A
female
age
26-29,
anonymous
writes:Hi, I have a short, but somewhat odd question: is it normal for guys to carry knives? A guy that I'm thinking about dating carries one and I don't understand why. I tried to ask him but my friend was there and she just said: "why wouldn't he carry a knife?" which is a very frustrating put-down to a question. So, is it normal for guys to carry a knife/weapon/ect? Reply to this Question
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reader, anonymous, writes (5 April 2012): Its pretty common to be honest. Almost all guys I know carry them but where we live its pretty rough one of my best friends was stabbed to death last month and two friends last year all on the one street. Do I agree with it? Absolutely not but its always been like this as far back as I remember. I myself will carry one if I am in a particularly rough part of my town with 39 rapes last year in a 5 mile radius from my home I am not taking the risk!
A
female
reader, Honeypie +, writes (4 April 2012):
 My husband carry his Gerber everywhere, that is what you get with an old Infantry guy. He doesn't bring it with him as a weapon though, but it's come on handy many many times.
For someone in your age group it's stupid to run around with a knife. Things can go so horribly wrong. Personally, I don't think it's normal for someone your age to carry a weapon, but I guess it also comes down to where you live.
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female
reader, So_Very_Confused +, writes (4 April 2012):
 Many of the men I know carry a knife… but it’s not a switchblade.. more like a swiss army knife or something a bit more upscale from that. It’s in his pocket… my son carried one in college… not allowed in high schools around here… it’s more for utility than a weapon. Many men I know have a small one on their key ring…
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A
female
reader, YouWish +, writes (4 April 2012):
 What kind of knife is it? A survival knife or a Swiss Army knife are very useful! It always bugs me when people rip open shrink wrap with their teeth!
If it's a huge Rambo knife, and he's always taking it out, or he has a hair-trigger temper, then you might want to take caution. But it's very common to have a knife for utility and a bit of peace of mind. Wouldn't bother me any!
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male
reader, anonymous, writes (4 April 2012): At that age, he's probably carrying it because he wants to feel more mature. He's not receiving untold amounts of mail. He probably doesn't have a trade. He's not 55+ years old.If it's not an obvious weapon, he's probably ok. If the knife is a tactical-style weapon, has a blackened blade, a triangular blade - or is anything but a fold-out, etc, then he knows exactly how much of a dork he is and you should avoid him, because he might try to prove himself otherwise someday.If it's a swiss army knife or a leatherman, then he's just an unwitting dork. I wore a silly-ass hat back in high school, but it looked so cool to me back then. Most people did something like that they're not proud of today, back when they were teenagers (you fans of Kriss Kross hear me). If he's just a dork, then go out with him so you can remind him 15 years later about that silly-ass hat he wore back in high school. My buddies still have a couple photos of me wearing that stupid hat ;)
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male
reader, The Realist  +, writes (4 April 2012):
 I would call it pretty normal as long as it isn't a big knife or some sort of switch blade. To be honest I need to have one handy to open envelopes so they do come in handy quite often. I always have a swiss army knife in my back pack. It's not made for fighting, but a good knife has many uses.
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A
female
reader, tennisstar88 +, writes (4 April 2012):
 Yes, guys always have a swiss army knife or a regular pocket knife handy. You never know when you need something cut.
I doubt it's intended use is as a weapon.
I carried a particularly scary looking pocket knife in my clutch bag when going out to clubs, bars with friends in seedy parts of town.
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female
reader, Tisha-1 +, writes (4 April 2012):
 If you are living in a village of fishermen and fisherwomen and they need the knives to scale fish, then owning and carrying a knife is probably pretty normal. If you are a suburbanite whose biggest worry is what time the mall closes and how to balance that against what time Mom expects you home for dinner? Then carrying a knife is a show-offy thing.
I remember a date I was with when I was 18 reached for his 'knife' when he heard a scary noise as we were walking along. I gather that in his neighborhood of Queens this was considered normal and it is quite likely that he was just doing what he was programmed to do. It didn't mean, however, that I had to like it, or to date him.
So, to answer your question, um, no, I don't think it's normal or desirable for the guy you want to date to carry/use a knife. It's a sign he's expecting violence and is willing to inflict injury.
I'd give the guy a pass.
I'd also put some distance between yourself and the girl who challenged your question.
Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.
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A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (4 April 2012): my husband has always carried a pocket knife around like his phone or keys. I have a couple of guy friends who also do that. For them it's just an every day all-purpose tool. But then again my husband is a tradesman so he works with tools every day so maybe that's why he finds it indispensable.
I also sometimes carry a pocket knife (which my husband got for me) in my pocket or purse, as a weapon. I also carry pepper spray.
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