Why Every Man Should Carry a Pocket Knife

The 21st-century modern man has taken on new faces and roles, but the pocket knife remains mankind's loyal multi-tool.

Because of changing family dynamics, women are now more active in the workforce, and it is common for men to share in the responsibility of bringing up children in the home. The technological revolution of the 1990s and 2000s has been changing things up for guys. Rather than working at hands-on manual jobs, men are taking office jobs working with computers and technology.

So, the traditional image of the man as the provider, the farmer, the cowboy, has evolved to include some new stereotypes. Now the common man can also take on the stereotypes of the family man, the urban man, the hipster.

Does that mean men are now switching out their pocket knives for coffee shop cards and beard combs? Is it true that unless he works in the military or in a hands-on job like carpentry, a guy has no need for a pocket knife? Absolutely not. A pocket knife is the staple tool of a backwoods hunter that proves just as useful to an office project manager or single dad with three kids as it does to an outdoorsman or someone who works with their hands.

A Pocket Knife for Every Man

The simple folding blade has expanded to encompass a wide variety of shapes and styles that make a pocket knife something suited for every man's pocket. Of course, it should be comfortable and sturdy, and fit easily into jeans, but using those features as the basis, knives today are made to match the man. Just to name a few features, pocket knives can come with or without a clip. They may or may not be locking. They can have a single or a multi-blade. There are knives with wooden, rich-looking handles for the outdoorsmen and hunters, as well as an assortment of bright colors like orange blades or red handles, which appeal to the survival types and responders wanting something that is easy to spot.

Clean and Simple For those looking more toward style, though, some guys go for the clean and simple pocketknife, like the Outrage, which has a more slim, sophisticated and smooth blade. This has a neutral gray handle with a clip that fits easily on a pocket.

Multi-Tool For the guys who are more nifty and practical, and if you like being able to pick a lock, clip your toenails, and pop open a bottle of wine all within one sitting, the old-fashioned Swiss Army knife, with all its attachments and tools, is the one for you.

Artesian Finally, there are also the more artesian, sinister-looking knives, like the Hellhound blade, direct from its maker, Anthony Marfione. This knife with an aluminum handle and acid wash blade is for men who prefer looking like they just joined a Hells Angels road trip.

Of course, it can be a bit overwhelming deciding what type of knife you want. There are plenty of options to choose from. Thankfully there are websites that provide you with examples and easy descriptions of the different characteristics of knives available. That way, you can easily pick the best knife for you!

It Is Easily Accessible

The most basic aspect of a pocket knife's usefulness is how easy it is to get to when you need it. The pocket knife is easy to grip. It fits in your hand because it was molded to be there. The nice thing about this tool is that it was meant to be handled, and nothing feels nicer when it fits snug in your hand ready to be used.

Also, when you are in immediate need of it, a pocket knife is just a wrist flick away. One-handed, all it takes is a quick drop into your pocket. When dealing with standing on a ladder or sitting at a desk, easy access to a pocket knife saves you the trip of having to go back down the ladder to grab the right tool or rummage through your desk drawer to find some scissors.

Every Man Faces That Situation Where …

Every man needs a pocket knife, because every man faces a situation where he can use one. Simple daily procedures like opening things, cutting things, or poking holes through things can all be done or made easier with the use of a knife. You have been in that situation where you had to do one simple task, such as opening up a box, and either you pulled out your knife and cut through that tape like cake, or you were forced to find a pair of scissors or kitchen knife to do the job. These are more reasons why you should keep your knife handy:

Opening Things: You use your pocket knife in everyday activities such as opening a letter or a box with an obnoxious amount of tape on it. You can cut rough materials such as rope, tags, zip ties, duct tape, and heavy string. The possibilities of the small things are endless. Trimming even your fingernails can be done with a knife or an attachment from a Swiss Army Knife or similar multi-tool.

Food: Go on a picnic, take a boat tour, or maybe even a road trip, and you will need a pocket knife. Why? More often than not, on these excursions you will bring sandwiches, fruit, or even a cake that requires the process of cutting and distribution. A pocket knife does that, and also turns you into the handy guy who saved everyone from eating hand-ripped sandwiches. Also, with a Swiss Army knife, you can open a bottle of wine, a bottle of beer, or a can of beans. Moreover, if you are ever at a restaurant eating a nice steak, but that restaurant knife just isn't doing it for you, you can always pop out your own. (Of course, it is a very good idea to check with your local laws about knives). Lastly, when it comes to using a pocket knife on food, there is nothing better than using a knife when slicing up an apple to eat piece by piece.

