environment that had some of the most nonsensical and downright stupid rules I've ever seen in my entire working life. I resigned about a week later citing, "incompatibility with human resource ideology about a safe working environment". In the 45 days following my leaving the company, 14 other employees quit, including the other IT guy, 6 maintenance workers, and a handful of accountants and receptionists. Sometimes a job just isn't worth the trouble. Not for the knife policies itself, but when you stand back and look at the entire thing as a whole.
 
I work hosted in a Military Base. Controls are stricts and carrying weapon is really forbidden. However I carry and EDC daily only non threatening knives like a VIC spartan, Dragonfly or my lovely Mini Grips that I have in non threatening colors (all except black).
I use them daily for light cutting tasks. If I have to work when deployed it's a different thing, well, better :cool:

In ANY case I carry EDC them deep pocketed and I show them only once in use and for the time necessary for the use, and then they quickly disappear in my pocket once finished. And in case, I can demonstrate that I carry for daily work task or for food, whatever.
Full stop. No need to show one second more if needed.

That's the the way I love to use them daily, even outside my work place indeed. Carrying always, showing and using them only if necessary. :)
Sometimes even if needed I avoid to pull them from my pocket. You know, each country has its laws, eevn more inside a mil compound.
:)

my2c
 
I'm a member of management at a very large warehouse. There's a no weapon policy which is so strict that the SAK Classic I used to carry on my keychain resulted in a lengthy lecture in HR and garnished wages. Our employees are given a box cutter with a retractable blade on one end and an unsharpened metal protrusion on the other. The policy is that under no curcumstsnce is the blade of the box cutter to be used. Essentially its their way of covering themselves from any knife related injuries.
 
I carry and use my Benchmade 850 barrage on a daily basis for work.
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We have a "no weapons" policy but it has a picture of a gun, not a knife, so I carry away.

I'd carry anyway, to be honest. Just keep it on the down low if I was forced to.

Too many damn rules nowadays. Hell kids can't hardly play in the street anymore. Sad.

We are way too PC, the nanny state run amuck.
 
I manage an HVAC supply here in my town and wear my fixed blades on my side on a daily basis, here in NC there are virtually no knife laws it seems, which is pretty awesome in my book. Guys that work for me usually carry cheap throw away pocket knives but a lot of my customers like knives and guns and we talk about both quite often so all is well with me.
 
I carry anything I want where I work now (at the last job as well). Everyone knows that I am a knife nut, and a couple of my coworkers really enjoy seeing my latest EDC.
 
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