Utterly mundane question about knife use in a shop

J

Jesse B.

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Oct 23, 2009
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I recently relocated from a suburban area on the U.S. West Coast to a rural area in the Southwest.

Last week, I stopped by the local ‘dollar store’ to get some drinking water and picked up a well-sealed heavy cardboard box containing six gallons. At the register, the cashier asked me to open the box so she could scan the contents. Instinctively I reached for my pocketknife (mini Griptilian) since this box was going to be a pain to open with my hands—but just as instinctively I decided not to pull a knife out in public since that would’ve been frowned upon (at best) where I used to live.
So I tore into the box with my paws like a starving raccoon, destroying it in the process, and completed the transaction.

For those of you who haven’t fallen asleep yet, how would you have handled an identical situation? I know this seems like a ridiculously simple, unimportant thing, but I’ll probably run into it again and wouldn’t mind a little advice. Thank you kindly.
 
As long as there is not a posted "no knives" policy in the store, I would have whipped out my knife in a heartbeat.

If the management has a problem with it, they should not be asking their customers to open their boxes. We have and use tools for a reason.
 
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If I'm carrying a knife that meets legal requirements I would pull out my knife and use it as the tool it is. This country is becoming too soft, if I'm not doing anything illegal I don't care about others feelings.

I pulled out my Hinderer Eklipse inside Walgreens to open a box of something I just purchased and quickly put it back in my pocket and threw out the box and pocketed the contents. I'm pretty sure the employees and other customers saw but I don't think they really cared.... I was in a part of town that's considered part of greater LA county where the legal limit is 3 inches for a pocket knife but my knife is 3.5inches.

It's a tool and I use it as such and although it's never my intentions to make someone feel uncomfortable I'm growing tired of the softness and I do what I have to do sometimes.
 
Victorinox Classic for the win!

IMG-2022-10-05-07-42-19-815.jpg
 
Good of you to consider the reaction of others first. If it had been me, I think I’d have unpocketed (or unsheathed) it in as unthreatening a way as possible and just asked if it was ok. Just by asking, I would think it would put their mind at ease. As long as you’re not pulling a 12” smatchet off your belt.
 
Danny Linguini said:
Good of you to consider the reaction of others first. If it had been me, I think I’d have unpocketed (or unsheathed) it in as unthreatening a way as possible and just asked if it was ok. Just by asking, I would think it would put their mind at ease.
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I don't patronize establishments where I need to ask permission to use a tool that has been in existence since the dawn of man.

I'm not disagreeing with you personally, I just hate how overly-sensitive and overly-reactive society in general has become.

#toomanykarens
 
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This is something I was not self-conscious about at all, until I started reading forum experiences of "Sheeple", and that was also not quite right, so while I got my awareness up, I am not afraid to use a knife in the way it should be used.

There are always gonna be the occasional dummies out there who trip out and freak at nothing, but I have never met one, and I live in California the heart of suburbia. They are not common. Just realize that you are doing a normal thing, and act with confidence and no flair. It will be back in your pocket before they can think about it. Don't be nervous or you will make them nervous.

I always have a SAK on me, that is what I defaulted to at work for example to gauge the reaction of everybody. Used swiftly and smartly but used it without a second thought when I wanted to. Nobody bats an eyelash cause they see me being normal. This is typical. Just maybe open it with two hands if it is something larger. That also helps. People do not wanna see 5" of steel wave out your pocket.
 
shane45-1911 said:
I don't patronize establishments where I need to ask permission to use a tool that has been in existence since the dawn of man.

I'm not disagreeing with you personally, I just hate how overly-sensitive and over-reactive society in general has become.

#toomanykarens
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I agree and mainly blame the media for making everyone so hyper-sensitive. Here in rural Missouri most guys carry a knife anyways, pulling one out to open a box wouldn't get any attention.
 
Thanks very much for the replies, guys. (Was worried someone was gonna suggest hiring a “life coach”.) ;)

Actually I just got back from the same store, identical staff, identical situation (‘cept I had a Dragonfly on me). When asked to open the box, I casually asked: “Mind if I use my pocketknife?” and… drumroll… they couldn’t possibly have cared less. So that was easy. Just goes to show the dramatic differences/norms between different regions. -Back in the suburbs, the reaction would’ve been (much) worse.
 
Jesse B. said:
Thanks very much for the replies, guys. (Was worried someone was gonna suggest hiring a “life coach”.) ;)

Actually I just got back from the same store, identical staff, identical situation (‘cept I had a Dragonfly on me). When asked to open the box, I casually asked: “Mind if I use my pocketknife?” and… drumroll… they couldn’t possibly have cared less. So that was easy. Just goes to show the dramatic differences/norms between different regions. -Back in the suburbs, the reaction would’ve been (much) worse.
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It's sad that using a pocket knife is taboo in many parts of America.
 
You must have lived in an awful non-permissive area! I hope people in your former neighborhood never have need for anything to be built or taken apart, the variety of sharp, heavy, tools that job requires would put them all in therapy.

It's easy to get wound up about people like this: "Isn't that (2" blade, non-locking) a dangerous weapon?" The more frustrating part is that you're never gonna be able to do anything to make 'em see different.
 
I live in the foothills of Northern CA and no one responds when I use a knife in public which is good. Of course my daily carry is typically not huge, such as a Spyderco PM2. When I'm at work it is different as there is a no "weapon" policy so I don't push the knife usage too much but still tend to carry as SAK at a minimum even if it is a small alox Cadet.

I think it all comes down to keeping a low profile and not waving a large 5"+ blade around in public.
 
Jesse B. said:
. Just goes to show the dramatic differences/norms between different regions. -Back in the suburbs, the reaction would’ve been (much) worse.
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I would not agree with this part. The first time, you did not use it, thus no reaction. Everyone here regardless of location postulated that with a normal knife and demeanor you shouldn't hear anything about it. People do not just whip themselves into a frenzy over a 2" blade because they're here, or there.

As a California suburbanite, I can assure you that a Dragonfly is inoffensive even in restrictive environs and you can run into a person who flips their lid anywhere.
 
West Coast of FL, TBA, I'm pulling my knives to open packages on shelfs of Home Depot, Lowe's and other stores all the time,
usually nobody around pays attention to the act. Any working knife I carry that day - Manix2, Rat 1, BM Grip and such sizes.
 
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