In an Emergency: Bumps, cuts, and scratches are a part of every man's life. When you come across a small wound, such a hangnail or a splinter, a pocket knife can be used to remove the intruder. In the case of a real emergency, when there is no time for an emergency truck, who comes to the rescue? The guy with the pocket knife. A knife's versatility can prove to help solve a range of small or big emergencies. Say someone experiences a significant injury, and you need to get to the wound quickly. Your knife can rip away layers of clothing to access and treat the puncture. A knife can cut the bandages for wrapping. Furthermore, a pocket knife can cut through a car seatbelt to release someone from a car, if need be. In moments needing a quick response like these, it is important to have a tool you know well and to have experience handling it.

As a Weapon: Depending on your pocket knife, it can also be used for self-defense. It will not take the place of a handgun, but it is good to have as a safety precaution in case you ever need to protect yourself.

Mental Therapy: For some, a pocket knife acts as their safety net. Just having it in their pocket brings peace of mind. Especially after being used to the weight and feel of it on you, it becomes something of a necessity for going out the door and being ready for the world. For other men, sometimes even simply opening and closing the knife brings them a sense relief from nervous energy.

Camping: If you are the outdoorsy type, a pocket knife is perfect and practically necessary to do the activities of camping. For example, when making a fire, finding dry wood can be the bane of most campers. The secret is to find dead branches or trees standing upright and to cut to the heart of them, where the wood remains dry. You need a good knife to cut into the wood and to prepare the tinder into smaller pieces for a nice campfire. If you are the fatherly type, this provides a setting for you to show your son how to use his pocket knife.

A Makeshift (…) The pocket knife can take on the job of many other tools and many other jobs. This is again why it makes such a perfect tool for every man. Its fine tip allows it to act as a makeshift screwdriver. Its sharp edge proves to work in place of a pair of scissors. Knives with a serrated blade can even take the place of a pair of wire cutters. It is likely you can find a use for one in your everyday life, too. Carrying one along and knowing how to use it safely and effectively is just part of being prepared.

What Does It Represent to You?

A pocket knife is not just known for its usefulness or how it looks dangling from your jeans pocket. To some, it can mean something more. The unique quality of a pocket knife is the tradition of it. It carries with it an image and idea that has been passed down through generations. Owning a pocketknife, carrying it with you, adds an extra something not just from the weight of the knife. It brings an aspect of masculinity. When talking about generations, carrying a knife brings a man back to his first role as the hunter. A knife meant you had the tool and the ability to provide for a family.

Now, in a time when technology is lifted up as the answer to life's problems, instead, a pocket knife puts you in that position. You can do what needs to be done; you have the capability; you are not helpless. You can break things or fix them. You can tear things or pull off things. It bears roughness, strength, and ability. To some, carrying a possibly damaging or dangerous, but especially useful, utensil makes men feel dangerous themselves. It is a confidence booster. In World War II, a pocket knife was required by the uniform standard, and every American serviceman had to carry one in his pocket. This was their lucky charm, their extra ability to do something, anything, whatever needed to be done when life brought out its hidden traps.

Most men are not new to owning a pocket knife. This tool can represent more than just manliness or ability for the men who carry them. Sometimes it represents a memory or it is sentimental. Many will talk about how they received their first blade as a gift from their father or grandfather. Maybe it was even passed down from generations above them as a family heirloom. The pocket knife to them could represent that person or that time with them. For other men, a pocket knife brings back memories of childhood. They recall using it as a boy and having it stay with them throughout the years creates even more of a connection to it.

It's for Every Man

There are numerous logical reasons for having a knife: its multi-use properties, its easy accessibility, its style and the look of simply carrying one. Of course, every man has his own reason for keeping a pocket knife. If you are a mechanic, a businessman, a police officer, or a construction worker, there is something a pocket knife can do for you. Former military men sometimes feel undressed without one!

Men today are just as different as the pocket knives they carry. Whether you use it for cutting someone free from a jammed seat belt or slicing open your last purchase from Amazon, a pocket knife is a useful tool.