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All,
Just wondering how many of us are old-school enough to carry a pocket knife every day. What'cha got?
Myself, I've carried a pocket knife since about 7 yrs old (even in jr hi and high school). It was always a 'tool' in my mind, never a 'weapon'. Generally I've favored a 3 blade Stockman, but when I was teaching I was given a Victorinox Executive (at 3 inches it's significantly larger than the little 2.25 inch 'Classic'), and found it to be perfect for my needs. The tiniest screwdriver worked for loose pins on woodwinds, the orange peeler (yes, it does do that well) worked as a hook to pull woodwind springs back into place, and the little blade did everything needed during school hours. I alternated that one with a Victorinox Compact, which had an even tinier screwdriver and fit the hand better as it was a much larger knife overall.
Besides these 2, my drawerful of pocket knives includes more Swiss Army Knives, a bunch of Schrade/Uncle Henry Stockman style knives in various sizes, a multi-tool or 3, and some heavier duty locking folders that really require belt carry. I have a beautiful 3 blade folder from Browning that has great craftsmanship and feels terrific in the hand, but the scissors is useless. When outdoors at home (my acreage is surrounded by hundreds of acres of woods, farmland, wildlife management areas, etc, and no other homes for nearly a mile) I get a lot of use out of all of those knives. My son carries his to work in "the big city" with no issues, and my daughter, my wife, and my daughter in law have all received small folders from me that they keep on their key rings or tucked in their purses. I do have a couple of fancier-handled small knives that are my 'church, wedding, and funeral knives'.
So, how about you?

I tried for a while, but frankly, I hate having stuff in my pockets. Even the essentials (keys, phone, wallet) is annoying. Particularly since phones are so !@#$ huge these days, and I have to put the phone in my back pocket.

PS -- I have broken at least one phone by sitting on it while it was in my back pocket.

Brett,
My college room mate and fellow Chicago area security guard had the same issue (although no cell phone back then - the good ol' days!). We'd stop for waffle breakfast at The Delta Queen after a midnight shift, and he'd take every last this t out of his pockets and like them on the table. Seemed funny to me, except when we'd get about to Libertyville, and he'd remember it was all still at the restaurant.

Moved on from pocket knives to a Leatherman or Gerber multitool in a horizontal sheath on my belt. Bulkier but much more useful.

I wouldn't mind having some alternative to the pocket, but a knife does come in handy. Mostly a Buck, little larger than I need but relatively light, with one locking blade. Also have a nice big Case with two blades, but not only is it a bit heavy, any time I've had it for a while, I'll have torn my thumbnail opening it up. Kind of stiff, but I think the problem is really that somewhere in the process the thumb turns and the blade doesn't, or vice versa, and the nail goes with the blade.

When I was working with the FAA for 30+ years I always carried a small Case 2-blade knife. Now that I’m retired I have a small Victorinox knife on my keychain. The one with 1 blade, nail file, small scissor, tweezer and plastic toothpick. Have to admit the nail file and toothpick get the most use.

Used carry one all the time. Incredibly handy to have with me. But these days with all the security precautions & scanners in buildings it's too much of a PITA to have to hand it over and then remember to retrieve it later.

I don't know if you want to call it a pocket knife: a folding utility knife, but it is in my pocket. I don't use it much because usually I am within reach of a non-folding utility knife in my tool belt. I haven't always carried a knife, but, like many of you, as a kid in school I mostly did. I couldn't tell you brands or styles. One of my earlier memories of pocket knives is closing one on my thumb, kind of lengthwise, down the nail. Blood was shed. I have also worn holes in pants pockets over the years.

tofu wrote:the security precautions

I don't run into this much, but of course there's the airport, where I have lost a knife or two when I forgot to put it in the checked baggage. On one occasion I remembered in time - I mean, after the bags were already checked, but before we'd gone through security ourselves - and I trotted out to the airport post office branch and mailed it to myself. It got back about as fast as we did, from San Juan PR. Small Buck 1-blade, good looking though not very good steel; I personally lean more towards "carbon" steel, though I don't actually have much of it at the moment.

I had the airport security called on me once, back in the late 80's after some recent hi-jacking scare. On my way to the Mid-West Band Directors conference in Chicago for the first time, was pretty pumped to get to play-test all those horns. I had calmly emptied my pockets, etc., walked thru the scanner and set off the alarm. They frisked me and found I'd forgotten my tuba mouthpiece in a parka pocket. Security officers don't often laugh, much, but they did.

Almost always.

Have used many but settled on an Opinel No. 7.

They are big enough to be useful, very lightweight, and pretty/elegant enough not to be alarming to others when I have to pull it out. Opinels are quite sharp when new and can easily be made exceptionally sharp. And, at only about $15, they're inexpensive so I don't really worry about damaging it or losing it.

I have a standard Case 6344 3-blade, dyed blue bone inserts. I quit carrying it when TSA came into being and court houses disallowed "weapons." It now resides quietly in my top dresser drawer, retrieved when I need it around the house.

Who do think you are?? Leroy Brown??

I used to carry a medium sized Swiss Army, went to the little tiny one, not sure when I stopped but I think it was when I started flying to meetings for my job. I remember when I visited Europe in 1976 I had the larger one with me; went to get on a plane from Heathrow to Dublin, got searched, and they let me keep it. No WAY that would happen today.

MaryAnn,
I visited Europe in 76, too, traveling with my HS choir. I'll bet half the boys bought a Swiss Army Knife while in Switzerland; no one had a problem getting them back to Minnesota. You're right - it wouldn't happen that way today.

I probably have close to a dozen pocket knives.
My favorite everyday knife is a Kershaw Leek in tractor green.
https://www.kershaw-knives.net/Kershaw- ... 660TRACTOR" target="_blank
Though, I really wouldn't buy the green painted one again. I would buy another Leek. It's super sharp. I'ts also very sleek for its size and doesn't take up much pocket space at all.

I have some Benchmades, a few Spydercos, a couple of Cold Steel and CRKT.

Schlepporello wrote: That looks purty nice! I wouldn't mind having one myself. It would go well with the drawer full of other pocket knives that I have.

My two came from a drawer like that. After the drawer owner's demise, his sister sent me a low resolution photo of the contents, and we both picked a couple out.

Donn wrote:

Schlepporello wrote: That looks purty nice! I wouldn't mind having one myself. It would go well with the drawer full of other pocket knives that I have.

My two came from a drawer like that. After the drawer owner's demise, his sister sent me a low resolution photo of the contents, and we both picked a couple out.

A well-stocked knife drawer, for sure!

Schlepporello wrote:

cjk wrote:I probably have close to a dozen pocket knives.
My favorite everyday knife is a Kershaw Leek in tractor green.
https://www.kershaw-knives.net/Kershaw- ... 660TRACTOR" target="_blank
Though, I really wouldn't buy the green painted one again. I would buy another Leek. It's super sharp. It's also very sleek for its size and doesn't take up much pocket space at all.

That looks purty nice! I wouldn't mind having one myself. It would go well with the drawer full of other pocket knives that I have.

Highly recommended. My father-in-law briefly borrowed mine a few months back. He had a lot of nice things to say about it after he returned it, so I bought him one as a Christmas gift.