“Check out my knife!”

That's a phrase any self respecting blade lover, or “blady” might use on any given day. Whether it's presenting a new found treasure with pride, or wiping the dirt and grime off a well used, well loved faithful sidekick.

“But what’s the secret to wearing my knife?”

(To those of you asking; “What secret? I throw it in my pocket and go!” Let me explain) :-)

To a knife enthusiast (like me) a well made, high quality blade is the ultimate accessory. It's a statement of rugged individuality in a society that is increasingly hyper sensitive to any tool that could be perceived as a “threat”.

So to understand how to carry and wear a knife with respect and look smooth as hell as the same time, we need to figure out the following:

What's your purpose for carrying a knife?

This might seem like a silly question, since a knife is a tool that can be used for a wide variety of applications, but think about your particular lifestyle and the things you do everyday. Some people are cowboys, bushmen, military or firemen. And others are businessmen, managers, and office workers. Whatever you do during the day I'm pretty sure you're going to come across at least one instance where you wish you had a knife, even for opening mail or packages. The type of work you expect your blade to do dictates what kind of blade you should be carrying.

How comfortable are you with using a knife?

Everyone has a different level of comfort and experience when it comes to sharp blades, and that is something to take into consideration when choosing your daily companion. I grew up around knives of every kind, and have always gravitated towards fixed blades more than folders. Don't get me wrong, I love a nice small lightweight folder now and again, but my constant companions that I feel safest with are fixed blades, for several reasons.

• A fixed blade never fails to open, and won't close on your hand. I can't tell you how many times I have carried high quality, well known folders in my pocket or purse and they have failed locking open because of lint or grime.
• The strength of one piece of hardened steel with no moving parts means a stronger, more rugged knife. Again, maybe I'm tougher on my knives than some, but after awhile the folding mechanism loosens and becomes sloppy. Not a problem with fixed blades.
• Deployment of a fixed blade is much faster. There are knife fighting instructors that will tell you a fixed blade is much faster to use for self defense, simply because there are fewer steps to having a sharp weapon ready to defend yourself and others. This is also where reason #2 comes into play again. :-)

What is acceptable for your life and social interactions?

Many of us have everyday jobs with coworkers and bosses, all of whom we need to be respectful towards. This doesn't mean we give up our right to carry a knife (always check your local knife laws) but we can choose to carry in a way that stays true to our needs and beliefs while maintaining a respect for others. Now, I've known guys that strap a 24” katana to the handlebars of their Harley during their weekend ride, or hunters that take 5 different knives and 2 axes with them into the bush in search for the perfect Elk. That's fine! That's awesome! Do that! When it comes to pridefully caring and using your treasured blades, I say let your freak flag fly. I know I do.

Honestly the secret to wearing your knife (or knives) and looking like a rugged, capable, smooth as hell guy is to pick the blades that fit your lifestyle, and that you feel confident with. The more comfortable you are with carrying and using your knife, the more that translates over to others. And you never know, maybe you'll inspire someone else to become a smooth as hell badass. ;-)

Edgedly yours,

Lynn Cook

Lynn is a knifemaker and blade enthusiast, and has been her whole life. She is married to Dennis, who is also a knifemaker, and they have 4 beautiful, knife wielding kiddos.